People Still Use Windows 98

[Nick]

I've been reading up on Mint 16 Cinnamon. Looks pretty good! I'm going ty try a live CD this weekend and make sure everything works. Then comes the long process of training the rest of my mostly computer n00b family. We'll see how it goes. We'll definitely do a dual boot setup if we go through with this. There are programs and games we need that will not run on Linux, but every day stuff Mint can certainly do.

 

[Nick]

I think you really ought to re-evaluate what you are saying. With all due respect, you seem to have this idea that Linux is a minority OS only used by a few on a handful of laptops and desktops by geeks.

Linux ha 1% of the residential computer market. So my idea is correct.

Most of our mobile devices are based on Linux.

Do you know that Android is a Linux kernel? How about Google chrome book? Guess what? Linux kernel. Even Apple uses linux-type platforms. This is why there's little or no viruses on all of these, as I have yet to hear of any malware on any of those platforms personally. Only Microsoft including their windows 8 phones.

I did know this, but we're talking about desktop PC's here, not android or apple products.

Linux is sneaking into our device market, smart phones, androids, nexus pads and chrome books while some loser pawnshop characters and Microsoft say "don't get scroogled" wanting you to buy either Microsoft laptops which even with windows 8 gets viruses, slows up, and needs "tune-ups" (some things in life NEVER changes) or desktops instead of reliable computer devices that will actually work without the attitude.

So yeah, I will admit that Linux does not have a really big laptop and desktop market, that is to say, that which a user installs himself. However, like I mentioned, it's sneaking it's way into everything else. I can't understand why you would want to struggle with Microsoft's OS day in and day out when you can have something without the attitude, unless you love pain from a jack-shoot operating system?

Well I don't exactly want to struggle with Microsoft. I want to jump ship, but I need it and can't ditch it altogether. I need the Adobe suite for my work and studies and others in my family need Windows for various tasks. I would leave Window and go to OSX but I believe it's not as good for web developers, all the SQL thing etc.

Everyone's situation is different. My situation isn't as suited to Linux as others here are - clearly - but I'm prepared to give it ago because we need a more secure operating system on this ageing computer. I'll probably get Adobe stuff on a new computer, but that's a while off.

 

[th1b.taylor]

I think you really ought to re-evaluate what you are saying. With all due respect, you seem to have this idea that Linux is a minority OS only used by a few on a handful of laptops and desktops by geeks. Most of our mobile devices are based on Linux. Do you know that Android is a Linux kernel? How about Google chrome book? Guess what? Linux kernel. Even Apple uses linux-type platforms. This is why there's little or no viruses on all of these, as I have yet to hear of any malware on any of those platforms personally. Only Microsoft including their windows 8 phones.

Linux is sneaking into our device market, smart phones, androids, nexus pads and chrome books while some loser pawnshop characters and Microsoft say "don't get scroogled" wanting you to buy either Microsoft laptops which even with windows 8 gets viruses, slows up, and needs "tune-ups" (some things in life NEVER changes) or desktops instead of reliable computer devices that will actually work without the attitude.

So yeah, I will admit that Linux does not have a really big laptop and desktop market, that is to say, that which a user installs himself. However, like I mentioned, it's sneaking it's way into everything else. I can't understand why you would want to struggle with Microsoft's OS day in and day out when you can have something without the attitude, unless you love pain from a jack-shoot operating system?

Tim,
the common misconception is the one you just used. Linux is no longer sneaking in the back door. It is now the mainline operating system with over a thousand variants available for free download and use.

One, extremely common mistake made by consumers, in all venues, is to, willingly, pay for the one to four million dollar a minute TV Ad costs when they purchase anything from an operating system to a new suit. I don't know what Red Hat charges these days because, even they, avoid mass marketing and rely on people like you and myself to advertise their product. The thing is, though, Microsoft would not be in such a panic trying to, legally, imitate the Mac/Unity desktop and they would never have abandoned the "original" 7 project if they were not loosing on the major industries end of the market.

People like you and I have tried to keep up with the best trends and we are witnessing the increasing movement from the insanity of the monster, mostly, useless core with the constantly shifting Registry of the Windoze Core to the constantly updated Linux/Unix cores without the easily corrupted registry.

The same MS Dos back door that was put into windows 3 and 3.1 is still used by every hacker from Russia to the USA and beyond and the MS Team refuses to close it. Instead. the much and properly feared, NSA worked with MS to install the Copy Righted and never sold Key Mapper into 7, 8 and every other OS Microsoft ever writes in the future.

