How a Business Successfully Transitioned from XP to Linux

Just read a good example of how a business successfully transitioned to Linux in the publication TechRepublic.  More specifically, Auberge migrated 1000 users in eight properties from Windows XP to Chromebooks (using Chrome OS).  Change is usually not that easy, particularly when you have a user base used to Windows terminology, navigation and applications.

If you're planning to change to a different ecosystem of terminology, navigation and applications, it's best to start out small and gradual.  Pick the low hanging fruit first to convert.  Once, the migration has successfully occurred and the situation has stabilized, then you can move on to the next area in your business to convert.

The IT Director in this example was very thorough and conservative enough in his approach to organizational change, which allowed him and his staff to appropriately deal with any speed bumps in their first launch.  He left the Design and Finance departments to deal with last, because they dealt with specialty applications which couldn't be easily converted to Google apps. 

I have recommendations for this IT Director.  If the intention is to get off the XP platform to a platform and ecosystem which reduces the total cost ownership (TCO) of maintaining and running applications and infrastructure, then he can transition the Design and Finance departments to Ubuntu Studio or Linux Mint distributions.  He could have the Design team learn Scribus, Blender, Inkscape and Gimp for design work and publishing on the Ubuntu Studio OS.  In the
meantime, Finance could use LibreOffice Calc from the LibreOffice suite as a replacement for Excel.  (See my related post on transitioning to LibreOffice.)  Keep in mind that should they later transition to a Chromebook Pixel, they can use LibreOffice Calc from the cloud via rollapp services. 

For Newbies Migrating from XP to Linux

Dear Newbie,

Congratulations for making the decision to move from Windows XP to Linux!  You won't regret your decision.  Why?  Well, as Shakespeare would say, "Let me count the ways."

1.  Your computer won't slow down due to malware you accidentally downloaded from your PC when you either surfed the web, clicked on some weird looking dialog box or opened up an attachment by a trusted person you know.  (Say "good-bye" to issues like this.)

2.  You won't have to run an anti-virus software program which updates the latest virus and malware definitions every time you touch your PC.

3.  You won't have to scan your PC every time you need to use your PC.

4.  You won't have to quarantine some malware or spyware that your anti-virus software caught and remove it.

5.  You won't have to defrag your PC at all, which you got used to routinely doing every week or every time your PC had a major slowdown.

6.  You won't have to restore your PC after frequently getting "Blue Screen of Death" crashes.

7.  You won't have to spend a dime on Linux equivalent alternatives for wordprocessing, spreadsheet, presentation, database and email software that you're accustomed to paying a subscription or licensing fee on.

8.  You can choose from the many Linux distros found here and try them out for free to determine which one suits your needs best.

9.  Once you get the hang of using Linux, you can go distro-hopping and learn more about Linux programs which pertain to you.

10.  When you go from newbie to an experienced Linux user, you can change your desktop look and feel, besides distro-hopping, to designs which appeal to you.

11.  You can participate in a Distro community to shape future designs and functionality of your distro of choice.

12.  You have now expanded your capacity to use tools not locked into specific vendor ecosystems, which will lower your total cost of technology ownership in the long run.

To make sure you create and maintain a pleasant experience with the Linux distro you've chosen, make sure you use a LTS version.  LTS means "Long Term Support" version.  Why?  Because it will be supported longer in terms of bug fixes or security patches.  For example, Ubuntu 12.04 and Linux Mint 13 are LTS versions.

Sure, it may be sexy to use the latest release of a distro with all the fancy bells and whistles of new functionality that may come with it.  However, you must also make sure the functionality you rely on works for your current computing needs.  Chances are the new release hasn't ironed out all the bugs and compatiblity issues yet so you're better off being conservative.  Trust me on this.

The other important task you need to familiarize yourself with is backing up your Linux system.  Here, it will serve you well to err on the side of caution before installing any Linux system updates, upgrading your Linux distro or installing new software on your Linux OS.  You MUST back up your Linux OS before you do anything new to your Linux OS.  Why?  Because you don't want to be dealing with figuring out "technically" how to fix the software program you relied on daily that got broken from an update or some rogue code you downloaded.  Trust me on this!!!

I use Clonezilla, which takes an image backup of your entire Linux OS.  That means whatever was stored on your Linux OS at that time, whether it be data, programs, configuration details, file system, etc. is all zipped up and stored on that image backup.  I followed the Clonezilla instructions to store it on a USB.  Then I plugged in another USB to store the image backup.  It's worked out very well for me.  Just make sure that your USB, DVD or extra Hard Drive has enough capacity to store the image backup.  That's the only caveat.

This blog and my website has many more tips on using Linux.  Welcome aboard to a new adventure and newfound freedom from tedious system administration tasks and from proprietary, locked in ecosystems.

Transfer Files from Android and Linux with ADB and AAFM

If you are currently using Linux on the desktop and looking for a way to transfer files from your Android device, continue reading this post.  A female developer named Sole created a GTK program called AAFM.  It stands for Android ADB File Manager.  What this program does is causes the File Manager to display on the screen and communicate with ADB, after the Android device is plugged into a Linux PC's USB slot and a Python command to call the File Manager is executed on the terminal.

For this example, I am using Linux Mint 14 and a Samsung Stellar Smartphone with Android 4.1.2.  I followed the instructions from Sole's site and added additional steps to make the process more automated once the Smartphone is plugged into the USB slot.

1.  Clone Sole's repository.

2.  Download the Android SDK zip file from this link: (zip file will be found in Downloads folder)

3.  Extract the Android SDK zip file to the Applications folder (created when you cloned Sole's repository.)  

     You can perform the extraction one of 2 ways:
a.  Using your mouse - Right click on the zip file, select "Extract to" and select the "Applications" folder within your Home directory.

b.  Using the terminal command line -  Bring up the Terminal Emulator by finding it on the Menu of your Linux distribution or using <CTRL><ALT><T>.

Type the command unzip adt-bundle-linux-x86_64-20131030.zip -d destination_folder_path with the path relative to where the Applications directory is located for the destination_folder_path and hit ENTER.

4.  Test ADB to make sure it's installed correctly. - Bring up the terminal again and type "adb" and hit ENTER.  It should display the Android Debug Bridge Version and a list of ADB command references.

 

5.  Display the Vendor ID of your Android device for the next step. - Bring up the terminal and type "lsusb" and hit ENTER.  (It should be the four digit number next to the word "ID" on the same line as the name of your Android device.)

6.  Configure udev rules to allow Linux to access your Android device.
     a.  Navigate to /etc/udev/rules.d directory and click the file that says "android.rules".

   b.  Enter the Vendor ID that you found in Step 5 like this SYSFS{idVendor}==”04e8″.  Add the entire line in the screenshot to the android.rules file and save it.

