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Thread: Linux advantages/disadvantages

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    Default Linux advantages/disadvantages

    I'm getting a new PC and I may convert my old laptop to a Linux machine. Im curious of what the advantages/disadvantages of using Linux is?

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    Depends on what distro ("version" of linux) you use and what you plan on using it for. There are lots of Linux distros out there that are designed to work well on older computers and use very few resources like RAM. With older machines that don't support a newer version of Windows than XP, going with a lightweight Linux distro is going to be your best option if you still plan on using that machine with the internet (XP is no longer receiving security updates; you can continue using it but shouldn't connect it to the internet).

    Most Linux distros are also very customizeable, especially user interface wise. You're given more free reign as to how your desktop elements (like your taskbar etc) are organized and function than you usually are with Windows. That said, one could argue that you're given too much to choose from in this regard; there is no "standard" Linux setup really, which for most people means trying out several distros and seeing which ones work best for you.

    Also keep in mind that while there is some support for Windows games in Linux using programs like WINE or PlayOnLinux, compatibility is far from perfect; it's highly recommended to keep something like XP installed alongside it if you plan on doing any actual PC games.

    In my experience console emulators are kind of hit and miss. On the one hand emulators for older consoles like SNES, Sega Genesis, GBA etc normally work fine and are usually easy enough to get set up, but on the other hand I haven't been able to get the same high quality of performance and compatibility when doing say PS1 or N64 emulators as I do when emulating them on Windows. Just how easy it is to get emulators installed and running also depends on what Linux distro you're using. Most distros will come with their own "app store" of sorts that provide free games and programs designed to work well on that distro, but installing anything not included in that store can sometimes be tricky for a new Linux user.

    Overall if you just plan on doing older games and emulators on your old laptop (and if it has XP, don't plan on using the internet with it), I would just keep it on that. If you want to try something new that will work well on your old computer for years to come, and will be using the laptop more for things like word processing and web browsing, you might give Linux a try. If you do plan on trying Linux I recommend starting off with one of the more popular, user friendly ones like Xubuntu or Linux Mint. Just keep in mind that if you do decide to try Linux, it's going to take time more than anything to really get used to it and to find one that works well for you.
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheRevenant View Post
    I'm getting a new PC and I may convert my old laptop to a Linux machine. Im curious of what the advantages/disadvantages of using Linux is?
    I tried Linux. Wasn't interested.
    I would suggest that you install Windows Xp and then a MAME front-end so you can use it as a dedicated arcade machine.

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    Thanks for the info guys

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    Your best bet would be to use virtualbox and try a decent linux distro in it so you can see if you like it or not before actually installing it as a primary OS, my favorite linux distro is linux mint, its pretty user friendly and is quite easy to manage software installing with its software manager, does all the installing for you, even has a search feature.

    its not a easy step to go from windows to linux, its a pretty different learning curve, one of the big things is you have to get used to using command line, that is required for alot of stuff, good thing is its easy to figure that out with a simple search on a search engine for the particular problem and you will usually get the proper command you need to input.

    Well just give it a spin in virtualbox and go from there.
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    If you have any questions on how to set it up on Windows please feel free to ask, its very easy.


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