I don't know what anybody wants to say o but for me vista is the best OS out there.that is what am currently using.and from day one i just can't imagine using anything else, yeah its got some issues with compatibility with some 3rd party applications.but u can't blame MS for that most of this 3rd party apps developers aren't yet used to the new security regime in vista.but with time everything would be streamlined.Vista is the Future and has many features the most computer makers haven't created hard ware for.but for now its still a hardware consuming OS.You need nothing less than 1gb of ram,128 graphic memory,60gb sata drive.etc am not surprised that it didn't work well on a p4 laptop those are meant for xp.but on a good system anyday.vista works like magic, Concerning security.vista is way way better secured than xp but i feel its just a matter of time before hackers get round those security measures . the fact is that most hackers prefer hacking Window becus with 70% of pc users running it u get Maximum effect.the question is why do those 70% stick with windows?, don't answer that

@ bigrovar: Sorry man but can't really endure not answering that. And mind you, MS just copied some linux features and embedded in Vista

It is because WINDOWS is not well secured, that's why the 70% are able to hack into it.
I use both windows and linux anyway, but linux is just non-comparable to windows when it comes to security and more.

No idea is original e.g creative invented the click wheel on a music player.but apple ipod mastered it and are the king of portable music player.nothing is fool proof.and no OS cant be hacked.the idea of hacking is either for self hype,fraud,or to cause destruction.so most hackers go where there can get maximum effect.like where 70% of pc users live.if windows was a sitting duck.and control just 10% of pc market then nobody would even bother scrutinizing it to get those obvious flaws.

as for those of you who say there are no applications for linux try searching for synaptic package manager. i've never seen a pool of programs like that

Bigrovar

Please do not misrepresent the facts. Creative did NOT invent the click wheel. Apple did, and they have patented it, which is why no-one else can use a click-wheel type interface on their MP3 player.

Creative didn't even invent the portable MP3 player.

It's not always the person that 'copies and perfects' that succeeds. Microsoft is failing with the Zune at the moment. The only way they will succeed is if their innovations (wifi, etc) become successful.

Also, MS operating systems are hacked because they are insecure and porous. Unix and Mac OS can also be hacked but it requires much more sophistication than windows. I know because I have worked in systems security and have done these things.

my bad creative didnt infact create the click wheel but they "owns the patent on the interface that Apple used to such good effect - only Apple slapped a nifty wheel on the front of its device and the rest, as they say, is history" from http://www.trustedreviews.com/multimedia/review/2006/02/02/Creative-Zen-Vision-M/p1 .but creative did introduced the world's first hard drive-based music player. from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/01/review_creative_zen_touch/ , my point is this when dog bite man nobody go talk but when man bite dog everybody go halla, there are many innovations that linux got from MS but nobody will see that, i have a good Anti virus/wire wall system.and with vista security . i know am secured even when i was using xp never had a problem.am not saying that MS is more secured then linux cus that is not the question of the topic. am just saying that on overall os performance Windows out classes Linux.security is just 1 aspect of an os there is usability MS WINS (1-0)i.e,available of 3rd party programmes MS wins (2-0) ,user friendliness MS wins (3-0),multimedia capabilities MS wins (4-0),stability ok maybe linux but vista is very stable (4-1),security linux wins (4-2) final score 4-2.not a massacre but then MS OS is a clear winner.and 70% pc users agree u find many people who use linux with an MS backup system.but Majority of MS os users don't feel the need to have Linux.me 4 one i have never thought of it before.may be linux appeals to geeks because their ,, geeks but most mainstream pc users are not geeks.and they use ms.imaging a world without MS, don't even think about it cus God wont let it happen.Amen

Don't belittle the addition of the click wheel- It was the catalyst needed to move mp3 players from obscure curosities to must-have devices. Till this day, no player can beat the iipod solely due to the clickwheel. And as for the 'patented' interface, that menu system is plain freaking common sense. Even noname kowloon mp4 players from taiwan use that. The review site was just trying to be sensational.

The Zen may have been the first hard drive based player, but it was NOT the first Mp3 player. The ZEN was a bulky noisy hunk of metal, a joke compared to the slinky sexy ipod. (of course newer ZENs are better). As a former creative user (I owned a Rhomba) I will also attst to the crapness of their pc-player interface software- USELESS for maintaining a library of any size. The rhomba haowever had excellent sound quality and was quite stable despite issues with XP based systems. I miss it!

