So at some point over the weekend, I'm planning to backup a few apps, and install Ubuntu 9.04 as the only operating system on my computer. Why? Well, it's kind of a long-ish story.

I've been running Linux for years as a dual-boot setup. First Slackware for a long, long time, then Ubuntu, though for a little while I ran Gentoo as well. I always had it setup as a dual boot with whatever version of Windows was current. The plan was always to run mainly Linux but keep Windows as the dual boot for "when I needed it". Well, "when I needed it" always ended up being "full time" and as time went on I booted Linux less and less. The dual boot was basically a crutch and I never really got weaned off Windows which always bothered me, as there's (obviously!) no question which is the better OS!

Fast-forward to now. 2 weeks ago I installed the Windows 7 Release Candidate. It's good -- very good. Now, I've been running Vista for 2 years, and I've never had a problem with Vista. I don't have all the problems people say they have. But, I don't consider 5 years to be a valid computer life-cycle. Hell, I don't consider TWO years to be a valid life-cycle either. I pretty much fully rebuild my machine once a year. The tech changes that much. Most of people's Vista problems relate to trying to shoehorn it onto much older machines than it was designed for. Anyway, Vista works fine for me. But Windows 7 is even better.

So I've been running Windows 7 for about 2 weeks. Now, yesterday, I learned there is a big, giant caveat to installing the RC. See, when I installed it, I ass-u-med (and yes, this is my fault for not reading more on the subject) that when it came release time, basically a big window would come up asking for credit card info so I could license a retail copy of W7. And I would have done that. It seemed like something Microsoft would do. But apparently, at least as of right now, that's not the plan. Anyone that installed the W7 RC will need to fully reinstall the OS using the retail copy. If I'm going to reinstall my system, I'm going to do it with an OS I actually WANT to install.

That also got me thinking... And I realized... I'd like to avoid giving Microsoft more money. I mean, sure, they provide a passably good product that makes most people's computers work and lets them do fun and cool things. But their products are horribly designed and bloated and... bad. And not to mention the horrible DRM in W7. Plus, I've given them a ton of money over the years. :( I was there on release day for Windows 95 and bought it. I bought 2 licenses of Windows 98 and Windows ME (by that era, we were doing ok financially and had 2 computers). Then went on to buy 2 XP licenses, then a single Vista license. She runs a lot of proprietary business software that doesn't work on Vista, so she is of necessity still running XP. That's a LOT of money over the years. I'd rather not buy W7.

So Ubuntu it will be! Luckily, my machine isn't a "production" machine. If my machine's down for a day or a week, or hell, even a month, I don't lose money or anything. It's basically an absurdly overpriced game console. I use it mainly for gaming. Sure I browse the web and check email, but I can do that on my netbook, or hell even on my Wii or PS3. Mainly my machine gets used for gaming. Right now I'm only playing EQ2, and it's "Gold" rated under both WINE and Cedega. Everything else I need has a Linux equivalent, or will run fine under WINE/Cedega. The only things I have that most likely will NOT run under Linux are my proprietary RC items, like my EagleTree data logger software, CastleLink for programming Castle Creations ESCs, and the interface for my ClearView RC simulator. But all that stuff will work fine on the netbook, which is running XP.

So, Windows will go away entirely, and I'll enter the exciting world of being Linux-only...finally. It'll probably be difficult at first, because I'm sure I will have forgotten something. Some app I use like once a month or something. But again, my machine isn't "production important" so I'll find workarounds. ;)