Is Ubuntu right for you?

New users to Ubuntu may find that it takes some time to feel comfortable with the operating system. You will no doubt notice many similarities to both Microsoft Windows and Mac os x, as well as some things that work very differently. Users coming from Mac os x are more likely to notice similarities due to the fact that both Mac os x and Ubuntu originated from Unix. Before you decide whether or not Ubuntu is right for you, we suggest giving yourself some time to grow accustomed to the way things are done
—and expect to find that some things are different to what you are used to. We also suggest taking the following into account:


» Ubuntu is community based. That is, Ubuntu is made, developed, and maintained by the community. Because of this, support is probably not available at your local computer store. Thankfully, the Ubuntu community is here to help. There are many articles, guides, and manuals available, as well as users on various Internet forums and Internet relay chat (IRC) rooms that are willing to help out beginners.

» Many applications designed for Microsoft Windows or Mac os x will not run on Ubuntu. For the vast majority of tasks that people use their computers for every day, there are suitable alternative applications available in Ubuntu. However, many professional applications (such as the Adobe Creative Suite) are not developed to work with Ubuntu. If you rely on commercial software that is not compatible with Ubuntu, yet still want to give Ubuntu a try, you may want to consider dual-booting. Alternatively, some applications developed for Windows will work in Ubuntu with a program called Wine.

» Many commercial games will not run on Ubuntu. If you are a heavy gamer, then Ubuntu may not be for you. Game developers usually design games for the largest market, where they can make the most profit. Since Ubuntu’s market share is not as substantial as Microsoft’s Windows or Apple’s Mac os x, most game developers will not allocate resources towards making their games compatible with Ubuntu. If you just like to play a game every now and then, there is active game development within the community, and many high quality games can be easily installed through Ubuntu Software Center. Additionally, some games developed for Windows will also work in Ubuntu with Wine.

A popular forum for Ubuntu discussion and support is the Ubuntu Forums, http://ubuntuforums.org.

Source of Information : Getting Started with Ubuntu 10.04

Is Ubuntu right for you?