Windows, tisk!
Having doubts over Windows and its download shenanigans and its unpredictable behaviour, I decided after some thought I would try Linux. We have two Lenovo tablets, an HP laptop and a Dell Optiplex 745 desktop donated free from my sister, so I purchased your magazine with the 16.04 disc, tried the disc, that did not work on the laptop, so I went on the Linux Mint website and proceeded to download Mint 17.3 Cinnamon 64-bit as recommended, but as the website runs at walking pace here, some of the data was missing…
Off I went to work and decided to try a download on my work computer. As I was doing this, an IT friend asked what was up and instead he did two discs: one Cinnamon and one Ubuntu 16.04 desktop both 64-bit, and decided to put it on the Dell. If I broke out the BIOS then a free computer is less of a loss.
It took a while to adjust the BIOS to start from the DVD drive, but I did find the right place and it booted and installed from the drive. Now I have a computer running Ubuntu 16.04 desktop 64-bit. I have set a firewall, installed Chromium, and so far have Facebook, photos in Gnome and some music—all this from a 60-year old former technophobe. Do I need antivirus as there doesn’t appear to be any on Ubuntu Software Center? Now all I need to do is decide to replace Windows 10 from my HP laptop! Ray Lee-Adams, via email. Neil says: Sounds like despite encountering all manner of the standard PC problems you managed to power through and get Linux up and running—good work! If you’ve never used the BIOS/UEFI it can be a strange place. The general thinking is that Linux doesn’t need antivirus, yet, but you need to maintain good security practices.