Anyone else here using an alternative OS?

[Mad_Cabbie]

I've been using Ubuntu now for over two years and have never had to delete any spyware or viruses. It's free and even though I can no longer do some of the things that I did with Windows, the trade off is that I am using a superior system that has never once even crashed.

Also, It's kind of liberating to not have to give Bill Gates all my money.

 

[Mad_Cabbie]

I also was a big fan of puppy Linux - 128 MB, very lightweight and quick as Jessie James!

This is one that I ran entirely in RAM, yes, you can even run it without a hard-drive.


Also, DSL (damn small linux) is only 49 MB and is also one to be ran in RAM.

It's so quick and takes up such a small space that I used to run it on an old 486 and was able to surf the web rather easily!

 

[Bleipriester]

On a thumb drive I have Parted Magic. This is a little Linux also able to run in RAM with nice features for HDDs and SSDs. It can also be used for surfing, Data management, ect.
If you want it for free look out for an older version.

 

[Ropey]

How Linux is built. [VIDEO]

 

[ZenBubba]

I've been using Linux Mint 16 since Feb and really like it. I am continuously learning new things about it that make it better than I thought.

 

[Ringel05]

I've been using Ubuntu now for over two years and have never had to delete any spyware or viruses. It's free and even though I can no longer do some of the things that I did with Windows, the trade off is that I am using a superior system that has never once even crashed.

Also, It's kind of liberating to not have to give Bill Gates all my money.

If you have a fast system and you want to use some of the Windows features you like you can download RoboLinux's StealthVM and load XP, Vista or Win 7 in it. I think it costs $19. I dual boot with Win 7 and Ubuntu on my desktop and Win 7 and Mint on my laptop. When I do my new desktop build I'll run the configuration I first mentioned.
Even with Linux you want to activate your firewall and instal ClamAV. Despite what some claim Linux can be infected though there are currently very few viruses written for Linux as Windows is the big boy on the block so is targeted the most.

 

[Bleipriester]

How Linux is built. [VIDEO]

I have both, an Android and a Windows phone:

I like the Sony Experia best. It has a very bright 3,3" Display with 297 dpi.

 

[XPostFacto]

Some years back I tried to install Linux Redhat on my old IBM Thinkpad. The install took forever, so I would leave and go do something else and check it at intervals to notice it was still installing. After about 2 hours, I went back, only to discover it had hung up and failed to installed. After trying over and over, I finally gave up, so I have no idea whether Linux is the way to go because I am sure not going to mess up my present system with Redhat, just because it comes free with Linux for Dummies.

 

[Ropey]

How Linux is built. [VIDEO]

I have both, an Android and a Windows phone:

I like the Sony Experia best. It has a very bright 3,3" Display with 297 dpi.

I like the Sonys too.

I have the Xperia Z. I just updated to kitcat and there's a one click root so I'm rooted and ready.

I've also got a windows 8 phone and it's just an amazing tool to connect 1:1 with my installation.

 

[Bleipriester]

I like the Sonys too.

I have the Xperia Z. I just updated to kitcat and there's a one click root so I'm rooted and ready.

I've also got a windows 8 phone and it's just an amazing tool to connect 1:1 with my installation.

The Xperia Ray doesn´t have a recovery mode so rooting is not easy. Not important anyway. The phone is small and when you´ve upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, Sony has implemented some smart features, like a task switcher/killer similar to the one of the Samsung Galaxy S5.
I can also turn on/off the data traffic (via provider) and W-Land with a single touch for each function, can create shortcuts to many things like elements of the settings menu, etc. Its a very useful smartphone that also has elegance and the perfect size for a cell phone. As the one I have is a scuffed second hand phone, I am going to get it new. That will totally meet my needs.

 

[Ropey]

I like the Sonys too.

I have the Xperia Z. I just updated to kitcat and there's a one click root so I'm rooted and ready.

I've also got a windows 8 phone and it's just an amazing tool to connect 1:1 with my installation.

The Xperia Ray doesn´t have a recovery mode so rooting is not easy. Not important anyway. The phone is small and when you´ve upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, Sony has implemented some smart features, like a task switcher/killer similar to the one of the Samsung Galaxy S5.
I can also turn on/off the data traffic (via provider) and W-Land with a single touch for each function, can create shortcuts to many things like elements of the settings menu, etc. Its a very useful smartphone that also has elegance and the perfect size for a cell phone. As the one I have is a scuffed second hand phone, I am going to get it new. That will totally meet my needs.

Without recovery I wouldn't root either. Hell, I only root for the tweaking and fun of removing all the carrier and android extras. In a way it reminds me of the tweaking I used to do in dos and windows OS's back when storage space and processor time were more serious matters. Now computers are so fast and with so much storage there's not much need to tweak. But the phones are another story.

I also like the lcd screen rather than the oled as well. It's far easier on the eyes when using it for browsing, etc. You have the LCD hi pixel density as well. They are great screens.

 

[Bleipriester]

Without recovery I wouldn't root either. Hell, I only root for the tweaking and fun of removing all the carrier and android extras. In a way it reminds me of the tweaking I used to do in dos and windows OS's back when storage space and processor time were more serious matters. Now computers are so fast and with so much storage there's not much need to tweak. But the phones are another story.

