make your computer last longer before upgrading

Tony_H_3

Welcome back BigJohn, I'm sure you know as well as I do that Windows slows down after time. Infact Windows isn't as fast as it can be period.

To install Linux as an improvement is a false economy in both time & effort.

There are simple steps which can be taken to improve Windows and it's performance. For the hardcore, there are extreme steps which can be undertaken that make Windows so fast it's scary. It's feasible for example to defrag a Windows drive in just a few seconds, and to have applications run almost instantly.

I have never been a fan of Linux and was just pointing out that your claim is wrong, by all means if you want to encourage the use of Linux & offer advise to people to help them get started that's cool. But to claim that installing Linux will make their computer's last longer is just not truthful.

Regards
Tony

meclive

It's feasible for example to defrag a Windows drive in just a few seconds

Tell me more

Tony_H_3

You'll need to register and then click on this link or simply search the helproom for Strewth by Flecc.

As I said, there is so much more you can do with a MS Windows based PC than you can possibly imagine compared with the like's of Linux.

Glad

I'm moving this to 'techie questions and discussion' as there may be some useful info here for a wider audience

MimiJane

You'll need to register and then click on this link or simply search the helproom for Strewth by Flecc.

As I said, there is so much more you can do with a MS Windows based PC than you can possibly imagine compared with the like's of Linux.

I've joined, but have done a search and cannot find any info. on Strewth by Flecc. Any ideas?

Tony_H_3

If you have registered, then you simply need to click on my previous link and youll be taken straight there, select the posting with the most replies first.

Tony_H_3

Your quite right, my link doesn't provide the strewth information but it can still be found following these steps:

1. Login

2. Click on "Helproom"

3. Enter "Strewth" in the lefthand search field.

Your quite right it does fail if you use the top right hand search field, I think this is because this field is for the entire website only, and not the helproom forum.

MimiJane

Thanks for the replies Tony ... these silly little "glitches" can cause us such problems can't they ???.

I'll have another look now. ;D

maninblack_3

Bigjohn
nice post, i am a big advocate of linux i just tend to be wary of recommending for reasons you know only too well. If anyone was thinkign of experimenting witha fast, lean optimised os that comes with loads of "free" software you cant go wrong.

long live tux

bigjohn

Cheers for that maninblack.

It's a shame that Tony_H can't see the cost benefits, because he obviously can't see beyond the latest security exploit (and no that's not meant as a flame)

Not forgetting the only value for money surveys that say windows is the cheapest option, are ones that have been paid for by microsoft.

But it's also fair to point out that if you're a die hard windows user then you'd usually end up having to pay for all sorts of third party stuff just to keep your system safe - it's all money.

You don't have to pay for your own time and effort, so if all a linux system costs is the bandwidth to download a distro (or even the cheapo burned copies of download versions for a couple of quid), then I don't follow why Tony_H insists on favouring windows.

Fact, windows has only been around for what 13 to 15 years, most of that time it's been so full of holes to be virtualy useless from a security pov! (and yes I will exclude NT versions from that). Once you've got it you then, more often than not have to pay out again for Office (or maybe works, if you can get by in a limited way).

the basics of linux proper have been around since when? the early 90's, but it's grounded from Unix which has been tried and tested for what? approaching 40 years - proven technology that can still be improved upon, but with fundamentals that offer proper security.

I'd also alledge that if you've never used a computer before, then you'd probably find linux more intuitive in it's structure (IMO).

Linux does run on older hardware, then kind of stuff that you'd struggle to run Windows 95, forget XP.

It took how many years? before they (M$) offered the home user even a fraction of the security that they offered commerce. Until the advent of XP the desktop system was a joke - that's exactly why the likes of norton, macafee, etc etc are such wealthy businesses - poor/unsecure/inadequate system design. they saw the opportunity to get the average "joe user" to pay for them sticking the paper over the cracks.

If linux is so bad, then why do so many of the worlds servers run on it? Because most people don't realise how many times a day they interface with linux - they certainly haven't heard of Apache (except in John Waynes films).

Yaddah, yaddah, yaddah, if you can get your head round those 3 little letters, TCO, then get yourself to a computer fair/boot market, you can probably get a decent working, and current linux system for as little as £100 - or do you really think that paying £500 to £750 for something that will be out of date in less than 2 years is value for money? do you really want to pay the £200 to £300 for M$Office, when you can get Open office for the price of the download (practically free) ????

Do you then want to pay £50 to £90 for someone to come and sort out your system if/when it goes wrong, when you can get most types of linux advice/instruction/help free from the community sites?

If so, by all means, I'm not gonna stop you. It's your money to spend as you wish, I just felt that linux IS a good way of reducing the costs of computing, and as such, MSE would be a good place to suggest it.

If you want to continue to rubbish the idea then, well, whatever!

regards

John