Ol boy, dont even start on the linux vs MS comparision. It will never end. Also I hope you know linux FLOORS windows when it comes to multimedia. Also, since you seperated userfriendliness and usability, linux should win on usability, because it is faster and more efficient to do things with tha awesome combo of KDE and the Konsole. MS can't touch it, no WAY. However, many users with lower abilities, or who are lacking in skills will prefer the more userfriendly Windows when it is not crashing on their heads and bogged down with spyware.

The only areas in your list where MS wins are 3rd party programs and userfriendliness.

Sadly, those are reason enough for me to stick to MS. I need the extra programs and games, and when recommending to people I usually say 'windows' because the chance that they have the skills to maximize linux is usually very slim (many many people are DULL)

However if Linux gets a software  base as large as windows', I will jump ship sharpsharp because i dont give a rats ass about userfriendliness. If it gets the job done better, I am ready to learn. Knowledge is power.

Not every body in this world have to be a computer guru just because there want to use computer, it is suppose to be a basic tool of the 21st century, talk about getting jobs done windows does that for me and the major 70% of pc users.talk of multimedia and gaming linux cant stand windows.tell me waht are the things linux have in multimedai the windows doesnt kill.about usability.windows is easier to learn and use compared to linux,even a bus conduct would find it easy to use windows.that is the way things should be computer showed not eb 4 the few super NERDS, the internet boom,web2.0,blogging etc all these things wouldnt be possible without MS bringing PC to the grassroot. if na os x then maybe i would consider but lINUX, percentage wise how many people use it.even u admit to owing a windows os so what are we talking about, about system crashing it all depends on usage.windows does not crash on my head and i used xp for a long time b4 i sold it to some1 in nairaland.and even he is enjoying it a bad user would crash anything.go to the technology market section of nairaland .tell me a person who wants to buy or sell linux, when u on top people beef u that is life.MS no be linux mate for anything.now the security issue as now been addresssed in vista wetin u want talk again.

about creative, creative don paa Rambo,or Rumba,what u called the early version.checkout creative vision, omo that thing kills ipod, as more color display (256,000 colors compared to ipods 65,000 colors),has got radio,has a mic for recording,longer battery life by about 2 hour compared to ipod.better headset. and the click wheel of ipods is over rated.its easier to navigate zune and craetive than ipods tried it with my friends and i was about to get songs faster.the product even won device of the year in last years consumer show "creative won award as the best product at CES this year, beating thousands of products from the largest names in consumer electronics. The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the largest consumer electronics trade show held in the United States." from http://www.creative.com/ces/, google out review between ipod video and creative vision, by the way i have used ipod,creative vision and zune, ipod, is worst my opinion.

Computers are not supposed to be a 'basic tool' for anything. They are complex machines and anything that hides that succesfully is just crippling the machine.

Windows gets the job done- agreed. However claiming that it has any advantags over linux beyond userfriendliness and 3rd party support (including games) is pure bullshit. I use windows because I need my games and my programs. I do NOT use it because of userfriendliness. I'm not intellectually lazy and you dont need to be a guru to use linux. However, like I said, most people are dull and lazy so they claim that is the case. Linux gives you POWER.

Gaming: agree with you. Thats why I use windows. But thats under '3rd party support' and we have covered that already.

Multimedia: I call bullshit on this. Linux slaughters windows in the multimedia area. Which major motion picture was created using windows? NONE. Which was created using Linux? Almost all of them. Even Return Of The King. You cannot beat Linux for multimedia. I hear OSX is also powerful in this area, but it does not have the widespread unbeatable format support of linux. The top media players on windows are ported from linux, and so all new features appear on linux first.

Usability: Ease of learning doesnt factor here. Thats userfriendliness, for the lazy ones. In terms of USABILITY, the power you get from kde+konsole is unbelievable. Windows keeps addding features from there but can't keep up.

Crashing: Yes, it crashes on your head. Youve just gotten so used to it you dont notice anymore- just restart and continue with your work.

Security Issue: NOT addressed fully. Normal usage causes you to either die of frustration or just disable all the irritating security features. Linux is designed from the ground up to be secure.

Dude.  You can't claim windows is superior to Linux. It is just more widespread. Finish.

About the MP3 players

Not only creative, but other manufactuirers like Archos are constantly churning out devices with superior capabilities to ipods, but the ipod kills them all because of the click wheel.

