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best alternative to windows?

hey guys, I want to try something new. I'm looking for an alternative to my windows 7. so this will either be windows 8, OS X (can I install that on a real laptop?) or Ubuntu 12.4.
Ubuntu and OS X seem really similar to me. they're both Unix based, so why not. OS X seems to be better polished and more user friendly, no manual command lines or scripts to run to do simple things, yet its apple so I'm hesitant to try it, because of how they treat their phones.. I've tried Ubuntu in the past and it was a pain to fix issues, and lots of Googling what command lines to enter to install programs..
I know nothing of windows 8, but doubt its improved from windows 7 much.. looking for a comp I don't have to worry about drivers on
thoughts guys?
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I believe there is a way to install osx on a regular PC, but the hardware has to comply to osx standards. Dual boot Ubuntu, its great!
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Are you looking to change the software on your computer, or get a new one altogether?

Linux+++++
Ubuntu for the nubs, +9000 internets for Gentoo install. I'm still stuck on my customized slax build, but I love the speed of gentoo
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You get live CDs for everything these days.. if you dont want to experiment at the expense of your current OS, i suggest installing virtual machine.. n installing OS on dat.. Linux is the past,present n future if you ask me..
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Ubuntu 12.04 so much better than windows
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=)
Ive Used OXS, Windows and Linux (Ubuntu / Mint / Fedora)
I would say Windows is best for gaming and flashing ROM,
OSX is good for Graphics and Music Making
and Linux is good for Open Sourse, but not for Gaming !
n to get OSX to work on a PC its hell, id say buy a mac instead its a lot quicker !!

arch linux is the way, gentoo is deprecated and not sense, windows is like a trash, and unix and bsd is too hard for news
Windows s game is stupid and not logic, if you want play buy a console
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I would say to go with Linux
I am currently running Ubuntu 10.04 but I see the new one
has just come out, though I'm not sure I like the new interface.
I am a network Admin by trade but I switch to Linux when I go home at
night, for me Linux is much more flexible and does what I need it to do.
For those times I really need Windows at home I run it under Linux via VirtualBox.
There are many flavors out there Try a few and see what one fits you.

For a great linux alternative that can give a windows "feel" try out Mint 12. It is also fully customizeable so you can remove any features you dislike. It is based on Ubuntu so most things that are designed for Ubuntu function in Mint also.

cepsbow said:
Linux+++++
Ubuntu for the nubs, +9000 internets for Gentoo install. I'm still stuck on my customized slax build, but I love the speed of gentoo
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Click to collapse
Don't be a Gentoo ricer.
Use Linux Mint over Ubuntu. Each new version, Ubuntu drops a few hardware drivers. by version 10, my wifi card (RAlink RT3090) wasn't supported anymore.

cepsbow said:
Linux+++++
Ubuntu for the nubs, +9000 internets for Gentoo install. I'm still stuck on my customized slax build, but I love the speed of gentoo
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
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are you nuts
can you please tell me why is Ubuntu for noobs????

suky08 said:
are you nuts
can you please tell me why is Ubuntu for noobs????
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Click to collapse
I always laugh what I hear that, I'm an IT guy (have been for over 20 years).
I run Ubuntu. Just because I can compile from source does not mean I want to.
My time is worth something.

soraxd said:
hey guys, I want to try something new. I'm looking for an alternative to my windows 7. so this will either be windows 8, OS X (can I install that on a real laptop?) or Ubuntu 12.4.
Ubuntu and OS X seem really similar to me. they're both Unix based, so why not. OS X seems to be better polished and more user friendly, no manual command lines or scripts to run to do simple things, yet its apple so I'm hesitant to try it, because of how they treat their phones.. I've tried Ubuntu in the past and it was a pain to fix issues, and lots of Googling what command lines to enter to install programs..
I know nothing of windows 8, but doubt its improved from windows 7 much.. looking for a comp I don't have to worry about drivers on
thoughts guys?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont agree whit you that OS X is more frendly. Because you can customize it however you want. and about comands they are difficult first days but later... all comands are similar. Im using Ubuntu and it is excellent.
btw: apple is 10 years behind Microsoft and Microsoft ist 10 years behint Ubuntu as far as the security and viruses.

I prefer Kubuntu (with KDE). Gnome or KDE, it is more or less a matter of taste.

suky08 said:
Dont agree whit you that OS X is more frendly. Because you can customize it however you want. and about comands they are difficult first days but later... all comands are similar. Im using Ubuntu and it is excellent.
btw: apple is 10 years behind Microsoft and Microsoft ist 10 years behint Ubuntu as far as the security and viruses.
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Click to collapse
How do you justify that claim?