7.  Change file permissions on udev rules.  Type the command on the screen below and hit ENTER.

8.  Enable Debug mode on your Android device.  Go to Developer Options and make sure it's on.  Check the box for USB debugging.

9.  Test the Configuration udev rule with your Android device.  Type "adb devices" and hit ENTER.

10.  Execute AAFM in command mode.  Type the command on the screen below and hit ENTER.  (Make sure you replace my name in the command with your name.)

After python command is executed, the terminal window will display the following and the Android ADB File Manager will pop up.

To Display File Manager without executing step 10 after plugging Android device into USB:

11.  Create a shell script and name it Pythonadb.  Go into Gedit and type "#! /bin/bash" on the first line of the editor and click File|Save as "Pythonadb".

12.  Store the command in step 10 in the Pythonadb shell script.

13.  Make sure the Pythonadb shell script is executable.

14.  Copy or move the Pythonadb shell script from the current directory to /usr/bin directory.

15.  On the Linux Mint Menu, Navigate to Settings|Removable Drives and Media and add the following on the command line for Audio CD's and Portable Music Players:

16.  When you plug in your Smartphone cord to your USB, it will look like this.

Once the File Manager is displayed you can locate your Android files on the right pane of the Window and simply drag and drop them to your Linux desktop.

Here is the video I created to accompany the instructions so you can follow along more easily:



NOTE:  On Linux Mint 16 (Petra), my Samsung Stellar is able to work with the Linux Mint File Manager (Nautilus) to transfer Android files.  I just put my Samsung Stellar into Developer Mode and checked on USB Debugging and plugged it into the USB and it worked out of the box. 

Making the Case for the Non-Techie to Jump into Linux

Are you an XP user looking for a similar alternative?

Is your PC aging but you don't care for the Windows 8 Metro interface?

I suggest you take a look at Linux.  Why?  Because Linux can serve your basic computing needs well enough that the experience is comparable to your previous operating system of choice.

Let's take a look at some of these basic computing needs in more detail.  Below is a list of computing tasks users commonly perform on their PC's.  This is a list I've compiled based on my own experience and research. 

Type	Task
Research
	Web Surfing
Office
	Revising and creating documents
	Performing calculations on a spreadsheet
	Creating and revising presentations
	Printing
	Publishing
	Programming
	Revising and creating images.
	Creating 2d images in vector format
	Creating 3d images in vector format
	Edit videos
	Checking and sending emails from multiple email accounts
	Reading and collecting RSS newsfeeds
	Syncing calendar with on-line calendars (I.e. Google Calendar) and mobile devices
	Syncing files with Cloud storage providers
	Backup OS
Entertainment
	Reading eBooks (Kindle)
	Maintaining, organizing and playing music collection
	Syncing music and video files with mobile devices
	Play Movie and Video Files
	Play Music Files
	Play Video Games
Communication
	Social Networking
	Video Chatting (Conferencing)
	Making Webcam videos

Notice how these tasks are grouped together by Type of task.  Do you realize that subsets of these tasks are performed by mobile devices?  For example, tasks classified as "Entertainment" are primarily performed on a tablet whereas "Communication" type tasks are performed on smartphones.


This is why the consumer PC market has shrunk dramatically.  When people are using computing devices at home or for personal use, they are primarily executing Entertainment and Communication tasks.  This leaves the Production tasks which require heavy processing power to be executed by the PC.  The question then becomes, how many people need to do Production tasks at home?  After all, if they work for a company usually the company supplies them with a Work PC and more than likely that Work PC is a "Windows PC".  So the question now becomes if you already have Windows PC that you have to use for work, why does your Home PC need to be a Windows PC?  If I can show you that Linux can do every task you perform on a Windows PC, why should you settle for a Windows PC interface that doesn't appeal to you?

When you stop to consider how software providers today are distributing their applications, you'll come to the realization that platform doesn't matter. With the evolution of software vendors shifting from distributing their software via storage media (i.e. Discs) in Retail Outlets to Downloads and Software as a Service apps from the clouds, does platform really matter anymore?  In my opinion, no. What matters more is whether the browser you are using can execute the tasks from apps on-line.


Therefore, if you are in the market for a new PC, chances are high that you are purchasing it for Production tasks.  If you are using it for work, the transition to Linux may be a bit more challenging than if you are using it for home use but it's not impossible to overcome.

Corporate or Enterprise User.

If you work at a company that relies heavily on Microsoft products like Outlook, Sharepoint and MS Office, obviously you will have to stay with a Windows PC.  Platform matters more for those using specialized software and those entrenched with Microsoft products in the Enterprise.  However, if your company gives you the option to use your personal PC to remotely connect to your Windows PC at work, you don't necessarily have to have a Windows PC at home.  There are free and commercial programs which allow you to connect to your Windows PC at work from home using a VPN program.  You can find out from your company's IT staff whether you can use their VPN program on your Linux PC.  If you own a small business and frequently use your computers at work, you can install a VNC Server on both the Windows PC at work you are connecting to and the Linux PC at home.  This will enable you to work on your Windows PC from home using your Linux PC.  Since Microsoft is trying to emulate Google's Cloud services model, you should also be able to use Office 365 to perform tasks using MS Office on your Linux PC if you are a subscriber to Microsoft products.

For Personal or Home Use.

If you are using a PC for home, you need to ask yourself the following questions before migrating to Linux:

1.  Is there any application or task that you absolutely must have a Windows PC to use?  If so, how often do you perform this task?

2.  Do you have an old Windows PC that you can perform those important tasks on?

If your answer to the #1 was yes and it's a task you perform often, you might want to keep a spare old Windows PC just in case.   That's what I did because I was paranoid about encountering "what if" scenarios which would require a Windows PC.  I kept that spare laptop with Windows 7 on it for 9 months until I realized it was gathering dust sitting idle so I converted it eventually to Linux.  If it's not a task performed often, you may want to consider dual booting Windows and Linux.

The only time I ran into a situation where I needed to use a Windows PC was filling out an on-line survey for a job.  However, I managed to work around the situation by first installing Playonlinux on Ubuntu 12.04.  Then  I used Playonlinux to install the latest Firefox browser on the Windows virtual directory created by Playonlinux.  I had no problems successfully completing the survey as the on-line survey thought my OS was Windows 7 with the latest Firefox browser.  Problem solved!

If your answer to #1 was no, you are a prime candidate for migrating to Linux.  After all, if you are using your mobile devices for most of your computing tasks why not try something different for your Production PC when you're not tied down to any one vendor's ecosystem of applications.  With Linux, you won't have to defrag your PC nor install an Anti-Virus software annually.  Nor will you have to deal with a Blue Screen of Death although you may encounter your Window freezing on you occasionally if dealing with Graphics intensive processing. With Linux you'll have less system maintenance over time which means your PC will last longer.

