First time Ubuntu user!

[dave_2378]

I am going to be trying out Ubuntu because I don't feel like spending $100 for Windows 7. Since I have never used this OS I have some questions.

1. Can I run Microsoft Office. I know there are other free versions similar to MO but I'm still in college and the format is usually off with the other programs.

2. This will be going into a new pc build. Will my hardware be compatible with Ubuntu. Will I be able to download drivers from the web for my hardware.

3. Will antiviruses such as AVG, AVAST, and Norton's work with Ubuntu.

4. Will games such as Black Ops, Battlefield, Dirt 3, and other window games work with Ubuntu.

5. Finally, please explain why not to the questions above and how to fix the problem.

Thanks

 

[sam_p_lay]

Haha I wouldn't know. How old are you? Apologies if you're offended by the question, though I don't think you're the easily-offended type.

 

[stillblue]

If Linux is cod liver oil then I suggest windows would be castor oil.

 

[nss000]

This summer = 69 ... and while itching over computer systems has its pleasures one always feels optimistic when N. Florida mink bikinis give way to thongs.

Haha I wouldn't know. How old are you? Apologies if you're offended by the question, though I don't think you're the easily-offended type.

 

[sam_p_lay]

Haha that is the silver lining! I've visited Florida in June before, but never again. Too much heat for me.

 

[nss000]

You are so right; the five boiling humid (5) summer months are intolerable in Jacksonville. (Real locals don't go outside till the temps break 80-F!!!). Though we have **divine protection** from hurricanes! Reds and speckled trout swarm tidal streams during summer mornings, so if you get out before 10-AM casting rubber-worms or DOAs the fishing is great. Noon-times drive drive normal folks inside to malls or me to my lab.

Haha that is the silver lining! I've visited Florida in June before, but never again. Too much heat for me.

 

[sam_p_lay]

Definitely not for me then! I'll take a steady 20c (that's 68f), low humidity, gentle breeze. Somewhere high altitude and equatorial would do fine. You're a scientist then?

 

[nss000]

Retired .. but you can never completely give-up the discipline of experiments ... or give up tormenting students! And every blue-moon one will untutored say something so insightful it stops you dead!

Definitely not for me then! I'll take a steady 20c (that's 68f), low humidity, gentle breeze. Somewhere high altitude and equatorial would do fine. You're a scientist then?

 

[stillblue]

Definitely not for me then! I'll take a steady 20c (that's 68f), low humidity, gentle breeze. Somewhere high altitude and equatorial would do fine. You're a scientist then?

I got the equatorial part. Steady 70 - 95 everyday. You get used to it. Mostly. Sorta. After a fashion. I keep telling myself.

 

[sam_p_lay]

Haha you won't bump into me there either! Maybe somewhere in the Andes like Quito or Arequipa. Only thing that's a bit scary is the tectonic activity. I'm British, so approximately a billion miles from any fault lines. As it should be.

 

[nss000]

Sounds like La. temps, but you prolly don't have earthquakes. Of-course we could always fly-off to South Lake Tahoe and get cold anytime. Lake-side casinos picked-up 1/2 the tab for everything: plane, room, ski, food ... counting on your losing big at blackjack. Many did ...

Definitely not for me then! I'll take a steady 20c (that's 68f), low humidity, gentle breeze. Somewhere high altitude and equatorial would do fine. You're a scientist then?

I got the equatorial part. Steady 70 - 95 everyday. You get used to it. Mostly. Sorta. After a fashion. I keep telling myself.

 

[stillblue]

Actually, Sub-Saharan Africa. I'm 6 degrees south of the equator in the DRC. Now you want perfect weather go to Kivu in the east. Right on the equator so little variation in daylight, up in the mountains, not too high but high enough for lows in the low 60s and highs in the low 80s. Land so fertile if you think about planting something it grows. Of course there's the whole warlords, roving killers and active volcanoes on the down side.

Sounds like La. temps, but you prolly don't have earthquakes. Of-course we could always fly-off to South Lake Tahoe and get cold anytime. Lake-side casinos picked-up 1/2 the tab for everything: plane, room, ski, food ... counting on your losing big at blackjack. Many did ...

Definitely not for me then! I'll take a steady 20c (that's 68f), low humidity, gentle breeze. Somewhere high altitude and equatorial would do fine. You're a scientist then?

I got the equatorial part. Steady 70 - 95 everyday. You get used to it. Mostly. Sorta. After a fashion. I keep telling myself.

 

[sam_p_lay]

Of course there's the whole warlords, roving killers and active volcanoes on the down side.

LOL! That's why I'll leave Africa to stillblue. Not that South America is renowned for being a safe place to live, but safer than this... maybe?

 

[nss000]

Kivu: I looked it up on GOOGLE-EARTH and can see many mountains surrounding the lake.
Volcanic soil, cool weather ... sounds like coffee growing territory. You would figure a couple warlords would send their kids off to an American midwest AG school to learn 21st Century farming business. Modern tanks and tractors are all computer controlled and laser guided with stereo/AC, and Mig-23 Floggers can spray insecticide !

