Vista has eye candy?????

[MV/Liberace!]

for those of you who sing the praises of vista and think it's visually stunning, i submit to you the following video demo of Ubuntu 8.04... the newest release.  ubuntu is a free, open source code linux operating system which you can download at ubuntu.com.  it is far more stable, secure, and efficient than either windows xp or vista.  it's also far more beautiful, if you choose to make it so (as seen below).
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JI-ye1oa4N8
i have been slamming vista for a long time based on everything i've read about it, but i'd never used it.  i recently bought a new laptop (asus F8) and it's running vista ultimate.  i was going to wipe it and run xp, but i chose to run vista and give the behemoth operating system a chance.  although i was initially impressed and felt as though i was eating some of my previous slanderous words, i have now concluded this is the biggest piece of shit operating system ever devised.  microsoft, you are a sloppy, bloated company and i hope your dominance of the consumer level operating system market ends SOON!  you have now had about 2 years to get this turd you call "vista" lined out, and it is still mediocre at best!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FVbf9tOGwno

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

That looks SOOOOO SICK!!!  I wish I had the skillz and hardware worthy of the OS.

[MV/Liberace!]

That looks SOOOOO SICK!!!  I wish I had the skillz and hardware worthy of the OS.

well, on the skills part, i used to feel the same way about it myself.  however, fewer and fewer operations are requiring that users open a terminal window for anything, so it's mostly GUI all the way these days.  if you DO have to use the terminal window for something, there is a ton of help out there for you.  with regard to the hardware, you'd be surprised at what you can squeeze out of your hardware in ubuntu versus windows.  ubuntu makes far better use of your hardware than does windows.

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

well, on the skills part, i used to feel the same way about it myself.  however, fewer and fewer operations are requiring that users open a terminal window for anything, so it's mostly GUI all the way these days.  if you DO have to use the terminal window for something, there is a ton of help out there for you.  with regard to the hardware, you'd be surprised at what you can squeeze out of your hardware in ubuntu versus windows.  ubuntu makes far better use of your hardware than does windows.

If I hang around here long enough w/ you and Max, I could see possibilities of braving new waters in the OS world.

[MV/Liberace!]

If I hang around here long enough w/ you and Max, I could see possibilities of braving new waters in the OS world.

well, the best advice i can give you is not to feel intimidated.  as a matter of fact, you can download a .iso (disk image) of ubuntu from the site, burn it, and then run the OS off of the cd without actually installing it or affecting your system in any way.  it will obviously run slow while being run off of the cd since it's exponentially slower than a hard drive, but you'll get to see the OS and get a feel for it without having to actually install.

[Evil Twin Of Zen]

for those of you who sing the praises of vista and think it's visually stunning, i submit to you the following video demo of Ubuntu 8.04... the newest release.  ubuntu is a free, open source code linux operating system which you can download at ubuntu.com.  it is far more stable, secure, and efficient than either windows xp or vista.

Agreed. I always have a handy copy of ubuntu to play around with on my home server. Other than that, I run a linux network system within my windows box. It completely bypasses the windows stacks and makes my online gaming a joy. It also runs my firewall, ftp, torrent and voice without touching the cpu so I game while uploading/downloading with no impact on the game.
Most users should find ubuntu easy to use and as has been mentioned there is GOBS of help out there for just about any issue or question a user needs.

[Evil Twin Of Zen]

And then... there is this... one of my favorite things to do and much easier than putting a Windows OS on a flash drive.

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2008/04/14/ubuntu-804-usb-hard-drive-install/

[slipstream]

I'm putting together a new system this week     Think I'm putting Vista on my new machine?  NO WAY!    I'm going with XP, and I will install Ubuntu too!!  I do like the "Wubi feature" on the new Ubuntu release. It installs just like a regular Windows app.  I use XP as my primary OS, because while there are alternatives in Linux I do really like some Windows apps.  Its hard to do a 100% transition.    

[MV/Liberace!]

I'm putting together a new system this week     Think I'm putting Vista on my new machine?  NO WAY!    I'm going with XP, and I will install Ubuntu too!!  I do like the "Wubi feature" on the new Ubuntu release. It installs just like a regular Windows app.  I use XP as my primary OS, because while there are alternatives in Linux I do really like some Windows apps.  Its hard to do a 100% transition.    

i'm not sure a 100% transition will ever be possible in terms of applications.  however, in terms of operating systems, i believe it IS possible.  most windows apps run wonderfully under WINE, a linux windows emulator.

[HeReallyDoes]

I hate to be "That Guy" ... but WINE is not an emulator.  I would not even bother to point this out if WINE were anything other than a recursive acronym for WINE is not an emulator.
/me goes back to playing telnet nethack

[MV/Liberace!]

I hate to be "That Guy" ... but WINE is not an emulator.  I would not even bother to point this out if WINE were anything other than a recursive acronym for WINE is not an emulator.
/me goes back to playing telnet nethack

if it's not an emulator, what is it?

[EvB]

The call it an "implementation" (hey, don't shoot the messenger) because, according to their definition an emulator emulates functions on the processor level. Wine does not.

But, IMHO - on an everyday-language level, it's an EMULATOR. 

[MV/Liberace!]

...according to their definition an emulator emulates functions on the processor level. Wine does not.

But, IMHO - on an everyday-language level, it's an EMULATOR. 

christ... that's splitting hairs if i've ever seen it.  it most definitely is a windows emulator, in my view.

from merriam-webster:

emulate-
1 a: to strive to equal or excel b: imitate; especially : to imitate by means of an emulator
2: to equal or approach equality with

seems pretty clear cut to me.

[HeReallyDoes]

It only shows the brilliance and foresight of the WINE developers when they named their project Wine Is Not an Emulator.   They foresaw the difficulty explaining what WINE does.  As far as I understand it .... WINE is more of a jedi mind trick for your computer than it is  a windows work-alike.  For a windows work-alike .... try ReactOS. 

Anyone trying ReactOS, please let me know if streamer works.

That said .... yeah ... it pretty much is an emulator.

[MV/Liberace!]

i've been keeping an eye on the reactOS project for about 6 months now, but haven't ventured to try it.  looks like it has a lot of potential in the coming years.  microsoft, beware.

[EvB]

christ... that's splitting hairs if i've ever seen it.  it most definitely is a windows emulator, in my view.

from merriam-webster:

emulate-
1 a: to strive to equal or excel b: imitate; especially : to imitate by means of an emulator
2: to equal or approach equality with

seems pretty clear cut to me.

YES MV -- You speak TRUTH.  While it may be important, given that it's open source,  for programmer to understand that it works at a different level than most emulators - the plain fact of PLAIN ENGLISH (something Tech Writers strive for an often fail at) is that it is an emulator.

For more on the Plain English Movement - in an entertaining format - look here:  http://www.languageandlaw.org/PLAINENGLISH.HTM

BTW - it started in the field of LAW not technology.

[MV/Liberace!]

evb... this is why i chose to give you the beautiful nation of bolivia.  as future leader of the world, you are my stan grossman (fargo).

[EvB]

BOLIVIA (from Wikipedia open source)

[MV/Liberace!]

heh yeah i saw that too.