Customer Rating: 
Summary: Much Better Than Most Know & Windows Had Better Watch It!
Comment: Before I begin, let me state that I've been in computer tech services for the last 20+ years in one form or another. I've tried Windows from version 3 on up to Vista, Mac from every OS imaginable (and even when they were known as Apples or MacIntosh) along with DOS, FreeDOS and several versions of Linux (Suse, DSL, Red Hat, Ubuntu, etc).
Without a doubt, Ubuntu 8.04 is the most polished Linux version I've seen recently. Some may argue that versions like Suse 11 look better, and I can't argue with the artistic merits of the latter, but I'm referring to overall user friendliness. Ubuntu is going to give Windows and Mac a run for the money and considering Ubuntu costs little to nothing, you getting more bang for the buck.
For my experiment I got a 32 bit version of Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) and put it on an HP Pavilon DV9000 laptop running, unfortunately, MS Vista Home Premium as the original OS.
Here are the high points in comparison with that version of Vista (which, by the way, was the new "improved" SP1 variation):
* Cost. Vista Basic, about $175 on sale. Home Premium runs about $225 or so. Business and Ultimate versions can approach the dangerously high $400 mark. OS X runs about $170. Ubuntu? Free if you download it, about $5 if you buy a disk and, again, free if you order a disk from the Ubuntu website (it does take 4 to 8 weeks to get it through the mail, though). Beware of places selling them for $12 or more. That's a clip. In case you didn't know, Windows preloaded on a new computer generally adds $200 to the price.
* Initial installation time. Ubuntu erased my hard drive and installed itself within 35 minutes, including yanking some updates off my DSL connection. What about Windows? On average, about 2 hours not including updates.
* Installation parameters. Want to install Vista on your old XP machine? Fat chance, you'll probably get an "incompatible hardware" error message. With Ubuntu, or any version of Linux, you can pretty much load it on any old piece of machinery out there. I've installed it on old 20 pound laptops running at 20Mhz with 64 MB RAM. I even got it to run on an early 80s Apple Lisa (for those of you who remember than stinker computer).
* Boot time. About 30 seconds with Ubuntu and 256 RAM. Vista with 1 GB RAM can take minutes to boot and cycle. Even with the 3 GB on my laptop, it still took at least 2 minutes to boot with Vista. Add another couple minutes if you have anti-virus, firewall, or both running.
* Overall safety. Ever heard of a virus being written strictly for Linux? Chances are you never will. When I was in college for computer studies a couple years we purposely loaded a virus written for Windows on a Linux computer and forced it to run. It did absolutely nothing to the machine. Windows accounts for roughly 85% of the computers out there so guess what the average hacker will right nasty programs for?
* RAM usage. This was frustrating. I had a RAM and CPU usage meter on my Vista OS and it showed all 3 GB being used by Vista during peak times. This resulted in a slow processing of some information and programs. Even at idle it hogged 1 GB. Ubuntu? It doesn't care. 128 MB is the minimum but anything above that is gravy.
* Recognition of hardware. Ubuntu recognized my SATA hard drive (this was problematic with earlier versions), my wireless card, my NVDIA video card, USB ports, etc, etc. The only thing it didn't recognize was the Lightscribe drive (it recognized it as a burner, but not as a Lightscribe burner); however, it did download the necessary drivers when I booted up. Vista? It refused to accept my wireless card nor did it recognize Lightscribe or attempt to download the necessary software. For whatever reason, Vista did not recognize my 250 GB hard drive as a single unit (on my model it is, I dumped the split hard drive when I bought it). Vista insisted on splitting it in 2 and naming one C and the other D thereby relegating my CD burner to E. Of note, the wireless card was a standard Atheros model, nothing special. This should prove no challenge for any OS.