I also like the lcd screen rather than the oled as well. It's far easier on the eyes when using it for browsing, etc. You have the LCD hi pixel density as well. They are great screens.

A also have an old Samsung phone on which I installed the CyanogenMod.
Its rootet by default is shipped with apps that require root.
CyanogenMod | Android Community Operating System

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Media Server (PLex)...LinuxMint 13
Laptop1...LinuxMint 17
Laptop2...Win7
Laptop3...Chromebook

 

[Iceweasel]

I'm on Debian Wheezy. I have Mint 13, a non working XBMCubuntu (for now) and XP. I've tried numerous distros on the XBMC partition but Debian has been so solid I haven't used the others in a while. I like having another working distro just in case.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Oh yeah...and I have an old Mac Tbook (titanium)
Has built-in Macos9, the last system they made with OSX and MacOs factory installed.

 

[Chris82]

I'm dual booting with Win 7/Ubuntu

I have a low spec CPU so I'm using the lxde lightweight desktop environment.

There was a steep learing curve for me when I first started using linux. Now I have finally become comfortable with it and like it quite a bit.

 

[XPostFacto]

I'd get rid of Windows 8 and install Linux, but I don't see that Linux is compatible with any of the games I play, so for that reason, I won't touch it. It's just not worth it, and that goes for the Apple computer, as well, which also has Linux.

 

[cereal_killer]

How Linux is built. [VIDEO]

I have both, an Android and a Windows phone:

I like the Sony Experia best. It has a very bright 3,3" Display with 297 dpi.

I like the Sonys too.

I have the Xperia Z. I just updated to kitcat and there's a one click root so I'm rooted and ready.

I've also got a windows 8 phone and it's just an amazing tool to connect 1:1 with my installation.

Sony Experia Z is an awesome handset. I love their hardware.

I'm a huge Android fan (since 09) but I have to admit that WP is pretty awesome. I just got the Lumia Icon on Thursday and I love it.

Apps are a hundred times better looking on WP than Android and the overall user experience has been exceptional.

I can't wait until WP 8.1 drops with Cortana. Thats going to be killer.

I'm going to be sticking with Windows Phone for a while. I like where it's going.

I use a Mac while at work and when I'm home I'll work using my Dell XPS 12 running Windows 8.


Ubuntu is pure awesomeness. I really want to see the OS (Ubuntu) take off on smartphones but with Android and iOS dominating that space it's going to be hard. Consumers are a lot like sheep. They follow the current trends. I like to go off the beaten path and try new things rather than have tech blogs tell me whats good. 9 x out of 10 they are wrong anyhow.

 

[Ropey]

I have both, an Android and a Windows phone:

I like the Sony Experia best. It has a very bright 3,3" Display with 297 dpi.

I like the Sonys too.

I have the Xperia Z. I just updated to kitcat and there's a one click root so I'm rooted and ready.

I've also got a windows 8 phone and it's just an amazing tool to connect 1:1 with my installation.

Sony Experia Z is an awesome handset. I love their hardware.

I'm a huge Android fan (since 09) but I have to admit that WP is pretty awesome. I just got the Lumia Icon on Thursday and I love it.

Apps are a hundred times better looking on WP than Android and the overall user experience has been exceptional.

I can't wait until WP 8.1 drops with Cortana. Thats going to be killer.

I'm going to be sticking with Windows Phone for a while. I like where it's going.

I use a Mac while at work and when I'm home I'll work using my Dell XPS 12 running Windows 8.

Ubuntu is pure awesomeness. I really want to see the OS (Ubuntu) take off on smartphones but with Android and iOS dominating that space it's going to be hard. Consumers are a lot like sheep. They follow the current trends. I like to go off the beaten path and try new things rather than have tech blogs tell me whats good. 9 x out of 10 they are wrong anyhow.

I love tweaking and new products have new tweaks. Since Ubuntu is a linux kernel and so is Android basically there should be some pretty good app integration.

I've a home built 2500k on Win8.1, but more and more I'm using my surface 2 RT tablet and I'm thinking of letting my main station go and get the 12" Surface 3.

I've just no need for a large machine anymore and everyone here uses some tablet/notebook variation.

Windows has the font smoothing tech (ClearType) that Android only dreams of and it only makes sense as they've been working on it and optimizing it since 2000. And they don't license it out.

It sucks that I have to wait for Cortana on my HTC 8x since I'm Canadian and it's not released outside of the US.

I've had the HTC 8x since it came out and it's about perfect for me. Its a fine curved fit for one hand and I don't use hardbody cases. I'm just careful.

 

[Iceweasel]

I read a while back that Google's developers are using a modified Linux Mint to develop Android's OS. I'm guessing that Android is much more hardware specific and maybe can be run in a virtual box.

I got bored last weekend and installed Mint 17 as my fourth OS on my system. It's very good but I am sticking with Debian, my tablet has a few more features and Mint doesn't show the Wacom settings anymore. But it's new and that will probably change.