Sorry, but if you claim to be able to get songs faster on your zune/creative with the laughable jog dials and buttons,you don't know how to use the clickwheel. The power of the CW comes from the ability to spin your thumb faster or slower- giving you the power to naviugate thousands of songs in an instant.

I would love so much to get a zune, but the lack of clickwheel is a huge crippling factor. Apple guards the patent jealously because they know that once it appears on other devices, the ipod is history.

Linux isn't for everyone thats the basic truth. I personally, windows isn't for me. I love software a lot and i hate pirating so i go for linux on getting it i can't just leave it alone so i don't have need for windows any longer. With synaptics i get billions of software even me i can't chew it all. Please note something that linux isn't meant for gurus. You can run linux without even knowing what a command line is o! Its just that command line make things easier for some people. You should look at things like Ubuntu ultimate Edition or evn Christmas Edition and Ubuntu Gamers edition i haven't seen a more complete system plus its Free Software. Windows is a nice operating system yes it gave people what they wanted made things pretty easy but linux has evolved. mone of the greatest blessing to free software is Ubuntu.

now i get the gist FREE i now get ur true point has sumtin to do with FOC, seems there are a lot of that in Linux.on a serious note i would like to ask u a question.if u were to buy a system for say your younger brother to be frank what would u buy, what about ur girlfriend, so u see even a strong ally of ubuntu would not buy one for his girl , despite all the much acclaimed security and multimedia, sUPERIORITY .I dont know whether lord of the rings was cast with the fires of unix.even if it were true it just goes to emphasis my point which is Linux is for The super nerds.ao many people buy computers because they want to make visual effect for an hollywood block buster.the multimedia that i am refering to is the one for home entertainment the one for AVERAGE.which is the one that concerns me and 70% of PC.users.how many game developers bother to develop for linux.? the fact that An Armed Personal carrier is more secured against external attack, does not mean u would prefer it over a BMW, or would u, ?.go to all the small businesses that we have all around nigeria ,all of them use windows.what does that tell u ? it give people a sense that they too can be part of the digital world,while putting food in their month. why dont u go meet them and sell ur nOBLE idea for the gREATEST OS in the world to them.tell them about linux world renown crack proof,hacker killer security,tell them that lord of the rings was make using its multimedia pOWERS. U c many would rather be used to a system that "Crashes on their head"than use to being isolated
in a Digital world of Unix.the world of the remaining 5%

@bigrovar I am not sure your post was aimed at moi but anyway, i would gladly give my girl friend a complete pc out of the box using linux than giving her Microsoft. Note : i on't have any grude against microsoft but like i said earlier Linux isn't meant for everyone. If it saves me money and gives better performance i see no reason not using it. Bottom line this arguement is pointless Microsoft aint paying you or are they? and i would care less about people adopting linux or not. A demain

bigrovar:

now i get the gist FREE i now get your true point has sumtin to do with FOC, seems there are a lot of that in Linux.on a serious note i would like to ask u a question.if u were to buy a system for say your younger brother to be frank what would u buy, what about your girlfriend, so u see even a strong ally of ubuntu would not buy one for his girl , despite all the much acclaimed security and multimedia, sUPERIORITY .I don't know whether lord of the rings was cast with the fires of unix.even if it were true it just goes to emphasis my point which is Linux is for The super nerds.ao many people buy computers because they want to make visual effect for an hollywood block buster.the multimedia that i am refering to is the one for home entertainment the one for AVERAGE.which is the one that concerns me and 70% of PC.users.how many game developers bother to develop for linux.? the fact that An Armed Personal carrier is more secured against external attack, does not mean u would prefer it over a BMW, or would u, ?.go to all the small businesses that we have all around nigeria ,all of them use windows.what does that tell u ? it give people a sense that they too can be part of the digital world,while putting food in their month. why don't u go meet them and sell your nOBLE idea for the gREATEST OS in the world to them.tell them about linux world renown crack proof,hacker killer security,tell them that lord of the rings was make using its multimedia pOWERS. You c many would rather be used to a system that "Crashes on their head"than use to being isolated
in a Digital world of Unix.the world of the remaining 5%

when adewaleafolabi says 'free' he doesnt mean free as in spend no money (even though thats one of the benefits). He means free in that you, the user have the freedom to do whatever the hell you want with the software, you can even improve on it and sell it as long as you make sure others can also have the same freedom. Of course since you are not a programmer you may think this doesnt concern you but in reality what happens is that if u get a software and you feel you need a particular feature, just search around google and someone somewhere would have improved on it and made it available free.

