Ubuntu, Ubuntu, Ubuntu

Since returning from a holiday in Australia in April not much has been happening other than work. However over the past semester I finally made the switch to Ubuntu on all my computers. In fact I have been running Ubuntu on all my computers since moving to Thailand. Both my home PC and work PC were running dual boot Windows XP and Ubuntu Desktop, and my home Pentium III web server Ubuntu Server. I was using Windows for most of my work. However when my own server PC died I shifted to running Ubuntu full-time on my main home PC (acting as my web server and everyday PC), and a month ago I deleted the Windows partition (but have XP installed under VirtualBox). At work I haven't got around to deleting XP, but I only use it a few hours per week. Ubuntu supports almost everything I need for my everyday computing activities at work and home: browsing, office applications, graphics, watching movies, occasional basic games. Of course it also perfect for hosting my web and email server. The only things I've been needing Windows for are: running some Windows-only simulation software, opening/editing old documents in MS Office (most of my old lecture slides were developed in Powerpoint - OpenOffice Presentation doesn't always handle the animations and fonts), and accessing web sites of selected financial institutions (IE only). Now all new work documents are created in OpenOffice. Slowly I am converting old documents, especially teaching material, to OpenOffice formats. It is a nice feeling knowing that eventually my 1000's of pages of teaching material will soon be in open formats, no longer dependent on closed, commercial applications and operating systems. As Wan has been getting used to Ubuntu on my home PC, when she recently got her new Samsung NC10 netbook I immediately installed Ubuntu Desktop 9.04, overwriting the Windows XP Home install. So now its Ubuntu at multiple PCs at work, Ubuntu at home and Ubuntu on the road.

Created on Sat, 10 Oct 2009, 7:09pm

Last changed on Sat, 10 Oct 2009, 7:12pm