This is long. If you want the condensed version, skip ahead.
Forgive the complete noob stuff, but I am pretty much a noob despite being a windows user since 1995. I know more than the average user, but when it comes to the finer points I'm lost. Put it this way... I know enough to know how much windows sucks and I'm ready to get out of it.
In my life right now I have a desktop that was custom built 4-5 years ago with top-shelf parts. My wife has a Precision M60 laptop that has chugged along for 3 years despite her best attempts to kill it. I have a Latitude D610 that has been a nightmare.
My latitude (despite only being about 1 year old) just fried its second HD, I'm tired of every hack trying to destroy my MS software products, and I'm tired of things locking up. So, before I spend more money, I want some opinions/options
I'm not at the point where Mac is really feasible financially. No offense to Mac users, but I find it to be kinda boutique stuff; really good quality at 4 times the price. I'm more about open source and doing things myself. I also don't have the cash to lay out for that kind of hardware update. I've made the switch to Mozilla and OpenOffice but the XP just leaves so much open to attack.
So, basically, with the cases and hardware I currently have, (with a few obvious upgrades in the future) what kind of OS might you suggest? My wife and I do a lot of digital photography and videography/editing, and some home music recording with Cubase. We're both internet freaks, I do a considerable amount of vehicle computer tuning on my laptop. We're both hopelessly addicted to iPods and other portable music. I've listed the hardware below for each one.
Desktop: Eventually this one is going to be a sorta home server; about 1.5TB of storage in a RAID, remote access, print server, home office kinda thing, but I'm a long way from knowing how to do that.
Antec case
ASUS P3200
Pentium 3.2
SoundBlaster 2ZS pro
Nvidia something or other
1GB mem and I think that's all I can do
250GB HD, but plenty of bays for more.
typical drives; dual layer dvd, card slots, etc
Currently XP pro
Latitude D610: Mine. I want to be able to either wirelessly or wired keep this one trimmed down and be able to use the desktop as a remote storage
Intel PM at 2.xx
Standard Dell Guts
1GB with room for another dimm for 2GB
fried 250GB HD
XP
Precision M60: wife's. Same basic plan as mine.
Intel PM at 2.3 I think
Standard Dell guts
2GB and that's all I can do
currently 80GB HD; which is enough if I get the desktop set up as a home server.
XP media center.
Condensed version
Hate my windows, already have good PC hardware, too poor to switch to Mac.
I'm looking for suggestions on OS, and any good (can't stress that enough) open source programming that relatively seamlessly integrates with current protocols. I'm not advanced enough to diagnose why my printer won't work on linux, or why videos won't play in Mozilla. Simple is good. I have a tough enough time getting my drivers loaded to make my mouse work, so a more universal compatibility is good.
Open source (or cheap licensing) suggestions to replace:
-OS
-cubase and fruityloops, or other home recording stuff?
-photo editing software?
-html editor to replace front page?
-video editing software to replace adobe premier?
-is there a better iPod interface than iTunes?
-something to run my wireless-g box with more configurability?
-internet security suite to replace Norton or McAffee?
-something integrated that will play all video formats? I hate the fact that I pretty much have to have qt, wmp, and a few others to see everything.
-all of the above with at least a modicum of integratable protocols with current standards. If I want to make a jpeg I can't do it with my OpenOffice Draw, and if I want to send a resume the formatting gets all messed up when I convert from Writer to a doc file.
-all of the above with a lean toward home networking and internet.
Thanks for reading my noob rant. Any help is appreciated.
Forgive the complete noob stuff, but I am pretty much a noob despite being a windows user since 1995. I know more than the average user, but when it comes to the finer points I'm lost. Put it this way... I know enough to know how much windows sucks and I'm ready to get out of it.
In my life right now I have a desktop that was custom built 4-5 years ago with top-shelf parts. My wife has a Precision M60 laptop that has chugged along for 3 years despite her best attempts to kill it. I have a Latitude D610 that has been a nightmare.
My latitude (despite only being about 1 year old) just fried its second HD, I'm tired of every hack trying to destroy my MS software products, and I'm tired of things locking up. So, before I spend more money, I want some opinions/options
I'm not at the point where Mac is really feasible financially. No offense to Mac users, but I find it to be kinda boutique stuff; really good quality at 4 times the price. I'm more about open source and doing things myself. I also don't have the cash to lay out for that kind of hardware update. I've made the switch to Mozilla and OpenOffice but the XP just leaves so much open to attack.
So, basically, with the cases and hardware I currently have, (with a few obvious upgrades in the future) what kind of OS might you suggest? My wife and I do a lot of digital photography and videography/editing, and some home music recording with Cubase. We're both internet freaks, I do a considerable amount of vehicle computer tuning on my laptop. We're both hopelessly addicted to iPods and other portable music. I've listed the hardware below for each one.
Desktop: Eventually this one is going to be a sorta home server; about 1.5TB of storage in a RAID, remote access, print server, home office kinda thing, but I'm a long way from knowing how to do that.
Antec case
ASUS P3200
Pentium 3.2
SoundBlaster 2ZS pro
Nvidia something or other
1GB mem and I think that's all I can do
250GB HD, but plenty of bays for more.
typical drives; dual layer dvd, card slots, etc
Currently XP pro
Latitude D610: Mine. I want to be able to either wirelessly or wired keep this one trimmed down and be able to use the desktop as a remote storage
Intel PM at 2.xx
Standard Dell Guts
1GB with room for another dimm for 2GB
fried 250GB HD
XP
Precision M60: wife's. Same basic plan as mine.
Intel PM at 2.3 I think
Standard Dell guts
2GB and that's all I can do
currently 80GB HD; which is enough if I get the desktop set up as a home server.
XP media center.
Condensed version
Hate my windows, already have good PC hardware, too poor to switch to Mac.
I'm looking for suggestions on OS, and any good (can't stress that enough) open source programming that relatively seamlessly integrates with current protocols. I'm not advanced enough to diagnose why my printer won't work on linux, or why videos won't play in Mozilla. Simple is good. I have a tough enough time getting my drivers loaded to make my mouse work, so a more universal compatibility is good.
Open source (or cheap licensing) suggestions to replace:
-OS
-cubase and fruityloops, or other home recording stuff?
-photo editing software?
-html editor to replace front page?
-video editing software to replace adobe premier?
-is there a better iPod interface than iTunes?
-something to run my wireless-g box with more configurability?
-internet security suite to replace Norton or McAffee?
-something integrated that will play all video formats? I hate the fact that I pretty much have to have qt, wmp, and a few others to see everything.
-all of the above with at least a modicum of integratable protocols with current standards. If I want to make a jpeg I can't do it with my OpenOffice Draw, and if I want to send a resume the formatting gets all messed up when I convert from Writer to a doc file.
-all of the above with a lean toward home networking and internet.
Thanks for reading my noob rant. Any help is appreciated.
Last edited:
