Switch Stories - Hello World!
Welcome to Switch Stories and be my GUEST! I am glad you are spending a few minutes of your precious time and pay attention to the site that has just been launched. I created it because I wanted to gather many switch stories together in one place. I believe we should have a choice when picking an operating system, internet browser or email application. I am also sure that there are more options that just one for each category. Next to switch stories you have hand-picked news and videos that will allow you to find out more about the piece of software you consider switching to.
Some time ago I had a dilemma when looking for a new laptop to use it in my job (web design & development). It was a decision with long-term consequences. And I received a lot of support from a great community on NotebookReview forum. I planned to spend a weekend reading different posts and make a decision which computer will be the best for what I do.
I considered Windows XP platforms but also switching to Windows Vista. Instead of a weekend, I spend two months on different forums. I wanted to read stories of people with similar problems to mine but they were scattered all over the Internet. And when I finally made a decision to go for Dell Precision M6300 I had to send it back as I just wasn’t satisfied. I was gutted - so much time spent on research and still no answer. How many project I could have done during that time?
From the very beginning I was very reluctant to consider MacOS X as one of my options as I already had bad experience with Macs but then I met a web developer Lee Hambley and he told me his story. It took him only 10 minutes to convince me to buy a MacBook Pro. Then I understood the power of a story. Not a forum thread, blog post but a story.
This website is for everybody with questions, like: “Shall I switch to Windows Vista or wait?”, “Is Mac OS X good for me?”, “Why should I install a FireFox when an Internet Explorer does the job for me?”.
Switch Stories is not a fight club for PC and Mac supporters. We can’t say which solution is the best, but you can find out which solution is the BEST FOR YOU!
Why is it so important to have an operating system, an internet browser or an email application that suits best to your needs? Because you probably use them several times a day and they are often important part of your job or personal life (emailing, blogging, reading, playing etc.).
At the beginning of 1999 I was using Windows 98SE and Office 97 to write a 300+ page document. I was putting the final touches on the document when… Windows 98SE gave me the infamous BSOD. At the time I was a very inexperienced computer user, only having been using a PC for about 9 months maybe so doing saves and backups was something I really didn’t know about or do. That changed after that fiasco!
Well needless to say my neighbor heard all sorts of foul language and some crashing noised coming from my home. Then he saw me with a monitor under one arm and the PC under the other heading to the trash. He called over and asked if I wanted a beer and to see a new OS that he was using. I said sure, let me toss this hunk of junk since I don’t need this kind of stress in my life. He said no keep it, we can make it work and work reliably.
So I took my PC over to his place, put it down and then took the offered beer and started to check out, what was then known as SuSE 6.2 Linux. After about a 15 minute spiel on stability and reliability I was hooked! So I went to Fry’s and bought what was then known as Mandrake and went home to install my first Linux operating system.
In 2003 I finally made the complete switch from Windows to Linux. I have been using Linux exclusively since then and happier for it. Because of Linux I learned more about how a computer worked in the first 3 months of using it than I did in all the years I used Windows. This also translated into understanding how software works which has allowed me to adapt to just about any software tossed my way.
The best part is now I run Linux at work too! And once I get two applications that I need to work on Linux I can dump Microsoft Windows at work too! This comment was typed out on my work system using Open Office 2.4 on an OpenSuSE 10.3 Linux powered Dell GX-260. I have time to get things done and because of the complete customizable desktop I can work faster with simple shortcuts. This affords me more time to get more work done. I have noticed at least 10-15% increase in my productivity since using Linux and even my boss has noticed I am getting more done and more accurately too.
Sometimes living on the fringe pays in the long run!
Nice story. I like the way you measured your productivity increase. Did you really get rid of this PC?
No, I loaded Mandrake 6.2 on it. I bought a removable drive bay assembly and an extra hard drive. That’s how I started with Linux. My first year was just learning how to use it… and I learned a lot more than that!