Computer sacrifices
I have been getting more and more disgusted by the behaviour of the proprietary software companies, especially Microsoft – see the whole Vista licencing fiasco as an example.
So I made the decision to switch my laptop to 64-bit Ubuntu Linux, and have accepted that there are certain things which will be more difficult. I have been looking at Cedega (A.K.A. WineX), but decided that something I have to pay for, especially when the results with Civ3: Conquests were marked as unreliable, would not do.
My laptop configuration is:
Ubuntu64
Vmware Server (free edition) running a spare Windows 2000 licence running my copy of Civ3: Conquests!
I accept that the sacrifices I am making are (in no particular order):
printing over the network (until I get a separate print server, it’s being done as a share from my Windows desktop)
file sharing over the network (I have been emailing the files to myself!)
flash player (not available for 64 but OSsen, and I can’t be bothered dealing with the hassles of installing a 32bit version of Firefox!)
some convenience
What I am gaining:
no licencing fees
no way for someone to hold my files hostage (see the Vista licence, especially the bit about media files – a media *company* can decide to void your “licence” to listen to “their” MP3s!)
security (I have a strong firewall and a rapidly patched OS, use an open source and rapidly patched browser, IM client, email client)
no AV software soaking up my CPU cycles and RAM
I am not one of the Linux evangelicals, who say “EVERYONE MUST RUN LINUX!!!!oneone!!!eleventy!!!BBQ!!!” – I know that the decision for each person will be very much personal, and varies hugely on individual circumstances. For me, the “show stopper” is the ability to play Civ3: Conquests.
But this works out OK for me – running Windows as a virtual machine, with a network connection *I* control, which is already firewalled by the time a TCP/IP packet hits the Windows machine – and I would humbly commend this course of action to everyone.
