Why Linux Ubuntu?

Besides being stable and secure (no viruses or malware), there are numerous reasons. Ubuntu makes the personal computer, well…personal again. You decide everything that you want your machine to do. Customize it. Use only the software you want and need and nothing else. You don’t need Apple or Microsoft deciding for you.

Install Ubuntu on any machine you’d like as well. I am currently running mine on a laptop that was donated. This Gateway dual core AMD64 laptop was originally installed with Windows Vista and was obsolete within a month. The bloat that it suffered by having Windows at its core was killing it. I don’t know why it was donated and I don’t care. It was free to me and I am reaping the benefits of it too. Ubuntu is lean and maximizes the hardware components above and beyond what the original manufacturer intended! No BSOD or blue screens of death when you boot up. Ubuntu Linux is free and all the software is free.

Kick Apps

Ubuntu comes loaded with software utilities. When you buy a car it is assumed an engine would come with it, right? Do you have to go to the parts store instead? Yes, you can purchase those 3rd party tires but I’d rather have the manufacturers first. What are you into? If it doesn’t come installed then you can get it easily from trusted resources or repositories.

Entertainment:

• Banshee media players (think iTunes or WMP)
• Miro video player and internet TV
• Hulu Desktop
• Disc burner, AV editors, recorders and more

Office:

• Open Office includes word editor, spreadsheets and presentations
• Email clients such as Empathy or Thunderbird
• I still use MS Office 2010 through a utility called WINE
• I also have Google Docs through Prism

Image Editing: (as a photog I still use Adobe products on Windows)

• GIMP, a photoshop alternative
• Shotwell photo manager
• Picasa
• Shutter, a screenshot tool

Web Utilities & Communications:

• Empathy
• Skype
• Facebook Chat
• Tweetdeck (Twitter, FB, Buzz, LinkedIn and more)
• IRC

Others:

• Backup tools
• Ubuntu One (cloud storage, music store)
• Firewall
• screenshots
• WINE
• Notes
• games and more!

These applications and software are constantly updated by their (unpaid and fervent) developers. Ubuntu will gently let you know when you can update. When the manager is done you don’t have to stop what you are doing to reboot and enjoy the software either. Your system is up to date and you can just keep doing what you were doing.

Help!

How did your last call to Microsoft support go? What, you couldn’t get a hold of them either? How much money did you fork over to the Geniuses at Apple just to upgrade/install memory that you should have been able to do yourself if they would let you?

My daughter is enjoying her “Dora the Explorer” phase. Dora refers to the Map to help guide her adventures. “So let’s stop and think. Who do we ask when we don’t know which way to go?” The Ubuntu Forums! Think of the forums as more like a personal help desk then an extended knowledge base. These guys are learning & growing just like we are and love to help.

Conclusion

Based on what you’ve read, what are some of the reasons that would hold you back from experimenting with Ubuntu? Add them into the comments section and let us pull you over to our side. You’ll thank us later!