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Thread: Things you can't do with Wdoze or Mac

  1. #1
    Titanium Member efc's Avatar
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    Things you can't do with Wdoze or Mac

    What is the coolest thing you can do using Linux that you can't do with Windows or on a Mac?

    by matthew, Saturday 2 February 2008 at 17:58 :: Linux / Ubuntu

    Someone asked me this recently. I don't have just one answer. I compiled a list of things I thought of and emailed it to my friend...then I thought I would post it here for future reference. Feel free to add to the list! There is also a forums thread on the same topic, that I remembered as I complied my thoughts, so I stole some of the ideas posted there.

    1. Upgrade to the newest version legally and without paying money
    2. Have the latest version of the operating system run faster than the previous version on the same hardware
    3. Easily install and run different graphical interfaces if I don't like the default setup
    4. Install twenty programs with one command
    5. Have the system automatically update all my installed programs for me.
    6. Install the same copy of my OS (Ubuntu) on multiple computers without worrying about license restrictions or activation keys
    7. Give away copies of the operating system and other programs that run on it without breaking any laws, governmental or ethical or moral, because it was all intended to be used this way
    8. Have full control over my computer hardware and know that there are no secret back doors in my software, put there by malicious software companies or governments
    9. Run without using a virus scanner, adware/spyware protection, and not reboot my computer for months, even when I do keep up with all of the latest security updates
    10. Run my computer without needing to defragment my hard drive, ever
    11. Try out software, decide I don't like it, uninstall it, and know that it didn't leave little bits of stuff in a registry that can build up and slow down my machine
    12. Make a major mistake that requires a complete reinstallation and be able to do it in less than an hour, because I put all of my data on a separate partition from the operating system and program files
    13. Boot into a desktop with flash and effects as cool as Windows Vista on a three year old computer...in less than 40 seconds, including the time it takes me to type my username and password to login
    14. Customize anything I want, legally, including my favorite programs. I can even track down the software developers to ask them questions, contribute ideas, and get involved in the actual design/software writing process if I want to
    15. Have 4+ word processor windows open working on papers, listen to music, play with flashy desktop effects, have contact with a largely happy community and have firefox, instant messaging, and email clients all open at the same time, without ever having had to beg someone for a code to make my os work, and without the system running so slow it is useless
    16. Use the command "dpkg --get-selections > pkg.list" to make a full, detailed list of all software I have installed, backup my /etc and /home directories on a separate partition, and you are able to recover your system any time, easily
    17. Run multiple desktops simultaneously, or even allow multiple users to log in and use the computer simultaneously
    18. Resize a hard disk partition without having to delete it and without losing the data on it
    19. Use the same hardware for more than 5 years before it really needs to be replaced...I have some hardware that is nearly 10 years old, running Linux, and still useful
    20. Browse the web while the OS is being installed!
    21. Use almost any hardware and have a driver for it included with the operating system...eliminating the need to scour the internet to find the hardware manufacturer's website to locate one
    22. Get the source code for almost anything, including the OS kernel and most of my applications

    I could go on, but that's long enough.

    Posted on Digg.
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  2. #2
    Nobody knows I'm a dog. TZ Veteran petard's Avatar
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    You're stretching it there on number 21.

    Many thanks to egghead for the cool .sig

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    Old and Cranky Super Moderator rik's Avatar
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    Just a tad I'd say...

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    Titanium Member efc's Avatar
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    I am sure you are right. There has always been a lot said about the lack of device drivers in Linux. I for one have never had driver issues.

    Besides, I didn't write that list, just passed it on.
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    Platinum+ Member veronica's Avatar
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    Hi

    Which version of Linux is the Original post about? Fedora?

    -Take care

  6. #6
    Hardware guy Super Moderator FastGame's Avatar
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    You're stretching it there on number 21.
    Just a tad I'd say...
    I am sure you are right.
    Hmmm

    I'm willing to bet that any of the major Linux distro's have more included drivers than the original XP release, XP SP1, XP SP2 CD's. Don't have XP SP2 Media Center so I don't know if any extra drivers are included....

    Linux is a slam dunk winner against Vista, IMO, still in the betting frame of mind.....

