New computer

Well that's it, due to the convincing I received from my dad and my geek 
neighbor, I'm buying a new system.  Probably a Gateway.  My other option 
was to build a system from scratch, but that would cost more AND I could 
possibly run into integration issues.  I plan on getting a dual-core 
machine with 2gb ram, onboard RAID (I think SATA 2.0 has RAID built-in), 
and at least a GeForce 6 or 7 video card.  Prices for such machines are 
around $400 right now.  I hope to go under that during one of the many 
President's Day sales.  Also at my neighbor's coaxing, I'm considering 
trying out Ubuntu Linux instead of the pre-installed Vista.  It'll be the 
first time I've dabbled in Linux and I'm a bit uncertain as to how smooth 

Twayne wrote:
> 
> IMO, from seeing your around now and then, you'll do fine with it 
> depending on two things;
> - how you feel about the learning curve and undoing all the MS
"bad" 
> habits<g>

Learning curves aren't a problem, but I'll admit that I don't like the 
idea of running an OS without virus scanner, spybot, adaware, or defrag.  :)

> - finding drivers for all your external hardware.  That's usually the 
> hardest part.  Check around and be sure you have drivers for your mobo 
> chip set available, your printer, scanner, video card, etc. etc. etc.. 
> I've attempted the changes a couple of time using "Live CDs" and
then a 
> dual-boot when the Live CD worked OK, but ... always stopped ahd put it 
> on the back burner again because of drivers I couldn't find and just 
> couldn't do without.  Still, I keep playing with it, and if the driver 
> situation ever straightens out (or I replace all the problem preipherals 
> and make sure there are drivers before-hand), I'll be set to go!

 From what my neighbor is experiencing, most of his hardware has drivers 
ready to go.  He also says that any hardware not supported with Ubuntu can 
be used from within a Windows Virtual Machine.

Ross McKay wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:50:14 -0800, Borgholio wrote:
> 
>> [...] Also at my neighbor's coaxing, I'm considering 
>> trying out Ubuntu Linux instead of the pre-installed Vista.  It'll be
the 
>> first time I've dabbled in Linux and I'm a bit uncertain as to how
smooth 
>> the transition will be from XP to Linux.
> 
> Lots of fun ahead for you, then :-)
> 
> For starters: I suggest you install the NVIDIA driver for Linux. The
> standard distros generally only have a somewhat lame driver (nv) that
> doesn't support the full capabilities of the card. The NVIDIA driver
> (non-free) does, and lifts performance as well as allowing you to run
> two monitors if you like that sort of thing.
> 
> With the specs you're talking, it sounds like better prospects than the
> laptop.

Yeah one thing I"ll be using this computer for is gaming.  I'd have to 

Indigo wrote:
> 
> "Borgholio" <borgholio@storymind.com> wrote in message 
> news:fotesd$82s$1@news.spamcop.net...
> Also at my neighbor's coaxing, I'm considering
>> trying out Ubuntu Linux instead of the pre-installed Vista.  It'll be 
>> the first time I've dabbled in Linux and I'm a bit uncertain as to how

>> smooth the transition will be from XP to Linux.
> 
> Can't be any worse than the transition from Win2K to Vista.....


Wouldn't know, tbh.  :)  I found the transition from Windows ME to XP 

> Well that's it, due to the convincing I received from my dad and my
> geek neighbor, I'm buying a new system.  Probably a Gateway.  My
> other option was to build a system from scratch, but that would cost
> more AND I could possibly run into integration issues.  I plan on
> getting a dual-core machine with 2gb ram, onboard RAID (I think SATA
> 2.0 has RAID built-in), and at least a GeForce 6 or 7 video card. 
> Prices for such machines are around $400 right now.  I hope to go
> under that during one of the many President's Day sales.  Also at my
> neighbor's coaxing, I'm considering trying out Ubuntu Linux instead
> of the pre-installed Vista.  It'll be the first time I've dabbled in
> Linux and I'm a bit uncertain as to how smooth the transition will be
> from XP to Linux.

IMO, from seeing your around now and then, you'll do fine with it 
depending on two things;
- how you feel about the learning curve and undoing all the MS "bad" 
habits<g>
- finding drivers for all your external hardware.  That's usually the 
hardest part.  Check around and be sure you have drivers for your mobo 
chip set available, your printer, scanner, video card, etc. etc. etc.. 
I've attempted the changes a couple of time using "Live CDs" and then
a 
dual-boot when the Live CD worked OK, but ... always stopped ahd put it 
on the back burner again because of drivers I couldn't find and just 
couldn't do without.  Still, I keep playing with it, and if the driver 
situation ever straightens out (or I replace all the problem preipherals 
and make sure there are drivers before-hand), I'll be set to go!

   I've noticed two trends lately:
  More drivers are becoming avialable, but they don't allow one the 
fullest feature set (my nVidia card, of which there are MANY drivers 
available), but on the more positive side,
    vendors are FINALLY starting to supply Linux drivers WITH their 
products.  The latest ODF push, etc., seems to finally be making a 
difference.  I hope!  I'd love to be able to wish MS luck with finding 
uses for all those leftover CDs in their warehouses<g>.

-- 
Ain't no way I'm going to compute
AT Microsoft's servers!  My data
stays HERE!