It Just Works
I mentioned a few months ago that I had bought a cheap refurbed Gateway desktop to use for playing around with Linux distros. I had briefly loaded a few different ones and had settled on the then-latest Fedora, but then became engrossed in getting JennySlash's laptop, her desktop and a new computer for Dad in shape for them to use. In the meantime, Ubuntu 8.04 came out and I picked up one of the Linux mags with a DVD with both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions. So while I was frantically working last weekend to get ready for the Meadowmont art/craft show in a few weeks, I rather absent-mindedly threw the DVD in on the 64 bit side and let it loose.After taking all defaults and answering about 3 questions, I had a fully functioning Linux system in about 30 unattended minutes. Holy Crap!!
After I brought it up for the first time, it recognized that there were a bunch of updates it needed, so I told it to go ahead and again left it alone while it downloaded and installed a couple hundred updates, fixes, patches, etc. No problems importing the Firefox bookmarks from my Windows XP laptop. I decided I might want to download the occasional mp3 from Usenet, so did a quick search online for recommendations, hit the add/delete button and installed the Pan newsreader from the repository, gave it the news provider address and it just worked. Decided I might want to do block renaming of photo files or the aforementioned mp3s, did a quick search online for recommendations, hit the add/delete button and installed Pyrenamer. It just worked. I opened up the latest version of GIMP (which of course was preinstalled) and it looks like they've dramatically improved the user interface, but I'll admit that I haven't tried to use it yet.
So far, no driver or compatability problems with sound, video, keyboard, mouse, nothing. It just works.
I've got a lot more to check out - need to go to some favorite websites (I Can Has Cheezburger works just fine!), try burning a CD or DVD, try playing both CDs and DVDs, try ripping CDs, etc. I also haven't set up the email client yet - checking my email via web interfaces so far. But I'm already blown away. Keep your over-priced, proprietary Crapple MacBook - I'm liking Ubuntu!
Labels: Tech
3 Comments:
I like how you keep dropping the line 'just works.' You seem to be writing the post for someone in particular we know. ;)
I could not be happier for you! Finally you got off Windows and to something, as you say that'just works'. Whether it is my Macbook Pro, that 'just works' for me or to Ubuntu for you. Btw, I first tried Ubuntu over a year ago before I got my Macbook Pro. It worked for almost everything, unfortunately did not 'just work' on my wireless at the time. I would say that it is all about productivity - whatever lets you spend your time do what you got the computer for in the first place - rather than troubleshooting, patching, re-patching, reinstalling, calling support, finding drivers, loading CDs, uninstalling service packs, etc., go with that. My Mac 'just works' for me, and I could not be happier that Ubuntu works for you. Now just get JennySlash on Ubuntu, and we will not have to see any more frustration blog posts about your troubles with Windows. ;-)
justisengard: As long as I'm in grad school, I'll be running Windows. I don't have time to learn something new!!!
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