Your computer can run a Zillion times faster!

Posted by Greg Laden on January 13, 2009
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If you are currently using Ubuntu 8, the upgrade to Ubuntu 9 will involve the implementation of Ext4. Ext4 is a super duper very fast file system that will make your computer sing. Sing fast.

If you are not using Linux at all, say you are using WinDoze, switching to Ubuntu 9.04 will make your computer run Two Zillion times faster, and it will not keep breaking and doing annoying things.

But remember, Linux is NOT FOR EVERYBODY. No …

It is only for cool and smart people. For everybody else, Windows. Because Microsoft is there to help you.

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  1. #1 Stacy S.
    January 13, 2009

    But, but, but, … I’m scared to switch!

  2. #2 jj
    January 13, 2009

    Wait one second there – if you aren’t smart and cool, you should use OS X, that’s for the too dumb to use a PC crowd. Windows is ONLY for use at work (sorry Ubuntu can’t hold up in the work LAN environment like an XP machine, unless your using ICA or RDP into a windows server box [even better!]) Ubuntu is for fun, OS X is if you are too afraid to actually use a computer. (to be frank, I use both Ubuntu and XP on my home PC, but that’s ‘casue I’ve got a Zune)

  3. #3 Jeff Darcy
    January 13, 2009

    Ext4? Pfft. I’m not going to bother. I’ll just skip it until btrfs is finished, then I’ll use that instead. The endless parade of meaningless “upgrades” just to keep people busy is one of the worst things about using Microsoft (or Apple) products, and not something Linux should seek to emulate.

  4. #4 Tacticus
    January 13, 2009

    To be frank jj your comments regarding os x are a load of BS
    it’s quite capable of being used in any situation(other than gaming(my macbook runs as a dual boot dev box ubuntu\os x (granted it sits next to my windows game box and linux other workbox)).

  5. #5 Barry
    January 13, 2009

    It looks like EXT4 will be an option with the upcoming Debian 5 (Lenny) release, though with some pain attached.

    http://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Ext4_Howto#For_people_who_are_running_Debian

  6. #6 Greg Laden
    January 13, 2009

    JJ: And, Linux would do better in any networked environment than any Windows version ever any time and every time!

  7. #7 Dan J
    January 13, 2009

    I still haven’t upgraded from 8.04(LTS) to 8.10. 9.04, with its new features, will probably give me enough reason to move up again.

  8. #8 Lilian Nattel
    January 13, 2009

    What word processing software do you use with linux? Email? Browser would be firefox?

  9. #9 Greg Laden
    January 13, 2009

    word processor: Openoffice, but some people like abiword

    Email: Evolution. It is like outlook but not annoying.

    I use firefox. I sometimes use epiphany.

  10. #10 Doug Alder
    January 14, 2009

    Evolution eh – hmmmm – I tried that when I first installed Hardy Heron (that’s Ubuntu 8.04 for those that don’t use it) and thought it was a major pain – but then I’ve never really liked Outlook either so I guess that could be part of it – like my mail clients to be really clean and that’s why I use Thunderbird – don’t have a bad thing to say about it as I don’t require it to connect to the exchange server at work.

    What I do wish for though is for a Linux RDP client that will connect to server 2008. The one that I got from the repository only connects to 2003 which means I have to keep Windoze on this laptop until I get one that will connect to 2008.

  11. #11 Ian Tindale
    January 14, 2009

    Word processing: google docs in firefox
    Email: google mail in firefox
    Web browsing: firefox
    RSS reading: google reader in firefox

    There doesn’t need to be an OS at all – or at least, not one that I need to see. My experience is the same whether I’m using my MacBook, or my little Acer Aspire One (running Linpus Lite – which is rather good actually) or (on other people’s computers) my liveusbstick with persistent Ubuntu 8.10.

  12. #12 Cannonball Jones
    January 14, 2009

    Been meaning to install Ubuntu on my clunky old desktop for a while now, this’ll give me the shove I need.

    Hopefully it’ll be easy enough to install on my laptop. I got an Asus EEE 1000H and the Xandros build that comes with it is just a pain in the ass. Switching to Ubuntu is meant to be a bit tricky but I’ll take the plunge when the new release appears.

  14. #14 D. C. Sessions
    January 14, 2009

    Hopefully it’ll be easy enough to install on my laptop. I got an Asus EEE 1000H and the Xandros build that comes with it is just a pain in the ass. Switching to Ubuntu is meant to be a bit tricky but I’ll take the plunge when the new release appears.

    For the EEE 1000 you may be better off going for the Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Maybe this summer I’ll have $SON1 load it onto his Aspire One for comparison; no rush.

    As for business use, I’ve had nothing but Kubuntu on this ThinkPad since it replaced Gentoo in 2006 [1]; no strain at all.

    For those who don’t know the difference, Greg is a Ubuntu user, I am a Kubuntu user; the difference is in the default user interface. It’s a matter of taste and you can choose, or change your mind, or have it both ways.