Areas where you may require additional assistance may include connecting the PC to older Printer devices, Voice Recorder devices, smartphones, tablets and iPods.  There are resources to help you install and configure extra packages to make these devices work with your Linux PC.  However, on the first go round you're probably better off having a Linux expert walk you through these installations. 

After you get over hurdles like above you'll find it interesting and exciting to use your new Linux OS.  With Linux, you can install any program that appeals to you or appears to meet your specific demands.  You'll be happy to know that these programs are free. For some distributions, there are some programs which are already pre-installed with their OS, ready for you to start using such as LibreOffice.  You'll be amazed to find how much LibreOffice can do as compared with MS Office.  For a comprehensive list of recommended applications for basic computing tasks, check out this link.

Your options for trying out Linux are the following:

1.  You can run a live USB or DVD plugged into your PC to do a test drive of a distribution before you install it.  For those of you who are new to Linux, Linux has many distributions (distros) to choose from tailored to specific types of users.  For example, Elementary OS is targeted to people who want a simplistic OS. 

2.  You can dual boot Windows with Linux easily on PC's which don't have UEFI on them.  Usually, this will be Windows 7 PC's or earlier.

3.  You can buy a new Windows 8 PC and replace Windows 8 with Ubuntu, Fedora or OpenSuse. (These are the only distros which can be installed on UEFI PC's without too much hassle.  It is recommended to have a Linux expert execute this task for you.)

4.  You can buy a new Linux PC from Linux Friendly vendors.

5.  You can buy a bare install PC and install Linux yourself.

For anyone trying out Linux for the first time, whether techie or non-techie I suggest you execute option #1 first and take your distro of choice for a test drive.  Once you've settled on a distro that appeals to you, determine how you are going to handle your old documents, music and video files.  Are you going to use a different application or service to handle your Library?  For example, are you going to move your music collection from iTunes to Amazon Cloud Player. If so, then you should make sure every file in your Library is converted to a format that is compatible with your new Linux distro.

If you don't have a Linux techie friend to help you out, you are better off with option #4, buying a new Linux PC from Linux Friendly vendors.  Linux PC's do cost a little bit more than a Windows PC.  However, over time when you factor in not having to purchase an annual Anti-Virus subscription, MS Office or commercial applications, you will find your TCO (total cost of ownership) will be less than purchasing a Windows PC.  More importantly, you won't be locked into buying applications from any one Vendor. You will also become more knowledgeable about a technology which helps power the majority of websites, enterprise applications, databases, supercomputers, embedded systems, routers and the Android OS.  Whatever distro you choose will also enable you to participate in the community supporting that distro.  This means you will be able to help shape future designs and functionalities of your distro besides getting technical help from the community.  If you're an artist, this can really stir your creative juices because you can submit artwork for icons or background images which can showcase your work.  If you're looking toward a career in business or are already in a business career, the probability is very high that Linux is already impacting your life.  So, even if you're not a geek, learning Linux will put you at an advantage over other people making business decisions about technology because Linux gives you more "freedom of choice".

Remedy For Windows Malware on Android Devices Connected to PC's

According to Computerworld, researchers from Symantec found a Trojan program which installs mobile banking malware on Android devices connected to PC's.  What the Trojan does on a Windows PC is downloads 3 files: a DLL file, a ADB file and an APK file.  The DLL file runs a program on Windows that installs the ADB file.  ADB is the acronym for Android Debug Bridge, which is the program allowing two way file exchanges between an Android device and a Windows PC.  The APK file is the malware app which is installed on the Android device to steal banking information from a user when he/she conducts online banking transactions.

However, it is only effective if the Android device is in "USB debugging" mode.  Therefore, if "USB debugging" is OFF on your Android device, you can breathe a huge sigh of relief.  However, you should make sure that your Anti-Virus software deletes the following files from your PC if they are found:

• Trojan.Droidpak (DLL File)
• Android.Fakebank.B (AV-cdk.apk File)
• Android Debug Bridge (adb.exe File)

Keep in mind Android Debug Bridge is not a malicious file.  You may already have this installed on your Windows PC to allow your Android device to connect with your Windows PC.  It's the DLL and APK files which need to be deleted because they exploit the legitimate ADB command tool to perform malicious actions on Android.

If you plan to continue to be a Windows user, you will have to monitor this situation regularly with your Anti-Virus software and make sure your Android device has "USB debugging" set to OFF.

If you don't want to deal with this regularly, you might want to migrate to a Linux PC instead.  Either install a Linux partition on your Windows PC so that you can dual boot Linux and Windows.  Surf the web and open email when you're on Linux and boot into Windows if you have to work on native Windows applications.  Or you could just buy a Linux laptop from Linux vendors.  If you found this useful, please share this with your friends who are Android users as well.

What Will Drive Mainstream Desktop Linux

You know how on TV, NFL Analysts will pit one football team against another and say what areas they need to execute well in order to win the game, here is my take on the most popular desktop Linux distros:  Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Chrome OS.  Let's not mince words here.  Windows is still the undisputed king of the desktop with Apple a distant second.  In the meantime, Linux does not even show up on the radar, especially where it counts: in retail outlets and the average consumer's mind.

There are a couple significant reasons why Linux is a distant third, which I've covered in earlier posts.  However, one important area that needs to be addressed, which I haven't covered before, is product development.  I'm going to pretend that I am a NFL Analyst assessing each Linux distro's product and explaining what each distro needs to improve on to be appealing enough for the average consumer.  Now when I go through this analysis, I need to assess each distro as if I am buying a branded PC with that distro.  Why?  Because that's how most consumers expect to purchase a PC.  The difficult part with a lot of the Linux distros is that there is not that "appliance" that "works out of the box" perception that consumers get when they use it.  After all, people are used to using Windows PC's, MACs and tablets that just work, including apps that came with each device.  They expect that same kind of reliability when they use any PC.  So let's start the analysis with the latest device that comes very close to that, which is the Chromebook.

Chromebook

Pros:
After doing some research on Chromebook owner's perceptions with their device, it appears that they are very satisfied with its fast performance and the ability to do basic PC tasks such as working with documents, reading, watching movies, social networking, using email functions, doing their finances and shopping on-line.

Cons:
The biggest gap between using a Chromebook and a PC is that the processes of Video Editing and Image Editing are cumbersome for the average consumer.

Remedy:
We know that these Chromebooks were not designed to be a "Production" PC due to its limited 16GB storage capacity.  However, with some of the OEM's creating different models of the Chromebook, including the Chromebook Pixel for heavier processing, I think that one of the OEM's should at least include reliable and intuitive Video Editor and Image Editor tools as native applications on the Chromebook.  I understand that Pixlr is one app from the Chrome Web Store that can do Image Editing pretty well but when you are dealing with images over the internet, the latency is still not comparable to working on images locally on a PC.

