What not to do when switching OS
Never let it be said that as editor of this blog, I am unable to make fun of myself!. Before leaving MT for greener pastures I decided to abandon Winblows and join the Linux world, something Ive been experimenting with and pondering for 2 years. Managed to get my documents saved with all my page templates but Email! Nope: backed up the pst file but forgot to burn it prior to reformatting the hard disk (or HDA as its now referred to) to install Mandrake Linux 10. So if you´ve sent me an email and I haven´t responded my apologies, as the last 7 years of emails where lost in one foul swoop: the moral of the story is not back up your email, it is Windows blows :-)
Postscript: After 5 wasted days and years of lost email Ive gone back to Windows. Have you ever tried installing software under Linux? Still a good few years off becoming a viable alternative.
I am planning the Linux move at some point in the future but the way I am approaching things is very slow and systematic. First up is use Mozilla under Windows. Second up is use Open Office (courtesy of TheOpenCD.org project) under Windows. This gets me comfortable with a lot of the software that I will be using under Linux. At the same time I have been experimenting with Knoppix, which is a version of Linux that you run off the CD so nothing is permanent on your Windows box. Next will be a second hard drive with Linux installed on it (SUSE 9.1) and dual booting. The last step once I’m comfortable will be deleting Windows completely, although I might not even do that as there are tiimes when I do need access to Windows apps, although Crossover Office might do the trick. All of this software (aside from Crossover Office) is downloadable for free.
I am trying to be as systematic as I can. I want to be comfortable each step of the way before I move to the next. Seems to be working OK for me.
Great site by the way.
If you’re sick of Windows and want a Unix-flavoured OS, have a look at switching to a Mac running OS X. I tried it last year, and haven’t looked back since. I’d tried Linux several times over the past 5 years or so, and always had driver problems, software problems, usability problems, etc. OS X is everything I wanted Linux to be – a professional, commercial quality UI on top of Unixy goodness. Sure, there’s an initial cost to switching, but once you’re there everything is just better.