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Please Help! Have been Finally Fed Up With Microsoft!

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choochun2b:
Hey guys. ALright since I was a kid I have been using Microsoft on all my computers. After going through so many troublesome reboots, windows xp repair installations, reboot installations, blue screens, and computer crashes I ahve been fed up. I got really fed up about this weekend. I am running a web design business and so I need to be on my computer almost every time. My computer crashed one day after turning it on and a black screen came up saying a recent hardwae or software change might have caused this while I ahd not installed or done anything wrong. So then the computer endlessly started rebooting and thats when I said enough is ENOUGH! So I ask you guys to help me out and show me a different solutions where I can have a different OS and I can also use my programs like Word Excel and MAcromedia Flash and Dreamweaver . So basically I want a different OS but to be able to use the same Programs.

piratePenguin:
Ubuntu is a very good GNU/Linux distribution (operating system) for new users. You can download it or have it sent out for free. Installation is fairly straight forward, and ubuntuguide.org have some excellent documentation to get you started after that.

Instead of using Microsoft Word and Excel, consider the OpenOffice.org office suite which has Writer and Calc, or Abiword and Gnumeric if you don't want to install a whole office suite.

None of the recent (MX+) versions of either Flash or Dreamweaver work under Wine, which is a program that can be used for running programs designed for Windows in GNU/Linux. However, Nvu is a good free alternative to Dreamweaver, so you could try that.
Unfortunately, I've never come accross an alternative to Flash.


All the software I linked to above is free and free.

worker201:
I have been damn impressed with my Macintosh iBook.  I have Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, and Fireworks.  I can also use GNU programs like the gimp and gaim.  I dare not speak of Word or Excel, but Mariner Write is one of the coolest word processors I have ever used, and it only costs like $60.  Total number of crashes in the last 18 months - 2.  Total number of required restarts - like 15.  Total number of antivirus programs - 0.

If you want to hold onto your design tools, I suggest a Mac.  Sure, you can get the programs running in Linux, but it's somewhat buggy and slow.  And, to be perfectly honest, you probably don't want to learn a whole new computing paradigm at this point in your life.  Macs are high value for the money, and OSX is an incredible OS.

If you DO want to learn a new and challenging but exciting way of computing, I and others would be more than happy to help you get started with Linux.

choochun2b:
THANK YOU so much guys!!! I think this really helped me out but I was wondering also, if i install these programs would i be able to access all my files on the hard drive I have using these programs cause I have valuable files on there. Also I am a web designer so I need to use macromedia products cause all my stuff is in that format is there anyway i can use both. Id like to use mac OS but I have a PC . Is it possible to put a mac os in there??

piratePenguin:

--- Quote from: choochun2b ---if i install these programs would i be able to access all my files on the hard drive I have using these programs cause I have valuable files on there.
--- End quote ---
Yep, but I'd recommend you backup any valuable data before repartitioning the drive.
You can keep Windows installed and dualboot between it and GNU/Linux (then when you turn on the computer it'll ask you whether you wanna boot Windows or GNU/Linux).

--- Quote from: choochun2b ---Also I am a web designer so I need to use macromedia products cause all my stuff is in that format is there anyway i can use both.
--- End quote ---
If you're dualbooting, you could use Windows for Dreamweaver/Flash, and GNU/Linux for browsing the web and whatever else you do. There's another program like Wine, Crossover Office, and it's much better than Wine for applications like Dreamweaver and Flash, but it's non-free (and non-free). I think Dreamweaver MX and Flash MX work in that, dunno about MX 2004.

Or, you could get your hands on vmware or a similar program, which allows you to run Windows inside GNU/Linux. I've never used them before, and don't know much about them.

--- Quote from: choochun2b ---Id like to use mac OS but I have a PC . Is it possible to put a mac os in there??
--- End quote ---
Kindof, but, I wouldn't recommend it for full-time use...
Maybe soon though (after Mac OS X is out for intel chips. And is... Cracked, hopefully)...

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