Most variants of Linux have their specific purposes. Gentoo as a development environment is not only practically sound, it is purposefully built for that.
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cepsbow said:
Most variants of Linux have their specific purposes. Gentoo as a development environment is not only practically sound, it is purposefully built for that.
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^^^ very true from my experience, if you go with a linux build there are specifics where each alternative shines. So choose yours that suits your needs.
PC died with XP........
OSX runs nicely because of ease of use, however its more "out there" with cloud computing and everything being connected one way or another, I personally don't like that.
Overall, linux is where it's at! Comes down to personal preference though

soraxd said:
OS X seems to be better polished and more user friendly, no manual command lines or scripts to run to do simple things, yet its apple so I'm hesitant to try it, because of how they treat their phones.
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Click to collapse
The first computer(s) I bought/built myself (starting around age 18) were "white box" PCs running whatever the current version of Windows was, and, invariably, dual-booting into Linux. I still have my super-sexy-for-the-time Sony VAIO PCG-Z505R (Win 98SE / Mandrake 6.1), a PIII-450 stuffed with MJPEG and UltraSCSI hardware (Windows 2000 / RedHat 7.2), etc. My personal / professional mail/web/file servers are all CentOS boxes (VPS instances). I just picked up a PogoPlug to run a small low-power ARM Linux server on, and my NAS units are Linux-based ReadyNAS devices. I've been a technical reviewer for, and/or authored chapters in, a dozen books on Linux deployment and/or programming. If I were to ever get inked, it would probably be with an image of Tux.
That said...
When the release of Jaguar made OS X a viable platform, I leapt (iBook G3/600), and have never looked back. Best of all worlds -- I get must-have apps like Office (no, Open/Libre/etc.Office is not a viable replacement, not for the complicated formatting-heavy documents I routinely have to exchange with other parties and institutions -- and yes, I have tried), Photoshop (GIMP is great, but it's not a substitute), StarCraft and I also get a full POSIX UNIX environment. (Open Group UNIX 03 certified, at least as of OS X Leopard.)
I even hackintoshed the HP mini 1116nr netbook I picked up cheap (refurbished) to play around with. Neither of the two main 'consumer' distributions, Ubuntu or Fedora, were "quite there." There were, not constantly but consistently, weird issues with WiFi, or closing the lid to put the machine to sleep, or, well, something. Even on machines that shipped with Linux from the factory (I had a Dell mini 9 for a while.) So-called "compatible" software, like OpenOffice.org, was ~90%, but the devil was in the details found in that last 10%.
I'm a little unnerved by Apple's apparent push towards a closed environment (walled garden); it's (marginally) acceptable on an iPhone or even (arguably) an iPad, appliance devices, but a general purpose computer should, IMHO, remain just that.
But if you can get OS X 10.6 running on a Hackintosh (or if you can swing the entry price for actual Apple hardware; the MacBook Air in particular is a sick piece of kit not priced much higher -- often cheaper -- than an equivalent "ultrabook" from any of the Wintel shops), I'd say go OS X.
You'd be far from alone... Google for:
Watching the "Alpha Geeks": OS X and the Next Big Thing
by Tim O'Reilly
Return of the Mac - Paul Graham
Etc.

Just my two cents,
However, i've been using Windows in my job (IT support for a school) for about 6 years, and toyed with the idea of running Linux or something else.
i've tried Linux Mint and a few other variants and even the lightweight one. And tbh while they are all perfectly reasonable OS's for being free, i can only really say it's not something i ever went back to.
I'm currently running Backtrack 5 over Oracle VM.
Linux has a huge user base, however for it to compete with Windows i do believe they need to make it easier for nubs to use. I'd install it all day on peoples computers if i knew they'd be able to use it.

Any PC Like Android Devices?

Hey folks,
I'm looking to replace my home Windows PC with an Android PC (ice cream sandwich or newer). I have a 23" Touchscreen monitor from Dell that I'd like to incorporate if possible.
So, basically I'm looking for a tablet, but I don't need the screen (like a desktop pc). The closest thing I could find was the MK802 Android on a Stick device. This is very cool, but since they were so focused on making it small, it seems like it's a bit under-powered. Videos I've seen of it show stutter. Are there any other similar devices but with more power (preferrably Tegra 3 or at least Tegra 2 or Snap Dragon)? It's fine if it's large...I don't need portability.
Note: I checked out the Android x86 project, with the idea being that I'd just install Android on my PC. But I don't have the specific computers they support.
Worst come worst, I'll buy an Android Tablet and hook up the external display, but seems like most of the money will be wasted on display and form factor, both of which I don't need.
Thanks!

