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Windows 10, Yay or Nay?

jefboyardee said:
I don't particularly disagree and I still have Mint available as a flash boot, but I could never feel comfortable with the way Linux arranges things. I was Windowized a long time ago...
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Yeah, I know what you mean, it's down to personal preference. My background is definitely Unix as my first job was for AT&T, using SysV Unix. I'm familiar with the utilities, and to this day I'm more comfortable with a command line interface. Windows is too clicky-pointy for me really, and tries to hide a lot of the underlying O/S stuff. But I really want to know about that stuff so if anything goes wrong, I can get down to the nuts and bolts and fix it.
However, having said that, a lot of modern Linux distros are very good now at looking after users, so most of the time you don't actually need to get down that level. The usability of these systems, like Mint is very friendly. Hell even my Wife has grown to like Mint, and she's a complete technophobe. If you install a system like Ubuntu, the whole installation process is very, very slick. In previous incarnations you had to worry about partition tables and disk formatting etc. Now the installer works everything out for you, and can even automatically set up a dual boot system with minimal user involvement. Extremely impressive, compared with distros of the past.
I just think if many users gave Linx distros a chance, they would be pleasantly surprised, and of course the O/S is more economical on system resources.
But the number of installed Windows environments, the inertia and resistance to change will mean it is the predominant desktop O/S for some time to come.

Sorry about the ramble..
 
You have a good point: with GPT, you don't have to worry about juggling partitions around and multibooting is tons easier to do (MS and their SecureBoot scam scheme notwithstanding).
 
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As for me, I'm more comfortable with the Unix file scheme than Windows. Unix/Linux makes perfect sense, logical, simple, no muss no fuss. Everything is a file or directory. Windows archaic letter scheme is just goofy. Starts with 'C:' because 'A:' and 'B:' are reserved for floppy disks? Really?

I can't deal with GPT at all. It never sets up partitions the way I want them to be. It's OK I guess for users who have no idea what partitions are. Otherwise...get it outta the way.
 
I have an old computer sitting not doing much maybe i'll install this on it. It has 8.1 on it now for samsung kies and odin but I'll try them with this just to play
 
Tried it recently. Like the ui. Hate the invasion of privacy and forced Windows updates. One of them replaces a driver with one that doesn't work. I had to uninstall that driver then download the correct driver from Asus and reinstall it. I couple of days later again Windows automatically "updated" the driver and broke it again. I had to go back to 8.1. Now the popups to update to w10 come up every time i turn on the computer. What a pita.
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argedion said:
I have an old computer sitting not doing much maybe i'll install this on it. It has 8.1 on it now for samsung kies and odin but I'll try them with this just to play
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I put openSUSE on it instead ;) Just cant stomach installing that winblows crap. Fortunately I wont need windows anymore anyways seeing how I have already rooted my samsung which was the only reason for installing it. To bad the motochop didn't work with my phone had it I wouldn't have bothered with winblows at all.
 
argedion said:
I put openSUSE on it instead ;) Just cant stomach installing that winblows crap. Fortunately I wont need windows anymore anyways seeing how I have already rooted my samsung which was the only reason for installing it. To bad the motochop didn't work with my phone had it I wouldn't have bothered with winblows at all.
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I'd keep Windows anyways as there are just some things that isn't caught up with Linux yet.. Just dualboot, and well worth it! [emoji41]
 
bcrichster said:
I'd keep Windows anyways as there are just some things that isn't caught up with Linux yet.. Just dualboot, and well worth it! [emoji41]
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I've been all-Linux at home for 15 years now. If it's Windows software ya gotta run, there's Wine has worked well enough for me. If you need full-blowm Windows there:s a choice of virtualization options. Should be no need to actually dual-boot.
 
bcrichster said:
I'd keep Windows anyways as there are just some things that isn't caught up with Linux yet.. Just dualboot, and well worth it! [emoji41]
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dude I haven't used windows for a daily in over 6 years. I have used it less than 3 times in that six years and the recent one was only for the kies and odin programs since motochop wouldn't work. Other than that I don't need Microsoft or their Proprietary Crap ware.
 
argedion said:
dude I haven't used windows for a daily in over 6 years. I have used it less than 3 times in that six years and the recent one was only for the kies and odin programs since motochop wouldn't work. Other than that I don't need Microsoft or their Proprietary Crap ware.
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Garmin aren't very Linux aware, so whenever I need to upload my running stats I have turn to some other O/S. Fortunately I have a Mac, so that does the job. Otherwise it would be a Windows boot.
 
For me the OS is a tool, and it's always best to use the right tool for the job at hand. So, even if Windows is 7/8" spud wrench that you need once or twice a year, it's nice to have it on hand as long as it doesn't take up too much room in the tool box. ;)
 
lunatic59 said:
For me the OS is a tool, and it's always best to use the right tool for the job at hand. So, even if Windows is 7/8" spud wrench that you need once or twice a year, it's nice to have it on hand as long as it doesn't take up too much room in the tool box. ;)
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This...
 
