[UPDATED]

So lately I’ve been thinking of things to do. While waiting for the releases of such sofware as IE 7 and Windows Vista, as well as an update to Google Earth that gives it a UI like Picasa and the Yahoo! Mail beta, I’d try something new. I decided upon seeing whether Linux truly is a solid platform for day-to-day computing. I decided that I would see what it would be like to have only Linux installed. Since there is no way I’d ever uninstall Windows (I know it far too well), I will just use the Linux distro I dual boot with.

The hardware I will use be using is as follows:

• Custom Built PC
• 3.0 Ghz Pentium 4 (1MB L2, HyperThreading)
• 512 MB PC 3200 DDR RAM
• ATi Radeon X850 PRO AGP
• 15” Sylvania Flat Panel
• 6GB 7200 RPM Maxtor HDD

The software I will be using:

• Ubuntu Linux 5.10
• GNOME 2.12 (Window Manager)
• Firefox 1.0.7
• Ximian Evolution
• GAIM
• AbiWord

I will follow these guidelines:

• Every task i need to do should at least be thoroughly attempted in Linux before going to Windows for that task.
• I can boot into Windows if I want to try something. I’m expecting a patch to Battlefront II soon, and when that’s released, I will boot into Windows to install and use it.
• Should my Ubuntu install become unbootable, I will use Windows until I can boot into it (I don’t plan for this to happen.)
• I will be attempting to keep it up all 28 days. Hibernating does not reset the uptime counter.

I will write down my thought at the end of each day, and will post an update every week. I will also write a conclusion about how it feels to be back in Windows.

I will post the updates every Saturday night. Since I only have one day under my belt and It’s already Saturday, I will append it th this entry.

Day 1 - February 10th

The first full day went over quite well. I found a good theme, finished setting up some basic apps (I had some headway before the project), and I typed up an essay in AbiWord and made a chart with Gnumeric (both had a school-related purpose). I have loaded TVTime, but I can’t get any audio, so I won’t be able to watch TV yet. Other problems include not being able to send messages through GMail with Evolution, and having (more) problems trying to get ATi’s fglrx drivers to install so I can get some decent 3D performace out of my X850. I’ve seen the software update feature, which is just as easy to use as Automatic Updates on Windows. Some minor issues, but overall a good start.