Dumping Windows for Ubuntu Linux

The VAR Guy continues to use an Apple MacBook Pro at work. But he just opened his wallet to purchase an Ubuntu Linux PC from Dell for his home. Why? Glad you asked. Here’s his reasoning.

First, The VAR Guy’s home PC (a Sony system running Windows XP) was running out of steam. Combating spyware and viruses with dozens of patches and bug fixes has become an endless, exhausting battle. The VAR Guy considered three clear options:

The first option seemed pointless. Sure, Microsoft has sold 40 million Vista licenses, but The VAR Guy has heard lots of complaints about the new Windows. Poor hardware support. Limited application support. Frankly, he thinks Microsoft missed the mark with Vista. Of course, The VAR Guy could have purchased a PC with Windows XP pre-installed, but that would mean dealing with the same old security and spyware issues. No thanks.

The second option, buying a Mac, was very tempting. But a fully-loaded iMac would have cost more than $2,000–and The VAR Guy wasn’t looking to spend quite that much. Apple’s more affordable option — the Mac mini — isn’t upgradable after you purchase it. Ultimately, The VAR Guy plans to buy a few used iMacs for his kids–maybe in time for the holidays.

But for this particular purchase, The VAR Guy went with a Dell PC with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled. Sure, the systems start at under $600, but that’s not entirely the point. The goal was to buy a nicely equipped system free of Windows bugs for a price comfortably below that of a Mac. For $1,400 (US), Dell will sell you an Ubuntu PC that includes 2GB of RAM, a 256Mb video card, 320GB hard drive, 22-inch LCD, and a whole bunch of other bells and whistles. The VAR Guy couldn’t walk away from that offer.

Of course, The VAR Guy is taking a bit of a chance. He loves Apple’s reliability and design. Apparently, Ubuntu Linux is intuitive. And hopefully, Dell will deliver a reliable system. It’s scheduled to ship to The VAR Guy on June 12. Stay tuned.