    21. Use almost any hardware and have a driver for it included with the operating system...eliminating the need to scour the internet to find the hardware manufacturer's website to locate one
    Key words "Use" and "eliminating the need to scour the internet"

    The person who wrote the article could be wrong (and I've lost bets before) but I don't think he's "stretching" things.

    The good about Windows, there is a driver made for all hardware used on the PC, that can't be said about Linux..........

    Quote Originally Posted by veronica View Post
    Hi

    Which version of Linux is the Original post about? Fedora?

    -Take care
    "by matthew, Saturday 2 February 2008 at 17:58 :: Linux / Ubuntu"
    Last edited by FastGame; February 5th, 2008 at 03:36 AM.

  7. #7
    Platinum+ Member veronica's Avatar
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    I'm willing to bet that any of the major Linux distro's have more included drivers than the original XP release, XP SP1, XP SP2 CD's. [1]

    The good about Windows, there is a driver made for all hardware used on the PC, that can't be said about Linux..........
    [1] The Windows drivers come in the software that comes with the hardware.

    So Ubuntu comes with drivers for almost all peripherals??

    Could you run Photo Shop with Ubuntu, with out Wine?

    -Take care
    Last edited by veronica; February 5th, 2008 at 05:47 AM.

  8. #8
    Hardware guy Super Moderator FastGame's Avatar
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    The Windows drivers come in the software that comes with the hardware.
    Thats not the point of the article, its what drivers come with the OS

    So Ubuntu comes with drivers for almost all peripherals??
    Of coarse it doesn't, the same can be said about XP and Vista.

    Could you run Photo Shop with Ubuntu, with out Wine?
    You sure can, I do it all the time I run PCLinuxOS with VirtualBox. Desktop #1 is PCLOS, Desktop #2 is full blown XP or Vista. I surf the net in Linux and listen to music on Windows Media Player (or iTunes) at the same time, or listen to music in Amarok (Linux MP) and edit photo's in Vista with PhotoShop

    You can do the same in XP-Vista with VMware and run Linux as the guest OS.

    I have VirtualBox setup in seamless mode, http://www.raiden.net/?cat=2&aid=373

  9. #9
    Platinum+ Member veronica's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by efc View Post
    21. Use almost any hardware and have a driver for it included with the operating system...eliminating the need to scour the internet to find the hardware manufacturer's website to locate one
    I do not understand this. I got a Printer. It had drivers for Windows and Mac on the software that came with that hardware. How could I install it on Linux? The printers web site would not have the drivers for Linux, right?

    Thank you for replying.

  10. #10
    Titanium Member efc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by veronica View Post
    I do not understand this. I got a Printer. It had drivers for Windows and Mac on the software that came with that hardware. How could I install it on Linux? The printers web site would not have the drivers for Linux, right?

    Thank you for replying.
    Which printer?
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  11. #11
    Titanium Member efc's Avatar
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    There is another possible way to get that printer working in linux. I recently read that Apple's Mac OS X is built upon a UNIX foundation. If a printer works on OS X, it's very likely to work on a modern Linux distribution.
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  12. #12
    Titanium Member efc's Avatar
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    Try the information in this thread. http://www.techzonez.com/forums/show...002#post142002
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  13. #13
    Platinum+ Member veronica's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by efc View Post
    Which printer?
    Epson Stylus C120. I could not find it on your links.

    Thank you for trying.

  14. #14
    Hardware guy Super Moderator FastGame's Avatar
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    Epson is well supported in Linux, but there's always an exception and your printer might have been one http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_pr...on-Stylus_C120

    Looks like things went from not good to looking good http://forums.linux-foundation.org/r...p?26,3478,3811

    Most Linux Distro's include driver support for Epson, if they don't here's the Epson drivers that should work in the supported Distro's, your printer included. http://www.avasys.jp/english/linux_e/dl_ink.html

  15. #15
    Titanium Member efc's Avatar
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    Try this one. It is for Red Hat which I am assuming will work with Fedora.

    http://www.avasys.jp/english/linux_e/dl_ink.html

    Go down and select the C120 and then select Red Hat. It provides two versions to download.
    Last edited by efc; February 5th, 2008 at 19:01 PM. Reason: more info
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