Why haven't you dropped Windows?

[Tristan]

Just to compliment the "why did you drop Windows" thread, I thought I'd canvass opinion on the reasons why people still have Windows on dual-boot system, and how frequently they use Windows as against Linux.

Personally, I now find myself using Fedora about 95% of the time. I am keeping Windows for a little while, however, for the following things:

1) Webcam support in MSN Messenger. Almost everyone I know uses MSNM -- not being able to use the webcam is frustrating. Hopefully gaim-vv will change this, but webcam support in the Linux kernel is still particularly bad, so it'll be a long journey.

2) DVDShrink. There's no Linux equivalent that's as easy to use and as fast. I know some people have had success running it via Wine, but not me unfortunately.

3) Games. Yes, I know, Cedega is great, but it just feels wrong to me to pay to run a game on Linux when I can just flick to Windows and have a better experience for free. Unfortunately even native games don't run as well under Linux as they do on Windows -- Doom3, Quake3 and UT2004 all give better framerates in XP. Maybe the Nvidia driver is just more optimised in Windows, I don't know, but it's a fact.

4) Converting WMAs to other formats. My brother, being Bill's Willing *****, encodes all his music in WMA. If I want to, um, borrow a CD, then I have to convert it to another format (I usually use iTunes to convert to AAC), and then swap them back to Linux. As far as I know there's no easy-to-use method for doing this in Linux, only using something like ffmpeg from the command line. Why doesn't Rhythmbox play WMAs, even when I've got the right Gstreamer codecs installed?

I'd be interested to know what other people think.

Tristan

P.S. I hesitate to mention it for fear of flaming, but am I the only one to find that XP (in non-Fisher Price mode) feels faster than FC3/Gnome?

[BigJ]

As mentioned in the other thread, I have not dropped Windows mainly because of games, and because I know the OS very well. I use it daily at work and, in addition, I've never had the trouble with viruses and the like that others have noted.

I don't dislike Windows, I'm just giving Linux a try because I'm curious and it's challenging to learn a new system and way of operating.

bigJ

[rayyes]

I keep windows for several reasons:

1- as you mention, getting the webcam to work in linux requires re-inventing the wheel...i'll leave it for windows.

2- gimp is very powerful and im quite good at it, but Photoshop CS just 'feels' better all around (maybe because im used to it more) and I wouldn't see myself using gimp over CS for anything remotely professional.

3- i visit some websites with embedded video that firefox will not play (linux + windows). in XP, IE has no trouble (its mainly qt stuff, but i couldn't be bothered with getting the plugins)

4-For the life of me I could not get my IR dongle to work under FC3, while it works flawless in windows. communicating with my cellphone is a windows thing for now.

5-Actually i feel that the nvidia folks did quite a good job with their linux drivers. UT2004 feels as smooth if not smoother than windows on my box. HOWEVER, sound support is better in windows out of the box (stuff sounds better)

6-games..for the reasons you mentioned.

7-you are not alone Tristan. For me, XP loads faster that FC3 even after shutting down most services. Even after loading, XP feels snappier. In FC3 i get the feeling sometimes that some dialogs/programs are just designed with no attention to aestethics, ie they just do the job.

basically, i keep windows for lack of hw support AND lack of equivalent software in linux. hopefully these issues will be addressed as linux gains more momentum.

[tejas]

OK, I'll admit that games might be better in windo$e, also webcam support,

but you can play wmas in xmms or rythmbox.

Just download the appropriate plugin

[ms1234]

I did drop Windows. I was about to upgrade my 98 installation to XP, botched the installation and lost five years of emails in the process (backups? what backups?). So I decided enough of that bs, and after a short conversation with my friend installed FC3. When I got my laptop which had XP pre-installed I think it managed to boot as far into XP as to do something with the disk, after that it rebooted and continued to install FC3

Yes, it is kind of annoying that the webcam support is not what it could be but I'll live. Games, well, I was hooked on Transport Tycoon while in the Windows world. Now I'm hooked on the clone, Simutrans.

I must be the nightmare Microsoft has been dreading, switching from Windows to Linux and be extremly glad.

