RichP Posted October 22, 2011 Posted October 22, 2011 Carry on from this thread here Windows 7 starter is rather limiting, so will upgrade to either a full "home" version, or one of the open source options. What's best? Must have's: - multi-user control - a media player to stream audio, pics & video from my NAS - web access (Firefox) - mail application - compatible software for spreadsheet and word processing - be able to "see" all of my upgraded 4gb of RAM What's recommended? Quite like the open source option as (as I understand it) I won't need a virus program to slow everything down either. However I'd like something that's reasonably easy to transfer to from Windows which I''m most familiar with. Any experience-based recommendations? Cheers Rich Quote
fatbaldbloke Posted October 22, 2011 Posted October 22, 2011 Hi Rich, I'm using Ubuntu, it's a doddle to be honest and the open source stuff is pretty good. You can also run it on a windows platform if you want. There are significant disadvantages though. If you need to link into other systems, i.e. connect up to your ecu, download from a datalogger, or program any similar device,etc, you can't do it. They are all dependent on Windows. Cheers, Ian Quote
Meakin Posted October 22, 2011 Posted October 22, 2011 Whatever the OS you will need a virus checker its an urban myth that other OS's have no viruses. Obviously they have far fewer but even the new mobile/slate phones have a risk. see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4207476.stm Linux is good but have limited experience of it to give a full recommendation. As has been said windows is the most compatible. Hope thats helped Paul Quote
Welly Jen Posted October 22, 2011 Posted October 22, 2011 Pretty much what FBB said. I've used linux, Ubuntu most recently for many years now. Very easy to use now compared with a decade ago. Plug and play in the case of Ubuntu. Hardware compatibility is pretty good now, but it is worth checking that your hardware will work with it before buying. When you do run in to problems I usually find it easier to trouble shoot linux. Given a choice I'd use linux over windows any time. Connecting to other equipment can be a pain, eg Tomtom satnav's are windows only for updating, despite running a version of windows on the actual satnav. If your computer comes with windows preinstalled, then it is worth installing linux as a dual boot and select windows for those things that will only run on it. The virus thing is likely to get worse as virus writers try and break in to Android 'phones. Android is a fork from linux, so any viruses may work on both. Jen Quote
DerekJ Posted October 22, 2011 Posted October 22, 2011 Doing the same here today. Stripped one of my computers down and installing Ubuntu. Install's a breeze. 11.1 (current Oct 2011) comes with Libre(spelling?) Office and just works. Having problems at the mo as I want to set it up as a multi-boot with my original Win2k install but that's my fault not Ubuntu's Cheers DJ Quote
adamnreeves Posted October 22, 2011 Posted October 22, 2011 As echoed by others Ubuntu. It will run much faster and you will have less hassles than using Windows. I presume you PC uses 64bit CPU. Just download the 64bit of Ubuntu and enjoy all that RAM. I have Windows software that I run time to time I just use Vmplayer to run up a windows Virtual PC and run in there and I can tell you windows running in a VM on your machine will run faster than Windows installed on the same machine! This provides another benefit. You can copy the VM so when windows in the VM starts getting slow corrupted, whatever then just copy over again in a few minutes! OF course you will need a licensed copy of Windows to install in the VM. Quote
corsechris Posted October 23, 2011 Posted October 23, 2011 I went Mac a short while ago.....but +1 for running windows in a VM, it's the best way by far! Quote
RichP Posted October 23, 2011 Author Posted October 23, 2011 Why oh why do I meddle? Installed Ubuntu last night. All seemed well, and it wasn't that hard to find my way around it, so all seemed good with a marked imnprovement on the speed of the netbook - happy days. However this morning once it had updated a couple of drivers and settled down, the screen started to flicker. Can I stop it? Not a chance. I've rolled back the display driver, re-installed it, uninstalled Ubuntu, restored Win 7 to the netbooks delivery setting, and it's not made a jot of difference. Coincidence - faulty display? I've no idea - possibly. Got the hump? Oh yes.......... Quote
adamnreeves Posted October 23, 2011 Posted October 23, 2011 Sorry to hear of the troubles Rich. That's bad luck. Quote
Dibby Posted October 24, 2011 Posted October 24, 2011 If you don't like fiddling with Ubuntu (which is nice but can be a faff getting things working), try Linux Jolicloud, designed specifically for netbooks, it's Ubuntu in the background but you don't see it, hides everything away nicely even non-techhies like my wife and mother use it on their laptops. It gives you the option of installing side-by-side with Windows as a dual-boot so you don't have to replace Windows at all. Antivirus slowing things down isn't as common as it used to be, it's one of these old hang-overs from the early 90s that people keep repeating, believing it to be true, like too many files on your hard drive slows things down http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews....45.html Quote
pistonbroke Posted October 24, 2011 Posted October 24, 2011 If you don't like fiddling with Ubuntu (which is nice but can be a faff getting things working), try Linux Jolicloud, designed specifically for netbooks, it's Ubuntu in the background but you don't see it, hides everything away nicely even non-techhies like my wife and mother use it on their laptops. It gives you the option of installing side-by-side with Windows as a dual-boot so you don't have to replace Windows at all. Antivirus slowing things down isn't as common as it used to be, it's one of these old hang-overs from the early 90s that people keep repeating, believing it to be true, like too many files on your hard drive slows things down http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews....45.html Interesting read , as I see it the conclusion being it dont make much difference to PC speed "as long as you have enough horsepower " The rig used in that test was mighty powerful , would like to see the results using a run of the mill spec PC Quote
Dibby Posted October 24, 2011 Posted October 24, 2011 Wouldn't say it's that powerful, par for the course for a build-from-scratch desktop. I'm running a 1st gen Core i7 at home and bang for buck, the i7 is a brilliant processor. Most PCs have 'enough' horsepower nowadays and as I see it, the effect from the antivirus alone will be a drop in the ocean compared to the general slowdown of Windows from a lack of hardware ... which is where the Jolicloud suggestion comes in, to eek as much performance out of older hardware as you can by not having to run all the bumph Windows and it's associated programs rely on. To me, the choice is made on the annoyance factor from things like updates and notifying you of insignificant intrusions, and price - why pay PC world for a disc and a box when a free product will do equally as good a job for what I'll use it for? Quote
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