|
To try Linux, all you need to do is either download a file then burn a CD or buy a ready made disk. The "buy" part in this case is paying for shipping and a few bucks for the guy to burn the CD for you. If you go to LinuxCD.Org or OS Disk.Com, you can get them in this manner for a very good price. My suggestion is to get Mepis first, as it is a very friendly and easy to use distro. If you want to try other easy to use distros, try Kubuntu, Ubuntu, Xubuntu or Fedora. Get all if you are buying them.
There are many versions of Linux (or "Distros" as they are called, short for Distributions) which are custom tailored for different purposes, but beginners seem to like the ones mentioned here the best. If you are worried that you won't get the "right" one, don't worry. The "right" one is the one you like. The one that you find easy to use. Each one has different looks to them, some are more "Windows-like" than others. The best advice I can give you is to try Mepis first.
So now you have a disk/s in your hands. Pop in the Mepis disk and reboot your computer. If it says something like "Boot From CD:" at the bottom of the screen as your computer is booting, press enter. Your Linux disk should boot then present you with a screen asking you what you want to do. If you do nothing, it will boot after about 30 seconds. If your hardware liked the distro, you will have a desktop screen that is similar to Windows.
Linux is free to try and costs nothing to buy. The main block to using Linux in most cases is fear of trying something new. No matter how awful the experience some users have with using Windows, they have a hard time getting outside their Microsoft comfort zone. With it being totally free, and with it being a live CD, there is no reason not to try it. You just put the Linux disk in the CD Drive and it will start. If your hardware is compatable, then it will run and you can use it. Nothing will be installed to your computer until you want it to. When you do want to install, the installer will ask you if you want to use the whole hard drive or share the hard drive with your Windows installation (if you have a stable Windows installation). This way, you can still use Windows when you want to while you build your confidence in using Linux.
If you have problems, try looking through forums like the one at Linuxquestions.org for Mepis or at LinuxQuestions.org for the *buntu distros. Please remember to be polite when posting. You can also use Google's Linux only search engine at http://www.google.com/linux. Using search terms like "mepis change screen resolution" helps the search engine find what you are looking for.
|
