WINDOWS (without IE) FOREVER!

To Chris: I'm hoping so. Microsoft needs some cold water on their faces.

To Ross: I'm disappointed in you. It's attitudes like that that will ensure Microsoft stays on top. :(

Bill Gates is the most powerful nerd in Existance, and while people buy his stuff no-one can harm him, or touch him, as much as i like to see other computer companies take the lead in the running, i doubt it will happen for many years.

Linux isn't a company... it's made by the people. And I'd recommend you try it before you knock it.

It's not that I wouldnt, but all my things are already on Windows, besides, you know how Pro-Microsoft my family is. It took long enough to force them onto Firefox.

All my things were on Windows once. My solution was to dual boot (menu on startup) for a while as a transitionary period. Boot into Windows for things you need Windows for, then boot into Linux when you're ready to try things a different way. Chances are, you'll get the same stuff working on Linux as you have on Windows. Your documents, images, everything -- they're all cross-compatible. And you'd still have Windows to fall back on in a crunch.

If you're not even ready to dual boot yet, Linux has an amazing innovation called a live CD that you may actually want to consider. With a live CD, you simply burn a selected Linux distribution's live CD (freely downloaded off their web site) onto a CD, then place that CD into your drive and restart your computer. When it boots, it will boot off the CD and load the entire operating system, fully functional, into your computer's memory. You can do anything with that as you would the real thing, but it doesn't touch your computer's hard drive at all. Once you're done, simply reboot the computer again, eject the CD, and everything's back to the way it was before.

You might want to consider that, as it would let you see the immense progress Linux has made and even experience it first hand without making any changes at all to your computer.

Still. My parents wouldn't approve.

Who cares? They wouldn't even know. Take it for a spin, then when you're done, just restart. No one gets hurt by it.

As for computer games, CS is the only game i play on the comp now.

Well, I'm very close to getting in Linux. Wait until I get my badass new machine.

It sounds really sweet.

I can't wait -- although with the problems I'm currently having with getting Windows and Linux to play nicely together, I may not be able to get everything working. :(

Why not buy the new machine with Linux, not windows installed?

Machines don't sell with Linux installed. It's how Microsoft stays on top. Besides, I'm not buying a ready-made one, I'm building a custom one. It won't be preloaded with an operating system at all.

I remember Rogue telling me that some stores will do custom PCs with Linux and not Windows. That was when I was getting my new computer.

It's very unusual. If you can get a good deal on something like that, jump on it.

It should be worth it, I have a mate who made his own, it is very good.

I'm constructing my own from parts off of NewEgg.com, special thanks to Shawn for most of the recommendations.

well done then, keep it going. :P

It came in a few days ago and I'm now finished building it. It runs like lightning!