Ubuntu: Is it an option for you?

First of all we’ll tell you what Ubuntu is and what Ubuntu isn’t. Ubuntu is one of the many flavors of Linux. Linux is an operating system; it’s a form of Unix. Ubuntu is one of the most popular versions of Linux; it is one of the most Windows-like versions of Linux. Ubuntu is not Windows. Windows programs won’t run on Linux although some programs you use on Windows (Firefox, Gimp and Thunderbird are a few) have versions that run on Linux. Ubuntu is 100% and can be downloaded in less than 30 minutes on most broadband connections. It can be installed or you can try Ubuntu by running it directly off the CD ( you make the CD ) and that way try Ubuntu before you install it on your computer. 

Ubuntu requires very little in the way of resources. It can run on old hardware. In short, it can run on any computer currently running Windows XP.

The reason we’re including this article is because Darcy and I have differing views on the impending death of Windows XP, but we are both in agreement that we will never recommend any XP user use XP beyond April 8, 2014.

Darcy told me that Google was extending support for XP users for at least a year beyond expiration date of XP ( 08 April 2014). We had quite a heated discussion — I feel that companies who extend support for XP tacitly encourage people to keep using XP beyond the deadline, and XP will become more and more dangerous as times goes by. Not only will old XP computers become dangerous for the user, but for others on the Internet too — because, like Windows 98 when it expired, within a year many of those systems had been compromised and were being used by criminals as zombies to spread spam and malware across the Internet – and the user was never aware of what his or her machine was doing.

But Darcy pointed out that many old XP computers are simply not capable of running Windows 7 or Windows 8 — and many older folks simply cannot afford a new computer at this time. Still, those who keep using XP beyond April 2014 will find their computers increasingly vulnerable and eventually even dangerous to the user’s privacy and to others on the Internet.

So for those who don’t have the money to buy a new computer and whose old computers just are not powerful enough to run Windows 7 or 8, there is a free alternative that will run on almost any computer, regardless of age — it’s called Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is completely free. It will require a moderate (but not steep) learning curve. Most of you who use a computer for email, browsing, shopping on the Web, sharing photos and/or social networking like Twitter or Facebook will find Ubuntu quite usable. If you’re heavy into photo editing, creating graphics and/or you love to download and try new freeware, you’ll probably find Ubuntu is not going to work for you.

We’ve installed one of the newer versions of Ubuntu, and we’re going to show you what it looks like and how easy it is to install. Also, if you download the Ubuntu ISO file, and burn it to a CD, you’ll be able to try it right from the CD without installing it – and use it before you commit to installing it as your main operating system.

If you’re interested, keep reading. If you’re not, keep reading anyway — you might be surprised:

Installing Ubuntu — a very Windows-like experience:

When you insert the CD you made from the Ubuntu ISO file, you’ll see this screen. If you just want to try Ubuntu and play with it for a while, choose “Try Ubuntu”. When you select “Try Ubuntu”, you can run the operating system from the CD, right inside of Windows, without making any changes at all to your computer.

The next step in installing or trying Ubuntu is to select your time zone.

Next: Select your language. Looking a lot like a Windows installation, isn’t it?

Guilty! I used a weak password. I’m installing it, so I wanted something quick and easy. You like my name don’t you? 🙂 You can borrow it. Just call me Cin!

OK with our time zone and language chosen, it’s time for to really get serious — installing Ubuntu.

Ubuntu gives you a quick tour while you install. It’s kind of like reading a magazine while the doctor is banging on your kneecap.

Ubuntu has a very nice photo editor and gallery for you — it will guide you to transferring pictures from your camera or phone. Still looks a lot like Windows doesn’t it?>

Cloud storage is all the rage these days – and sharing files across several devices is the reason. But cloud storage is also great for keeping those files you cannot replace safe and sound.

If you like music, Ubuntu has your covered. All you need is love.>

Facebook and Twitter — and other social networking — easy as pi, err I mean pie.

Ubuntu comes with Firefox installed, if you are not a Firefox fan, you can download other browsers, like Google Chrome too. Sorry Internet Explorer lovers, no Internet Explorer on Ubuntu.

Wow! Done already. That was only about 18 minutes. Just click Restart Now and in about 60 seconds Ubuntu boots up for the first time.

Three windows open on Ubuntu’s desktop, note the taskbar on the left. Note Firefox is open to our InfoAve site 🙂 Looks just like it does in Windows.

If you’re using Windows XP now and you can’t afford a new computer, you should at least try Ubuntu to see if it works for you. There is a learning curve, but learning is something positive, not negative. I try to learn something new every day, and you should too.

You can try Ubuntu without disturbing your current operating system. When your finished trying Ubuntu, just shut it down and remove the CD and your right back to Windows — because Ubuntu has been running on top of Windows this whole time. Nothing is lost or changed on your Windows system. If you want to try Ubuntu again, just insert the CD.

Ubuntu fits on a CD – you don’t need a DVD.  It’s a 770MB download so it will take a little while, but only about 1/4  of the time it would take you to download Windows.

You’ll need a good CD/DVD burning tool, but most of you have one of those already. If you don’t you already have one try BurnAware (Free) – you can download it fromhttp://www.burnaware.com/downloads.html — it will try to install AVG SafeSearch — Emsisoft blocked it for me, so no problem. You cannot opt out of it though. So if you don’t have Emsisoft Anti-Malware, you might want to avoid this program and try ImgBurn, which comes bundled with Open Candy, but you can opt-out of it by being careful and unchecking the boxes for the other programs that try to install with it. ImgBurn is regarded my most as the best free CD/DVD burning software of all. It’s getting hard to find good freeware that isn’t booby-trapped with something. If you’re careful, you can avoid having nefarious malware stuffed on your computer by sneaky installers.

One thing you’re going to need for sure is Ubuntu. If you’re using Windows XP, you’ll definitely want the 32-bit version. If you’re using Windows Vista, you’ll want the 32-bit version. Windows 7 and Windows 8 users: If you have a 64-bit machine, download the 64-bit version – unless you’re going to run it inside a virtual machine. If you’re going to use it on a virtual machine, choose the 32-bit version. If you have 2 GB of RAM or less, choose the 32-bit version.

No games or tricks here. Choose Ubuntu 12 for extended support. You can select 32-bit or 64-bit using the down arrow and download Ubuntu by clicking the orange button. You can download Ubuntu from this page.

Ubuntu is free, and it’s very nice. But it’s not Windows. There are not hundreds of thousands of freeware programs for Ubuntu, a lot of your Windows programs don’t have versions for Ubuntu – of course this is also true about Apple OS X too. Then again, about 80% of the freeware for Windows comes bundled with something these days –and it’s getting worse. There are hundreds of nice free programs for Ubuntu. Ubuntu comes with a very nice Office-like program which can open and edit and save many MS Office file types. There are image editors, music players, games, and more for Ubuntu. And no matter how old your computer is, Ubuntu will probably run just fine on it.

If you can’t afford a new computer then Ubuntu may be a great choice for you. It is free and you already have the computer — so it would cost you nothing.>

Using Windows XP after April 8, 2014 will be like playing Russian roulette with your privacy — and eventually you might even harm others’ computers too without even knowing it.