should i switch to linux?

hey, im currently using windows vista but im looking for a free stable os and am considering using ubuntu. But before i plunge into anything i want to find out if all my device drivers for AMD64, ATI Radeon Xpress1100 and realtek as well as other intergrated devices such as webcam can be supported by the linux os….another thing is alot of programs currently support .exe file installations based on windows so would i be able to find those programs which support linux based setup files….thx
Answer #1
well if ur a newbie to linux, i suggest you do a dual boot to start with, in case it isn’t to ur liking. Ur device drivers from what you have described should have stable drivers out right now. As for the .exe question, you might have a hard time looking for programs that have a linux installations, so ur best bet would to be looking for linux alternatives that are compatible with ubuntu.
Answer #2
thx..how exactly do i do a dual boot?
Answer #3
you could just download a live cd that would just boot up, however it may be really slow because the whole OS will be running of your cd drive but could let you see how things are. you should also see if ‘however you connect to the internet’ drivers are supported or how you may have to implement them. I recomend Ubuntu 7.10. remember tho that it is really costumizable and although it doesnt look great at first i have gotten mine to be crazy insane after a good amount messing around. i just got a new comp myself and i decided to try out linux. its really great, its taken me like 2 days to set it up to my liking and learn alot about it, but prior to this i have been using windows since i was a wee lad and have gotten anoyed with it. try out a live cd
Answer #4
Well , i dont reccomend you Linux.
It is totaly different then Windows and you will have problems in the begin .
But its your decision , If I was you , I would stay @Windows
Answer #5
Well , i dont reccomend you Linux.
It is totaly different then Windows and you will have problems in the begin .
But its your decision , If I was you , I would stay @Windows
Yeah it all comes down to if you still use alot of windows based programs, Linux is a whole other cup of tea man but Id say just to stick with windows, If you still wanna try it out like the others said. Try the live cd ubuntu offers.
Answer #6
LOL @ noobs. Just slap Ubuntu on a 15GB partition and have a play. It’s bloated though, so later I would switch to Gentoo/Fedora/Arch.
Answer #7
thx guys for the suggestions…il give the live cd a try cuz i still have doubts about compatibility with certain programs which i like…tc
Answer #8
and if you want to dual boot, have a google here
http://apcmag.com/5162/the_definitive_dual_booting_guide_linux_vista_and_xp
Answer #9
thx for the link…it helps a lot!
Answer #10
like some above people said try dual booting linux and windows,Linux is alot diffrent to windows and does take abit of time to learn but if you still want to try it out then checkout the link below
www.distrowatch.com allso read a few guides before installing so you know what you are into. You can allso try out afew live cd’s i recommend ubuntu for beginners.