Bigger Is Better

As my readers should all know by now, I have a new laptop computer. I like it because it affords me the pleasure of sitting in my overstuffed chair in the living room when my back and butt get tired of the office chair I normally am sitting in. It's a nice laptop and it has a nice sized hard drive inside it.
I also like using Ubuntu as my operating system rather than Windows XP. However after installing it on my laptop I can see now why people that use a dual-boot system on one hard drive need a bigger drive.
The hard drive on the laptop is a 40 Gig drive which should be more than enough space for a portable computer. However, when I installed my Ubuntu operating system onto the laptop along with the XP that was already there, the amount of free space left little to download and save much. Between two operating systems, if I wanted to actually save anything like music or pictures or videos, I would definitely need a hard drive twice the size, at least 80 Gigs. Since that isn't going to happen, it was good-bye Ubuntu.
I'm sure I will survive with Windows XP although I wish I didn't have to. Some things I use on a daily basis require Windows to run so those are the things I will be using most on my laptop.

OOPS For The Laptop

Okay, so I am on the laptop and I go to use a program and it isn't there. What the heck? I also notice that the games folder is now empty. Hmmm...
A day or so ago I decided to get rid of some Windows programs that I do not use and have no plans to use like Outlook Express and Messenger. Apparently by removing these junk programs I also deleted the Accessories and Games Programs. Why all these things are connected only the foolish people at Microsoft can explain although I have my doubts of that.
Thankfully there is System Restore to rescue my idiotic self. I went back to a restore point and got everything back. I then tried to delete Messenger again and guess what? It deleted the Games and Accessories files again! Another Restore and all is back to the way it was.
I then had to go and update the wireless connection driver since I had updated to a new driver after the restore date. I really hate having my wireless connection drop down to 1 MB per second or whatever it is. Not cool at all :(
So, I guess I am stuck with the stupid programs that Windows thinks that I need. At least all is working properly with the stuff I truly do need, like the internet browsers.
And the fine folks at Windows and Microsoft wonder why people switch to Linux instead. get a grip, people!

Still No Luck

Still trying to figure out how to get my game lobby to run with Ubuntu but still no luck.
I have the Wine program that should run it but it refuses to accept Java so I am out of luck there.
Looking more and more like I am going to have to figure out how to run VirtualBox and run Linux and Windows XP at the same time, same place.
Something has got to give, eventually.

At least my computer is working good so I really should not complain :)

Similarities

While Ubuntu and Windows are very different types of programs they do share some similarities.
I upgraded yesterday from Ubuntu 10.4 to 10.10. That's a big jump but I notice that I see no differences, really. Somewhat akin to upgrading from one Windows version to another. I'm sure there are some differences but they are not noticeable at all.
I am amazed at how much faster Ubuntu can be compared to Windows XP though. The only true speed that the two share is in starting up. They both take about the same amount of time to load the basic start up programs. The difference? Windows gives you something to look at usually while Ubuntu gives you text about Ubuntu LOL
If I can ever figure out how to open the game site lobby with Ubuntu I cannot seriously see myself going back to using XP.
There are similarities, but Ubuntu takes the prize overall.

Ubuntu versus XP

I've been using Ubuntu for a few days now and I have to say I like it. I get frustrated by the constant updates to it though, especially when they decide to update 1500 files all at once as this takes an enormous amount of time even with DSL.
I also have now downloaded VirtualBox but have yet to quite figure out how to get Windows XP to work on Ubuntu. Maybe because I am not a computer whiz kid. I know it can be accomplished I just need to find the directions and translate them into ordinary English instead of the computer geek language they are written in now.
All in all though I do think that Ubuntu is confusing at first it is as easy or easier to use than Windows. I am using Ubuntu now as I sit here typing this blog entry.
I do need Windows for some things though as not every program in the computer world is Linux compatible. The game site where I moderate the chat lobby for instance is not Linux friendly. So, I definitely need XP for that! I have a few programs on XP that I'm sure are the same way so I will spend the next few days trying to figure out how to get VirtualBox to work and I'll let you know if I succeed or fail.

Ubuntu?

I am seriously considering a switch of operating systems. I'm tired of all the Windows crashes and freezes just because my computer isn't a giant server hooked into some humongous speed freak of an internet connection and filled with lots and lots of memory.
The other thing that has me bugged is I now know why so many hackers like Microsoft Windows. Watching my computer start up I see that I am connected to the internet long before Microsoft Security Essentials is turned on to "protect" my computer. Shouldn't Security come first??
I have a nice computer. An HP with one gig of RAM which should be more than enough to run the simple programs that I run and surf the net. But, more and more of late, Windows just isn't cutting the mustard.
Someone suggested Ubuntu and I am looking into it to see if I can use it. My primary concern will be can I use it to access the game lobby that I am a chat moderator in. If not then I will have to switch back and forth between Ubuntu and Windows and that would stink.
I am a careful investigator where computer programs go so Time will tell if Ubuntu works for me or not.

Success!

Finally! It works! *doing a happy dance*
Hooked up the new computer to this monitor and it works! Not sure what is going on with the other monitor. What was happening is that it tried to open Windows XP then went to a screen where i had to input the Authorization code for Windows XP. I never saw that screen at all with the other monitor. GRRR.
So, I guess now I will need a new monitor since the extra monitor I have won't work.
Always something...

But, *does happy dance again* the computer works!