A Free Windows XP Alternative - Comments Page 3

I looked into installing Ubuntu as an alternative to upgrading my wife's Netbook from XP but it really was a non-starter.
It may be an alternative for computer geeks and nerds but not for folks who just want to switch on and have it work.

For me installing Linux reminded me of installing a TV in the 1960s. In those days you didn't buy a TV in the store, bring it home and plug it in. An engineer delivered it and he came with a suitcase full of valves and spare parts and it took him the whole day to get the TV working.

With Ubuntu Linux you will probably find (as I did) that you need to go looking for drivers to match your hardware and go through all those UNIX commands to install the drivers. Even then, it will sometimes boot with mouse support then sometimes not - so you have to boot again.

No, it may get there eventually but definitely not an alternative for the plug and play simplicity of XP!

Thanks for a great tip Bob I just wish you had told me earlier Ive just spent £81 about $120 on a windows 7 from ebay

Another option to look at is Zorin From the Zorin site: "Zorin OS is a multi-functional operating system designed specifically for Windows users who want to have easy and smooth access to Linux."
you can choose to make it have the look and feel of XP or Win 7 in the free version or purchase the full version ≈ $20.00 and it can look like apple as well.

I think that SolydXK is even better for Windows XP users than Ubuntu. It is a fork of Linux Mint Debian Edition and is based on Debian with rock solid stability and ease of use since things like Flash and media codecs are already included. There are two flavors - SolydX with the lightweight and very fast XFCE desktop, and SolydK with the KDE desktop for those wanting more bells and whistles. Most of those who have used it seem to rave about it. Check out their website at www.solydxk.com.

"Replacing Windows XP with Ubuntu could not be easier or safer."
I've spent more than one hour on this with nothing to show. The Windows installer wants to use 64bit which I don't have. No mention of 32bit.
To use the usb installer (the version shown in the screenshots)requires (4shared.com) using another downloader with requires registration, passwords etc., etc.
I've even got an ISO file for Mint Linux - this does not work. I'm resting from Linux.

I've 3 hard drives E,F and G, XP being in E. E has about 70gb. If I install Ubuntu what happens to my desktop apps? And the stuff on F and G, mostly movies and books (PDF). I have Calibre installed in Desktop. Am I looking at a mountain or a molehill to climb?

After reading your article I did some more reading online and found another distro called Zorin OS that is based on Ubuntu. The included Look Changer lets you change your desktop to look and act like Windows 7, XP, Vista, Ubuntu Unity, Mac OS X or GNOME 2 for ultimate ease of use. There are free downloadable versions and paid versions on discs. I think the paid versions are mainly for the purpose of funding the developers since, as far as I can tell, all of the additional software that comes with the "premium" versions can be downloaded by a free user.

Home: http://zorin-os.com/

Reviews with screenshots:

http://www.everydaylinuxuser.com/2014/02/zorin-os-8-more-like-windows-7-than.html

http://www.zdnet.com/hands-on-zorin-os-8-linux-7000027587/ - includes a couple of tips for installation.

Now, if I can just get computer to boot from the DVD!

Hi Bob,

I am not a very advanced user of computers. My son however is an IT pro. He got tired of my complaints about MS, bought me a nice System 76 laptop with Xubuntu installed. I am a bit stymied by the opening screen. I doubt that I have given it a fair trial but I am initially finding it difficult.

I wish this article about switching to Ubuntu had come out 2 weeks ago before I bought a new computer with the terrible Win 8.1.

Well, I've tried a couple of times with the Ubuntu installer but to no avail. I get an error message:
Error: Cannot find GRLDR in all devices. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart.

There are lots of pages on the 'net dating back 7 years where others have had the same problem and been unable to resolve it. It's enough to turn one off using Linux. I've tried several times over the years to come to terms with Linux but never made it - so I went back to Windows. At least I can make it work and can resolve problems I nay encounter.

The Ubuntu os does not work well with printers and scanners, You can't use the disk that comes with your printer( it only works with a windows system). It won't recognize most scanners. If you're not a geek, you will curse yourself for using Ubuntu. If you ask a question on the Ubuntu forums, You better have a degree in computer science to understand what they're talking about.
It's free. So if it were easy to use wouldn't everyone be using it?

Hello. Thanks for all the info. I have XP and I'm not planning an upgrade, so this is VERY helpful. I tried Ubuntu using a Live CD and was surprised that my printer was already installed and that I could access my personal files.
I'm confused about why you would want to keep XP If you are going to switch to Ubuntu--is it so that you don't have to transfer your files?
If having XP is so risky, wouldn't it be safer to get rid of it?
I obviously don't really get it :)...I just assumed that the recommendation would be to wipe all traces of XP from your computer and install a different OS.

Perhaps people should be aware that Ubuntu may not work on older machines. When I tried it on my 2002-vintage Dell PC, it couldn't find compatible drivers for my network card - so no internet!