* Outside hardware recognition. Vista offered to find a driver for my Samsung laser printer and then never found it. I had to hunt on my own. Ubuntu took less than 15 seconds to accept my printer and never blinked an eye. Ditto for my digital camera. In fact, Vista refused to accept a flash drive that was 8 GB in size. In one case, I had a flash drive I used under XP that was listed as drive E on that computer and Vista recognized it as drive F and then refused to access the files on it because they were loaded when the drive was E. I understand this problem has been solved with SP1. No problem with Ubuntu with the same exact drive.
* OS wizardry. Do you like the Aero effects in Vista? Ubuntu has those, too, but I ignore them. I use a computer to compute, not be dazzled by special effects. If you want them, Ubuntu has them.
* Eye candy. Ubuntu comes with a limited variety of desktop wallpapers, all of which are various shades of brown. While Vista does have a wide array of desktop wallpapers, fact is you can merely download what you want when you want off the Internet. Again, this is personal preference. Most computer users I know have pictures of their families, pets, or both on the desktop so what's included is academic.
* Acceptance of outside programs. I use Opera or FireFox as web browsers and ignore Internet Explorer. Guess what? Vista doesn't like that. So much so it would take over a minute to open Opera. Ubuntu doesn't care. It takes less than 10 seconds to open either version. Want MS Office on your computer? That'll set you back about $200 or more. Instead I use OpenOffice and its suite. Grand total cost? $0. It's free just like 99% of the Linux programs out there. Besides, if you want MS programs, you either have to go to a store or order online. With Linux, merely use the apt-get command at the terminal and download them for free within a few seconds or minutes. If this is Greek to you, it won't be once you start using it. You can find online tutorials that will help you in this matter. If nothing else, take the money you saved on not buying Windows and purchase a book titled, "Ubuntu for Non Geeks". Great book that covers the basics and advanced aspects.
* Software compatibility. Windows is the master of this domain. When you hear document compatibility you usually hear "Word" in deference to the MS word processor. Ditto for Excel (spreadsheets), Access (databases) and PowerPoint (presentations). Problem is, this dominance is based upon user ignorance - they just don't know that other programs exist out there than can do the job just as well. Corel's WordPerfect has suffered from this for over a decade (it costs a lot less and does just the same as Word). Ubuntu's version of these programs is included in the OpenOffice suite that comes prepackaged on the disk. It will run Windows documents and it will also save in the Windows format. You can trade back and forth as you like. Same can be said for most other programs. If there is a Window's version, there will be a cross compatible Ubuntu version and the cost will generally be 100% less.
* Software upgrading. Vista software, such as MS Word, will cost you dearly to update and the OS itself doesn't remind you to update or that an update exists. Ubuntu will notify you that an update exists and asks you if you want to upgrade for free.
* Number of programs. Vista and Linux have thousands of programs. The problem is finding them. Not all stores carry all versions of Vista software and, truthfully, most stores seem to carry about 10% of what's available. With Linux you merely go to the repositories available and download what you like for free. The nice thing about Linux is that each distribution knows what works and what doesn't. When Vista first came out a couple years ago one frustrating problem was Vista's insistence on sometimes accepting XP programs and sometimes not. Unfortunately, you didn't know until you attempted to load it and then you'd find out no refunds for opened software.
* Wireless acceptance and usability. Vista does have an edge here. I never went under 3 bars inside my house with Vista but Ubuntu seems to stall at 2, possibly 3 on a good day. I understand this is a Linux software problem that should be solved soon. Of note, Ubuntu lags in download speeds on wireless. I could never best 250 Mbps consistently while Vista pushed 480 all the time on my DSL wireless connection. Again, a software problem; however, if you have your network connected via hard wire, the download speeds are the same between both Vista and Ubuntu.
* Other considerations. Linux by its virtue of being "open source" (aka, free) has a problem playing DVDs with copyright restrictions; however, it'll be more than happy to download the necessary free software to get around that problem. Weird thing is, Ubuntu has no problem playing MP3s and will even play sound files with odd suffixes attached.
* Insistence on interfering. Vista insists that you are an idiot that needs to be guided in everything you do. Just about everything requires a password and if you should bypass the password requirement, it will bug you to no end to reinstate it. Ubuntu can be the same way in some respects, but generally when you're downloading programs from an unknown source. It pretty much leaves you alone otherwise.
