can i find the registration key on my computer?
The registration key is a 25 digit alpha-numeric number separated by dashes. It should be on a sticker on your machine, or on your installation disk. There's probably also some way to look it up in the control panel, but you'll have to ask google about that.
If its not on a sticker as mentioned above, there are some tools to pull the key from a registered system. Would have to google to find them.
Well my linux machine still runs the same way it did when i got it setup for its use with no effort other then package updates.(maybe i have been lucky?) I can't say the same thing about windows. I live in fear of windows updates. :)
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The problem is the other way, Word opening LibreOffice documents.
It's free, so what are you payin?
To me linux is worth it. No matter what OS you will always have to google for issues. I leave Microshaft at work. I'm just trying to get the wife of MS. Aren't people using google docs for school these days?
I personally don't care if you hate Microsoft, I'll just recommend this. If you are already a Windows user, don't make the immediate switch. If you have a spare hard drive laying around, install Linux and boot from that. If you do not, I recommend getting something like VMware Player (its free), and learn it a little. If you feel Linux is right for you but don't want to give up some of the Windows applications, learn how to use KVM and have a direct hardware access with it. One way or another, I will stick to my recommendation and say it is not worth it unless you are willing to take the time to learn. @Taco_Bell already mentioned this, you are expected to read the documentation first and ask questions after. I myself am not a perfect Linux user, but am proficient enough to push it as my daily driver. It was only recently that I learnt how to get KVM working and it is amazing. But it required one thing from me, it required that I took out the time to learn it and read the documentation.
So TL;DR: Is it worth it? Yes, if you have the TIME to learn it. No, if you are already busy enough as it is and have other commitments.
what im going to do is put linux on my desktop and keep the laptop for work and windows only things. i think that would work out best for me.
Infact it has the potential to even become faster as fresh install if the kernel gets some improvements that boost your system. This phenomena can be seen most easily with a rolling-release distro
If you got a heavily formatted MS office document, like an Excel workbook with a lot of conditional formatting, opening the file in libreoffice can break a lot of the formatting too. For the most part though, I havent had too many issues hoping between the two.
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Great feedback in this thread. I wish I could offer up my nix expertise to the gaming concerns but its not my wheelhouse. Purely as a suggestion of something to think about: the "work" you engage through software suites can be managed easier by simplifying your discipline. You have YOUR work, and you have HOW your work is presented. These two steps, although practiced in unison amongst the majority of users, are two separate jobs. If you are writing a paper, the content from your brain into text is first important thing. You donât (shouldnât) need a suite of tools during this step in your critical process. Get the information into text first with little distractions. Once you have whats on your mind, on your screen, then move to the "toolbox" to address grammar, structure, edit, images, etc. Write first, save to the least common denominator of compatibility (.txt,.csv,etc), open your thesis, image, or number-dump in one of the suites to adjust, edit, review, format to whatever system requirement you and/or a reviewer requires. Excel, Word, most of the image and video editing suites, email clients, CAD, etc - all have strong UNIX and/or UNIX-like cores. Software suites are just an interpreter, and are pretty much to blame for most "errors" or frustration at user level. Even further: saving YOUR data in a simple format saves tons of space, will be easier to search through using system utilities (even down to the word or sentence) and will most certainly survive the future of updates, changes and/or additions to the market. When you lock data behind a specific format, in a lot of ways, it can prevent both the system and you (in a boolean sense) from building upon and/or using as construction material at later times. When trying to decide between which core group of suites to use as user defaults, I suggest to my clients to start with Open Source based software first, regardless of which environment you use as the daily driver. Most Open suites have cross-platform compatibility to Windows. (and even most snApple flavors) As arguable of an opinion this always seems to be amongst the community, my clients (Ky to DC and in between) who have migrated to a plan such as this, prefer Open software. (merits to be argued at a later time)
You just have to have a discipline first built from systems and practices you prefer and/or are most comfortable with. People tend to think working in Word or Excel, etc, etc is the easiest, most productive way to engage work load, but its not. Microsoft, Apple, Adobe want you to think it is by lobbying to have their interests be your learning platform. The convenience of their products services through your initial exposure to tech becomes the hook, and the money you invest to have/maintain it keeps you chasing justification of the money you spent and the time youâve invested. Donât pimp the evil just because youâre afraid of work and hassle that MIGHT come from a change, I guarantee proprietary /devs will provide you with the same amount of work and hassle maintaining your work forward on any given closed system platform.
Sorry if this is a little too long, just wanted to offer up the suggestion. ...go forward, minimally, with less work, and all of the control.
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yeah im going to put linux on the desktop im going to order and keep windows on this laptop
In my opinion, its worth it. Sadly, at this point, I can't use it without keeping Windows Installed. A lot of the software and games I run aren't yet available for the Operating System. Hopefully this changes in the future.
Agreed, its a catch 22 though.
The only way that linux beats out Windows or Mac on the desktop is if we all adopt and contributed to the FOSS movement.
If we wait until its fixed, it will never be fixed.
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libre office is great and all but for college/office project it is recommended to use the ms office, since it has been default for more than a decade now.
i have switched to google docs.
With open-source you often have to sacrifice a bit of convenience for the sake of a more long-term benefit.
Others have pointed it out. Linux isn't free of cost in terms that you will need to change your workflows, and spend time learning new things - there is an uphill slope to walk. Games may or may not work. Try with dual-boot before you decide.
& 4. Acting out of hate is almost never the right thing to do. You may end up hating Linux even more.
& 5. Try LiteStep (http://www.litestep.info/), or some other Windows Shell replacement before going for another OS - it is very customizeable, and maybe cool. You won't have any new drivers issues if you get it to work.
I'm not trying to dissuade you from going for Linux. Just pointing out that it is only worth it if you do it for the right reasons. My biased advice is, take Linux.
im going to have a windows laptop and a linux desktop