Ubuntu PC

Pros:
In my own experience, Ubuntu has done a good job serving as my "Production" PC from November 2011 until now.  I can do all computing tasks that I executed daily on a Windows PC.  I've used LibreOffice and Evolution, which replaced tasks I used MS Office and Outlook for.  I've been able to create and revise images using Inkscape and Gimp.  I've also been able to create and revise videos using Desktop Recorder and Openshot Video Editor.  As for development, I have been able to use IDE tools such as MONO and Eclipse pretty well to modify, test and trouble-shoot code on applications.  I've even gotten printing to work with a Brother MFC 210C printer that I acquired in 2009.

Cons:
The only major drawbacks I've encountered were with Webcam software.  Cheese is the most common webcam software used with Linux PC's.  After applying software upgrades, the Cheese application is not as reliable.  In fact, I cannot get the video capture process to work properly even now.

Remedy:
Ubuntu needs to make sure basic computing tasks that users come to rely on are working well even with software upgrades or updates.  I realize that it's not possible to satisfy every piece of hardware or make every free Linux program work well for every user but what you can do is work with OEM's to ensure that basic computing tasks are optimized for their hardware if they sell Ubuntu pre-installed on their hardware.  For example, Cheese is not in anyway affiliated with Ubuntu but if that's what comes with pre-installed Ubuntu laptops, at
least make sure it works well and reliably.  Or get the OEM's to install their own Webcam, Video Editing or Image Editing software that works well on Ubuntu.

Linux Mint

Pros:
I've been using Linux Mint since March 2013 and I really like this desktop.  One of the tech writers did an informal survey of his family and friends, comparing Ubuntu vs Linux Mint for new Linux users.  What he found out was that non-tech savvy new Linux users preferred Ubuntu and that tech savvy new Linux users preferred Linux Mint.  I consider myself a tech savvy user so it's not a surprise that I spend more time using my Linux Mint partition over Ubuntu in a dual boot situation on my Toshiba Satellite.  What do I like about it?  It's clean, elegant and uncluttered.  Its user interface reminds me a lot of Windows 7 but much simpler.  I can find the programs I need pretty easily.  I can also do everything that I could do with Ubuntu as a "Production" PC.  I actually decided to try Mint when I saw an article by a tech writer extolling its virtues and I'm glad I did.

Cons:
Mint suffers from the same issues that Ubuntu does because they use the same supplier of Linux applications.  Mint is a derivative of Ubuntu so it's not a surprise that this is the case.  After applying software upgrades, the Cheese webcam software I was using stopped working reliably when capturing a video.  There is a latency when recording or it crashes.

Remedy:
There are quite a few OEM's which supply Linux Mint pre-installed.  Since there is no coordination between independent developers of free Linux apps, the Linux Mint developers and the OEM's, I think OEM's need to install their own webcam software that is optimized for their hardware on Linux Mint.  They should also consider using this same approach for Video Editors and Image Editors as well.

So, there you have it.  If all three Linux distros want to sell more PC's with their OS, they need to aspire to creating an "appliance" that works well out of the box so that when tech reviewers "unbox" their product on Youtube, they get the optimal "out of the box" experience to share with the world.

Windows XP Support Ends April 8, 2014: What Do I Do Now?

If you are currently using a Windows XP PC and are concerned about its support ending soon, April 8, 2014, to be exact, here are some options you should consider.  It's all going to boil down to either keeping your PC or purchasing a new one.  Keep in mind that I am listing the options from the perspective of a Windows XP user who wants a familiar interface and user experience comparable to their XP experience.

Keeping Your PC

If you would like to salvage your PC and continue to use it until it physically falls apart, you can install:

1.  Windows 7 - This option may not work if your hardware cannot fully support Windows 7 or if running tasks appear to be slower than with XP on it.  Check to make sure your PC meets these requirements in order to run Windows 7 well.

2.  Ubuntu - This option may not work due to Unity 3d graphics requirements.  Therefore, it is recommended to use a light version of Ubuntu such as Xubuntu or Lubuntu.

3.  Linux Mint - I would recommend the XFCE version of Linux Mint, which is lighter than its other versions Cinnamon and MATE.
  
4.  Nothing - Just use the Windows XP PC as a backup device for legacy Windows files and programs for you to reference until you've converted them to a format compatible with your new PC.  Do not connect it to the Internet or your local computer network to avoid being infected by viruses or malware.  Let it stand alone.  For printing documents, you may allow limited connection to your local computer network to enable printing from your network printer.  Otherwise, print using a USB connection to your printer.

Buy New PC

If you prefer not to keep your old hardware and buy a new PC, you can buy the following:

1.  Buy a Windows 7 PC - There are still some retailers on-line who offer Window 7 PC's.  Microsoft supports Windows 7 until 2017.

2.  Buy a MAC - You may spend quite a bit more but at least navigation within this user interface is more intuitive than Windows 8.1.  You at least know that all the applications within the MAC are comparable to Windows applications in terms of ease of use and working out of the box.

3.  Buy an Ubuntu PC - You won't spend as much as a MAC but the cost will be slightly more than a Windows 7 or 8 PC.  However, over the long run the total cost of ownership will be less than owning a Windows PC.  Due to most Linux applications being free and open sourced, there are a lot of good applications comparable to Windows for daily use.  However, according to what I've researched over the web, there is no comparable applications to Adobe Photoshop or Sony Vegas Pro.  (Check out Gimp or Inkscape as potential substitutes for Photoshop.  Check out Openshot Editor as a potential substitute for Sony Vegas Pro.) 

4.  Buy a Linux Mint PC - You won't spend as much as a MAC but the cost will be  slightly more than a Windows 7 or 8 PC.  My assessment of Linux applications is the same as in #3 above.

5.  Buy a Chromebook - This will be the cheapest purchase option for people who don't mind being heavily dependent on the cloud for their daily computing and file storage tasks.

Re-purpose the Old XP PC and Buy a Chromebook or Tablet

1.  Convert XP to Linux Mint on old PC for heavy computing tasks and use a Chromebook or Tablet for most computing tasks.

2.  Convert XP to Ubuntu on old PC for heavy computing tasks and use a Chromebook or Tablet for most computing tasks.

What Is Your Use Case?

Are you a Developer?

Are you a Graphics Designer/Artist?

Are you a Film maker?

Are you a Gamer?

Are you a Business user?

Are you an average Home user?

Depending on your use case, your needs can differ significantly from another user so keep that in mind when exploring your options.  What you should be trying to find out is what set of computing tasks do you primarily use your PC for and make your decision accordingly.

