Linux OS

From: Jim Isbell <millenniumfalcon_at_cableone.net>
Date: Sat Oct 16 20:04:18 2004

The question remains, will the files I have, Gigabytes of them, made by
Easy Office and Easy Calc and Netscape...etc. Be readable by the new
APPS. If not then it is worthless to get new apps no mater the price.
I don't need a new clean computer. I am not starting from scratch. I
need a computer that will read 20 years of files. That is where MY data
is located. "Uncle Bill" has me by the balls until I find an OS that
can either read or convert my existing files.

John C. Ellingboe wrote:

>Apparently you haven't investigated Linux to any real extent. Google
>for Konppix and get their ISO image. It will run from the cd and can be
>installed to your hard disk. Forget wine and windows emulation, look at
>open office for your word processor and spread sheet. There are
>applications that will build .pdf files and most other stuff in the
>Linux distributions, you just have to look for them.
>
>
>Jim Isbell wrote:
>
>
>>I have been ready for 20 years to dump "Uncle Bill" but every time I
>>try to switch to Linux I run into problems that seem insurmountable.
>>
>>Recently I have been looking at the Linspire line of products...Lindows
>>in particular. It looks like what I need, BUT....just as always, when I
>>ask about compatibility with the various applications that I now run
>>under XP I get the same run-around. "Get it and try with Wine and see
>>if it works." If I have to get drunk first, I am not interested...#8-)
>>
>>I can't do that. There are programs I need and I cannot just take a
>>chance that "maybe it will work" My main concerns are Adobe PDF
>>creator, Adobe Photo Shop, Netscape, and particularly Easy Office 2001
>>which contains all my data in Easy Spreadsheet files that are not
>>compatible with Excel (even though they are supposed to be).
>>
>>I don't want to have to go out and buy an all new set of apps. That
>>makes the relatively low price of Lindows immaterial. And besides, all
>>my files would likely be incompatible so I lose all my old data unless I
>>keep two machines. Also, I use Netscape for browser and E Mail and I
>>have tons of mail files and bookmarks that I would have to figure out
>>how to get over to Lindows...Unless Netscape will run under Lindows. ????
>>
>>I know there are free apps that can do word processing and spreadsheets
>>and photo processing, but they appear to be "stripped down" versions.
>>
>>I can network the old and new computers ( I already have the LAN in
>>operation with two MS OS computers on it) then I could download all my
>>files and programs into the new computer....IF I COULD BE SURE that they
>>would work with the Lindows OS. Spending $49 to try what might be a
>>failure is NOT an option.
>>
>>Does anyone have any suggestions other than buy it and hope it works?
>>
Received on Sat Oct 16 2004 - 20:04:18 BST