I've been seriously playing around with my new Linux RH9 installation, since I've definetly decided NOT to repair and re-install my win2k drive.
I can access all of my data on the win2k drive, isnce it is in seperate data vurtual drives, from Linux.
I can also run some of the windows apps I want through WINE, like this one. I've been using some win2k apps through wine for hours at a time to see if there are any problems after a session runs for a few hours. I haven't found any problems yet. So, wine is a good solid wi2k emulation app, that has good stability.
But, I've also been finding out that Linux has its own shortcomings. The bottom line is though, if my Linux distro fails or corrupts, worse case senario is reinstalling the O/S ONLY from scratch. The applications and data are still there, and I do NOT have to re-install EVERY app from scratch like you have to with win2k.
So, as my transition away from MS Windows, and MS products altogether this is the 1st step. Now I have a brand new warrenteed 40 G HD with Linux on it, and onlt 5 gig used, and a 20 gig HD, with my old windows and its data and applications. I can clean that up anytime and use it as a backup drive. This is great because I was using a ZIP 250 meg, Parallel port drive, which was real SLLLLLLow.
As far as compatibility with MS Office products and documents. I've been using Open Office for some time now on Windows, and find it has reached a point in matruity that I can easily replace MS Office with Open Office 1.1, and the soon to be released v. 2. OO handles existing MS Office documents with ease and with little or no curruption. It also saves to MS format with accuracy so I can provide someone with a MS Office only box with any files I create, and visa-versa.
The next step is to really get to know the linux distro, and find out what it has to offer. I think maybe this fall I'll invest in a copy of Redhat Linux Enterprise so I have a stable, supported distro.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to an alternative Linux distro that offers stability and support ?
Then later this year, or early next I'm going to invest in a MAC PowerBook.
Even though I've been using PC's for 15 years - DOS v. 2.01 through win2k, some MAC and now Linux; I still find it amazing. To think that all of this is really littles "0"'s and "1"'s, or actually posative or negative charge on disk, is incredible.
Just the changes I've seen in the last 15 years are huge. To think, God willing I could easilly live another 30 - 40 years, my ancestors regularly lived to 95. Either we'll see great changes or end up with Soylent Green or Planet of the Apes. Most likely planet of the bacteria.
I remember my grandfather telling me back in the 1960's, when he was in his 90's, the change he had seen in his lifetime. He grwe up in an America that was just embracing hte beginnings of electricity and horse less cariges to live to see a man walk on the moon, live in his livingroom, on color TV !
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