V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Not counting a short time using MS Windows 3.1 back in 1993 at my job, I started using MS Windows on my home systems in March of 2000. I used it as my primary operating system until July of 2006. At that time, I became Linuxified. A milestone for me passed by last summer and I didn't even notice it... since summer of 2012, I've been using Linux longer than I ever used MS Windows. How 'bout that? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 I started using Linux when Mandrake 7.1 came out in 2000. But it was dual use and still is dual, actually triangle use these days for Desktop/Laptop computers. I use Linux and the Mac the same amount these days, and use WIndows less than I used to; which used to be most of the time. I still use Windows quite a bit, but not nearly as much as I do Linux and the Mac these days. A lot of that is the cross platform ability of so many programs I use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 Oh, I still have MS Windows on a couple of my systems, but not as the primary production OS. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 I'm a jonny come lately compared to yous folk as I only started with pc's in 2004. An became an almost full time penguin in 2009 ish. I tend to close my windows in summer and open them again in late autumn and winter, sometimes leaving them open all day and night. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Too funny abarbarian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 I just thought about it and I have also been using Linux for longer than I used windows. I think I used my first version of Windows back with 3.1 in 1993 or so. Then I didn't use computers for about 4 years or so afterwards (don't ask ). Then in March 2003, I moved to Linux on all of my machines except for a small window's gaming partition. Well a few months ago, I finally wiped my last window's partition since Steam supports enough games for my needs. So I used window's for about 6 years off and on and used Linux daily for 10 years (back in March). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
réjean Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 I started with Windows 95 and moved to 98 within a year or so and after a few experiments wuth Red Hat I started using Mandrake 7.1 and have been using Linux as my primary distro since even if I had Win XP installed and my wife is still using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrat Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Win 98SE in about 2001, then XP for a couple of years. Then Mandrake, SUSE and a couple of others I don't recall. I have been only using Debian or its close relatives for about 7 years now. I admit I have been using Windows 7 a lot lately due do a renewed obsession with gaming. Some games just don't work on Linux and I still haven't got Steam working properly. It's installed now but wants to remove 64 bit Nvidia when I try to install 32 bit GL lib, so I put it on the backburner again. I highly recommend GRID 2, Tomb Raider, Need For Speed; Most Wanted and GTA4. GTA5 is out shortly but the consoles have conspired to have it not initially released for PC. A mate says Splinter Cell Blacklist is the best game ever, but he says that for every new game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 Josh, I had a stretch from '93 to 2000 when I didn't use any computer... at home, work, etc. The Internet basically became popular during that period. I missed it. I didn't get to the Internet till 2000. I was amazed once I got here. It still amazes me, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturnian Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Hm, my situation has some similarities to Eric's. Got my first home computer (Windows XP) in 2001. Started messing around with Linux in 2005. Gradually found myself using Linux more and using Windows less. By 2007, I had Windows and Linux on separate computers only, and was booting Windows mainly to update the system. So my "primary" went from Windows to Linux somewhere during 2006-07. I haven't used Windows at home at all for 4 or 5 years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 I had a stretch up to 1986 where I had no computers at all.... I have had at least once since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 (edited) But it was a Color Computer and then an IBM Compatible 8088/8086 computer in DOS and Windows 3.1.1 after 3.1 had no networking and had to use Trumpet Winsock to get onto the Internet or AOH*ll or GENIE, Delphi, Sprint, CompuServe. Edited September 8, 2013 by LilBambi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 Funny you mention AOL. That is probably the one ISP that I never had anything to do with. Back in 2000, when I first got online, everyone was offering free dial-up. I had like seven different account set up on my system at that time... Juno, Excite, Altavista, WorldCom, and Netzero, of course. I still have an active Juno email address, and I bet my Netzero is still active. I never canceled it, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Later various computers I built from 386 to PIII computers running various versions of Windows and in 2000 forward, dual booting between Windows and Linux. Now I have various computers; a couple that dual booting between Windows XP and Linux, two Linux only, one Mac. And eventually I want to install Windows 7 and Windows 8 in VirtualBox and maybe the newer Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB RAM with Windows 7 and Debian Wheezy (currently Wheezy only). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 (edited) Funny you mention AOL. That is probably the one ISP that I never had anything to do with. Back in 2000, when I first got online, everyone was offering free dial-up. I had like seven different account set up on my system at that time... Juno, Excite, Altavista, WorldCom, and Netzero, of course. I still have an active Juno email address, and I bet my Netzero is still active. I never canceled it, anyway. I even tried Prodigy for a very short time LOL! I never used Juno or Netzero but some clients did and a couple still do. I hated them. Too many ads and much too restrictive. Went to Widomaker.com solid 24/7 dialup for a long time after Windows 98SE and later Windows XP and Linux. And now am being raked over the proverbial coals with Verizon Wireless to get any kind of broadband in this area, sadly. Edited September 8, 2013 by LilBambi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 I was ad-blocking even back then, so the freebies weren't too bad. Later on, when the freebies started disappearing, I actually paid for dial-up (56K - hauling butt! ) from a little local outfit (can't remember their name) that folded once the big boys (cable, telephone company) monopolized the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 I was also on Compuserve and Prodigy with my Tandy 1000 running DeskMate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 (edited) I had a stretch up to 1986 where I had no computers at all.... I have had at least once since then. You need to watch out then ! Do you still have three strikes and its down for life over there. An I think it was around 2000 when penitentiarys started computer courses. Edited September 8, 2013 by abarbarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturnian Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Josh, I had a stretch from '93 to 2000 when I didn't use any computer... at home, work, etc. I had a stretch up to 1986 where I had no computers at all.... I don't think I touched a computer during most of the 80s. Before then, I'd had some programming classes, and had even declared Computer Science as my major. Then I dropped out -- young and dumb. But that earlier interest in computers, and a lot of things from those programming classes, all that turned out to be helpful for me in the 90s, as well as later on when I got going with Linux. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Heh! 100% of my computering in the 80's was with Commodore computers (Vic 20, C-64, SX-64). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrat Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 My first computer was a Playstation. Got a PC around 2003. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I used McAfee's DOS antivirus in those days, and used Steve Gibson's OptOut before there was any other spyware/adware product available yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymac46 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I go back to punch cards, FORTRAN and IBM 360 mainframes. I used time share technology on teletypes in the 1970s. My first personal PC was a VIC-20 and I had a Commodore 64 and Amiga 500. At work I used MS-DOS in the 80s, Windows 3.11 through most of the 90s, and when I retired in 2004 we were still running Windows NT 4. At home I have used Windows 3.0, 95, 98SE, Me, XP and 7. I avoided Vista and (so far) Windows 8. I was also a latecomer to online stuff - started with Prodigy in 1996 and the "real Internet" around 1998. As far as Linux goes I got into it around 2006, so I've got a long way to go before it takes over from Windows. I have more machines running Linux than Windows around the house, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 We have more computers running Linux than any other OS here too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 I think we had more fun with computing when we were using the CoCo and DOS personally. At least till Linux came along... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggdog Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 I think we had more fun with computing when we were using the CoCo and DOS personally. At least till Linux came along... Oh yeah, absolutely. I can't comment on the CoCo (it sounds like something I'd blame on the bossa nova!), but I loved DOS. Every time I wrote a batch file, I was too cool for school! I think I started in 1989 or so, with DOS 3.3. I actually kinda liked Windows 3.1, but I hated 95 and wouldn't have it on any computer at home. (I was working for a healthcare provider that had 95 on a couple of their computers, and I thought it was malware, as in I got mal de mer every time it ate a graphics driver.) I came to terms with 98 and actually liked Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, but there was something about that generation of Windows that was like sticking my head into a box of ether; I learned just enough to keep my computer and my wife's computer and the home server we had for a while running, but somehow the will to have adventures, and to learn more than I needed just for the thrill of learning, wasn't there. That returned with Linux. I had to try to revive a computer with Windows 98 on it earlier this year (family estate issues). Lord, was that a journey into a murky past! The computer didn't have USB or a network port; I had to copy the crucial files onto some floppy disks I'd had around and then try to figure out how to get them onto a machine that worked. And even looking at the Windows 98 desktop...it was so dreary and nondescript (of course, that could have been the graphics card in this unfortunate computer, which belched forth the needed statements and that very evening crossed the Styx); I can't imagine how it ever could have been the Next Big Thing, but it sure 'nuff was. I was so much older then.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 Hiya Eggdog, nice to see you around again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted September 14, 2013 Author Share Posted September 14, 2013 Eddie! Where've you been hiding? Good to see you here again. I've missed your excellent posts lately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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