@Beachcomber :-
There's a reason this place has a reputation as one of the friendliest Linux fora online. Many other Linux fora would have jeered you out by now.....because, despite that it's really old and "out-of-touch" by now, amongst veteran Linux users (affectionately known as "neckbeards"!) the attitude persists that a high degree of technical knowledge should be expected from potential new users.......just to prove that you're "serious" about making the switch.
These guys, being in at the start of it all in the early 90s, not only had to learn how to compile all their software from scratch, but - to show "willing" - were often expected to set up their own servers, and to build, run & maintain their own websites. Only in this way would the rest of the fledgeling Linux community take them seriously......and because
they had to go through all this, it's rather coloured their attitudes to those who've come after them.
This really isn't relevant any more, especially given that so many distros have gone out of their way over the last few years to make their offerings as inviting, user-friendly and easy to "get to grips" with as possible.
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Microsoft are driving dissatisfied users away in droves, by implementing ever more ridiculous requirements.....largely needed because they set themselves up for a major fall MANY years ago by letting Windows run as Administrator all the time, AND "strong-arming" as many manufacturers as they could to pre-install Windows on everything they sold. A perfect environment for encouraging the world's hackers, n'est-ce pas?
So; we need to show all these 'refugees' that Linux is at
least as good - if not better! - than the Beast of Redmond. And that help & advice, by necessity, extends to the hardware that the software runs on top of.....has to, really.
Think about it.
Take it from me; you
cannot go wrong with Dells. Stat. They've always been amazingly Linux-friendly, and those of us who use them long-term really have no desire to look anywhere else. If that doesn't speak for itself, I don't know what can!
I'm sure I'll be bombarding you again very shortly when it comes to actually installing and setting up Linux!
Think nothing of it, lass. We're always here.....because we
enjoy helping people, and passing on knowledge we've gained over the years. Knowledge is meant to be shared, not jealously hoarded!
Mike.
