lifehacker.com — There are positively addictive productivity apps available for Linux, along with tools to make switching between Linux and other systems easy, or just running Windows programs themselves if you need to. Today we're detailing a Linux desktop that helps you move quickly, work with Windows, and just get things done
Sep 12, 2008 View in Crawl 4
loyxSep 13, 2008
linux productivity tip: remove all window managers, install ratpoison, throw mouse in garbage
mattbdSep 13, 2008
You can also use IceWM with an XP or Vista-like theme, that makes a good substitute for someone used to Windows. Needs a bit of work to get it all set up, but works pretty well - IceWM is one of the most productive environments I've ever used.
scjuddSep 13, 2008
To all of you who are bashing eachother over the other's opperating system.. grow up!Which ever operating system a user wants to run is not some ethical decision.. let's be real, all of them have their pros and cons. I myself am a Linux user, my girlfriend is a Windows user, and my dad uses a Mac.. and you know what? We all still manage to get our work done, play games, code, tinker, whatever the heck you do with your machine. So instead of making some biased X is better than Y you &*@#^$ comment, I'll just share my experiences.Around 10 years ago, I was sitting in my dad's office messing around with some old machine he'd just rigged up to let me experiment with.. I was 8 or 9 at the time, and went back and forth between Windows 98 and Knoppix (with WindowMaker). At the time, I knew nothing about Linux other than that I thought the window manager was fun to play with. I ended up sticking with Windows because it was the only system I as an 8/9 year old could get anything to work on (not trying to imply Windows is for idiots, chill). Since then I had stuck with every major Windows release up until just after Windows Vista came out. I saw a youtube video about Beryl and all the cool effects and it caught my eye (as it does with just about everyone I've shown it to, lol). Being that my dad is an IT director and I grew up wanting to be just like him, I was always curious and not afraid to try new things. I got a copy of Ubuntu and gave it a go. It took a little getting used to but I finally got the hang of it. Since then, I have been using Linux and loving it.. Of course, I didn't stick with Ubuntu because I found it to be just a little too bloated for my tastes.. right now I'm writing this comment from my old Dell Latitude D510 running ArchLinux. To be perfectly honest, this piece of junk runs incredibly well with Arch, because it's designed to be a very minimalistic Operating System.. I can even run a *gasp* Windows XP virtual machine on it just fine!I have noticed that every Operating System has their cult.. there are the Windows fanboys, the Apple fanboys, and the Linux fanboys.. all of which can get very animated when you try to bash their OS. I am not one of those people. I use mainly Linux simply because it is what I prefer and it IS superior in regards to security, customization, and, in my humble opinion, performance. If any of you disagree, go right on ahead! But at least back up your claims..But the other two have their strong points too.. Windows is the standard for pc gaming and Macs are ofcourse the multimedia enthusiast's preference. I am neither a gamer or a photographer/artist/etc. I am a geek.. I like hacking, exploring how different protocols work, etc. I like having the low-level control that Linux provides. Bite me.So whatever you all use, that's fine by me! Just grow up a little and quit getting worked up over something as petty as an Operating System.Just my two cents..
mrbitchSep 14, 2008
@crampy RE: " Windows is more secure"You have GOT to be kidding. Yes Vista is FAR MORE SECURE than XP, but that's not saying a lot for Vista Vs Linux :Vista needs to fix up these security issues NOW :<a class="user" href="http://www.itnews.com.au/News/75846,research-suggests-microsoft-overestimated-vista-security.aspx">http://www.itnews.com.au/News/75846,research-sugge ...</a> " ... research found that while Vista had improved upon XP’s ratio of 1,021 per 1,000 machines, there were still 639 threats per 1,000 machines running Vista.Strangely enough, some of Vista’s biggest security problems may actually stem from features that were supposed to increase security. "Another hobby horse while we are on the topic of Vista's security issues :Microsoft says, “Windows Vista has fewer than half the security vulnerabilities of Windows XP"- but that claim relates directly to the fact that Microsoft itself releases the majority of vulnerability reports for its products because the open source community doesn’t have the same access to discover and make public its weaknesses as Linux, Mac OS X, or other products making use of open source code.Microsoft’s "report" on Microsoft Vista vulnerability count is therefore about as useful as China’s reports on its own human rights violations.