Assessing an alternative operating system

In the last installment of Network HR, we took a trip down Vista Lane, taking in Microsoft's new visually appealing version of Windows. This time around we will take a look at Linux, and how it fairs in comparison to Vista. You may ask why Linux? The answer is simple, choice. Linux offers users a choice, not just a choice between Microsoft and Apple, but a choice in every step along the way.

Decisions, decisions, decisions

The first step in the process of installing Linux is choosing which version you want to use. Considering there are about 100 different types of Linux, picking the right one can certainly be a daunting task! So, I went to a site that is known for keeping track of the different versions and listing the pros and cons of each one, www.distrowatch.com. After spending some time on Distrowatch, I ended up with a choice of two different versions, Kubuntu and OpenSuse. Both of these versions were recommended for those who want to switch from Windows to Linux. After reading into each company's background, I chose Kubuntu.

Kubuntu uses a Graphical User Interface (GUI) known as KDE. At this point suddenly I hear many of NetworkHR's less technology savvy readers cry out, ‘what is a graphical user interface?' Good question. A graphical user interface is what you see when you use your computer. In Windows, the GUI is known as Explorer. Linux gives you the choice of using 3 or 4 different GUIs. I chose Kubuntu because it uses the KDE GUI, which is the closest to Windows Explorer that I was able to find.

Another reason I chose Kubuntu was their ethos and the amount of support available for it on the web. Ubuntu is an African word meaning ‘Humanity to others' and that is ideal is clear in their philosophy. Kubuntu was founded by a South African named Mark Shuttle worth. Hisgoal was to develop a community supported OS that is free and open source. Yes, that's right Linux is 100% free - you do not need to purchase a license to use it. You can install it on as many computers as you want and pass it to friends and family without the worry of using an illegal copy. Support for Kubuntu is enormous; with a community-based support system, Kubuntu was able to capture the essence of the open source principle. If you have a question, you can refer to their extensive online database of answers and if the answer you are looking for is not there, you can always ask Kubuntu's online community.

Once you have opted for one particular Linux system, the question becomes how you can get a copy. There are several ways in which to obtain the Linux distribution you want to use. The first and most popular way is online. Just head on over to the website of the Linux you have chosen, download it, and burn it onto a CD. There are also other ways to get your copy of Linux. Most of the major Linux distributions offer a free CD to anyone that requests it. Another way is to find a retail store that has a copy of it, again most times free of charge. Now that there are a few major computer retailers using Linux in their computers you can also get a copy there, for instance Dell now has copies of Kubuntu at their retail locations.

Installation

One of the most interesting things about Linux is that many of the different distributions come as a bootable CD-ROM, which means that you can use it before you install it. Just put the CD into your computer and it will load into the Linux OS, without changing anything on your computer. This gives you the chance to see if Linux is something that you would want to use, or not. You can look around, play with all the bells and whistles, and see if everything is working the way it should.

Armed with all the relevant information it was time to get on to the installation process. Kubuntu installs much like Windows in that it asks all the familiar questions. Where are you? What is your name? What user name do you want to use? Installation takes about20 minutes, and when all is finished, you are left looking at a login screen. After entering your username and password, you are shown Kubuntu's desktop for the first time. It is sleek and clutter free. There are well designed icons that are crisp and clear, animated mouse cursors that come to life when opening an application, and a solid looking interface that is intuitive and easily understood. You will see the familiar task bar at the bottom of your screen, which shows much of the same information that a Windows desktop would show you.

There are however, small differences to Windows. The numbers 1 and 2 can be seen on the taskbar. This peaked my curiosity, ‘what do they do?' I asked myself. Those numbers are thereto help keep your desktop clean. If your screen becomes cluttered with open programs, you can click ‘2' to reveal an empty desktop. If you need to return those programs click ‘1' and they will instantly return. It's a great feature for those of us that like to have two or three web browsers, an email client, a word document or two, and a few MSN windows or QQ windows running at the same time.

Programs

With few exceptions, everything you can do in Windows you can do in Linux. Take web surfing for instance, Linux offers the safest internet surfing of any OS. It has the lowest occurrence of virus infections, and is virtually free of spy ware. That means you can be as click happy as you want without fear of wandering into a cyber-hole that will steal your personal information.

The one thing that you will have to compromise on however; is learning new software. While most of the things you like to do in Windows can be done in Linux, the programs are different. They perform the same tasks, but the interface is not quite the same. So, be prepared to spend a little time getting to know exactly how things work. However, as a new Linux user, I was able to find my way around the new programs with ease. Oh, and did I mention that Linux comes with all of these handy programs pre-installed? That's right, almost all of the tasks I mentioned can be completed out of the box. That means you do not need to install a dozen programs when you are finished installing Linux, and because Linux is security minded you don't need to install security software that will slow your computer down. That leaves all of your computer's power to handle the tasks that you are doing, and not tasks that your computer is doing for you. The lack of resource draining programs makes it perfect for older computers as well as newer computers.

Drivers

Drivers are an area that Linux needs to improve on. While many hardware manufacturers do support Linux, some big name ones do not, which is something you will need to check before you consider changing operating systems. Thankfully though, most of my existing hardware worked with Linux. Once I had ensured this was all up and running, it was time to get my internet connection setup. Finding the right way to connect to my DSL was a little tricky. This was not because what I had to do was difficult, it was simply that finding my way around the new desktop environment took a few minutes. However, after doing a quick search in the help window I was able to find all the info I needed to get it started.

I had used Linux before and found plenty of problems, mostly in the realm of hardware driver support and finding the programs needed to do most of what Windows can do, but I was happy to see that a lot of these had been taken care of. The biggest drawback Linux must overcome to compete with Windows though, is the support for Audio and Video formats. Because it is a free OS, it does not support a lot of the program files that allow video and audio playback. With time, this problem will likely be solved, if only because Linux is now getting support from big name computer manufactures, like Dell and HP.

The real question for Linux is ‘how does it compare to Vista?'. It does a great job of working out of the box, as far as hardware support is concerned and there is plenty of free software, most of which can accomplish the majority of popular tasks done with computers today. The visual style is clean and clear, but does not compare to Vista's aero interface. The usability is not as smooth as it could be; it takes sometime to get used to the interface style. The fact that there is no need to worry about those nasty little internet viruses and spy ware also makes Linux a nice web surfing tool. In my opinion, Linux is worth a try if you are in the mood for a change of pace and are not frightened of trying something new.