Best alternative OS to Windows? Any recommendations?

Try windows 7..better than windows vista. Most of the softwares are compatible with windows 7

 

Ubuntu is quite frankly amazing stuff for a free OS. I am getting ready to dual boot win7 with it. I hate windows but need it for the ocassionally game session.

For win apps you can use vmware, croosover office, or wine to run most productivity related apps like office if need be.

hope that helps,
Nigel

 

i would say mac but it depends what you use your pc for

 

i'm using opensuse11.1. great os with lots of support

 

I think ubuntu is the best

 

I am another Ubuntu fan - and not just because it's free. My Dell came with Vista installed and I haven't booted the Vista partition in many months. Stable, fast, and virus free is more important than price.

 

Without a doubt OSX is the single best OS out there. I'd suggest you get a mac if you're planning to. Ubuntu works great too and you got different versions available for free.

 

Totally agree that's why OSX is easy for the end user.

 

Has to be Ubuntu

Really good for Desktop and you can install wine and run your windows programs

 

ubuntu is usually the recommended stuff, but i would recommend linux mint if you want to go the easy peasy road, for easy config for a HTPC server, or games etc w/e multimedia, its perfect.

if you want to learn some, take up pcbsd/DesktopBSD, great distros i can vouch for.

 

Ubuntu - most of your questions will be answered ( not here ) in the matter of seconds ( or minutes ).

 

Ubuntu- If you need a free alternative (Supports all windows apps via WINE)
Fedora- If you can do some linux based commands
Gentoo- If you are a big time linux fan and computer geek
Debian- Be prepared to pull out your hair cause you get confused every other second.
Google OS- You have to wait
Mac- No idea. Haven't used them

Your best bet would be Ubuntu or fedora. You could also look at building linux distro from scratch if you are upto it

 

If you are going to use Linux, it would be better to choose Ubuntu. You may also want to check out Fedora, eventhough it is not 'as' user-friendly as Ubuntu.

There would be nothing more secure than a Linux in your box.

 

Thank you everyone for your kind replies and thoughts. Theres a lot to digest.

talk soon.

 

most of the linux ones are free and work on same machines as Windows ..
Ubuntu is best with great interface..
Solaris is also free one from SUN ( Java)

 

I'll recommend UBuntu 9 its free and cool OS.

 

Though Macs also support us advanced users as well. More than half the time I have a terminal window up and am SSH'ed into one of my servers. It's basically *NIX with a nice GUI. It also has Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Pages and various other software that I use on a regular basis too. It also comes with iPhoto which I use to organize my photos from various trips I take. I wouldn't give ya' a nickel for an OS9 based Mac, but OSX rocks my socks off.

If you're going to do Linux though, do it right and go with Gentoo. I love how portage downloads and installs the dependencies I need when I add a utility it knows how to handle.

 

Which one doesn't ?

 

what i would suggest you is linux, so ubuntu would be a good choice if you are used to windows.

 

Ubuntu...is the next best alternative
If you have apple hardware then you can go to Mac OS also..