From here I'm left to guess but I know the NSA have monster warehouse complexes to store data and since the NSA collaborated for this look into our private lives, I'm going to use my knowledge of computers and the Government and conclude that every time you hit the net the key mapper reports to the NSA.

With the Governments, businesses and banks of the world beginning the shift because of the lack of possible intrusion and the lack of the need to educate the users this shift will continue to drive MS out of the market. If folks like our friend here are going to insist on being stubborn and refusing offers like the one we have repeatedly made to download a free Live CD or DVD to see if he can deal with the system, there is nothing to do but to write him off as either hard headed of dumb and either way, he and those he wants to help... they lose.

 

[th1b.taylor]

I've been reading up on Mint 16 Cinnamon. Looks pretty good! I'm going ty try a live CD this weekend and make sure everything works. Then comes the long process of training the rest of my mostly computer n00b family. We'll see how it goes. We'll definitely do a dual boot setup if we go through with this. There are programs and games we need that will not run on Linux, but every day stuff Mint can certainly do.

The learning curve, really, is much shorter that the shift to Win8. Good luck and the first thing you need to do is to find http://forums.linuxmint.com/ and be sure to use the folks there.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Eora,
That 1% stat you gave just kept bouncing around in my head until I remembered; Ubuntu Linux is the number 2 operating system in the world. Ubuntu 12.04 is the system I use on my lap top and I did not recommend it to you for only one reason, the Cinnamon desktop must be installed to it and that step is not required with Mint. Ubuntu is available on Live CD and Mint comes on a Live DVD. The size of Mint tells me that there is a good deal more device handling out of the box. 1% of the PCs has got to be wrong, Apple had more than that with just entertainers and Ubuntu has exceeded their market share. Then there are the other, better than, 1000 more linux OSs.

 

[TOG]

Eora,
That 1% stat you gave just kept bouncing around in my head until I remembered; Ubuntu Linux is the number 2 operating system in the world.

I would be really interested in knowing where you get your information. According to statcounter.com, Linux has less than 2% of the market share. W3counter has a bit higher number, but still less than 2%. The Linux Counter estimates that there are over 70 million Linux users in the world and over 2 billion Internet users. That's about 3%.

The TOG​

 

[th1b.taylor]

I would be really interested in knowing where you get your information. According to statcounter.com, Linux has less than 2% of the market share. W3counter has a bit higher number, but still less than 2%. The Linux Counter estimates that there are over 70 million Linux users in the world and over 2 billion Internet users. That's about 3%.

The TOG​

H1 TOG,
It was about 6 or 7 months ago that the stats were posted in a quote on the LQ Forums. I believe the article referenced was a European News source. I recall thinking that it shed a great deal of light on MS's actions of late.

 

[TOG]

April, I believe.

One of my computers is running xp. Need to decide what to do.

According to Microsoft's website, extended support ends next month (April 13), but mainstream support - the kind most individuals get - ended on April 14 2009. But what do you do when support for your OS ends? Here's Microsoft's suggestion...

hat should I do when the version of Windows I'm using reaches its end of support date?
You can either install the latest available update or service pack or you can upgrade to a newer version of Windows.​

I suppose that's a reasonable answer, considering that this is Microsoft's own website, but I see a couple of other options. If you have a computer that says "Designed for Windows XP" on it, it probably won't be able to handle Windows 8, but you could extend it's useful life and delay buying a new computer for a few years by putting a lightweight version of Linux on it.

The TOG​

 

[Nick]

According to Microsoft's website, extended support ends next month (April 13), but mainstream support - the kind most individuals get - ended on April 14 2009. But what do you do when support for your OS ends? Here's Microsoft's suggestion...

hat should I do when the version of Windows I'm using reaches its end of support date?
You can either install the latest available update or service pack or you can upgrade to a newer version of Windows.​

I suppose that's a reasonable answer, considering that this is Microsoft's own website, but I see a couple of other options. If you have a computer that says "Designed for Windows XP" on it, it probably won't be able to handle Windows 8, but you could extend it's useful life and delay buying a new computer for a few years by putting a lightweight version of Linux on it.

The TOG​

That's what I'm planning on doing.

 

[Deborah13]

That's why they pay you the big bucks Tim..

tob

Get better soon TorB. Lord please heal him up quick. Pretty weather is on the way.