[Ham-Computers] Help needed

[Ron Youvan]

> SSDD.  MS haters vs. Linux haters.  For Pete's sake... can't we give it a
> freeking rest?

   I have been a 100% LINUX user since 1997 at home, but at work the corporate
IT department took me through 95, 98B, 2000 and XP the last two still in use.
   I never hated M$, and I only changed because I could not get win 3.1 to work
properly.  I had several black icons after adding a few new programs, I had run
out of resources then I read the richest person on this rock was not the king /
dictator of an oil rich Mideast country, but the son of an attorney in Washington
state that was gifted at dirty deals and taking credit for other peoples work.
   I wished there was a alternative and a friend demonstrated one at a computer
club meeting, a thick book and CD for $45 sounded great. Slackware version 3.5 .
   It turned out to be a huge improvement.  First is was 32 bit, while win 3.1
is only 16 bits. The term resources has never been mentioned.  LINUX is a
superset of DOS.  Supplied with LINUX is the "X windows system" a graphic
user system created by MIT that resembles windows, except the look is totally
changeable.  Today it can look like win 3.1, 95, 98, 2000, and dozens of better
looks.  I use a "window manager" totally unlike M$, it has no icons, just menus.
   More importantly LINUX operates much more logically and faster that any M$
product.  I use win 2000 and LINUX both the same day 5 days a week, M$ is
just waiting, there is no better explanation.  My 1,000 MHz AMD at home with
Slackware runs circles around win 2000 PRO in a Dell with an Intel Pentium 4
running at 2,450 MHz (with a squirrel cage blower) with ease, in every way.
Understand that some M$ programs are pre-loaded* at boot up to look like they
are faster, they pop up extremely fast when [Enter] is pressed, but anything
not so pre-loaded is slooow to show up.  With a 2.5:1 advantage windows is still
not quite half as fast to do ANYTHING.  Other than the week ends I experience
this daily.  How many M$ lovers (and mouse bound users) have learned to use
anything else?  (you must study to use LINUX, the command line OS)
Any moron can use either GUI.  With win 99% of the choices were made in Redmond,
with LINUX I can change almost anything, it is very flexible.
   I am currently looking for (and saving for) a new laptop that must come with
M$ XP.  The ONLY reason is because I am planning on buying new D-SLR camera and
I plan on getting JPGs and "RAW" images, RAW can be color balanced and corrected
in every way after the shoot, correcting and matching the shots.  This program
only operates under the M$ platform.  I also need to copy my work (PIX) to a
DVD-RAM disk and the HD, so a compatible drive is required.  I am looking on a tight 
budget, I have missed a couple of good buys, but I don't quite have the cash yet.
Additionally laptops that can run XP are becoming very rare, I am searching the
online sellers mostly.  (no E-bay and not used)
   I am sorry this became so long, but this is my story and I am sticking with it.
73  Ron in Plant City, FL.

* word, excel and the rest of the "office suite," possibly more
-- 
    Ron  KA4INM -  Many hate the rick, think they should be punished or as least taxed
                   out of existence.  Did you ever hear of a poor man hiring workers?