But isn't dual-booting Windows kinda like carrying a whole second toolbox for that 7/8" spud wrench? Using the wrench in a VM or with wine simplifies needing Windows just to use that wrench SOOOoooo much. Think of Virtualbox as your Windows toolbox, that keeps that spud wrench from taking up too muuch room. I just don't get why the need to fool with dual-booting...
 
Crashdamage said:
But isn't dual-booting Windows kinda like carrying a whole second toolbox for that 7/8" spud wrench? Using the wrench in a VM or with wine simplifies needing Windows just to use that wrench SOOOoooo much. Think of Virtualbox as your Windows toolbox, that keeps that spud wrench from taking up too muuch room. I just don't get why the need to fool with dual-booting...
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Because even VM ware can/has conversion errors/issues at times and just may need a native Windows OS operate correctly. [emoji41] Yes, keep that extra garage for the spud wrench
 
Crashdamage said:
But isn't dual-booting Windows kinda like carrying a whole second toolbox for that 7/8" spud wrench? Using the wrench in a VM or with wine simplifies needing Windows just to use that wrench SOOOoooo much. Think of Virtualbox as your Windows toolbox, that keeps that spud wrench from taking up too muuch room. I just don't get why the need to fool with dual-booting...
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Every alternative, dual boot, VM, Wine, etc, has upsides and downsides. In both cases you avoid having to continually switch between two OSes, but Wine isn't perfect, and a virtual machine sacrifices some performance. Likewise you can emulate the linux terminal on windows, for example, but it's never quite right and everything is slightly more hassle.
 
VM is like the snap-on truck. You can get the right tool pretty easily but there's a cost involved. Wine is a pair of vice grips. It most likely will work, but you run the risk of stripping the nut or breaking the bolt. ;)
 
I get all that, Just saying that Wine or a Windows VM has always been good enough, for my purposes, to avoid the hassle of dual-booting.

OMG I can't imagine how much fun I would have...

Close everything I'm doing in Linux.
Reboot.
Do something in Windows.
Close that.
Reboot.
Do some stuff in Linux.
Remember I forgot to do something in Windows.
Close out Linux.
Reboot.
Do something in Windows.
Close that out.
Reboot.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Enough already! Even a new SSD-equipped worktation and 5-6 sec to boot Linux and 8-9 sec for Win 10 Pro I can see myself soon going friggin' crazy! I'll take a hit in Windows performance! I'll risk stripping the nut or breaking the bolt! Just don't make me have to dual-boot!

But that's just me...if it works for you more power to ya.
 
I occasionally use wine, and I've done the VM thing in the past, as well. Sometimes things work out, other times it's crap. Which is why I have multi-boot capability.

If I need a Win XP machine for an older program or machine and don't need access to the network or other parts of my hard drive, then a VM is fine.

Otherwise, a different machine or an honest-to-God Windows 10 boot is what is necessary.

If I want to play Command & Conquer, for instance, I pretty much need to go and get an older machine to run 98 or XP on (and a suitable low resolution monitor). Otherwise the Visio and controls are crap.

I've also networked two machines together and used a KVM... of course, this was back when I still used desktop machines.

I even designed a dual-computer case, though never found the time to actually build it. Nowadays, of course, one could use a standard case and stash a stick computer inside it along with a regular one.
 
I picked up a Dell 3000 laptop for $200, added an $80 SSD and keep it for Win10, even though I have Mint on it, too (just because I can ;) ). If I need Win10, i just fire up that puppy and don't worry about interrupting my production environment. :D
 
bcrichster said:
Because even VM ware can/has conversion errors/issues at times and just may need a native Windows OS operate correctly. [emoji41] Yes, keep that extra garage for the spud wrench
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Yup. And getting access to USB with VirtualBox is next to impossible. While VMware may be able to handle this, it ain't free. I have dedicated machines in the mancave, but I dual boot my laptop for when I'm away from home.
 
Crashdamage said:
I get all that, Just saying that Wine or a Windows VM has always been good enough, for my purposes,
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That's the key point, I think. For you, right now, that works, but for others it won't. The right solution is going to vary person to person depending on what they need of their computer, and even then their situation will change with time.

For instance, I used to dual boot because I needed windows for gaming, but linux for software for work. Even now, gaming on linux (Wine, VM or even natively) sacrifices performance and in the selection of games, and it was worse back then. Whereas many of the programs I used for work were only available on linux, and because of the large file sizes I was handling I didn't want to spare the processing power/RAM whilst processing them in a VM. No option but to dual boot there, really. But, once my needs changed at work, I ditched the dual-boot setup immediately!
 
Very Rarely did I ever dual boot to the same disk. I sometimes run a few different systems for different circumstances or testing so I want a real environment. I have plenty of external hard drives and find it convenient to dual boot this way. I can simply unplug the distro from one computer and plug it into another if I need to. Even back in my Windows days I would always put Linux on an external I figured less crap can happen to my windows if I don't even mess with the disk. Besides its not like I can access the Linux side on Windows anyway with out a third party driver for ext.
 
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