Hi friends
After a lot of trouble with my computer recently, most of it XP related, I'm tired of it and want to get rid of all this M$  stuff.
I'm seriously planning to switch to a Linux distribution. Writing this, I'm on a Kanotix/Debian running from a live CD.
I'm starting to like it. Though running from a ram drive, it seems stable and fast. I could get used to it
But it only makes sense, if I can run my beloved applications on it, too. Blender is no problem being a native linux, morph manager and morph master should work using Wine. But will I get Poser6 working, will Daz installers work etc. ???

I need your opinions, experiences... what settings do I need, wich disribution works best(if at all), or will DAZ|Studio work, at least...  I remember one of our friends talking about using linux, but I don't remember, who it was .
I have to make the decision to reinstall XP ( ) again, or to give linux a try
Thanks for helping

Look, I was addicted to linux from long ago starting with a Slackware distribution, compiling kernels etc. It is a top OS. Problem is the lack of applications and that it is not exactly easy, even if now it's easier.

I've a simple suggestion: for now make a couple of partitions on your HD, one for linux (actually it needs 2 partitions, one linux and the other one swap, so you need three), the other one for Window$, or buy another hard disk and switch from one to another at the boot (my bios allows it clicking F8). This is what you need while you practice with linux. If you like it enough and expertise, nothing is impossible. But if you're lazy ( ) sooner or later you'll go back to Bill Gate$.

Basically... Why run Poser under an emulation ? Just keep a partition with a simple XP with the programs that doesn't work under linux and the other one for linux.

There is another alternative that is a Mac, but it involves a lot of money to buy an Apple... I'm tempted by it (leahman pushes a lot ) but I've no money for one of it...

BTW I think that at Micro$oft they made a big mistake with Vista, it has a permissions system that is a bad copy of the one of Linux, you have to give a command like the "su root" everytime to make the programs run or install, that can be good if the user is not the common user, because it become too much complicated . So there are a lot of people who downgrade to XP even on system that not even have the drivers for XP, that was the case of my brother's notebook. I had to dig hell to make it work under XP because Vista sucked...

As far as I'm concerned with the OS system, XP is by far the best OS that Bill Gates has made from MS. The second edition is the best but they have a 64 bit XP Pro for $180. Better get them before the end of the month though. They are stopping the sale of XP this month.



Now for the question at hand. Out side of the MS system what other kind of OS is Windows compatible to use and make the PC run faster as far as Linux is concerned and where can we get it.
 
I am downloading Fedora 9 x86 Linux OS. Anyone try this one?
If you want to have two OS on one drive I recommend Norton's Partition Magic. Easy to use with Double Booted systems.  

Some years ago a job mate pushed me to use linux, since then I always had Windows and linux installed in my PC, it saved me a lot of time and head pain when my windows crashed and from linux I was able to go on using my PC while slowly doing the back up ( slowly because I'm lazy and don't like to back up anything   the last time was a month   ) to reinstall windows, and I felt absolutely comfortable with it. I use Ubuntu that's absolutely easy to use and all programs you need are in repositories in the web so you don't have to go thru the process of installation, just chose your application and everything goes where it have to go, you don't like it, just go that program and it unistall without problems or conflicts, as far as I know linux doesn't need drefragmentation, something I hate to do too. mainly because after doing it a couple of time I've lost some data,    in windows.

In Ubuntu I instaled an "emulator" (they say it's not an emulator at all) called WINE, and under this I was able to run Daz $tudio ($ learned from Tormie, I like  it    ) and Poser 7 without problems, with Poser 7 rendering even faster.

Blender works fantastic in Ubuntu, faster and smoother , but as Tormie say, one can never escape to Bill Gate$, I know people that use just linux, but for me there is always something that make me reinstall Window$, but for sure I'll always have a Linux installed in my PC.