* User friendliness. Linux has definitely gotten better from the days it was a command line OS much like DOS. Many users are weaned on Windows or Mac and are wary of Linux because it's "different". The fact remains it is different but not so much so that you can't pick up on it within a couple hours. I can remember when Windows came out and users were afraid to switch from DOS. For years Windows packaged DOS with Windows for those who were reluctant to switch.
Overall, Ubuntu is a much better OS than Vista and comes close to matching OS X Leopard from Apple. From a cost and expandability standpoint, it beats both. It is much more forgiving with older computers than either Vista or OS X.
Oh, and by the way, don't forget to pick the proper version. 32 bit works with any computer out there but the 64 bit OS will only work with 64 bit processors. If you don't know what you have or plan to use Ubuntu on several computers, I would recommend the 32 bit version as a safe bet.
Customer Rating:
Summary: So you want to use Linux?
Comment: I abandoned Windows a year ago and got a Macbook pro with OS X and put Ubuntu on my other Laptop which had previously contained windows. Well after months of using Linux I found that it was nothing more than a pain. I was sick of being limited to everything: games, programs, sound, wireless internet and I was sick of reading threw Linux books and forums getting nowhere. All the great things that Ubuntu users list here that they can do with Linux and comparing it to Windows.....these people know how and like to spend all their time configuring an operating system just to get the functionality you automatically get with Windows or OS X. I hear talk of the WINE program....Linux will never run games like Windows or as smoothly. Linux is no more secure than OS X or windows with the security updates and Windows Live One Care. With Linux you can configure for long periods of wasted time to make your screen look cool and do tricks....wow....I want an OS that works for me and has functionality not an OS I have to make work in every aspect at every corner by configuring for hours on end. I can use Linux, OS X, and Windows (3.1-Vista) exceptionally well, but to release a new Ubuntu that still has all the same wireless, sound and sanity problems is just lame. If you are an average computer user avoid Linux you'll never get it to work, if you are an avid computer user save yourself wasted time and use Windows/OS X, if you are a technical space caddett with no life other than Linux then try Ubuntu Linux 8.04 you will have lots of configuring to do. One comparision for average users: Boot up two computers one with any Linux version and one with any windows/OSX version. Try something simple like access the internet or play an mp3, see which one gets it done first from scratch. With OS X or windows it's a double click with Linux.....good luck. Linux is open source which means it's free. It also means that it isn't maintained and your updates or fixes come from an unknown party rather than a reliable company. Who do you trust your OS to? Apple? Microsoft? or some guy from a linux forum.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Product, but Only Buy if You Must
Comment: I like this Ubuntu build. It seemed to suit me well, and since I didn't know anyone with a copy, use a limited Internet speed PC, and wanted to receive the DVD free second day, I chose to purchase free Ubuntu 8.04 on Amazon.com. If you find yourself in a similar situation, avoid getting bogged down with the philosophical aspects of life and just go for it; Let's not get weird about it. With a price tag showing under [...] bucks for open-source use on an unlimited number of systems, please do not let anyone insult your intelligence by comparing the sale of this product on Amazon to a company that shamelessly sells single-workstation operating system software at prices in excess of $[...]. By the way, I'm enjoying learning about ubuntu linux, and hope to fully convert to this type of shareware in the future. Thank you for reading, and God bless you. : )
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ubuntu
Comment: Put the disk in your CD drive and let it fly. I am new to Linux but did not have any problems with the install on an older laptop. With some help from the on-line Ubuntu community, I was able to install printer drivers and deal with a troublesome issue with the wireless card that was install on the computer - the wireless chipset maker would not release the specs so someone in the community reverse engineered the drivers!
Customer Rating:
Summary: It is outdated version. New release is available.
Comment: Ubuntu always gets my best words but new version 8.10 (released on October 30, 2008) is already available:
Kubuntu Ubuntu Ver. 8.10 and Linux Training Library 2DVD+CD
Summary: Much Better Than Most Know & Windows Had Better Watch It!