For example, if you are an average Home user and you spend most of the time on the Internet, social networking, reading, watching Netflix or shopping on-line, the Chromebook may be all you need with your old PC as your "Production" device.  What I mean by that is you primarily use your old PC to run MS Office applications and do work on.

Anyone that does mostly computer programming, filmwork, video editing or photo editing should probably choose a PC other than a Chromebook for their "Production" device.

As for me, I do all of the above just fine with my dual boot Linux Mint 14/Ubuntu 12.04 Toshiba Satellite purchased in 2008.  There are occasional stutters and pixel fragmentation when I have multiple applications open simultaneously but for the most part, I've done splendidly with my daily work.  With some software upgrades I have experienced bugs in some Linux applications.  For example, there is a slight lag in the Cheese webcam software on my hardware and on some PC's it crashes when trying to capture a video.  However, when I use Google Hangouts, my webcam works just fine.  Keep in mind I am using these Linux distributions on hardware which were originally optimized for Windows.  I'm certain my experience would be a lot smoother had I purchased a Linux laptop.

So, hopefully, you found this post useful in helping you make a decision on what to do with Windows XP.  With only 3 months to go for XP support ending, you can at least take some Linux distros on a test drive.

This Patent Troll War Against Android Is Ridiculous

First, the Rockstar consortium brings a proxy lawsuit against Google's Android aimed directly at its OEM partners to reduce the influence of Android.  Now Oracle attempts to revive a copyright lawsuit on Java that they lost previously.  I think this Patent Troll War against Google is getting ridiculous.

I understand that in the first lawsuit some of the OEM partners settled their cases with Microsoft, who forced their hand to expand Windows 8 on their mobile devices, most notably smartphones.  Just because Microsoft forced them to create more Windows 8 products does not guarantee the consumer base is going to love them enough to ditch other alternatives.  Out of all the members of Rockstar consortium, Microsoft had the most to gain even though it is a direct competitor to Apple, one of the other members of that consortium.  I am quite surprised that Apple united with Microsoft on this front, considering recent market activity shows it losing iPhone market share to Windows Phone rather than Android losing market share to Windows Phone.  If anything, I think Apple has more to fear from Microsoft rather than Google because Microsoft products are deeply entrenched in the corporate world and Microsoft can offer vertical product integration that Apple cannot.  So, I think Apple is shooting itself in the foot by helping a potentially dangerous competitor get stronger in a market Apple dominates in some areas of the world.  I understand the legacy of the late Steve Jobs made it clear that he felt ripped by Android.  If he were alive today, do you think he would have made the decision to sacrifice the survival of the company for the sake of revenge against a competitor he felt stole their product ideas?  In other words, why cut off your nose to spite your face?  You don't win either way.

With regard to the latest lawsuit by Oracle, I understand Larry Ellison was good friends with Steve Jobs and that this may be his way of trying to preserve his good friend's legacy.  Or it could be just typical Larry trying to squeeze as much profit as he can in every possible way, considering his flagship Fusion product line is about as much of a hit with corporate customers as Windows 8 is with consumers.  Whatever the case may be, I believe this particular case is frivolous.

Why?  Because the Java API's being contested here were created in 2007 under the GPL. Sun, the previous owner, of the language Java and its code properties released it to the Open Source community under the GPL on May 8, 2007.  So what really needs to examined is whether Google properly followed the guidelines of the GPL during that time period.  When Sun released Java to the GPL, there was a stipulation that if any developers or companies modified that Java code and released it with the Java logo and trademark it needed to be certified by Sun to meet code standards and they also needed to pay Sun a license fee.  Those facts are what determined what was "copyrightable".  What Google did was modified Java API's (or in some people's eyes) copied the functionality using the same Java API names but used their own source code.  Then Google released those new Java API's under the GPL to the Open Source community and called it part of its "Android" project.  No Sun Java branding was included.  Therefore the new Java API's Google created were not "copyrightable".  This pre-dates when Oracle acquired Sun in 2010.  So how can Oracle claim ownership of a product created before it acquired Sun when that product was created according to the rules of the GPL and released to the Open Source community?

Now I hear that in court, they are arguing whether copying the Java API names is copyrightable despite the fact that the new Java API's are original source code not copied source code.  Frankly, I feel all those details are irrelevant given the facts that I outlined above.

If Oracle wins this case, it will set a legal precedent for companies like SAP to acquire Red Hat Linux, change its licensing rules and claim that Oracle violated its patent by releasing Oracle Unbreakable Linux on Sparc servers.  After all, isn't Oracle Unbreakable Linux a "copy" of Red Hat Linux?

Why Now Is A Good Time to Migrate to Linux

Recently, I learned that the City of Munich completed a decade long project to free itself out of perpetually supporting proprietary OS software which would have forced them to continue investing in more software and hardware upgrades according to the time-line of their proprietary vendor, Microsoft.  Although, they made a brave decision to go to uncharted territory with Linux in the face of increasing pressure from Microsoft, they proved that with dedication, time and intelligent decision-making, particularly with regard to change management practices, they could overcome all hurdles.  I applaud their efforts as changing the practices of an entire organization is not an easy feat to accomplish.

Here are good reasons why right now is a good time to migrate to Linux:

1.  Windows XP will no longer be supported by Microsoft after April 8, 2014. -  This means that no further updates by Microsoft will cause a Windows XP PC to be vulnerable to new malware and viruses developed after the update expiration date.

2.  Migrating to either Windows 7 or Windows 8 will require new software, new hardware and extensive training costs. - The user interface of Windows 7 is not as dramatically different as Windows 8 is for an XP or Vista user.  However, Windows 8 is completely different with the new Metro interface.  From the reviews I've seen, it does not appear to be as "intuitive" or "efficient" in terms of executing common computer tasks as the best Microsoft OS, in my opinion, which is Window 7.  This means you will have to re-train your staff to use the newer version of Windows, incurring more training costs.  If your hardware is 32-bit or several years old, chances are Windows 7 or 8 will be struggling to work optimally on the legacy hardware, if it does work at all.  If you pick a Linux distribution, which does not consume too much CPU resources, you can get it to work well on that old hardware.  What I've seen recommended for beginners is:  Elementary OS, Zorin, PuppyLinux, Linux Mint (XFCE) and Ubuntu.  For very old hardware, I wouldn't recommend the latest versions of Ubuntu.  Since Ubuntu has other variations such as Kubuntu and Lubuntu, you may want to explore the lighter versions on that hardware to get optimal use out of it.  Given that you will need new hardware, software and incur training costs to use the latest version of Windows anyway, you might as well consider alternatives like Linux.