If you want to start your Linux experience I'd recommend you to start with Ubuntu, this came with an graphic interface called Genome very similar to the Mac OS, if you want something like Windows there is Kubuntu with a graphic interface called KDE with a more Windows feeling. If you are a Customization fan there are a lot to customize in both of this Graphic interface (by the way, in Linux language this interfaces all called The X) that I find by far more attractive and visually beautiful than windows, and if all customization is not enough then you can install something that was called Beryl, I don't remember the actual name, that use OpenGL to add an infinity of amazing effects to the interface pure eye candy... but I think I went out of topic  

For short I recommend you installing Linux and Windows and starting slowly to use it, somehow you'll find it deserve to be installed, I don't know much about the technical advantages of using Linux, but I can tell you a lot of practical advantages of using Ubuntu by now as a helper, maybe in a no so distance future as my main OS.

                    
.........   My Machine can boot up on Linux, Unix, Windows XP,
or Mac OSX 10.52...

   there are something over
350 different manufacturers of PCs
 
I think Bill Gates is a Smuck, but on the other hand, I do realize that he's
making an OS    -for machines that he has never  'even seen....
 
Thats like buying shoes for a woman  that you've never met
so I must say, that I don't see  'how it works, as well as it does.
 
All I know is that outside of the Power Supply, that went PFUTZ ! -in my G4
(THANKS -Alabama Power)
which my BF has now replaced, and has the "ole G4 Humming
My  much older G3 is upstairs, where Wifey doez accounting and my ancient
PERFORMA is at the In-laws,  -busily playing Money solitaire...
(My point is they still work)
Sadly my daughter, JUST HAD to listen to her friends, and there are two
DELL Computers upstirs in the closet, neither of which will power up.
(So I had to buy her a MacBook and an iPhone) BUt I got to tell her
"I TOLD YOU SO"...   (I enjoyed that)
You can run anything on a Macintosh,   ' they simply are EASIER
and they last.  YES, There ARE  fewer GAMES, for a Mac, (because, hey,  it isn't a toy)
(game systems are CHEAP compared to computers)
You can run Windows in a window, on top of the Mac OS, and use your Apps.
You never need any DRIVERS, no matter what kind of printer, scanner, camera ect
you may have.  it just WORKS, without excuses.
   and I need a machine that does that !
Oh- I know the excuses, I've heard them all.
But I know that 23 years ago I bought my FIRST Macintosh.
It had a 9 in  black and white screen, a 20 meg HD, 1 Meg of Ram
I paid over $3,000 for it.  I proceeded to set type for a Multi-Million Dollar
Printing Operation, and when  the postscript JUSTIFIED type came out of the 600 dpi
printer  the Crowd  of people  waiting let loose a  big airy
" WoW . . ."
 
The Printing and Medical Industries use Macs.
I went to "Apple School" and became a Mac Technician.
I freely admit (now) that I got paid to sit and wait for a mac to fritz
for years, and I almost NEVER had to repair one.  I added
internal HDs added more Ram, and everyone was happy.

The Movie "Piriates of Silicon Valley" tells  -the story of Microsoft, and Apple.
There are hundreds of cell phones but everyone   -WANTS, an iPhone.
Sit and play with a new Mac, and  you'll view a PC  -a lot differently.

Sadly some people  GET MAD when you tell them the truth.
 
If you buy a Kenmore, or whirlpool washing machine
YOU can actually FIX  -anything that ever goes wrong with it.
Thats not true  -of a Maytag.

"Buyer Beware" has never been   -more TRUE
than in the 21 Century...

I know
that nobody will listen to me, But the funny TV commercials
Apple Runs,  -are an  understatment...

I'm old enough to remember when Cars became available
with Automatic Transmission.  My father swore the world would come to an end
because  "Women will be able to Drive !"  Maybe he was right,
but he still    -BOUGHT ONE.
 
I know the Die-Hards   will be annoyed
but, hey it works for me.... and I got
a good RAISE in salary due to the fact  
-that  I showed them a better  and 'easier way.

