(IJCH) My 17 y/o Daughter and I Switched over to Linux from Windows over a year ago and have never looked back! (Here's Why)

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IJCH - Inside JaiChai's Head (meaning: My warped, personal opinions and musings)

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From the Author:

Salutations.

I am JaiChai.

And if I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance now.

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I invite you to interact with everyone, learn, and have as much fun as possible!

For my returning online friends, "It's always great to see you again!"

Background to the story: Weird Philippine Business Practices

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Lazada.com is the Amazon.com of the Philippines (or the Alibaba.com of China).

I love ordering things from Lazada.com. They are very reliable and offer a "Cash on Delivery" option for almost all their items.

I don't blame them for the way Philippine commerce and advertisements tend to mislead customers. For example, discounts for buying in bulk are VERY RARE. And if you buy one item at X price, the 3-pack costs X price times three (or more).

Furthermore, "Half price" means "by one, two get delivered, and you pay double the half price". Of course, you cannot buy only one item at "half price".

In other words, "Buy one, Get one" usually means that the non-sale item is probably priced at double its normal value.

So there I was...

I promised to get my daughter a new computer. Browsing the Lazada.com page I noticed a strangely great deal:

"All-in-One PC, runs Windows, Half Price".

It sounded interesting. And after I saw the specs, I decided to buy it at "Half Price" (meaning: I bought two of them).

They arrived unscathed in three days. Cool.Very cool!

The REDFOX Evolve All-In-One PC

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REDFOX is the Philippine version of ASUS.

The REDFOX EVOLVE AIO

Your all-in-one PC

Browse your social media account in between commercials? REDFOX EVOLVE AIO is perfect for you. This device is a desktop and TV rolled into one! Watch your favorite TV shows, browse your gallery, search the top songs on billboard and connect to the other side of the world with just a click of REDFOX Evolve AIO because you can connect it through Wi-Fi or LAN!

REDFOX offers a device that fits your lifestyle. This all-in-one PC is also ideal for the entire family. Whether you prefer a desktop or a TV, everything you need is what REDFOX EVOLVE AIO offers.

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I love the systems. They cost me $150 each and are beautiful. 

BUT...

I failed to read the fine print. Yes, they do run Windows, but it is Windows 7! And the RAM that was advertised was the total of BOTH SYSTEMS!

Why My 15 y/o Daughter and I Switched Over to Linux

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Given the fact that the system had just enough RAM to run Windows 7 and the support by Microsoft for Windows 7 ends in 2020, I decided to wipe both machines and run an OS with less hardware requirements.

I didn't want to try React OS because it was still in pre-Beta.

Since I have MANY Linux friends, I convinced my daughter (an avid Windows and Mac user) to finally "go over to the free side" - free and open software world.

Linux Mint is the BOMB! I Absolutely Love It!

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I have never tried any flavor (distribution - "distro") of Linux before in my life. So, the term "hesitant" was an understatement! Visions of really screwing up two brand new systems plagued me up until the point I wiped them clean and installed Linux.

I chose Linux Mint because, from what I read, it's the best distribution of Linux (Ubuntu users may argue) to run when coming from Windows.

(For Mac users, the Elementary OS Linux distro is recommended).

Within 3 days of using Linux Mint, I could confidently say that I am NEVER GOING BACK TO WINDOWS!

Here's a short list of Why:

• It's Free.

• It requires VERY MINIMAL hardware to run great.

• It's much more secure.

• No more wasted time on Anti-Virus/Malware issues.

• Selective Updates that do not take over present operations.

• Thousands of apps (called "packages" in Linux).

• I haven't had to reboot my new, continuously on 24/7 system in over two weeks!

• And the list goes on and on...

Now I am a believer.

My daughter loves the speed of Linux. And I could kick myself for not switching over to Linux years ago! The next project for me is to resurrect all my old laptops and desktops that are just sitting around collecting dust.

How?

By installing and running a distro of Linux that's compatible with their limited hardware. And there are Linux distros that fit that bill.

Again cool, very cool!

Parting Shot:

Linux is so efficient that many distros can be run off of a thumb drive!

Remember that when you're using an unsecure Wi-Fi...

By JaiChai

Thanks for stopping by.

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About the Author

Believing that school was too boring, he dropped out of High School early; only to earn an AA, BS and MBA in less than 4 years much later in life – while working full-time as a Navy/Marine Corps Medic.

In spite of a fear of heights and deep water, he performed high altitude, free-fall parachute jumps and hazardous diving ops in deep, open ocean water.

After 24 years of active duty, he retired in Asia.

Since then, he's been a full-time, single papa and actively pursuing his varied passions (Writing, Disruptive Technology, Computer Science and Cryptocurrency - plus more hobbies too boring or bizarre for most folk).

He lives on an island paradise with his teenage daughter, longtime girlfriend and three dogs.