Comment: Before I begin, let me state that I've been in computer tech services for the last 20+ years in one form or another. I've tried Windows from version 3 on up to Vista, Mac from every OS imaginable (and even when they were known as Apples or MacIntosh) along with DOS, FreeDOS and several versions of Linux (Suse, DSL, Red Hat, Ubuntu, etc).
Without a doubt, Ubuntu 8.04 is the most polished Linux version I've seen recently. Some may argue that versions like Suse 11 look better, and I can't argue with the artistic merits of the latter, but I'm referring to overall user friendliness. Ubuntu is going to give Windows and Mac a run for the money and considering Ubuntu costs little to nothing, you getting more bang for the buck.
For my experiment I got a 32 bit version of Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) and put it on an HP Pavilon DV9000 laptop running, unfortunately, MS Vista Home Premium as the original OS.
Here are the high points in comparison with that version of Vista (which, by the way, was the new "improved" SP1 variation):
* Cost. Vista Basic, about $175 on sale. Home Premium runs about $225 or so. Business and Ultimate versions can approach the dangerously high $400 mark. OS X runs about $170. Ubuntu? Free if you download it, about $5 if you buy a disk and, again, free if you order a disk from the Ubuntu website (it does take 4 to 8 weeks to get it through the mail, though). Beware of places selling them for $12 or more. That's a clip. In case you didn't know, Windows preloaded on a new computer generally adds $200 to the price.
* Initial installation time. Ubuntu erased my hard drive and installed itself within 35 minutes, including yanking some updates off my DSL connection. What about Windows? On average, about 2 hours not including updates.
* Installation parameters. Want to install Vista on your old XP machine? Fat chance, you'll probably get an "incompatible hardware" error message. With Ubuntu, or any version of Linux, you can pretty much load it on any old piece of machinery out there. I've installed it on old 20 pound laptops running at 20Mhz with 64 MB RAM. I even got it to run on an early 80s Apple Lisa (for those of you who remember than stinker computer).
* Boot time. About 30 seconds with Ubuntu and 256 RAM. Vista with 1 GB RAM can take minutes to boot and cycle. Even with the 3 GB on my laptop, it still took at least 2 minutes to boot with Vista. Add another couple minutes if you have anti-virus, firewall, or both running.
* Overall safety. Ever heard of a virus being written strictly for Linux? Chances are you never will. When I was in college for computer studies a couple years we purposely loaded a virus written for Windows on a Linux computer and forced it to run. It did absolutely nothing to the machine. Windows accounts for roughly 85% of the computers out there so guess what the average hacker will right nasty programs for?
* RAM usage. This was frustrating. I had a RAM and CPU usage meter on my Vista OS and it showed all 3 GB being used by Vista during peak times. This resulted in a slow processing of some information and programs. Even at idle it hogged 1 GB. Ubuntu? It doesn't care. 128 MB is the minimum but anything above that is gravy.
* Recognition of hardware. Ubuntu recognized my SATA hard drive (this was problematic with earlier versions), my wireless card, my NVDIA video card, USB ports, etc, etc. The only thing it didn't recognize was the Lightscribe drive (it recognized it as a burner, but not as a Lightscribe burner); however, it did download the necessary drivers when I booted up. Vista? It refused to accept my wireless card nor did it recognize Lightscribe or attempt to download the necessary software. For whatever reason, Vista did not recognize my 250 GB hard drive as a single unit (on my model it is, I dumped the split hard drive when I bought it). Vista insisted on splitting it in 2 and naming one C and the other D thereby relegating my CD burner to E. Of note, the wireless card was a standard Atheros model, nothing special. This should prove no challenge for any OS.
* Outside hardware recognition. Vista offered to find a driver for my Samsung laser printer and then never found it. I had to hunt on my own. Ubuntu took less than 15 seconds to accept my printer and never blinked an eye. Ditto for my digital camera. In fact, Vista refused to accept a flash drive that was 8 GB in size. In one case, I had a flash drive I used under XP that was listed as drive E on that computer and Vista recognized it as drive F and then refused to access the files on it because they were loaded when the drive was E. I understand this problem has been solved with SP1. No problem with Ubuntu with the same exact drive.