Android-x86 is your best option IMO
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Quinny899 said:
Android-x86 is your best option IMO
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Thanks. Like I said though...they only support like 5 or 6 pcs, none of which I have.
I'm really just looking for something like the MK802, only more powerful...and larger is fine too.

MSmithXDA said:
Thanks. Like I said though...they only support like 5 or 6 pcs, none of which I have.
I'm really just looking for something like the MK802, only more powerful...and larger is fine too.
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They work on any PC, just pick the one that's closest. I run the Asus_laptop one on my Acer D255 netbook
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Quinny899 said:
They work on any PC, just pick the one that's closest. I run the Asus_laptop one on my Acer D255 netbook
Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk 2
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Oh cool! And actually I may be in luck anyway. I have an AMD Fusion/Zacate board. Apparently (I didn't realize), that's apart of AMD Brazos series, for which there is an Android-x86 iso for. Just made my USB boot stick and will try when I get home.

Biggest phone ---note
Tab--galaxy tab.......10th.1
Buy a tab and run xp on it.........lol
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Android-x86 is really good, try it.

assumed eprodim
I did and it seems very promising. I just came across 2 issues which I posted about in the following thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1787160
If I can resolve those issues (crossing fingers), it'll be my new htpc.

windows 8 rt in this

i know nothing about porting windows or whether or not it can even be used on this tablet...
do any of you know if we could dual boot windows rt on this?

Maybe
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I am also interested in this question. If someone finds the time reply please.

It seems to be a possibility bc Asus is releasing a windows 8 tablet with the same specs as our tf700 except more ram.
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Not possible and illegal if it would somehow happen. That's like porting iOS to an android smartphone or tablet.

hajalie24 said:
Not possible and illegal if it would somehow happen. That's like porting iOS to an android smartphone or tablet.
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Not quite. iOS is meant to run only on Apple hardware. Android and Windows on the other hand are meant to be run on as many pieces of hardware as possible.

Lol secureboot do not want
le rustle face

urrlyx said:
Not quite. iOS is meant to run only on Apple hardware. Android and Windows on the other hand are meant to be run on as many pieces of hardware as possible.
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Not to mention, you would need the source code for iOS. Android is open source thus allowing developers to port it onto any capable device.
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Did anyone check Windows 8 RT's architecture? If it's x86 it's not going to work with ARM.
Edit: Boink! It's ARM, we should see it on here in the future. Maybe Windows 8 RT will avoid the ridiculous I/O problems we currently have.
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Keion said:
Lol secureboot do not want
le rustle face
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lol totally.

urrlyx said:
lol totally.
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>le meme arrows xD

just take my money

I don't think it's possible because Windows RT won't be released for consumers. It comes preinstalled.
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Just saw this on engadget. http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/17/asus-windows-8-tablets-599-799/
It shows a TF600T, seems to be about the same specs(with the little they show) as our tf700t. Maybe that will mean that we might be able to dual boot win 8!?
I sure hope so!

While theoretically it is possible to dual boot both Android and Windows RT if you can hack the UEFI firmware, I don't bet my money on the tf700 being able to boot Windows RT. Microsoft has made it very clear for all OEMs that there must be no mechanism to disable secure boot on Windows RT. So, as far as I can understand, there are 2 problems:
1. Windows RT is only available to OEMs to preinstall on their devices and it won't be available to the public.
2. Windows RT requires UEFI secure boot, which won't allow anything else to run, including Linux.
Business as usual, I don't expect Microsoft to play nice with Android.

R0CKSTAR3N3RGY said:
Did anyone check Windows 8 RT's architecture? If it's x86 it's not going to work with ARM.
Edit: Boink! It's ARM, we should see it on here in the future. Maybe Windows 8 RT will avoid the ridiculous I/O problems we currently have.
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Yeah, because Windows is just so well known for making the most out of available hardware...
(Note blatant sarcasm)

Cheapxj said:
Yeah, because Windows is just so well known for making the most out of available hardware...
(Note blatant sarcasm)
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Click to collapse
Have you ever used Windows 8 RT?

[Q] Windows 8 on TF300T: feasible or just a dream?

