On Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:01, you wrote:
> Hi Rik,
> Thanks for the info re modem, thats good to know.
> Now I am somewhat confused as to which is the best way to go in so far
> as  which system. I guess different people use different ones
> but I guess it seems that maybe between SuSE and Ubuntu are likely
> choices, am I in the right Ball Park??
> Yes I am looking at installing rather than playing around with the CD's,
> but I would want to be able to have dual booting so I can go to either
> Linux or Windows as I do have several programmes that I use which as far
> as I know do not have Linux capability.
> No not  or was a Teacher, I used to be a Telegraph Technician with
> Telecom.....back a few years now....... been retired for quite sometime.
> My computer does have a CD/DVD read/writer in it so guess I can handle
> anything like that.
> Alan Hughes

Eek!  Take cover!  Asking for advice on the best distro is fraught with 
danger!  However, the most practical advice is to use the one that your 
friend uses, since you can go to them for help.  If you don't know anyone 
else specifically using Linux then of course ask the list, but people here 
use pretty much every distro, so no particular one will stand out (except 
SuSE, which I am assured is the best).  =:^)

Most current distros are equally capable, so it often comes down to simple 
preference, or some unique piece of hardware that only one of the distros 
you tried actually detected properly.  The fact is that any of them could 
be tweaked to handle that hardware, or to look like any other, but the one 
that works 'out of the box' is the one that will stick in your mind.

On the subject of dual-booting it is my opinion to avoid it.  A lot of 
people do it, and it does work, but second-hand PCs are absurdly cheap, and 
if you install Linux on a junker you can learn a lot and not worry about 
messing up (or losing) your Windows environment and data (although that 
wouldn't matter as you do back up regularly, don't you?).  Setting up a 
home network (even just two PCs) is trivial and cheap, and you can even run 
the Linux box without a screen or keyboard and log into it remotely to 
play/test/use it.  Again, it's my opinion, but it's what I do at home.  
Besides, if your Windows machine is working you can use it to surf the web 
to research what to do with your "new" Linux box as you build and tweak it.

Just my 2c (rounded to 10c)

Andrew

Reply via email to