-ms

[Finalzone]

Originally Posted by rayyes

I keep windows for several reasons:
2- gimp is very powerful and im quite good at it, but Photoshop CS just 'feels' better all around (maybe because im used to it more) and I wouldn't see myself using gimp over CS for anything remotely professional.

Pixel 32 is another Photoshop alternative. Crossplatfrom unlike Photoshop and cheaper.

[tejas]

Originally Posted by ms1234

I must be the nightmare Microsoft has been dreading, switching from Windows to Linux and be extremly glad.

-ms

Amen ms1234!

[4ebees]

Winders/FC3 dual boot

The main issue for me is that video editing (kids ) and DVD authoring software is not as creative in Linux as in Winders (I have Adobe software for this). I also have PS - which I've managed to get to run in Wine.

In both instances, I'm trying out the Linux equivalents and like GIMP particularly. My graphic tablet works in FC3 (which is abolutely brilliant!) - though the sensitivity isn't what I'd like, I can modify the parameters sufficiently to have a similar effect.

I'd like to get a webcam that's compat with FC3 (suggestions? TouCam??) to connect with rels who've moved to Hong Kong.

Other than for the vid editing, I don't boot into Winders at all. All everything is done in FC3. I have good support from my local LUG members (hooray for Sydney Linux User Group) and have been extraordinarly surprised and impressed with the support from Linux forums such as this one.

I don't play games (no time anymore ).

It's possible that XP is somewhat more responsive, but as for the ability to do more, have more control over what's happening - and in my own small way, contribute to the notion that software is for everyone and everyone should have equality of access - I'm very happy with Linux, the community and the apps that are produced.

Like many people, we have XP were I work. The truth is though, there is nothing that we use at work that warranted the cost involved; everything could easily be done in Linux.

Everyone's story will be interesting to read.

[roolegion]

I think that the only reason why I still have Windows is :

1. To play NeverWinter Nights - killing Klauth is extremely difficult, even with a poisoned dragon sphere
2. DVD Shrink - I have yet to burn anything in Fedora ... yet !
3. Work - everyone I talk to use Windows, so, we use Windows to answer their questions

Linux all the way !

[pparks1]

I don't actually dual-boot my machine at home, rather I have 2 seperate machines. I find that I just do too much still within Windows and constantly rebooting was a pain.

Reasons I still use Windows (daily)

1. Games--for same reasons as above. Too much work to get games to run in alternate environments, no real support if you encounter a problem.

2. My companies Cisco VPN solution is incompatible with Linux because of the enabled firewall feature that my company has decided to use.

3. DVDShrink. This software works and it works very well. Nothing in Linux yet even comes close.

4. Better support for my external peripherals, USB2, Firewire, etc. Camcorders, digital cams, external drives and card readers.

5. XP provides a faster desktop environment that is more stable than Gnome or KDE. ***I'm not saying that Linux is not stable...in a command line mode-It is great. But the desktop environments just aren't there yet.



With that said, I do a ton of stuff within Linux. I am a Linux systems admin at work. I push for and work with many open source packages. Linux is great, but unfortunately most of the world is still designed and geared for Windows.

[jim]

A dvdshrink is easy to use
My printer is *paperweight* in linux

[bitrain]

I have windows on another machine, because that one is not only mine, I'm running games on that one (only have a PIII here) and I use it for printing (the printer cable is way to short to get to my linux box).
For the rest I don't use windows! So I'm spending most of my computer time on FC.

[allensco]

I use my FC3 daliy for 99 percent of my computing needs. I'm not a gamer so that's not a factor for my still having a winders drive around. I still have to do some flash animation for certain websites I maintain (I use Swish for the flash stuff). I also use iTunes every now and then. I "might" boot the winders drive once every 2 weeks for something piddley then it's back to FC3. My workplace (E-911 call center) uses XP on the workstations and Win2K on the other office machines. I have managed to switch almost everyone but a couple over to Open Office (win version) and all computers use Firefox for web browsing and T-Bird for email. No complaints from anyone there OR my wife here at home who happily uses FC3 too.

[mjman]

There's only one thing I keep windows for. Party Poker.

[rdionne1187]

ahh.... damn microsoft! no one wants to make games for linux now!