* OS wizardry. Do you like the Aero effects in Vista? Ubuntu has those, too, but I ignore them. I use a computer to compute, not be dazzled by special effects. If you want them, Ubuntu has them.
* Eye candy. Ubuntu comes with a limited variety of desktop wallpapers, all of which are various shades of brown. While Vista does have a wide array of desktop wallpapers, fact is you can merely download what you want when you want off the Internet. Again, this is personal preference. Most computer users I know have pictures of their families, pets, or both on the desktop so what's included is academic.
* Acceptance of outside programs. I use Opera or FireFox as web browsers and ignore Internet Explorer. Guess what? Vista doesn't like that. So much so it would take over a minute to open Opera. Ubuntu doesn't care. It takes less than 10 seconds to open either version. Want MS Office on your computer? That'll set you back about $200 or more. Instead I use OpenOffice and its suite. Grand total cost? $0. It's free just like 99% of the Linux programs out there. Besides, if you want MS programs, you either have to go to a store or order online. With Linux, merely use the apt-get command at the terminal and download them for free within a few seconds or minutes. If this is Greek to you, it won't be once you start using it. You can find online tutorials that will help you in this matter. If nothing else, take the money you saved on not buying Windows and purchase a book titled, "Ubuntu for Non Geeks". Great book that covers the basics and advanced aspects.
* Software compatibility. Windows is the master of this domain. When you hear document compatibility you usually hear "Word" in deference to the MS word processor. Ditto for Excel (spreadsheets), Access (databases) and PowerPoint (presentations). Problem is, this dominance is based upon user ignorance - they just don't know that other programs exist out there than can do the job just as well. Corel's WordPerfect has suffered from this for over a decade (it costs a lot less and does just the same as Word). Ubuntu's version of these programs is included in the OpenOffice suite that comes prepackaged on the disk. It will run Windows documents and it will also save in the Windows format. You can trade back and forth as you like. Same can be said for most other programs. If there is a Window's version, there will be a cross compatible Ubuntu version and the cost will generally be 100% less.
* Software upgrading. Vista software, such as MS Word, will cost you dearly to update and the OS itself doesn't remind you to update or that an update exists. Ubuntu will notify you that an update exists and asks you if you want to upgrade for free.
* Number of programs. Vista and Linux have thousands of programs. The problem is finding them. Not all stores carry all versions of Vista software and, truthfully, most stores seem to carry about 10% of what's available. With Linux you merely go to the repositories available and download what you like for free. The nice thing about Linux is that each distribution knows what works and what doesn't. When Vista first came out a couple years ago one frustrating problem was Vista's insistence on sometimes accepting XP programs and sometimes not. Unfortunately, you didn't know until you attempted to load it and then you'd find out no refunds for opened software.
* Wireless acceptance and usability. Vista does have an edge here. I never went under 3 bars inside my house with Vista but Ubuntu seems to stall at 2, possibly 3 on a good day. I understand this is a Linux software problem that should be solved soon. Of note, Ubuntu lags in download speeds on wireless. I could never best 250 Mbps consistently while Vista pushed 480 all the time on my DSL wireless connection. Again, a software problem; however, if you have your network connected via hard wire, the download speeds are the same between both Vista and Ubuntu.
* Other considerations. Linux by its virtue of being "open source" (aka, free) has a problem playing DVDs with copyright restrictions; however, it'll be more than happy to download the necessary free software to get around that problem. Weird thing is, Ubuntu has no problem playing MP3s and will even play sound files with odd suffixes attached.
* Insistence on interfering. Vista insists that you are an idiot that needs to be guided in everything you do. Just about everything requires a password and if you should bypass the password requirement, it will bug you to no end to reinstate it. Ubuntu can be the same way in some respects, but generally when you're downloading programs from an unknown source. It pretty much leaves you alone otherwise.