    [1] Love Gentoo, but compiling on a notebook is cruel and unusual punishment for its thermal envelope. The desktop and server systems are quite another story.

  15. #15 Greg Laden
    January 14, 2009

    Doug: Thunderbird is definately a nice piece of software and is going to be much better for a lot of people than Evolution. But it is hard to do better on the NAME of the software than Evolution….

    rdesktop should connect to Server 2008, maybe give it a try (or retry).

    Ian: Of course, google docs etc. is running on Linux.

    Virgil: Right. The guy at the inquirer is obvsiously a paid hack or a moron. A few items from his review in which he makes the claim that this new version of windows will shut down Linux:

    “Installation is still slower than anything Linux could dream up,… a couple of times I feared that the process had frozen up. … it did offer to upgrade XP for me…

    After installation, Windows 7 could not find my wireless dongle… In the end I had to install a Vista version of the thing which sort of worked. Oddly Windows 7 could not find my webcam either,… Skype was another problem….

    Windows 7 ships with Internet Explode… I was getting all sorts of hanging and other problems from IE. In the end I downloaded Firefox …It is a bit strange that Internet Exploder is more flakey with Windows 7 than it is on Vista, …

    I installed Open Office which worked fine …

    Speed wise my perception is that it is about the same speed as XP and Ubuntu (64-bit version).[clearly, a moron, if he thinks Linux and XP are running at the same effective operating speed. Perhaps all he uses his computer for is moving icons back and forth on the desktop)

    …it was chewing up a lot more power running eye candy than I use in Ubuntu.

    Running and shutting down still takes longer than Ubuntu …

    A couple of screen freezes when things went wrong with some installation. …

    Windows 7 also has a habit of forgetting about drives when they go wrong. The icons just vanish from the screen. ”

    Right. Like I want THAT crap in my house…

  16. #16 andy
    January 14, 2009

    For those who don’t know the difference, Greg is a Ubuntu user, I am a Kubuntu user; the difference is in the default user interface. It’s a matter of taste and you can choose, or change your mind, or have it both ways.

    Or you can use Xubuntu, which uses XFCE. Feels like GNOME without all the useless bells and whistles and runs more snappily.

    On the other hand Ubuntu can’t access the internet. That’s news to me…

  17. #17 D. C. Sessions
    January 15, 2009

    On the other hand Ubuntu can’t access the internet. That’s news to me…

    Kind of a shocker here, too — would someone explain how I’m doing these posts?

  18. #18 Greg Laden
    January 15, 2009

    Ubuntu uses the intertubes. Other computers use the internets.

  19. #19 Frasque
    January 15, 2009

    Man am I sick of geek chest-thumping when it comes to what program/hardware you’re required to use to be part of the in-tribe. Really, Greg, I expected better of you.

  20. #20 chat sohbet
    January 15, 2009

    very good sites mcx

  21. #21 mirc
    January 15, 2009

    would someone explain how I’m doing these posts?

  22. #22 sinned34
    January 15, 2009

    What about gaming? I have (and play) everything from old DOS classics like Space Quest and XCom to the latest shooters like Crysis and Fallout 3.

    I kinda like that with WinXP, I just install the game and go (for modern games, anyways – I generally have to use emulators for the old DOS games). Granted, the install time on some games are crazy (two hours to get WoW and all the expansions installed!), but otherwise I’m pretty happy with XP. How does Linux stack up for games? In particular, what kind of performance can be expected? Does it take a lot of tweaking to get games to even work, or is it idiot proof? Bear in mind that I’m pretty good with a computer, but haven’t touched Linux with a plastic fork since 1996, and even that was just a cursory examination.

  23. #23 JanieBelle
    January 15, 2009

    Ubuntu does have issues with a particular wireless card. It’s the cheapy that about all the laptops seem to be installing on their bargain-basement models. It’s the Atheros AR5007 POS.

    I have it.

    It took a while to get it straightened out, then I was happy. Then Ubuntu updated the driver, and now I’m unhappy.

    I haven’t had the time to fix it again yet, and when I do I’ll have to figure out how to make sure it doesn’t reupdate the damned driver.

  24. #24 Dan J
    January 17, 2009

    What about gaming? I have (and play) everything from old DOS classics like Space Quest and XCom to the latest shooters like Crysis and Fallout 3.

    I don’t do a lot of gaming on my PCs, preferring instead to use the Playstation 3. For a lot of what might be considred older PC games, wine (a windows application layer for linux) will allow a lot of these games to run just fine. Cedega, from Transgaming, is a commercial application that uses wine and some licensed tech from Microsoft to make this even easier. Using a virtual machine, or dual booting are two other options for those who simply can’t leave some of their games behind.

    On the other hand, there are some decent open-source games available as well.

    BTW, Greg, could you block Mr. “very good sites mcx” somehow? It’s not terrible, but rather annoying to see him trying to promote some chat site in every thread.