I want ask experts around here if there is really a chance of windows 8 being installed in our TF300T in the future? a month from now windows 8 will be out but I have no clue if it will be available for TF300T. I'm really pissed in looking for a powerpoint alternative that can create "quality" presentations in android. If it is really a big NO then I might opt for an upcoming windows 8 tablet which I don't want to do as I'm enjoying my TF300T now except for the presentation part which I badly need for work. Thanks!

The big issue, or one of the big issues, is it would pirating windows 8.
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No it wouldn't it would just be renovating just like Apple.
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windose? that would be terrible to ruin such a nice tablet.

Wouldn't Ubuntu(Linux) be easyier to port?
I don't know much about Ubuntu but I think there you could also get styles and of ubuntu you could get the license easier (if there is one, I'm not sure...)

migs_jaime said:
I want ask experts around here if there is really a chance of windows 8 being installed in our TF300T in the future? a month from now windows 8 will be out but I have no clue if it will be available for TF300T. I'm really pissed in looking for a powerpoint alternative that can create "quality" presentations in android. If it is really a big NO then I might opt for an upcoming windows 8 tablet which I don't want to do as I'm enjoying my TF300T now except for the presentation part which I badly need for work. Thanks!
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Why dont you just remote desktop to a home PC using splashtop 2, OR buy a subcription to OnLive Desktop (if you are the US). It gives you a full windows environment for a set monthly fee.

mcall_r said:
Why dont you just remote desktop to a home PC using splashtop 2, OR buy a subcription to OnLive Desktop (if you are the US). It gives you a full windows environment for a set monthly fee.
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unfortnately i'm from the philippines and theres no app similar to onlive desktop that is available in here. My PC at home is being used by my wife so I can't make use of the remote desktop as well.

migs_jaime said:
unfortnately i'm from the philippines and theres no app similar to onlive desktop that is available in here. My PC at home is being used by my wife so I can't make use of the remote desktop as well.
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Click to collapse
You can download the app from my dropbox here
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uscnxvtf320ct2t/com.onlive.desktop-104621.apk
You may need to go to the onlive site to make an account first, or if you have an account for the onlive gaming app, you can also use that.

.
I love windows 8 *_* The tf300 has the tegra 3 cpu... And w8 rtm is based on this cpu... it's impossible to see it on tf300?

I haven't much knowledge in this topic, but I'm guessing the bootloader locking by Microsoft will be the main issue to work against for an android/Windows 8 RT dual booting tablet.

Experiment!!!
By this time I already have a Zenbook Prime running W8.
As all of us know there is special version of the OS for ARM processors called Windows 8 RTM.
The transformer has a dock station which has USB 2.0. So in theory it is possible to load from USB-drive BUT
I don't know if the transformer's motherboard has BIOS or smth else.
I'm gonna have an experiment and give u the results
And ofcourse if u know smth else, please share it:good:

That would need to made a complete new bootloader for our device, and we don't have any sources of it and on JB we can not flash any custom bootloader because it is signed by ASUS, so just a dream, forget about this idea.

And the storage is sooo small for W8

Ubuntu Tablet on TF300t?

Hey guys I've been in and out of the transformer forums mainly because I like where I'm at on my tf300. But since the release of Ubuntu tablet, I was thinking, Could our tablet support a port (or direct build) of Ubuntu tablet?

tobiascuypers said:
Hey guys I've been in and out of the transformer forums mainly because I like where I'm at on my tf300. But since the release of Ubuntu tablet, I was thinking, Could our tablet support a port (or direct build) of Ubuntu tablet?
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Click to collapse
yes, but its still in its early development phases so you'll have to wait a while.

Yep you really can't have it yet. You can install vanilla Ubuntu or many other distros though. Heck put Backtrack on it and you'll have a sweet network tool.
Sent form my Note II N7100

Might be easier than you think
One of the reference platforms for Ubuntu Tablet Edition is the Nexus 7. The TF300T is essentially the same hardware. Heck, even the screen resolution is the same even though it's physically bigger. I plan on giving it a go myself just to see what happens

Akita24 said:
One of the reference platforms for Ubuntu Tablet Edition is the Nexus 7. The TF300T is essentially the same hardware. Heck, even the screen resolution is the same even though it's physically bigger. I plan on giving it a go myself just to see what happens
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Click to collapse
Hi I've just tried this using VMware Workstation and the pass-thru works find but Linux knows your device is TF300 so it doesn't let you install it.
Guess we are going to have find a way to make Ubuntu think your device is a Nexus 10 to install

Can you just edit the build.prop to trick it into thinking its a Nexus 7? I have done this on my Note 2 in order ti get PS Touch.
Sent form my Note II N7100