Screw Microsoft.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:16 pm by pack3tg0st

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Mods: Not sure if this is in the right spot... feel free to move if necessary.

So ya want to starve the beast but not quite sure where to start?

Boycott Microsoft.

Microsoft doesn't want you to know this, but there are alternatives to paying through the nose for their rickity software...

Instead of Microsoft Office, Use Openoffice

Still using Internet Explorer? Could always swap to Firefox or Opera

Instead of Windows, use Linux! I know linux sounds like a "nerd thing"... and most people will have the preconception that its difficult to use or something along those lines... But the truth is, in recent years some versions of linux have become remarkably user friendly. I used to recommend Ubuntu for the beginner... but after a week of test driving Mint... I'd recommend Linux Mint to any linux noob in a heartbeat... Some worry about compatibility, but a program called Wine takes care of that fairly simply.

But why stop at microsoft? Do you play World of Warcraft? ditch the 15 bucks a month and start playing Regnum Online...

There are alternatives to high priced software...

Everything I've mentioned here is completely free... For the adventurous, you can find more open source software at Sourceforge.

For linux information, there is always the Linux homepage. But my favorite place to keep track of Linux Distros (versions are called Distros in the Linux world :cheesygrin:

) is probably Distrowatch... If you're a little braver, and want to try a different version of linux, I'd suggest taking a quick test to help you select a distrobution...

Anyway, Boycott proprietary software! Just another step in starving the beast...

If you have any particular software you NEED, let me know, and I'll see if I can find a free, open source program that accomplishes the same tasks :)

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:22 pm by MissAFortiori

I am torn on this one, having my NGO being on the receiving end of Gates Foundation monies. Unlike some charitable donors they actually have a good idea about metrics and how to make the money useful. Also, Gates has come out against our current tax system and stated that the rich should pay more and that he prefers a sales tax.

And yet...Microsoft has anally terped me many times.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:25 pm by pack3tg0st

Bill Gates left Microsoft a few years ago... so you can boycott em now without feeling bad about raping the guy :)

The new CEO is a complete asshole...

But, I feel pretty good about keeping my money away from corporate america... no matter the company :-)

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:29 pm by Ocker

Hi
Thanks pack3tg0st great thread
ditto screw Microsoft.
I have had enough of the amount of memory windows and other Microsoft products take up just to cope with their own errors.
and what a joke vista was too may bugs.

thanks for the info :star5:

Ocker

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:38 pm by MissAFortiori

Oh alright! I'll boycott. :cheesygrin:

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:39 pm by LenGXV6

Bill Gates may have left Microsoft, but he still owns 30% of it.

Currently I use Win7 (vast improvement over Vista) Main Computer
Linux Ubuntu on one Laptop, xp on the other.

Ubuntu is an excellent distro to use as a first time user, very easy to set up, very easy to maintain.
My choice for wine would be crossoffice if you are new to the Linux scene, just that little bit easier.

Just a point of note: Some linus distros now ship with microsoft code. This is to allow the Linux OS to better talk to the Windows OS.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:42 pm by musselwhite

pack3tg0st wrote:Mods: Not sure if this is in the right spot... feel free to move if necessary.

So ya want to starve the beast but not quite sure where to start?

Boycott Microsoft.

Microsoft doesn't want you to know this, but there are alternatives to paying through the nose for their rickity software...

Instead of Microsoft Office, Use Openoffice

i have microsoft 2003. are you talking about just ditching it all together and switch to openoffice or just not to buy microsoft or upgrades for future? is this the case for windows as well.

the only thing i do is research on the net and i use firefox everything else is dead in the water so to speak.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:43 pm by Majestic

Although I think this should be under computers where ever that is - never seem to b able to find it perhaps its just me

I gave MS away more than a year ago on my desktop and my laptop. I use Linux now and in particular Ubuntu and now using Mac for Linux on a ubuntu system. I know it sound complicated but once your there you wouldn't change :yahoo:

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:48 pm by Ocker

Hi MissAFortiori
you can do it !!!