 

Sure Macs are good leahman. Problem is that they costs a lot, even if they are a hell of a machine the price is too high for pockets filled only with chewingum wrappers ... And they are overpriced like the Ipod or the Iphone, they are bought because they are cool but with the same money of an Iphone I would buy a "flames from the ass" Nokia phone with GPS and other goodies that an Iphone lacks, and nokia, at least in Europe, is a top brand. Sooner or later I will buy one of those Macs, you know it, but it will be a "luxury" because with the same money I could build myself a Pc with it's own gravitational field... Sure PCs are made with parts from a lot of different makers, but in this way prices are low, while if you want a replacement part for a Mac or an upgrade, usually you've to knock Apple's door and your wallet will cry .
The same, I bet that a Ferrari or a Porsche would work better than my Dodge but I would have some problems to buy one    He he...

Automatic transmissions, they have difficulties to sell them here, they are not considered cool even by women , this is a matter of culture, being a driver for work, automatic is better, especially in traffic but I still prefer the manual gear because I can have more control of the car . Now they do "mixed" gearboxes , with an automatic that you can even use like a manual, shifting gears with a touch. As usual, they costs a lot , not enough chewingum wrappers, rofl ...  

  Davide,  All iPhones have GPS.  
They show you a map of where you are  dots -where you friends -are, and you can
click to see dots for loctions of restarunts, Police Cars, (or Bus stations)  -whatever you ask, and one click gets you directions via shortest route.
 
If you computer  is at home (turned off)
your iPhone can boot it and you can access any  Application, and any file on that computer, and the iPhone  
-will run the application.
 
the new iPhone G3   (twice the speed, more powerful  than a laptop)
does  -a LOT MORE than that
  and the cost is $199.   -they lowered the price by  70%
to save  'your chewing gum wrappers

See what it can do:  (pretty amazing)

[edited the commercial product link - by Tormie]

it's wonderful but it cost A LOT here (BTW I edited out the link due to our TOS, just keep discussing, but not advertising   ) I could buy one in your country but I'll lose the warranty immediatly because they are locked on the operator and obviously I would have to unlock it   . BTW I'll pass on this because I've not enough bucks now and that is all   (Tormie looks at his old cell phone and cries ).

Staying in topic , now I've a hard disk to make some experiments, maybe I'll mount a linux distribution and go for some experiments

Thanks for all the comments
Rayera gave me all the information I needed. If Poser7 works on Wine, Poser6 will do, too, I 'll give it a try (I'll have to wait for the weekend, no time...)
I don't need XP, if Poser works on linux. I don't play any games, for office, I use Open Office, anyway and I will even get used to  The gimp
I like OpenSource a lot
BTW, IMHO Mac is even worse than M$, cos you not only have to buy their software, you have to buy their hardware, too

Ok I have a question.
Which Linux OS is the best and where can I download a copy to a DVD? Please leave
a  bookmark when answering this question and what WINE do I use for
the OS system to use Windows things? This is new and others want to know
as well.

You can start here with a Ubuntu distribution

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu

or kubuntu that has a M$ Window$ feeling

http://kubuntu.com/download.php

I do not know much of the rest for now because I've not it installed but each distribution can be tuned for your needs after some practice. There are also linux distribution that are sold  

Thanks Davide.

As tormie said Ubuntu is by far the easier Linux I've used, Ubuntu use Gnome with a Mac OS feel, and Kubuntu with KDE with a MS Windows feel, I preffer Ubuntu with Gnome, way more light in resources and IMHO easier to customize, if somebody need help in some of the basic functions and use I can help, if there are something more complex then I have friends that may tell me the answers, or ask the Ubuntu forums, you will find the help for shure.

Here's a screenshot of PF on Iceweasle. Kanotix/Debian, KDE 3.5.5

WOW! Nice picture. That explains alot.