To Install with WinXP or Not?

[lakelover]

I need your opinions. First a little background: I have MDK8.2, installed on a computer that "blew up." Well, actually, just the master drive went whacko. I have MDK8.2, on the slave and Win95 on the master (inoperable). I bought a new drive with the intention of replacing the master, but ended up getting a new Dell that has WinXP. The Dell has a 30 GB drive. My old computer has dinky drives: 6 GB. Here are my options:

 

Install MDK9.0 on the Dell, master drive with XP repartitioned;

 

Or, install the new 6 GB drive (Westeren Digital) in the Dell, and load MDK9.0 on that drive. BTW, I'm not a heavy music or photo user, so I don't eat up drive space as fast as some. If I had money to spare, which I don't, I'd get a 40 GB slave for the Dell. I tried to get credit for the 6GB drive on the purchase of a larger drive but the place I bought it doesn't want to deal.

 

The third option is to install the new drive on the old computer and use that computer exclusively for Mandrake (for play?). Then I'd have to network that computer with the Dell.

 

Of course, I could wipe, WinXP, and install Mandrake in its place. Unfortunately, my wife is not enamored with Mandrake, and my loyalty is fading (too many screw ups. . . though maybe not as many as Billy's).

 

So, what are your thoughts?

[SoulSe]

Well, I have just recently sacked windoze once and for all. It's a good feeling.

 

I have a girlfriend who uses my computer all the time - I sat with her and set up a cute desktop the way she wanted it (geyes and all - even Pink on the desktop :roll: ) and now she never asks for anything, just logs in and does everything she needs to without a worry in the world. We're talking about a girl here who cannot even spell pc. erm...

 

So maybe your wife using Linux isn't so daunting. I don't know if you have used mdk 9.0 yet, but it is a big improvment on 8.2 and can be very "friendly"

 

If, however, you decide to keep XP and do the networking option, Samba really is a dream and quite easy to use.

 

So those are my thoughts.... :wink:

[Ixthusdan]

If your wife has a program that she is used to (mine uses ms money) then peace means you'll have to partition. But, if there are not whinedoze programs that she is addicted to, then there is nothing in whinedoze that linux Mandrake does not do. And, if your wife uses it, she will love it, just like any gui system, especially if you use kde desktop. (I only say kde because it is the easiest for me to set up and fool whinedoze users into thinking that it is whinedoze.

 

CAUTION: Because of the dangerous and addictive nature of the ms empire drug known as whinedoze, withdrawl sysmptoms can only be avoided by making the desktop as ouigui as possible.

 

You have been warned!

[lakelover]

There are a couple of programs on Windows we use/like. One is PocoMail. We like that a lot. I use Quicken. On the other hand we got used to the various mail clients on MDK 8.2, and I understand that there's a pretty good money management program on MDK 9.0. The main problem my wife has is too many options with Linux, and that's partly my fault. When I bounce back and forth among the various mail clients, my wife goes bonkos. And then there's the various browsers. All the options offered by Linux is at once an advantage and a disadvantage.

 

Bottom line: I'll probably dual boot with Windows. BTW, I've worked WinXP for only a two or three weeks, and I'd say I've had six to 10, bug alerts, error windows and a couple of freeze screens. I ran 8.2 with virtually no problems except (a big exception), getting my older, low level peripherals to work. My scanner never worked with 8.2, and my color printer didn't either. And that is a big problem. I don't know if 9.0 will solve that situation. No peripheral problems with Windoz.

[Ixthusdan]

Yes, the problems with various components, like scanners, modems, and printers is actually part of the monopolistic nature of the Gates empire. Instaed of hardware being real, with its own processor, the windows idea is to have simulated peripherals that can only be driven by window! Prices drop on the components, everybody buys it, and only find out that it is not real hardware if they encounter an environment outside of windows-- DOS, unix, linux, etc. Since the average user never sees this (network admins see it!) they only find out that the money saved is missing parts-- and keeps you trapped in windows. Neat plan.

Since discovering linux, I've replaced my modem, my printer, and my scanner over the past two years!

[SoulSe]

Linux does have a lot of options - which is why I ONLY install the ones I take a liking to and get familiar with them.

 

So for mail, I ONLY use Evolution. Which is a great looking and very easy to use program.

 

I'm not going to try and twist you into one desktop or another, that is a matter for personal preference, but my girlfriend hated KDE because of the "busy" desktop and preferred a minimal looking Gnome.

 

My point: play around and remove programs not being used, etc. before breaking it on your wife and then tell her what programs to use for what and remove the rest.

 

BTW: Gnucash is a great little money app that comes with 9.0

[lakelover]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'm installing MDK9.0, today, on the master drive with Windows. Maybe I'll install the extra drive for data back up. I'd like to replace my scanner and printers (2), but that's not in the budget. My Canon BJ200e works with MDK. The Lexmark Z11 printer and Mustek 1200ED scanner don't. So, I'll have to run back to Windows when I need to use them. Too bad computers and their peripherals are throw-aways. I think the Canon is my longest lived component.

[illogic-al]

i think in the updates they reported new Z11 drivers

[Pzatch]

The Mustek should work Mandrake found mine(1200 UB) no problem. If you can try restarting the machine with just the scanner pluged in. mandrake might find it then.

[Guest smoketoomuch]

The Mustek should work Mandrake found mine(1200 UB) no problem. If you can try restarting the machine with just the scanner pluged in. mandrake might find it then.

 

yes, just make sure you enable hardrake in your services list before rebooting.

[lakelover]

My scanner is a Mustek, 1200 ED. Hopefully, it is supported in MDK9.0. I don't have MDK installed, yet. I'm still researching partitioning on WinXP drive. My past MDK's were installed on a second drive so I let the install program do the partitioning. I guess that won't work with NTFS partitions.

[Ixthusdan]

If you dual boot, make an ntfs partition that is as big as you want for windyos and leave the rest of the drive alone. Mandrake will take the remainder of the drive and partition it to run linux. That way there is no hassle with partitioning ntfs. DO NOT PARTITION NTFS WITH LINUX OR ALLOW LINUX TO DO ANYTHING WITH NTFS. You will not like the results.

You could also make a fat32 partition that both winskies and linux can utilize for shared resources.

[lakelover]

Ixthusthan. . . thanks. I'll see what I can do with the ntfs partition and definitely stay clear of it with Linux.