3.  Applications today are heading toward a web-based model, which does not depend on a particular OS platform.  - A decade ago, most home users ran applications native to their operating system.  Most application vendors created applications specifically to run optimally on the Windows OS, which is the dominant desktop OS and still is.  However, now that a lot of applications are being consumed by people from the internet such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Apps, Instagram, there is really no need to be tied down by a Windows OS.  Sure, you will encounter some specialized applications that you absolutely must run on a Windows PC, whether it's for school or work.  But, you can get around that by either dual booting Linux with Windows, creating a Windows virtual OS partition on your Linux PC or keeping an old Windows PC as backup.

4.  Linux frees you from proprietary vendor lock-in. - There are many distributions on the desktop for Linux, providing you with many choices to enable the "best fit" for your situation.  There are many applications available for desktop Linux, most of which are free.  You no longer need to buy applications that are made just for Windows, which will cost you a pretty penny.  Of course, there may be some applications that you got used to using in Windows that you cannot find a comparable "quality" experience in Linux such as Adobe Photoshop.  (That's where the dual booting, Windows virtual directory or keeping a spare old Windows PC comes in handy.)  However, with each passing year the number of Linux applications increase both in quality and quantity. (Are you keeping track of the number of Steam games being developed for Linux, by the way?)

5.  The modularity of Linux enables you to customize your IT solution to meet your specific organizational needs. - The City of Munich took the Ubuntu distribution and customized it to specifically meet their needs.  Why was this advantageous for them?  The first reason is that they could take out of the standard Ubuntu distribution anything that they didn't need which would have cluttered their PC CPU resources and leave in the features they absolutely had to have to run their business.  The second reason this was beneficial to them was that they could capitalize on getting professional support by Canonical, the engineering organization behind that popular distribution.

6.  Linux has better security features within its OS. -  Due to the nature of how Linux is designed, you don't need anti-virus software like you do with Windows.  Why?  First off, you can encrypt your /home folder, which is equivalent to the /users folder in Windows.  Second of all, the File structure of Linux enables "hidden" files and directories, which means they will be inaccessible should malware find its way to your PC.  Third of all, if you accidentally download malware it will not run on its own unless you specifically give it permission as a root user which is like the administrator role in Windows.  Last of all, the modularity of Linux component programs do not tie them tightly together so that if one program were affected it would not affect all programs in a "domino" effect, crashing your system.  The fact that Windows component programs are tied together tightly in an "inflexible" way is one of the reasons why it's easier to take down a Windows system.

7.  Linux is already widely used on the server side and client devices such as tablets and smartphones. - If you are already using Linux as a server for web applications or databases, you will be more familiar with it as you use it on the desktop.  Although, Android has a Java based front-end, it's back-end kernel is based on Linux.  That means the File Structure is very similar to the Linux desktop.  With all those similarities, if you are planning to move toward a Linux platform it will be easier for you to support with that familiarity across server and client hardware.

8.  Linux is gaining more support in areas it was traditionally weak in. -  Some of the weaknesses of using Linux was lack of driver support for hardware, the availability of quality games and playing Blue Ray DVD's which are limited by DRM.  With companies like Nvidia and Valve contributing to Linux, this is becoming less of an issue as time progresses.

9.  Using Linux will decrease IT operational costs over the long run when taking into account reduced IT software and hardware upgrades, IT license costs, IT asset management costs and IT licensing compliance costs.  -  Think about it, if you are running a business.  No licenses to keep track of means your IT staff won't be spending labor hours chasing non-compliant computers that don't have a Windows license.  Your hardware can last longer if you customize your Linux distribution to run what you absolutely need without hogging up CPU resources.  Your IT staff won't have to defrag PC's or install anti-virus software on them.  You can use networking tools to manage the administration of thousands of PC's using Landscape or Puppet.

I could go on and make this into a book but I'll stop here and let you digest what you've already read.  I think I've given you many good reasons why you should move to Linux now.  Keep in mind, from a cost perspective, that you need to do a feasibility study first.  That means you need to write up a Business case and determine if there is going to be a positive return on investment (ROI) in migrating to Linux.  Remember there are going to be one-time costs (migration) and recurring costs (IT operational), including asset depreciation.  Those need to be accounted for when writing up the business case.  I will cover how I would approach this on a later post in my website.  The cost perspective (translated into lower IT operating costs) is not the only advantage of using Linux.  It's the ability to negotiate better IT procurement contracts with your IT Suppliers that gives you the bigger advantage besides the reasons I listed above.  Why?  Because you won't be tied down to a specific Vendor's ecosystem of applications and hardware.  Linux has a variety of applications to meet most end user tasks and can be ported to many different types of hardware on the client side and the server side, increasing your freedom of choice.

Why Ubuntu's Unity Interface and Search Privacy Issues Are Overblown?

Unity Dash Search Results
Okay.  I get it.  I'm all for the EFF looking out for the average consumer to ensure he/she is not being exploited by greedy corporations.  So, I read recently that there was some controversy and strong words being issued between the EFF and Canonical.  Look, can't we just all get along already?

Someone used Canonical's logos in an article and on their website to criticize how search results were being conducted using Amazon instead of Canonical servers.  Canonical asked them not to use their logos and the EFF called their lawyers on Canonical to defend that person's right to speak.

What does this mean if you are an average consumer looking for a good desktop alternative to Windows or MAC?  It doesn't mean a whole lot.  Why?  Because you can remove the functionality that sends your search results to Amazon if you don't want Amazon products to show up in your search results.  The point is you, as the consumer, DO have a choice.  You can either leave in the search results by default if you are using Ubuntu 12.10 or higher OR flip OFF the switch that allows your search results to be sent to Amazon.

According to How-To-Geek, it's actually a 4 step process:

1.  Search for Privacy in the dash and launch the Privacy application.

2.  Set the Include online search results slider to Off and you won’t see Amazon ads in Ubuntu’s dash.

3.  Uninstall the unity-lens-shopping package to remove only the Amazon advertising.

Type the following command into the Terminal window and press Enter:

sudo apt-get remove unity-lens-shopping

 Enter your password, type Y to confirm, and Ubuntu will remove the package.

4.  Remove the Amazon Launcher by right-clicking it and selecting Unlock from Launcher.

The Unity Dash
Next on the agenda.  Ubuntu user concerns with the Unity Dash are way overblown.  Why?  Because once again, if you do not like the Unity Dash Windows Manager you can swap it out for the more familiar Gnome look that you got used to.  Or, if you like to embrace change in a more gradual way, you can add the "Classic Menu Indicator" to the Unity Dash Windows Manager so that you have both on the same Window.  For those of you who are unaware, the "Classic Menu Indicator" provides a tree menu structure to navigate among your different software categories.  It looks like the "Start" button on Windows.

