I've just installed another version of Linux on my little Asus eee pc... and... even for a totally inept Linux-bumpkin like me, it was strangely easy. It's the horribly named "Easy Peasy" version of Ubuntu (the last word is still nerd-speak to me but I gather it means something to someone out there *grin*) and so far, touch wood, it's great! There's been a bit of stuff in the news about the latest Windows 7 Beta and unlike previous versions of Windows, I'm not in the slightest bit inclined to see what's going on with it. It'll be the same... but slightly different... y'know... okay. Some people will love it, others will hate it... but... I think I'm at the point where I really don't care. I know what I want to do with my computer. I know how I want to use it. Who I want to communicate with it... and... it's no longer important to me that I've got any 'flavour' of Windows on it.
So, here am I. A Linux numptie who managed to reformat her netbook, partition the drive, install from a USB drive a copy of Easy Peasy... and... it works! Encouraged by Liam Green-Hughes' enthusiasm and rootling out some support bits an' bobs online I blundered into transforming my eee pc. Yeah, there were a couple of minor issues to deal with - but they took minutes to sort out. I've got Open Office 3. Skype. Firefox and easily installed GIMP in addition to the pre-loaded Picasa. Wireless connection available with no majorly techie faffing. Doesn't make my netbook look like a child's toy which the default version of Linux which came with the eee pc did... and... it rocks! And... what's mind-blowing... is that all of this groovy software is free and some kind bod pre-loaded the vast majority of it for me and made sure it would work on my eee pc.
Computers who could do what they said on the tin and not charge you an arm an' a leg for the privilege. Who saw that coming? ;o)
