For all of you worm victims

[Shrek]

:linuxrules:

[thermodynamic]

1. LOL! But why re-write Linux to make it as buggy as Windows?

:shrug:

[BigMcLargehuge]

2. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

I love Foxtrot!

[Stuckinthebush]

3. Tell me about Linux, please

I am a daily user of the computer (Windows OS), and I use MS Word, Access, Excel, Outlook, and SPSS statistical package for about 99% of my work.

Now, how do I switch without screwing up my programs or my printers, CD rom, etc.?

I'd love to, but this computer semi-savy guy doesn't want to waste two weeks trying to put things back together.

Any advice?

[mike_c]

4. any switch is going to involve a learning curve....

There are Linux native equivalents of all the software you use, e.g. OpenOffice is an MSOffice clone that reads and writes Word, Excel, etc files. There are several possible replacements for Outlook, but I can't comment on them because I still like pine (a console email app) just fine. For statistics (I do a LOT of data analysis) you can't beat R, but note that R is a console app, a language for data analyses, not a point-and-click app. It's MUCH more powerful than SPSS, but will certainly take some time to learn.

Another approach is to run Microsoft apps under wine. There's a proprietary version marketed by CodeWeavers called Crossover Office that runs the MS Office suite, Photoshop, etc., directly. I don't know about SPSS but you could contact CodeWeavers and ask.

Finally, a couple of other companies sell programs that allow you to install windows directly as a virtual OS running under Linux, and then windows apps run natively just like they do on a dedicated system. I've used Win4Lin from TreLos (not sure I spelled that correctly) quite successfully in the past. SPSS will certainly run under Win4Lin.

[webDude]

5. Seriously, go to your local Apple store, and grill them at the ...

genius bar, which is in every store. I regularly take my "Office" files back and forth between my Mac and the winblows at work. The only problem would be if you expected a word 2001 file to be opened up by word 1997.

Just try it, ask them ALL your questions. Your hardware should be plug-n-play if it is USB.