Actually, Sub-Saharan Africa. I'm 6 degrees south of the equator in the DRC. Now you want perfect weather go to Kivu in the east. Right on the equator so little variation in daylight, up in the mountains, not too high but high enough for lows in the low 60s and highs in the low 80s. Land so fertile if you think about planting something it grows. Of course there's the whole warlords, roving killers and active volcanoes on the down side.

Sounds like La. temps, but you prolly don't have earthquakes. Of-course we could always fly-off to South Lake Tahoe and get cold anytime. Lake-side casinos picked-up 1/2 the tab for everything: plane, room, ski, food ... counting on your losing big at blackjack. Many did ...

Definitely not for me then! I'll take a steady 20c (that's 68f), low humidity, gentle breeze. Somewhere high altitude and equatorial would do fine. You're a scientist then?

I got the equatorial part. Steady 70 - 95 everyday. You get used to it. Mostly. Sorta. After a fashion. I keep telling myself.

 

[stillblue]

Kivu: I looked it up on GOOGLE-EARTH and can see many mountains surrounding the lake.
Volcanic soil, cool weather ... sounds like coffee growing territory. You would figure a couple warlords would send their kids off to an American midwest AG school to learn 21st Century farming business. Modern tanks and tractors are all computer controlled and laser guided with stereo/AC, and Mig-23 Floggers can spray insecticide !

Unfortunately it is easier to enslave people to mine coltan, gold and diamonds and then steal the crops others grow and rape the women growing them to keep them in line. Who says the Congolese didn't learn from the Belgians?

 

[nss000]

Belgian eh ? I understand Belgian colonialists were often not nice folks. There's a classic fascist-lit book: GANGRENE that recounts such a story ...

Kivu: I looked it up on GOOGLE-EARTH and can see many mountains surrounding the lake.
Volcanic soil, cool weather ... sounds like coffee growing territory. You would figure a couple warlords would send their kids off to an American midwest AG school to learn 21st Century farming business. Modern tanks and tractors are all computer controlled and laser guided with stereo/AC, and Mig-23 Floggers can spray insecticide !

Unfortunately it is easier to enslave people to mine coltan, gold and diamonds and then steal the crops others grow and rape the women growing them to keep them in line. Who says the Congolese didn't learn from the Belgians?

 

[amdfangirl]

Definitely a riveting Ubuntu discussion .

 

[nss000]

Not into frisky fascist lit eh ... oh well the modern uni student may be forgiven. Prolly not big on Herodotus or Thucydides either ... which reminds me Ms AMD_gurl ... I finally squelched the hardware daemons and am about to (try) installing Scientific Linux. I DLoaded & burned the 4.0gig v_6.4. Can you point to any gotchas during the SL install, or is it as complete & bulletproof as Ubuntu installs?

Definitely a riveting Ubuntu discussion .

 

[amdfangirl]

It should be bulletproof. I tend to go with the LiveCD installs, actually.

But the DVD should be fine.

 

[c911darkwolf]

*Cracks Whip*
Back on Topic!!
1. Can I run Microsoft Office. I know there are other free versions similar to MO but I'm still in college and the format is usually off with the other programs.
Answer: You can Emulate Microsoft Office through Wine, or Use things like Google Docs / Libre office. Far as the formatting goes i normally make it look right in Docs or Libra and then PDF it so i know the format looks the same when they get it.

2. This will be going into a new pc build. Will my hardware be compatible with Ubuntu. Will I be able to download drivers from the web for my hardware.
Most of the Newest hardware works well with Ubuntu, Fedora also has good support for newer Hardware. If you have a problem post it and normally a good work around is available.

3. Will antiviruses such as AVG, AVAST, and Norton's work with Ubuntu.
- AVG has a Linux client, and with linux if your savvy enough you might not need one, but it's better to be SAFE then SORRY...

4. Will games such as Black Ops, Battlefield, Dirt 3, and other window games work with Ubuntu.
http://appdb.winehq.org/ This is the WINE database of games that you can emulate as well as steps to emulate them so you can run them in Linux. Also a QUICK and EASY way is Playonlinux App found here http://www.playonlinux.com/en/ If you see it listed there then the app lets you double click to install it VERY EASY Valve's STeam client now has a Native Linux client that supports over 100 titles with remakes of games like Left For Dead 2 for linux coming soon.

5. Finally, please explain why not to the questions above and how to fix the problem.
Many Things can be Emulated to run in Linux just fine. If your worried about losing too much then Dual boot Linux and Windows for a while. Many companies such as Blizzard and Valve are working on Linux Native Client/games now. Were making tons of progress into the gaming industry and applications, but were still not Windows yet... So if your patient you will find games like Diable 3 and SC 2 all play on LInux, but not on the release date it takes a little time for a work around to be found and emulate the right drivers and post that guide. Then you can follow that guide in the WINEHQ site to get it working on your machine. Linux has some of the best Community support systems you will ever find. If you can't get something to work with our help it sure as hell won't be due to lack of trying : )

 

[WyomingKnott]

Definitely a riveting Ubuntu discussion .

Couldn't agree more. The topic is closed.