Ubuntu Switch, Goodbye Windows XP

Well I was moving my Twitter to another acct name (wanted freescv for a universal nick online) and saw "MSWindows" added me. Well or an account /w 40,000 followers and 40,000 following (me inc) I said "sure" and allowed them to view my tweets. I locked it out so not just anyone can read em. Nice that they'd inc that for an option.

Anyways it's kinda sad as I enjoy using Windows on my computer. My problem was that the c drive on the main pc is auto shared and I'm sick of reformatting and TRYING to keep it secure from malware people, NEEDING a firewall/antivirus/malware scanner.

The Ubuntu Linux asks for a password for installing software(s). Sure is nice feature so things aren't installing silently w/o my permission. I hope in the near future I can buy Microsoft Linux, built with a Linux kernal but with win 9x/nt support like wine does already (but polished so Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 will work nicely).

It's sad to see Windows XP Pro leave my new laptop here but I don't need Adobe software like my friend (who gave me this laptop) so the laptop is first to try it out, since I'm happy with all the nice features of Ubuntu Linux I won't be switching back.

I had a broken dvd drive on this laptop so installing from it was not an option. I read online how to put the .iso cd image file into a usb stick on the root/main folder of the usb drive.

Found the link: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-ubuntu-804-installation-from-windows/

It SAYS Ubuntu 8 but I successfully worked Ubuntu 9 with the 8 exe program. It makes the usb bootable and puts in .iso files into the drive.

Nice to boot to Ubuntu on a Windows computer to fix problems (tried that first) then after backing up the art data (.ai files can be big if you make lots of art) as my friend wanted to save the 40gb of art in case his fancy new tablet lost his data he'd have a backup. I'll burn it to dvd later but till then just securing it so I could properly format was the goal. ALWAYS back up yer data before a new OS.

Viruses and Windows often hold people at data hostage so best to either use a portable usb hard drive or partition your drive to a 20GB-50GB using a program like Partition Magic. That's a Windows program btw.

By putting your drive of 500GB as a 50GB C drive and 450GB D drive you can save everything nice to the D drive and just wipe the 50GB each time something goes horribly wrong and you need a new OS.

Windows could use a USB drive to boot from but they don't do that. Too busy trying to stop people from paying (and wanting customer data from the Windows activation forcing me to use a pirated version or use a corporate version w/o that bs in there and w/o my copy going offline after 30 days). All this to screw over customers vs a free Ubuntu Linux that doesn't ruin burnt cds trying to make a copy of the software.

I liked the Windows 98se Microsoft. Before they were idiots and making customers fork over their name, address, phone # so they can sell it to partners AND if they are using Windows to secure it then whomever wants to hack that database of customer information could in turn prmote fraud. It's just better business to not even collect such valuable information. Too valuable to keep on ANY computer, let alone an unsecure Windows computer.

...oh and to get my security updates I no longer need to prove my ubuntu is genuine. I've got the original Windows XP Home cd AND the Windows XP Pro cd /w holographic sides so it IS genuine yet they've forced my hand to go and get some corporate version for me people's computer's I've fixed so they don't NEED that genuine thing. If it was only a cd key then fine, unique key to prevent multi use, I understand that, it's the name, addy, and phone that's none of their business and I don't enjoy telemarketers using it (or anyone who has vested interest in that data that WON'T ask permission to TAKE IT from their Windows servers, prob also /w C drive shared, lol)

Ubuntu features after install before I hit add/remove programs (1000+ programs to install /w one simple install click):

-Mozilla Firefox web browser works right away
-Wireless and wired internet works right away
-laptop sound, video, and touch pad drivers works right away
-start menu is at the top of sccreen (options can mirrior Windows)
-Audacious has a winamp looking skin (windows refugee) so I got music while I sort through this new system (that was in add/remove programs tho, also needed mp3 codec it autodownloaded to understand mp3 formats)
-open office's word and excell (both free) and installed right away

I downloaded from the add/remove programs:
(recomended)
-VLC media player for movies
-Audacious Music player
-uTorrent wasn't there so Vuze (formally Azureus) for download .torrent files (download files from websites like www.mininova.org, www.piratebay.org or www.torrentreactor.net, also nicer ones like www.demonoid.com)

That's got me going quite well here for everyday use while knowing I'm more secure then unsupported Windows XP (trying to force people to downgrade to the newer Windows Vista or Windows 7). I don't want a gatekeeper blocking updates for IMPORTANT security updates. Simple as that Windows.

The reason I mention that is Windows 98 didn't have that genuine shit and the patches went along decently.

So until Microsoft Windows Distro for Linux I'll keep what I got w/o all the messy problems backend techs should just be fixing.

Also Linux has MANY different versions:
http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major

Hope this information finds you well. :)