For some reason I’ve been itching to get rid of Windows and start using Linux. There are a multitude of reasons why this is important to me, here are a few highlights:
- Why I gotta ditch Windows:
- The only reason I’ve been able to keep up with Windows is MSDN. I haven’t bought a Windows license, ever, except with a PC.
- I’m certainly not going to upgrade to Vista (which is a different story on its own).
- Windows is slow and bloated. A fresh install of XP seems to run OK, but with any service packs and patches, performance turns to sludge.
- Microsoft (and vendors) have made Windows XP x64 a PITA as a desktop OS. Printer drivers, scanner drivers, everything is missing or incompatible.
- Why (I think) Linux is the way to go
- I’ve been running my websites on LAMP (Linux, Apache, mySql, PHP) for over a year now, using only open-source software, and I love it.
- (As a side note, at this point I’ve easily donated more to the software I use than I’ve actually spent buying software in more than 10 years.
- No licensing fees, no crap-tacular activation “features”.
- Most of the Linux distros have spent a lot of time on their UI and driver support to make sure Linux can be used a desktop OS.
- I can still run Windows in a VM if I need particular Windows functions or applications.
- I’m a geek – and geeks use Linux.
- I’ve been running my websites on LAMP (Linux, Apache, mySql, PHP) for over a year now, using only open-source software, and I love it.
My biggest issue with this transition has been my extensive use of Quicken for the past five years. I’ve explored a few possibilities, which I will be blogging more about as I try, learn, and evaluate over the next few days, weeks, and months:
- KMyMoney – Free, open source, money management software for Linux.
- GNUCash – Free, open source, money management software for Linux.
- Mvelopes – Online budget management software (requires Flash 9)
- MoneyDance - Commercial money management software for Linux, Windows, and <ugh!> Mac.
Due to my experience with Quicken, the following applications were deemed not good enough for me, for various reasons:
- jGnash – Free software, no bank integration (QIF import only)
- Buddi – Free software, no bank integration (QIF import only)
- Yodlee! – Online bank & bill aggregator. Doesn’t help me budget and predict income & outflows.
I’d love to hear anyone else’s suggestions of what I can use to replace Quicken.
For now I’ve settled on Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy) 32-bit. I can run 64 bit with my CPU, but there are a few things that don’t seem to work well, like the Flash plugin for Firefox.
Enough for now. I’ll publish more when I have more to say.