* User friendliness. Linux has definitely gotten better from the days it was a command line OS much like DOS. Many users are weaned on Windows or Mac and are wary of Linux because it's "different". The fact remains it is different but not so much so that you can't pick up on it within a couple hours. I can remember when Windows came out and users were afraid to switch from DOS. For years Windows packaged DOS with Windows for those who were reluctant to switch.
Overall, Ubuntu is a much better OS than Vista and comes close to matching OS X Leopard from Apple. From a cost and expandability standpoint, it beats both. It is much more forgiving with older computers than either Vista or OS X.
Oh, and by the way, don't forget to pick the proper version. 32 bit works with any computer out there but the 64 bit OS will only work with 64 bit processors. If you don't know what you have or plan to use Ubuntu on several computers, I would recommend the 32 bit version as a safe bet.
Customer Rating:
Summary: So you want to use Linux?
Comment: I abandoned Windows a year ago and got a Macbook pro with OS X and put Ubuntu on my other Laptop which had previously contained windows. Well after months of using Linux I found that it was nothing more than a pain. I was sick of being limited to everything: games, programs, sound, wireless internet and I was sick of reading threw Linux books and forums getting nowhere. All the great things that Ubuntu users list here that they can do with Linux and comparing it to Windows.....these people know how and like to spend all their time configuring an operating system just to get the functionality you automatically get with Windows or OS X. I hear talk of the WINE program....Linux will never run games like Windows or as smoothly. Linux is no more secure than OS X or windows with the security updates and Windows Live One Care. With Linux you can configure for long periods of wasted time to make your screen look cool and do tricks....wow....I want an OS that works for me and has functionality not an OS I have to make work in every aspect at every corner by configuring for hours on end. I can use Linux, OS X, and Windows (3.1-Vista) exceptionally well, but to release a new Ubuntu that still has all the same wireless, sound and sanity problems is just lame. If you are an average computer user avoid Linux you'll never get it to work, if you are an avid computer user save yourself wasted time and use Windows/OS X, if you are a technical space caddett with no life other than Linux then try Ubuntu Linux 8.04 you will have lots of configuring to do. One comparision for average users: Boot up two computers one with any Linux version and one with any windows/OSX version. Try something simple like access the internet or play an mp3, see which one gets it done first from scratch. With OS X or windows it's a double click with Linux.....good luck. Linux is open source which means it's free. It also means that it isn't maintained and your updates or fixes come from an unknown party rather than a reliable company. Who do you trust your OS to? Apple? Microsoft? or some guy from a linux forum.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Product, but Only Buy if You Must
Comment: I like this Ubuntu build. It seemed to suit me well, and since I didn't know anyone with a copy, use a limited Internet speed PC, and wanted to receive the DVD free second day, I chose to purchase free Ubuntu 8.04 on Amazon.com. If you find yourself in a similar situation, avoid getting bogged down with the philosophical aspects of life and just go for it; Let's not get weird about it. With a price tag showing under [...] bucks for open-source use on an unlimited number of systems, please do not let anyone insult your intelligence by comparing the sale of this product on Amazon to a company that shamelessly sells single-workstation operating system software at prices in excess of $[...]. By the way, I'm enjoying learning about ubuntu linux, and hope to fully convert to this type of shareware in the future. Thank you for reading, and God bless you. : )
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ubuntu
Comment: Put the disk in your CD drive and let it fly. I am new to Linux but did not have any problems with the install on an older laptop. With some help from the on-line Ubuntu community, I was able to install printer drivers and deal with a troublesome issue with the wireless card that was install on the computer - the wireless chipset maker would not release the specs so someone in the community reverse engineered the drivers!
Customer Rating:
Summary: It is outdated version. New release is available.
Comment: Ubuntu always gets my best words but new version 8.10 (released on October 30, 2008) is already available:
Kubuntu Ubuntu Ver. 8.10 and Linux Training Library 2DVD+CD