Joe
I only use a linux at home and another Unix at work. I completely lost touch with Windows since I have not used it in 4-5 years. A lot of people here dual-boot, usually with Ubuntu, but I know other distros are used.
My questions are the following:
- What are the tasks that make you boot on Ubuntu/Linux?
- What are the tasks that make you boot on Windows?
- What are the tasks that completely suck, both on Windows and Linux?
Also, I am not interested in the marketing pitch. I heard it all before. I am interested in your own actual personal use. Don't tell me about how you need Windows for Photoshop if you never actually use it. I am more interested in your habits.
In other words, when you start your computer, what makes you say: "I'm choosing X OS today" ?
The-MMMs
When i can't be bothered to wait for my 2.0Ghz single core and 512mb RAM pc to load windows 7, i just choose Ubuntu
Nabs
Speaking of dual booting, how do you guys do it? There's a load of methods. What do YOU do? Install per say Windows, then iAtkos then Chameleon? Something like that?
AvoK95
Nabs wroteSpeaking of dual booting, how do you guys do it? There's a load of methods. What do YOU do? Install per say Windows, then iAtkos then Chameleon? Something like that?
I usually install the first OS then the second OS in another partition and that's about it.
scorz
I don't technically multi-boot I have a machine for every OS.
Well:
1- Linux/bsd
- Surfing the web, sometimes anonymously (For some reasons, TOR run better on slackware than windows.
- Programming/Scripting: C, perl(not a lot anymore), bash.
- Monitoring Network traffic, messing around with some networks for self-educational purpose (The most used software are wireshark, ettercap, airodump).
- Running services, for fun. Nothing in a professional environment (pbx/sip, apache, ssh, webcam-server,routing)
- Watching movies (I use vlc and mplayer).
2- Windows
- Recording (Sound forge).
- Composing/Aranging (Notation Composer).
- Writing (Microsoft Office).
- Playing Solitaire/Backgammon).
Task that completely sucks on both: Java Applet
rolf
I don't dual boot. I find it a bad aberration to have 2 OSes sitting on your hard drive, especially when the said drive is an SSD :)
I go through cycles, but most of the time I am running Windows. I think the tipping factors are the many applications for which I cannot find a satisfying replacement under Linux. Of course there are the problems with the linux distro itself (Ubuntu in my case) - but these I can stomach, it is free, after all!
What brings me towards Ubuntu in the first place, are the annoyances of installing Windows (drivers and all), the forced upgrades (I can't run XP anymore on my new laptop because drivers aren't supported anymore), the price of it and my dislike for going around copy protection, and how it takes over your hardware and ties itself to it, among other things. These are some of the reasons which make me download and boot a Ubuntu CD and try using it as my main OS. But then I start being deceived, and for the reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph, I'd use Windows again. There is also the fact that I'm an obsessive tinkerer and perfectionist, and it is a bad combination...
NuclearVision
I use windows for gaming mostly, and for programs that are designed to work on windows only.
As for linux, i feel that linux is the OS for programming, programming sucks on windows, in addition i use linux to run programs That comes only as linux distributions. After all, most linux distros are free, and most of their programs are free indeed.
Briefly, i choose ubuntu for its nice gnome interface, its free liscense, and for its nicely packed terminal. It is just light.
@Nabs I use grub for dual booting windows 7 and ubuntu 12(pp).
Adnan
Many peope say that Linux is for programming, which I can't disagree with, but Ubuntu is good to go with a non-programmer.. I use Ubuntu as a normal user and can do well with some stuff in the Terminal, I even got to fix my computer when it wouldn't boot anymore because of installing a third OS that messed up everything.
The reason I use Ubuntu, (Lately switched to the Xubuntu desktop environment) is that it's far more responsive than Windows on my low-end netbook, especially when on battery.
So for everyday tasks, like surfing and chatting and playing some Linux or Wine compatible games, I use Xubuntu.
I still have Windows on my computer, and I rarely use it, the last time I remember using it was about 3 or 4 months ago, just to run Connectify. Windows appears to be able to use the same network card to work as a hotspot as well as surfing on the internet via Wi-Fi, which I didn't find any alternative to that, since I don't use any Ethernet cable.
So basically I use Xubuntu because my computer feels smoother on it, which really matters.
Joe
Thanks for your responses, but I fear I expressed my question poorly.
I am not asking why do you use Ubuntu (or any other Linux distro). I am wondering why do you dual-boot.
What are the apps that are keeping you from completely moving? Maybe you don't want to completely move? What are, in your daily habits, the tasks you accomplish better in one OS or the other?
The answer scorz gave is exactly what I am looking for.
shekvaL
i have debian on my desktop ( currently thinking of switching to slackware :D ), no dual boot
but on my laptop im dual booting with windows 7 just because it came with the laptop and its licensed, so i feel like i payed for it, heck why to delete it, booted it couple of times only though
J4D
I dual boot (xp-ubuntu) just in case windows gets fucked up and i need a fast way to recover and do some lite work.
lallous_87
I need windows for office, because libreoffice is a poor alternative....
Adnan
Αντνάν wroteMany peope say that Linux is for programming, which I can't disagree with, but Ubuntu is good to go with a non-programmer.. I use Ubuntu as a normal user and can do well with some stuff in the Terminal, I even got to fix my computer when it wouldn't boot anymore because of installing a third OS that messed up everything.
The reason I use Ubuntu, (Lately switched to the Xubuntu desktop environment) is that it's far more responsive than Windows on my low-end netbook, especially when on battery.
So for everyday tasks, like surfing and chatting and playing some Linux or Wine compatible games, I use Xubuntu.
I still have Windows on my computer, and I rarely use it, the last time I remember using it was about 3 or 4 months ago, just to run Connectify. Windows appears to be able to use the same network card to work as a hotspot as well as surfing on the internet via Wi-Fi, which I didn't find any alternative to that, since I don't use any Ethernet cable.
So basically I use Xubuntu because my computer feels smoother on it, which really matters.
+ Because I have many files there and I'm too lazy to make sure if any of them is important, so I just keep it in case.
Roudykh
i dual boot backtrack5 with win7:
win7: file manager, office, internet surfing, watching movies, picture editing...
backtrack : wireless exploitation, networking...
Fischer
i dual boot for many reasons, the main reason is i'm not able to run virtualenv on windows, if i spend so much time looking for solution maybe i can find some but python and django programming on linux is heaven to me
rtp
Ubuntu(mint)
well my favorite part about ubuntu(mint) is the layout...
like the programs that are running are on the bottom side of the screen and the program and folders i can access on top...
and the icons being small give really a lot of space to add tons... so i have my folders on the right side and programs on the left...
all so well arranged ^_^
i love the always on top feature in ubuntu and how it works like charm without any effort or bug... unlike the one on windows 7 , i can't seem to put "firefox" always on top for some odd reason.... which is really annoying...
i have my phpStorm ide on ubuntu as well... work really nice and apache runs without any added clicks am sure i can do that in windows as well but need to do some work, here it is by default... annoying part is the permission tho, sometimes that can be a pain in the ass...
Windows:
- photoshop
- recently i moved to .NET
- games