POLL: Windows XP or Mandrake Linux 8.1?

[SHT49781]

well right now i'm running Windows XP. i really like it, but i wanna tryout Linux for a while. would Office Xp still work with Mandrake Linux? is there a lot of compatability issues with linux and software out right now? sorry i knwo these are stupid questions. but this will be my frist time trying out linux.

 

[sinunbeso]

I suggest Red Hat.

 

[Sugadaddy]

<< well right now i'm running Windows XP. i really like it, but i wanna tryout Linux for a while. would Office Xp still work with Mandrake Linux? is there a lot of compatability issues with linux and software out right now? sorry i knwo these are stupid questions. but this will be my frist time trying out linux. >>




Sounds like you think Windows software will work under Linux... Well, it doesn't.


You can use Star Office though.

 

[Idiot56209]

All Mandrake is is Red Hat made easy. They make no secret of the fact that Mandrake is BASED on a Red Hat distro. Why would you suggest Red Hat OVER Mandrake???

 

[silverpig]

Run both. I have that exact dual boot on my machine right now.

No, office XP will not work for linux. You'd need a linux compiled binary, which means you'd need the source code, which means breaking into M$...

You could get VMWare or win4lin (check out tomshardware.com for that), and run XP inside linux as well, and get Office XP functionality while using linux that way.

RedHat is also good, but Mandrake is a bit more new-user friendly and will be the easiest to use.

 

[Paulson]

Windows XP...

Mandrake 8.1 is ok, but really, if you're really only using your OS for surfing listening to music and crap like that, keep Windows XP and find an old computer to put linux on.

I also suggest a different version of linux, such as redhat. (I have freebsd on my own server)

 

[notfred]

Dont install linux, you will hate it. I can tell by the fact that you think officeXP might run on it.

 

[Sugadaddy]

<< Run both. I have that exact dual boot on my machine right now.

No, office XP will not work for linux. You'd need a linux compiled binary, which means you'd need the source code, which means breaking into M$...

You could get VMWare or win4lin (check out tomshardware.com for that), and run XP inside linux as well, and get Office XP functionality while using linux that way.

RedHat is also good, but Mandrake is a bit more new-user friendly and will be the easiest to use. >>




Then again, if you're going to emulate an OS, why not run that OS in the first place?

But if you want to try it, install both. You can uninstall it when you realize you're using WinXP 97% of the time, and only boot into Linux to show your friends how 1337 you are.

 

[MrCodeDude]

Windows XP.. Unless you want to really learn Linux, I suggest not.
-- mrcodedude

 

[Keego]

<< Run both. I have that exact dual boot on my machine right now. >>



only I'm using RH 7.2

 

[Jzero]

I learned this from experience--if you don't have a clue about Linux, it's really poor to have on your only computer. You'll find yourself, as someone said above, using XP 95% of the time and only occasionally booting to linux just to feel l33t.
Or if you're like I was, you'll run linux constantly, and reboot to Windows everytime you need to do one of the zillion things you either cannot do or just don't know how to do in linux.

If you really want to learn about linux (I highly recommend it), plonk down a few bucks and get a cheap low-end machine and start hacking away. The other benefit of having an extra PC with linux is that there is so much useful knowledge on the web. It's a lot easier when you can work the web on your PC to talk you thhrough doing stuff on the linux box.

 

[silverpig]

No one runs linux so they can emulate windows. That's just stupid. I have XP and Mandrake dual booted on my computer, but I also have VMWare with XP installed inside of linux, so I don't have to go through the whole rebooting process if I want to do something in windows. The only thing I'd have to completely shut down and reboot for is gaming, which I don't mind doing at all.

I usually have 4 virtual desktops set up in linux. One has XMMS, gkrellm, netscape/galleon, a few eterm windows, and whatever I'm compiling at that moment, Two has the GIMP and a few image files, Three has XChat and some ftp stuff, and Four has winXP. I can switch between running windows and linux with a click of the mouse.

 

[SinNisTeR]

i recommend SuSE. imo the best linux distro out.

 

[Presence]

<< would Office Xp still work with Mandrake Linux? >>



Heheh dude stick with XP. Most people try/wanna switch to linux because they think they are l33t if they do and they can brag that they use linux and everyone else is command line impaired..

 

[AMDPwred]

I'd also recommmend Red Hat.

 

[Aenygma]

Tho I made a funny in one of my sigs. I would go XP ( which I have ) I have Mandrake btw.

 

[SHT49781]

thanks for you're input. i think i'm gonan try the dual boot. but i need to lcear out everything and save everything i need on my hd.

 

[Saltin]

Apple or Orange?
Geeze, I dunno.

 

[Nemesis77]

SuSE is cool! The installation is idiot-proof, and everything is really polished! I used SuSE before I switched to Debian. Debian... Is not for newbies. The installation is scary when compared to other distros.

 

[FuZoR]

I wouldnt recommend using linux as your main system.. im guessing its your only system... you will find ALOT of trouble with it.

As others have suggested, get another system and play around with it til you get to know the os better, or dual boot.

 

[yakko]

I tried Madrake 8 on my second machine and I thought it ran too slow so I switched it to XP. Maybe when I get a third computer that is faster I will try Linux again.