My question is sort of related. We will most likely upgrade to a new Dell PC. They offer either Windows 7 or 8 OS. I tried 8 on a new work machine a year ago and hated it. So they replaced it with 7 Pro. Now 7 Pro is not even offered. I wonder why? My question to you is: If we go with Windows 7, how long before we have to do this all over again? Also, in order to keep using all our old software programs, should we get the 32bit or 64bit version? Thanks.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Rest easy, you have until 2020 before Win7 will hit the scrap heap.

I have a Dell Latitude D600 (ancient?). Running Ubuntu and XP.
The Dell always ran out of cache memory (or something) so could only play 3/4 of a movie on XP and about 1/2 on Ubuntu before freezing up.
Firefox was prone to freezing up on Ubuntu but quite reliable in XP.
Had great difficulty with Windows supposed plug and play technology whereas Ubuntu really was plug and play. HP printer useless in Windows, just plugged it in, not even an installation, it was just there. Likewise the PCMCIA card. Useless in XP and available without installation in Ubuntu.
In conclusion, Ubuntu really seemed to be plug and play, whereas Windows 8.1 is still plug, search, swear, phone, give up and no play. Ubuntu is true plug and play.
I found the interface to be clumsy and it seemed that it consumed more memory on the old hardware set.
Most of us have too much invested in Microsoft to give it up and that is a tragedy.

I made an earlier comment about Zorin OS and decided to give it a try. After downloading the ISO file and burning it to a DVD using ImgBurn, I inserted the disc into the drive, powered on the computer, got into the boot menu and selected the CD/DVD drive, and after several "whirs" of the optical drive, got a cryptic error that basically said "something is missing." After spending a while searching for a solution - many others had the same error - the most frequent "solution" was download the ISO again, burn a new DVD and try again.
Instead of doing that, I used the Windows Installer for Ubuntu 12.04. It seemed to install smoothly, albeit very slowly. Once installed and rebooting, the first thing I did was try to click the Dash. Instead of it opening a search box, several horizontal bars "attached themselves" to the mouse pointer and after several seconds, everything froze. Had to manually shutdown. Started up again, and this time the display showed several icons that weren't there before. I was able to download and install updates, configure my printer (HP LaserJet 5L), change the background display and alert sound, but when I tried to get the driver for the specific video card, it hung up again. I waited for several minutes thinking it might somehow find a driver, but instead, chunks of the display started disappearing until there was nothing but a yellow band across the top. Tried to click the session menu to get to shutdown, but it only appeared as momentarily after each click. Eventually gave up and shut it down manually.
I haven't decided what to do next. I'd like to be able to use that PC even though I have another one that is running Win7 quite nicely. I could upgrade to 32-bit Windows 7 if I add some more RAM to it. Or, I can prepare myself for more frustration and try to get Ubuntu working properly. There are things about it I like, but having to open a terminal window and type in a lot of commands to get certain things to work - drivers, a VPN, etc. - I'm not sure I want to attempt all that.
For anyone who is interested, I found a very useful, free, downloadable PDF User's Manual for absolute Beginners here: http://ubuntu-manual.org/downloads

The best thing that happened to me in over 25 years with computers, was to find out Ubuntu. It does not crash, is customizable, adaptable, everything has a solution, it is possible to solve any problem; moreover, it is amazing the disposition of the free community to develop solutions and help each other. Above all, nothing is attached to a company or brand.

Ubuntu! Well. I sent the info to about a dozen of my friends and got SHOT DOWN. Only bad reports because it doesn't support software that they commonly use and is difficult and 'weird' to use. Popular opinion from my friends is 'bite the bullet' and buy a new computer.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Granted it's not exactly a "drop in" replacement for Windows, and requires some effort to learn. But this article was for those who either have no money to spend on an XP alternative, or who no longer want to use Microsoft products.

I'd agree that the best course of action for most is either a new PC, or installing Win7/Win8. But neither is free.

Sorry Bob I am trying to download Ubuntu following all of the links you provided on my Acer Travelmate
equipped with XP Pro. You made it look so easy and I was so excited to be leaving MS - however it is just not possible. By the way - one of the methods wants a fee of $18 dollars before letting one proceed.

EDITOR'S NOTE: There's no fee at all for Ubuntu. Follow the one link I gave for the Windows Ubuntu Installer.

Dear Bob,

I did just that - tried to use the Windows Ubuntu Installer. When I went down the 32-bit road I was asked to subscribe to eight items @ $2 dollars each.

Your article made it appear that Ubuntu could be simply downloaded to a partition. I think it requires a DVD or USB ISO and somehow is not compatible with 32-bit machines. In fairness to your kind reply I will try again.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The $2 suggested donations can be bypassed by using the sliders, or the Not now, take me to the download" link at the bottom.

You CAN download Ubuntu without a DVD or a USB, even on a 32-bit machine. You don't even need to make a partition. That's the beauty of the Windows Installer method.