I like this approach

pack3tg0st said open office instead of ms office totally agree

Ocker

Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:50 pm by pack3tg0st

musselwhite wrote:
pack3tg0st wrote: i have microsoft 2003. are you talking about just ditching it all together and switch to openoffice or just not to buy microsoft or upgrades for future? is this the case for windows as well.

the only thing i do is research on the net and i use firefox everything else is dead in the water so to speak.

Hrm... if you've already got the software, you might want to check out the free open source alternatives before you ditch... But I wouldn't be buying any new stuff from them...

I'm seriously considering not "learning" windows 7.... Which might be a detriment to me obtaining an IT job in the future if I decide to join the rat race, but I'm thinking "oh well".

Give it a shot... the cool thing about linux, is that it can run straight from a CD/DVD Rom or thumb drive, without any changes to your system... Just look for distros that say "Live CD".

Like others said, Ubuntu is a great system for a beginning user... But lately, I've discovered Linux Mint... which, IMHO is going to be MUCH easier for a standard user to use... its very very similar in look/feel as windows...

edit: Should also mention that Linux Mint is debian/ubuntu based... and uses all the same repositories and the like as the Ubuntu family... its just been made even easier... (I really didn't think it was possible, but it is)

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:13 pm by pack3tg0st

Oh yah, and for those who decide they want to take the leap, but want a safety net, I can help walk you through what is necessary to dual boot your system... that means when you boot up you'll be prompted to select either windows or linux...

Its a little more complicated, but nothign I can't walk you through with via PM or something.

but you will notice that everything is significantly faster with linux (typically)...

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:26 pm by zuzzeebelubah

pack3tg0st wrote:Oh yah, and for those who decide they want to take the leap, but want a safety net, I can help walk you through what is necessary to dual boot your system... that means when you boot up you'll be prompted to select either windows or linux...

Its a little more complicated, but nothign I can't walk you through with via PM or something.

but you will notice that everything is significantly faster with linux (typically)...

I just might take you up on your offer...i have wanted to install a linux os on all 3 computers we have but my wife is hesitant...a dual OS would be perfect

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:42 pm by pack3tg0st

Any of your PC's have partitioned drives, multiple Hard Drives, or Windows Vista?

Any of those conditions makes things easy :-)

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:44 pm by zuzzeebelubah

The one I am on now has vista basic...the laptop is a dell with XP, and the other pc in the kitchen is a compaq presario with xp

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:46 pm by Exile1981

Where do you get Unix Mint? And how do you make it run windows programs?

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:49 pm by pack3tg0st

Vista makes it easy... Built into the O.S. is the ability to "shrink volumes"...

In other words, you can take an existing partition, and make a partition out of the empty space on that drive...

Used to require special tools and the likes... but Vista has it included...

The Compaq, from experience, should probably be a no-go... My experience with Compaq's is that the hardware/drives are proprietary, adn there's no gaurentee that linux will be able to support them... Its been a few years since I've tinkered with Compaq and Linux, so it might be different now, but I'd at least run a LiveCD first... just to test things out...

another thing, if your wife wants to test it out before you make the leap, you could always try the LiveCD approach... the entire Operating system will run off the DVD or CD...

Just making sure you've considered your options... once you go Dual boot, its pretty difficult to get yourself back to single-boot... not impossible, just difficult...

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:50 pm by MissAFortiori

Well...what is a good photoshop like tool that is cheap for MACs. Note: nothing is cheap for a mac

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:52 pm by pack3tg0st

Exile1981 wrote:Where do you get Unix Mint? And how do you make it run windows programs?

Linux Mint is available for download at http://www.linuxmint.com

You can probably get it at sourceforge or distrowatch as well...

Mint comes with the WINE program already installed... if its not, its a quick look through the repositories to make it run...

After you have wine, its pretty simple... it sets up a faux windows filesystem inside itself...

What windows programs you trying to port over? there are a handful that don't quite work in WINE due to proprietary libraries.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:54 pm by pack3tg0st

MissAFortiori wrote:Well...what is a good photoshop like tool that is cheap for MACs. Note: nothing is cheap for a mac

Gimp

http://www.gimp.org/macintosh/

Its free.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:14 pm by MissAFortiori

Thank you, Sir.

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