I really hate Windows. However, I really don't want to spend $1800 on a MBP I will only use on occasion. If I were to buy a Windows based laptop and install something like Ubuntu, I have a question. Will Windows go away and never be seen again? Or is it something like a skin running over the Windows OS?
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Linux question
- Thread starter mbell1975
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Linux is an operating system (most of the time).
If you choose to overwrite your Windows partition it will be gone (assuming you dont have any install discs or recovery setup with your Windows OS).
If you choose to overwrite your Windows partition it will be gone (assuming you dont have any install discs or recovery setup with your Windows OS).
I would advise installing something like VirtualBox in Windows and installing a Linux distro in there as a virtual machine. Play on it, learn it, then make the decision whether you want to wipe your Windows OS and make Linux your primary OS. Although distros such as Ubuntu make Linux life a lot easier than it used to be there's still quite a steep learning curve for those who don't know Unix-like OSes.
One of the easiest ways to try Linux without removing or altering your existing OS is by using a USB flash drive or Live CD distro.
Just note that USB Linux doesn't always work on all Macs!
e.g. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1382911/
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Sorry, I was heading off the likelihood of "Cool! Let me try Linux on my Mac that way!" since many users here have Macs.
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This, a million times over.
I'm sure linux's usability has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, but there was once a time you pretty much had to hack config files by hand to get anything to work properly. I wouldn't be surprised if you still had to be comfortable with a terminal window to debug and troubleshoot (it's been about 10 years since I've really used it).
Suffice to say it's not the most user-friendly OS out there; it really assumes you know what you're doing.
It's really not that bad today. With things like WUBI you can install Ubuntu in a file within your Windows partition. You basically run an EXE installer, reboot, select WUBI from the Windows bootloader and you're off the the races.
The Ubuntu desktop isn't that foreign to anyone who has used either Windows or Mac OS X recently.
It's not quite a skin, not quite a VM, but you don't have to fundamentally alter your Windows box to run it. Even from the internal HDD at native hardware speeds without a LiveCD or LiveUSB.
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I was thinking this word for word when I read OP. This is 100% correct.
OP: do your research first, then install Linux on a VM and only when you realize you're comfortable enough with it you can install it as main OS. I would still keep the Windows partition though. Never know when you might need it.