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Thread: Operating System

  1. #1
    Senior Member gprit's Avatar
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    Default Operating System

    Nothing to do with NOF but it's quiet here......
    My laptop is trying my patience and have decided it's time for something new.

    Almost all new laptops come with WIN10 which I will not use. Could install earlier versions but am just fed up with Windows, full stop. My budget doesn't stretch to Macbooks so I am looking at LINUX. So many options, which one to choose? Can it run MS Office? Will it open existing Office documents/spreadsheets/Access etc? Think I read someone I would have to install some additional software to do that? Can I run things like RIOT and image software (I use FASTONE). Are the screens intuitive / easy to get around? Does it have the equivalent of Control Panel?

    Apart from Office I only REALLY need windows for NOF.

    Anyone have any experience with Linux...and which flavour is best?

  2. #2
    Senior Member Trimdoner's Avatar
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    If you set up a Linux system, just use Libre Office instead of MS. It opens all MS documents and is totally free. (I installed it on a Win 10 machine as I wasn't going to pay again for Office - I have Office 2013 3 PC licence installed on 2 laptops and 1 desktop, and it wouldn't install again on the fourth... )
    Most other stuff, i.e imaging, browsers, utilities etc. can be found easily which does anything paid software can.

    I have an Ubuntu system set up on an old pc which couldn't handle anything past XP just as a 'toy' project, which works well for web browsing etc.
    I've got Win 10 on 4 pcs and no probs at all, but that's another story... :-)

  3. #3
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    I use Linux Mint, which I find good and stable. Requires 1Gb RAM but works much better with 2Gb, My machine has 4 Gb. Libre Office opens all MSOffice documents and does all the things MSOffice does. There are many super programs alternative what one is usually used to when using windows. What's more is that they are free.

    Some cavetas: Can run some widows programmes using the WINE software. I have not tried it with NOF15 or any other version for that matter. Also, it has no freeware prrogramme that is capable of linking to a Microsoft Exchange server. If you don't need that, then Linux Mint is good and fast.

  4. #4
    Senior Member gprit's Avatar
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    A big no no on Libre Office it seems....it cannot easily use MS Office Access databases. I came across this in a forum:

    You can not import a MS Access database into Base. You can however get access to the Tables in the MS Access database. there are two ways:-

    1) In LO select create a new Base Database. In the wizard select "Connect to an existing database". Select "Microsoft Access" from the drop down list and select the MS Access database file. You will then see the Tables in the MS Access database.

    2) If you want to use a Base database stand alone without having it connected to the MS Access file then after creating the connected database as in 1, with that database left open create another new standard Base database. Select each Table in turn in the connected database copy and then paste into the standard database.

    In both cases you will need to create new Forms, Reports, and Queries in the base databases as these elements can not be imported from the Access database,


    This last sentence is a killer for me as I have lots of applications using MS Access.
    It's also seemingly not able to import .pst files from Outlook into its email.

    Seems Like Open Office IS Compatible with MS Access and can update current MS Access databases.
    Seems Like Open Office also has a way of importing .pst files from MS Outlook into its freeware Evolution email client.

    Anyone any experience of Open Office?

  5. #5
    Senior Member franko's Avatar
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    I've used Open Office on Mac for years and move stuff regularly between OO on my laptop and Powerpoint on my church projection laptop. I haven't tried MS Access so can't answer that question but I do believe others have had problems. I'd suggest trying it and see what happens. I also second using VMWare; I use Fusion on my Mac to run all my old windows programs. Not much help I know, but all I can suggest is set up a virtual machine, install linux as previously suggested, and try it. It's easy enough to uninstall stuff if it doesn't work (although on windows, maybe it's not!)

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