MEPIS Community Forum

I'd like some help with orientation about Linux, probably the Ubuntu flavor.

I'm tired of Windows, Microsoft's antics, and style over substance. I'm tired of losing solid days of work while struggling with Microsoft Word. On the other hand, people have written some pretty strong utilities for Windows, and I appreciate them. It'll be very hard to leave a few of them behind, especially the SlickRun launcher.

I need to be able to run my HP printers with HP's extensive driver controls. I need to be able to synchronize with my old Handspring palmtop computer that runs a certain old version of the Palm OS, synchronizing with its Windows "land" PIM. I want to be able to continue to use the ECCO personal information manager, whose development stopped with Windows 95. I want to be able to continue to use CDRW disks for backup work, but am realistic about having to dump the "conveniences" of using the Nero and/or Roxio packet-writing software that has enabled this functionality in Windows in the past My files and directories sometimes have long Windows filenames.

I've had some formal Unix training and was comfortable programming batch files in antique MS-DOS. My programming skills are at that level. And I'm almost ready to devote one computer for this.

Where can I go for helpful assistance?
Any other tips?

Let's just say I did not suggest he look at MEPIS.

Thank you!!

It seems this person got stuck somewhere in the '90s. My suggestion to him would be to upgrade his digital world before switching to Linux.

Thanks again. I guess that I'll be leaning toward a cross between comfort and universality at this point. Comfort means usability; universality means standards that are observed by a wide variety of software. I figure that my computers are new enough (9-11 years) to handle it.