Like afolabi says, linux has an endless library of software. However the reason why i prefer windows as per software library is that most of the best linux priograms are also on windows. Windows has a lot of open source software that would never exist if not for linux. Ironically this is one of the reasons why I stick with windows because, windows has free software plus commercial software and games that are not available on linux.

Multimedia is superior on linux. On linux yiu just put a dvd in the dribve and it plays. You have thousands of powers, you can freezeframe take poictures control with a remote (ior even a bluetooth phone), change speed etc and it doesnt matter which region the dvd came from. On windows if u want to play original dvds from another region, you have only 5 chances to do so after which u need to use crack. Yiu cant copy dvds without using illegal pirate software. ANything you want to do, crack,crack,crack. On linux no such wahala. Linux has support for every format out of the box. Linux has support for the most advanced audio features. Linux can record live TV and store it in easily copyable formats. On windows you need to waste money on a media centre PC and even then the stupid thing will not allow you to copy your recordings (unless you, yes,, crack. I hope u know the people that make these cracks for us sorry windows users are using linux) Also most video/audio formats that arent microsoft-based are not supportded on wiondows and u have to go around downloading realplayer, divx, quicktime etc which loads your computer with spyware. On linux, no wahala, everything is supported. Of course iopen source alternatives exist eve on windows but guess what? They are linux programs. ffdshow, vlc all linux based. even real alternative, quicktime alternative, the klite codec pack,. all originated from linux.

windows does not SMELL linux in the area of multimedia.

Gaming:
Game devs do not develop for linux because linux does not have a solid HAL like directX. Also the commercial nature of games isnt compatible with the sharing spirit of Linux, so its not that they dont want to bother, its that they can't.

In nigeria maybe small businesses use windows but in other parts of the world, when they discover the microsoft tax, they move to linux sharpsharp. Because we are all bloody pirates here, we do not realise how EXPENSIVE windows is. When you see the price for yourself ask yourself, is my laziness really worth all this.

Finally as per armed personnel carrier vs BMW, I ask you how many Nigerians would choose a BMW over a Hummer Jeep. Now I hope you know what a Hummer Jeep actually is! (hint: it is a US army vehicle sold to civilians!)

People like shiny things but give them POWER and they will always hunger for more. Unless they are frickin lazy in which case they deserve to wallow in their powerlessness

Thanks dark man. i just remembered i don't know jack about apache or even php and yet it was pre installed on my ubuntu and i hear about windows users complaining about the pains of installing it and i have it on a platter of gold and don't even have need for it. i just love linux because its easy for me to customize to my taste. i don't program am a graphist and i love fancy eye candy a lot

to be honest u kind of convinced me about linux i think i would give it a try already am currently downloading it.about 590mb.i just want to know if it is compatible whit current hardware use with MS os, however u should know that am still 4 Vista anyday.just want to hear Linux out,

Thats a good step!

Now just keep this in mind: linux is more than just an OS. It is your gateway to the world of open source software. Youll need to keep your eyes/ears open and remember that google is your friend. Modern linux (such as ubuntu) are made very easy to use, but you will unlock the true power once you rid yourself of laziness and decide to actually learn how to do something useful with your computer.

Remember, nobody just woke up one day and started driving a car. Yet a car cannot compare to a computer in terms of complexity

With linux you can have your own website up and running in no time, complete with mail server and chat forums, you can even put our admin to shame by installing smf and php (the software that powers nairaland) at NO COST.

Things you never imagined will be put at your fingertips, and your only complaint will be 'it is too much'

if u have any problems, there are mucho linux gurus in the house here on Nairaland who wont hesistate to help you out.

Enjoy!