If you would like to deploy this on your Ubuntu desktop, here are the steps according to Liberian Geek:

1.  Press Ctrl – Alt – T on your keyboard to open the terminal and run the commands below to add its PPA archive:

     sudo apt-add-repository ppa:diesch/testing

     sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install classicmenu-indicator

2.  Launch the application from Unity Dash by typing "Classic Menu Indicator" and hitting the magnifying glass.

3.  Click the 3 horizontal lines icon from the top panel to access the new menu.

Here's a Youtube tutorial showing you how to install "Classic Menu Indicator".  It's 6:36 to 11:20 timeframe of the video.  (Note:  Since the filming of this video, the Ubuntu icon has been replaced by the 3 horizonal lines icon shown in the pic above.)




As for my experience with Ubuntu, I started using Ubuntu when it was Lucid Lynx and got used to the Gnome interface.  When Unity showed up in 11.04, I thought it looked very professional and pretty.  It was so easy to use that even my Mother in her 70's, who played more with her iPad, could navigate through it without any problems.  However, from a Power user perspective, Unity may be a tad bit too limiting due to a Power user wanting to see where all the applications are organized and stored in one view.  That is why, "Classic Menu Indicator" is so handy because it fulfills that need to see where all your applications are in one view.

Despite user paranoia on trying something new, there are quite a number of advantages to using the Unity interface, one of which is the HUD (short for "Heads Up Display").  By pressing on the TAB key, you can search for a menu item that you are too lazy to find within an application's menu tree structure by typing the "menu item" in the Unity dash, significantly improving your desktop task productivity time.  I could go on but I really wanted this post to focus solely on the controversial issues facing the Unity interface and why I don't think it's a big deal.  In a subsequent post, I will cover the advantages of using the Unity interface in more detail, including using the HUD.

That is the beauty of Linux.  You do have choices.  If your organization is using Ubuntu and you do not like the options offered with the latest releases, particularly with the Unity interface, realize that you do not have to go off Ubuntu to have your needs met.  Just improvise!

Using the $249 Chromebook as a Full Desktop PC

There are many alternative PC's to choose from, most of which run either on a Windows or MAC OS.  We all know that on the desktop it's mostly Windows.  Since Windows XP will be reaching its end of life for Windows support soon, some of you on Windows XP are going to have to make a decision on whether to upgrade to Windows 7 or 8, buy a MAC or something else.

I'm here to explain to you that you've got many alternatives for that "something else".  That something else could be purchasing an Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop or Fedora laptop from one of the niche Linux Hardware Vendors.  Or it could be using your Android device as a PC.  Or it could be purchasing a $249 Chromebook and using Linux alongside of it to run it as a full desktop PC.

First you'll need to install "crouton", a program created by one of the Google Developers to enable Linux to be run simultaneously as Chrome OS.  I was checking Youtube and found this guy demonstrating how it would work on a Chromebook Pixel.

I also found this thorough instruction guide on How-to-install-ubuntu-linux-on-your-chromebook-with-crouton/.  The cool thing about this guide is that it distinguishes the differences between what you can do on an ARM versus Intel x86/AMD 64 Chromebook.  So it all depends on how you plan to use your Chromebook.  If you are going to be doing more program intensive tasks, you are much better off buying the Chromebook with the Intel x86 or AMD 64 processor.  If you are going to be doing some light word-processing and spreadsheets, buying the ARM based chromebook may suffice.

And you thought that purchasing a Chromebook was going to limit you to Google Chrome OS web-based apps...NOT!

Kingsoft Office - A Free MS Office Alternative For Windows, Linux, Android and iOS

Just over the weekend I was talking with my best friend and her daughter about our mobile devices.  Her daughter, who is twenty is very much an Apple fangirl, while her husband is more of a Microsoft fanboy.  My friend, on the other hand, is quite happy with her Samsung Galaxy Note tablet.

Ironically, it was her husband, who got her the Android tablet for Christmas last year.  My friend likes her tablet so much that every time I go visit, she's either surfing the web or playing a game.  Somehow, we got on the subject of Office software, one of the major reasons her husband decided to purchase a Microsoft Surface RT tablet instead of an Android tablet.  Apparently, her hubby is hooked on Microsoft Office and wanted to be able to use that on his tablet.

My friend said that she had advised her husband not to buy the Surface RT tablet because she uses the free product, OpenOffice on her Android tablet for editing documents.  I told her that OpenOffice is very similar to LibreOffice which usually comes pre-installed with most Linux distributions on the desktop.  Well, much to her consternation, her hubby went ahead with the extra purchase because he was used to what he had used before.  Meanwhile, her perky daughter piped in that for document editing and spreadsheets, she uses Pages and some other app that is free from the iStore for her iPad and iPhone.  She also uses a MAC because she loves the integration of sharing files, music and documents across all three of her Apple devices.

I told my friend and her daughter that I use a Linux desktop and an Android smartphone to sync my calendar events via Google Calendar no matter which device I created the appointment on.  I also told them I could edit documents for free using LibreOffice on my Linux desktop and using a native Android Office app called QuickOffice.  However, what I didn't tell them yet was that I tried an app on my Android smartphone called Kingsoft Office and I was very impressed with the UI of that app.  Although I find LibreOffice to be almost as robust as MS Office, the UI is not quite as pretty yet.  QuickOffice also seems very basic and not quite as robust as Kingsoft Office on my Android smartphone.

Therefore, what I am hinting at here is that for those of you looking for a robust alternative to MS Office, you may want to try Kingsoft Office.  There are both free and licensed versions of Kingsoft Office.  While I myself have had experience working with Microsoft Works, (Microsoft's free Office version) that came pre-installed on some older PC's, I have to say Kingsoft Office free edition is much nicer and robust than Works.

If you are a small or medium sized business and want an Office alternative that works across many platforms, you may want to try Kingsoft Office Suite Professional 2013.  It works with Windows, Linux, Android and iOS and can work with MS Office file formats.  There is a professional edition ($69.95) that is roughly half the cost of a Personal Office license ($139.99) and one third the cost of a Business Office license ($219.99).  It's significantly less than the Professional Office license at ($399.99).

If you click the link below you can get a discount of $10 off the original price.

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Product Detail for Kingsoft Office Suite Professional 2013 (28469-5)

The first thing you see when you open Office Pro 2013 is a clean, new interface. The old features are still there along with some new ones that are huge time savers. Compared with its previous versions, Office 2013 has a greatly improved compatibility with Microsoft Office (97/2000/2003/2007/2010). We can save documents as .docx and .xlsx formats now.

What’s new in the latest update?
1. Save documents as DOCX/DOTX/DOCM/DOTM.
2. Open XML documents and save as MHT/MHTML.

If you are a student you may want to try the product below. 

