I guess I'm more old school. Computers are something I have never gotten in to and dont plan to. They just don't interest me. I do love using smart phones a few love the Internet for forums, how easy it is to find and research things though. Just don't get into the technical side of it all.
I use computers daily as part of my work.. I connect, diagnose & repair problems as all of my machines are run by PLC's (Programmable Logic Controllers).. Additionally I plan and schedule, work with SAP, Excel, etc. This is why I tend to stay with Windows as all my work uses it and that's not about to change.. By trade I am a licensed electrician but work as an E&I technician (electronics & instrumentation) with a license requirement. I am always learning something new! You would be amazed at the complexity of the machines I work on!
I do everything on Mint, keep windows around for some compatability issues, mainly with Itunes and loading files onto the harddrive for the Wii.
I know I have said this a thousand times but not knowing who reads what thread I will say it again. I am a forester, I work with a computer daily. I wish I didnt.... but we use outlook. I use word, excell, some minimal access. I get so frustrated trying to get stuff i know I can do by computer not to work, I often print a map or table out print my document out and tape it to it copy it and turn it back into a pdf. Many of my problems are related I think to size restrictions set for our machine for stuff, but I don't know enough about it to say for sure. Anyway. When I visit the Mills or around some of the equipment I am amazed at what computers do. Like our office HVAC system. The engineer sits in his office not on site and reads the temp in all our offices and can see how the ssystem operates and where the problems are.!! I just don't want any part of it.
I wanted to be a forest ranger way back when.. Just never happened.. Funny how life can dictate the paths we take.. I can't complain as it all worked out..
There really isn't anything that I particularly need windows for and I don't game so linux it is. I tried RedHat 8 and Mandrake 9 when they came out in the early "naughts" but got quickly over my head. When I was introduced in 2008 to Hardy Heron (ubuntu) I never looked back. The one thing about linux today, is it is boring, everything works. When I used windows, I had AV's, firewalls, AT's, knew the registry inside/out and spent hours screwing around with same. Linux, boring, and little chance at malware. But hey, I'm glad MS now embraces "evil" linux
It was cool because you needed to understand more.. Config.sys, batch files etc.. Dual and triple booting.. Yup had a propeller beanie lol.. Now I just want to use them.. No more building them and computer shows..
I wanted to do this since I was middle or high school. I went to the only college in the state for it. I graduated #2 in my forestry class. Got a paid internship stayed there for just over a year and was head hunted by a professor to go back to grad school, which I did, and then was basically headhunted by the old forester I replaced to put in for the job I am in today. I love it. I love who I work for , where , the people and buyers and loggers I deal with.
I ran Mandrake in the late 90s but never went exclusive with it. And you are right, Linux doesn't break. The adventure comes in installing the more loosely supported software. And in case you didn't catch it, I have a cat named Ubuntu.
Your mind would be BLOWN if you saw how unbelievably automated and computer controlled some of the dairy farms we service are and I mean BLOWN!
Cordless Sawzall to the rescue I don't know where this stick came from by the stacks, it wasn't there last time I went through there Back up and running no further problems