So I went and installed...

[elytron]

Ubuntu-MATE on my new Dell Laptop. Formatting away Windows 10 in the process. Don't think that I will be going back, but just in case, I created a Win10 reinstall USB stick. I gave Windows another chance, but it looks like I'm going to continue using Linux. In case anyone is interested, I bought the Inspiron 3452. It has a 500GB spinning drive, 4GB memory, and a quad-core Pentium. $279.99 US. With a 14 inch screen.

Would of installed Linux Mint, but their server got hacked recently. So I will wait till they get their stuff in order.

 

[Murby]

How do you like Ubuntu ???

 

[elytron]

How do you like Ubuntu ???

I prefer the Ubuntu-MATE version of the Linux distro, over the regular Ubuntu, with Unity. At least for the moment. Have been a Ubuntu user since version 6.06 Dapper Drake, was the first Linux OS that I tried. Had been using Windows XP previously.

I would of installed Linux Mint this time, but they did get hacked. Their website pointed to a malicious version of Mint, for about a day. So I will wait a while before using them again. Even though they said their update server was fine.

 

[negativeflare]

I like Xubuntu, I can't stand Ubuntu's native Unity junk. And I've grown to really love XFCE4.

 

[paul1149]

I've also found XFCE4 to be excellent. Light, configurable, attractive. I have it on Linux Lite.

 

[freezerman2000]

I'm using SuperX Grace.
Feels almost like Windows..no problems so far.

 

[elytron]

In the past I have used Xubuntu, not recently though.

Linux Lite looks nice. I haven't used XFCE in so long.

Had not yet heard of SuperX. Looked it up on Distrowatch

Glad I am not the only one here using Linux.

 

[elytron]

Decided to post an update. I bought a new wireless card upgrade for this particular Dell laptop. Wasn't very expensive at all. The chip was so small though, had difficulty connecting the antennas. Eventually connected them, so now I have dual-band wireless-AC. Eventually will get a new wireless router to take full advantage of the new Intel brand card.

Looking forward to Linux Mint 18 being released. I enjoy upgrading to new versions of Linux for some reason. Have three machines that I will do fresh installs on, once released.

Also have a question, about solid state drives for laptops. I understand they are faster than the traditional spinning drives, but which is more reliable. Think I read that SSD's have a limited lifespan. I considered getting one for this cheap laptop of mine. What are all your opinions.

 

[paul1149]

I've been on Linux for at least a year now, and will not go back. I think Windows is on autopilot, and MS is looking to other revenue streams. They've even incorporated Linux into the Win10 terminal, and I think that's just the beginning.

Linux Lite just upgraded to 3.0. Some changes, but mostly subtle. It's good to be able to install the latest versions of the various applications, and a fresh install on occasion is a good thing.

I've been on an SSD on my main machine for maybe three years now, and the difference is amazing. It's a Kingston, and has been flawless.

 

[dysert]

Decided to post an update. I bought a new wireless card upgrade for this particular Dell laptop. Wasn't very expensive at all. The chip was so small though, had difficulty connecting the antennas. eventually connected them, so now I have dual-band wireless-AC. Eventually will get a new wireless router to take full advantage of the new Intel brand card.

Looking forward to Linux Mint 18 being released. I enjoy upgrading to new versions of Linux for some reason. Have three machines that I will do fresh installs on, once released.

Also have a question, about solid state drives for laptops. I understand they are faster than the traditional spinning drives, but which is more reliable. Think I read that SSD's have a limited lifespan. I considered getting one for this cheap laptop of mine. What are all your opinions.

Yes, SSDs are faster than spinning drives. Both of them have limited lifespans, but I don't know if there's a significant difference. One thing I've heard over and over, though, is that you should not defrag an SSD. Don't know why, but I just thought I'd pass along what I've heard. Enjoy!

 

[paul1149]

Access time is extremely fast with an SSD. There is no head and arm travel, it's all electronic. So fragged files are virtually as fast to load as defragged, plus the defragging puts a lot of wear on the drive.

 

[skalle]

File fragmentation is never a good thing, but on an SSD, the actual performance difference is negligible, as explained above. It is definitely true that defragging an SSD uses up finite writes unnecessarily, so it is best not to do it. If you use Linux, the point is moot, anyway, as ext4 (the most common Linux filesystem) does not have the fragmentation issues of NTFS/FAT/FAT32. Some people do recommend using a HDD for swap, though if you have sufficient RAM, swap is rarely used anyway, which again makes the point moot.