Product Detail for Kingsoft Office Suite Professional for Students (28469-16)

Support OS: Windows2000, Windows2003, WinXP, Windows Vista, Windows7 and Windows8
Kingsoft Office Suite Professional 2012 is a cheaper Microsoft Office alternative that's actually good. Only 55.15MB, offering three powerful applications: Writer, Spreadsheets and Presentation. It's compact, fast, attractive, and highly file-compatible. Includes many exclusive features, such as VBA editor, two interfaces, multi-tab interface, pro PDF converter, advanced paragraph adjustment tool, humanized table operation and more.

Help & Support:
Users can easily access the support center and email us, or join us in the official forum of Kingsoft's website.

What About Ubuntu Edge on a Newkia Smartphone?

I've been reading the headlines lately of how Nokia put all its eggs in one basket and tanked with the Windows Phone instead of diversifying to include Android as one of its offerings.  Now from its ashes, in the aftermath of the Microsoft acquisition, rises Newkia, a company made up of former Nokia employees determined to provide the Android alternative on Nokia hardware denied them in their former company.

I applaud their bravado in responding to an untapped market - Satisfied Android users who wanted a Nokia phone optimized for their needs.  I suspect that when Nokia longtime users needed to upgrade their Symbian phones, they either elected to buy a Samsung Galaxy or an iPhone because the only alternative available to them was a Windows Phone with limited apps availablity.

Although they do have the talent of former Nokia employees, they are going to be restricted by the Nokia hardware patents now owned by Microsoft.  Therefore, they will have to come up with truly new and innovative hardware which won't infringe on those patents yet still allow them to produce their Android alternative smartphone.  I've seen reader comments asking "What are they going to do different than HTC because Samsung has pretty much cornered the Android smartphone market."

I think in order for them to succeed, not only do they have to find a way to lure former Nokia consumers back to their familiar hardware look and feel, they have to differentiate themselves on the software functionality side as well.  They need to focus their efforts on two primary markets:  business and consumer.

On the consumer side, because Android is based on Linux, which is under the GNU/Linux Public License, they can create their own custom Android User Interface that allows them to optimize the software for their hardware and add more features.  Battery life is a major thing for a lot of smartphone users because the more apps you add, the more it strains your battery usage.  If they can find a way to optimize battery life while being able to retain what the average user considers a maximum number of apps, consumers will take notice.

On the business side, Ubuntu came out with a cutting edge concept of a desktop converged on a smartphone when docked.  If Newkia is able to partner with Ubuntu to make that concept come to fruition in an effective and exciting way, the corporate world will definitely take notice.  That would be one way both Canonical (Ubuntu's parent company) and Newkia can corner the enterprise market.  With the way technology is transforming how work is conducted and executed today, work is becoming more and more "mobile".  As far as I'm concerned, it would be an ideal pairing with Canonical's software expertise and Newkia's hardware expertise converged in one device. 

As a side-note, the cool thing about Linux is it is "modular".  You can strip off what you don't need from any base "distro" and add the programs you do need to optimize the operating system software for the hardware and its components.  Just look at what the PC gaming company, Valve, has done with the SteamOS.

Windows versus Linux Laptop

Now that the school year has started up again, getting school supplies are a priority for kids, possibly even buying a new laptop.  If I were looking for a new laptop, whether for home use, business use or for educational purposes this is the analysis I would do.  I would settle on the specs for a particular type of laptop, hardware-wise.  Then I would decide, software-wise, which would best fit my needs in the long run.

I took the HP ENVY Sleekbook 15.6" Laptop with Windows 8 and compared it to the System 76 Gazelle Professional 15.6" with Ubuntu 13.04 pre-installed.  The specs did not quite come out exactly the same hardware-wise but it's pretty close.  The HP Envy can be purchased at $549.99 while I adjusted the purchase price of the System 76 Gazelle to $844 to select a 750 GB hard drive.

I did a cost analysis on a LibreOffice Calc spreadsheet comparing Linux and Windows software functionality using Microsoft's 3 Office Suites:  Home, Business and Professional.

After 5 years of using both alternatives, the only one with recurring costs would be using Windows for annual anti-virus maintenance at $24.99.  I used the price for one year of maintenance from Norton for one PC.  On the Linux side, any additional functionality would be free, which would mean zero recurring costs.  At the end of 5 years, it would cost $50.93 more per Business user using Windows than using Linux.  When you tack on a MS Access Database, it would cost $230.93 more per Business user using Windows than using Linux.  For personal use, it would cost $29.07 more using Linux.

As more time is factored in, the recurring cost of requiring anti-virus maintenance would make Linux the best option cost-wise.  By year 7, using Linux would be favorable under all options.  It would cost $100.91 more to use Windows for Business use, $280.91 for Professional use and $20.91 for Personal use.


Here are the results of the analysis:



 

	Business			Professional			Personal
Product	Windows	Linux	Difference	Windows	Linux	Difference	Windows	Linux	Difference
Laptop (15.6”)	$549.99	$844.00		$549.99	$844.00		$549.99	$844.00
Office	$219.99			$399.99			$139.99
Wordprocessor	X	X		X	X		X	X
Spreadsheet	X	X		X	X		X	X
Presentation	X	X		X	X		X	X
Notetaking	X	X		X	X		X	X
Email	X	X		X	X
Publisher				X	X
Database				X	X
Anti-Virus	$24.99			$24.99			$24.99
Total Cost	$794.97	$844.00	-$49.03	$974.97	$844.00	$130.97	$714.97	$844.00	-$129.03
Total Cost Year 1	$794.97	$844.00	-$49.03	$974.97	$844.00	$130.97	$714.97	$844.00	-$129.03
Total Cost Year 2	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99
Total Cost Year 3	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99
Total Cost Year 4	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99
Total Cost Year 5	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99
5 Year Cost	$894.93	$844.00	$50.93	$1,074.93	$844.00	$230.93	$814.93	$844.00	-$29.07
Total Cost Year 6	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99
Total Cost Year 7	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99	$24.99	0	$24.99
7 Year Cost	$944.91	$844.00	$100.91	$1,124.91	$844.00	$280.91	$864.91	$844.00	$20.91

What I am trying to convey is that although it costs a little bit more to purchase a pre-installed Linux laptop for Business and Personal use, over the long run, it's more cost effective to be using a Linux laptop and its products.  With Linux, you can add or remove programs you do not need so that they don't tie up your CPU resources and so that you can make your PC hardware last longer as well.  With Windows, you are tied into using their bundled suites which do take up memory space on your computer even when you are not using it.  Then you also have to be concerned with virus or malware infections, which have the potential to cause some severe downtime.  The fact that you can open and revise most Microsoft File formats within LibreOffice makes it even more appealing to at least give Linux a try.  If you are so concerned with encountering applications which require a Windows desktop, keep your old Windows 7 laptop as a backup desktop.  However, when it comes time to purchasing a new laptop, I recommend giving Linux a try.

As an addendum to this post, please review "Evaluating LibreOffice For Your Business" to aid you in your decision-making process.