Ubuntu is an African word that means community or the sense of community and community responsibility. It’s a contrast in an age of self absorption. I like Desmond Tutu’s description here:
One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity.We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.
Recently I’ve installed Ubuntu for a couple of people and I’ve even been using Ubuntu more myself. Ubuntu is a free Linux operating system that can power a computer very nicely. I’ve recently helped a couple of clients whose Windows computers had been trashed by spyware. Ubuntu the operating system is appropriately named because it provides a low cost yet reasonable way for many folks to have access to a computer and the internet.
Today I’m installing Xubuntu for a person who has an older Dell with a Pentium III processor. Last night I downloaded and installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix for my own Dell Mini-12 which needed an upgrade. Earlier this week I downloaded Ubuntu 9.10 Server edition and set up a virtual cloud in a virtual machine on my Ubuntu equipped Dell Inspiron 6400. Wonderful concept and wonderful operating system.
It’s so simple and so liberating! I’m loving my Xubuntu, and it’s so easy to use, there is little or no “coaching” required for folks familiar only with Windows or Mac. And it runs MUCH faster on my old Dell than WinXP did when it was brand new.
Linux has no registry, so no registry errors, no registry cleaning. I don’t have to maintain a constant, unrelenting vigil to maintain my OS and protect it from viruses and malware. It’s very liberating! I can just USE my ‘puter now instead of spending so much time just maintaining it.
Xubuntu rocks!
Yes, Ubuntu and Linux in general is a great alternative to Windows of any stripe. Xubuntu can really extend the life of an older machine. I installed it the other day on a machine designed originally to run Windows ME. Wow! It runs very well on that older platform which has 512 mb of RAM. The video is not quite as snappy as you might like, but it’s adequate for web surfing and word processing.