On sunday my uncle asked me if i used antivirus and i said no, as he wanted to know if his flash had viruses or not. So i simply plugged it in and luckly he had no virus in it but i noticed a strange file it was in docx format i opened the it and saw xml i thought it was a virus that corrupted it but i found out from him that it was just the new doc format so then the search for how to open Word 2007 Documents(.docx) in Ubuntu began. Follow this simple steps and you'll be able to open and save in this format. This is aimed at beginners


1.Go to http://download.novell.com/SummaryFree.jsp?buildid=ESrjfdE4U58%7E download odf-converter-1.0.0-5.i586.rpm

2.Open synaptics and search for alien, nautilus-gksu and install

3.Log-out and login again

4.Open a terminal and type in sudo alien -d '/home/wale/odf-converter-1.0.0-5.i586.rpm'
replace wale with your home directory e.g /home/sola/
Then wait for it to generate the debian package and simply close and install it from your home directory

5.Open nautilus and enter this address /usr/lib/ooo-2.0/program and copy file named OdfConverter to /usr/lib/openoffice/program/
Then open /usr/lib/ooo-2.0/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Filter, copy file MOOXFilter_cpp.xcu to
/usr/lib/openoffice/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Filter/
Then /usr/lib/ooo-2.0/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Types and copy MOOXTypeDetection.xcu to
/usr/lib/openoffice/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Types/ and close and open the open office program

now you can read and write the new doc format

This article was curbed from http://geekhacks..com/2007/05/working-with-word-2007-documentsdocx-in.html but with little modifications

linux users plz go and get counted. i've been counted and i got my self a sleek identification
http://counter.li.org

Lol! This Guy will neva Change. ^{Una don dey do Census na?}

I WILL BE HAPPY TO LEARN ABOUT THIS LINUX OPERATING SYSTEM, IT ALWAYS GIVES ME WAHALA WHEN TRYING TO INSTALL DIAL UP INTERNET CONNECTION ON THE OPERATING SYSTEM, I ALWAYS TRY THE PPOE OF A THING BUT STILL GIVING ME WAHALA, CAN ANYONE PUT ME THROUGH, AND I ALSO TRY TO INSTALL THE CO-LINUX WHICH COMBINES THE LINUX AND WINDOW XP BUT GIVING ME HELL OUT OF WAHALA,

FOR YOUR INFORMATION, ONCE I KNOW HOW TO USE THIS LINUX OF A THING VERY WELLL, YOU HAVE MADE IT WITH ME, I BET.

ANYONE THAT KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE OPERATING SYSTEM SHOULD EMAIL ME: lazeeze@gmail.com

LOVE YA.

save yourself the stress and use kpp post here theres no reason to mail u

Why the shizzy do some people post using all caps ? Grrr!

hey wassup ppl!
first of all i jst have to hand it to u guys i've bin visiting dis site for a while but today i read 99% of the msgs in this thread(1-664) and i jst had to join nairaland, i mean it was jst too mush! i neva guessed der were so many linux pro's in naija
nuff said!
i'm a casual linux user(fc5-not very good with it) i'm comfy wiv d basic commands on the command line and it even helps my windows cmdline experience.
few questions
@niggy-guy did u say u wer a student?(or u jst live in ife) reason:u kno so mush its hard to imagine u going for lectures n stuff
@jogego-u've inspired me to ressurect one p3 i have somewhere and start using it as a scapegoat, thats wot u do rite?(i dont want to think u tried(try) all those distro's on ur main box!)

a lil backgrnd;i'm a student(lag-elect-elect)really into pc's(not too good tho!)thinking bout going into IT or power when i finish,(i'm currently doing my industrial attachment at PHCN)
my problem of the moment is installing programs the whole make thingy has me confused(i'm thinking bout getting ubuntu but it'll take forever to download!), anyway just thot i'd post something on this thread, safe!

i have a copy of kubuntu if you want i could give you.

tenks a bunch, thing is am doing it in abj(my guess is u're in lag right?), depending on where u r i cld get someone to collect it then post it to me thru snail mail(which isn't so snaily anymore, )

i have a friend in abuja who is currently downloading an ultimate version i'll tell him to pass it to you

meennnnn thanks a bunch, (dont kno what else to say)

TO LINUX NEWBEES.

what exactly do u after u load ur linux OS?

, download free programms, write little codes, play around with ur beautiful desktop, chat & probably browse the internet. then what?

@netotse
welcome to linux world.
I was a student in OAU, ife. Elect/Elect Engr.I m currently serving my father land. Might have my Masters in Lag in i don't travel out soon. Maybe i might get to see you in Lag.I stay in Lag anyway.

There's much to learn in linux and it tremendously increase your computer skills while letting you to discover yourself.

I currently work on database design using css2, php & mysql database on solid rock fedora core 6. Hope to start a tutorial on these soon.
L8a.