HP 250 G5 - Windows 7/10 vs. Linux

[Ashckroft]

Hello,

I need some critical ideas and opinions about windows 7/10 and linux OS's.
Since I bought my first computer years and years ago I've been always using microsoft software,but always wanned to try Linux.I really hate Windows 10 and 8.Im on win7 for like 8 years solid.I want something to run smooth on my laptop and have the the basic driver and software set up for best performance.

My laptop goes with:

CPU : Intel Celeron N3060 with Intel HD Graphics 400 (1.6 GHz, up to 2.48 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 2 MB cache, 2 cores)

GPU : Intel HD Graphics 400

SSD : 128 GB SATA-3

RAM : 4096 MB Total System Memory (4096 MB x 1)

So my questions are :

1.For this configuration Linux or Windows? - since the manufacturer recomends windows 10 which I dislike.

2.Can I use microsoft office on Linux? -As far as I know WHINE is a windows emulator that does that job,but how well I have no idea.

3.Drivers for my laptop on windows 7 are less than windows 10,contrary to Linux will I be able to use some of the features that HP gives as utility like FOXIT PHANTOM PDF or something like that.

4.Security on windows and linux-whats the difference and how to maintain malware free PC.

5.At the moment as I mentioned I'm on windows7 and as far as I remeber I had to change the partittion format in order to install that windows,because the PC has been made for windows 10 for maximal performance.If I wish to install linux shall I change it back or I need to use the NTFS format too?


Thanks in advance!
Kind Regards!

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Linux is just another completely different computing experience. I am not really sure where to start as you are asking questions at a very basic level. Linux is great for less powerful systems like yours. It is a very low-end computer with a very weak processor and limited memory and storage. Most Linux users actually run Windows and Linux at the same time in dual boot. I personally have had a dual boot Windows/Linux installation on every laptop I have owned since about 2000 and have done dozens if not hundreds of Linux installs. 

WINE is not good for complex software like Microsoft Office, more for simpler executable apps and games. But with most Linux distros you get Libre Office which emulates Microsoft Office almost perfectly. I can do my office work, Word, Excel Powerpoint from either the Windows side using actual MS office or on the Linux side using Libre Office, can create documents on one side, open and edit on the other and back again seamlessly. 

Linux will have pdf software available for download for free that will let you create and edit pdfs as well and it is easy to convert office documents to pdf in Linux. 

Linux uses its own file system, not NTFS or FAT32. I use reiser file system or ext3 or ext4. Linux will work with the Mac file system very well as Linux and the Mac OS are like first cousins. And you can open files on an ntfs partition or FAT32 partition and save to it from Linux. That used to be much harder to do, but in the last few years Linux has stepped up its game and interoperability with Windows is much better than it was when I started using Linux. You can mount and access your Windows partitions from Linux and have a shared storage partition to be used by both OSes with the dual boot. 

One major beauty of Linux is that you do not need to worry about viruses and malware much, if at all. The hackers write malicious programs for what most people use, Windows and to a lesser extent, Mac. Linux has such a small market share almost no one bothers to write viruses and malware tageting Linux desktop users. There is Linux antivirus and anti-malware software but what you usually do with it is to scan Windows partitions because it can do a much better job than Windows antivirus programs at finding and detecting malware. Linux has much superior and configurable firewall apps built right in. If I am in an airport or coffee shop on the public wifi internet I am running Linux with the firewall on full protective mode. 

I would like to think you would decide to take the plunge and become a Linux user but honestly it is not for everyone. Kind of like the difference between driving a car with an automatic transmission and a stick shift. It takes some user input and involvement. You have to learn how to use the command line. You have to make driver software from packages. You should learn how to rebuild a Linux kernel to add in custom hardware support. 

The best way to get started is to download a Linux distro like Ubuntu 16.10, put it on a thumb drive and use it as a Live Disk. In other words, run Linux by booting from the thumb drive and see how you like it. Nothing on your hard drive will be changed. It will be slower than it would be if Linux were installed on the SSD but you might be surprised to see it is not much slower this way than Windows. 

I have infinite patience with new Linux users and will take as much time as you need to get you started if that is the way you want to go. All I can say is it works for me. 

[Ashckroft]

AMAZING!THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

You just gave me the most detailed information that I could have dreamed of!Yes I  thought of becoming a linux user very long time ago the only thing that stoped me at that time was  that if something happens no matter what I know what to do on windows in order to fix it ,make it work better or something like that.

I have some basic exp. with CMD like most of the command lines - turning on and off services, formating, checking drives, and so on and so on.I think that ill get used to the linux lines  very quickly.

The only thing that I'll need more info about is the things you mentioned here : " You have to make driver software from packages. You should learn how to rebuild a Linux kernel to add in custom hardware support. ".

Any help  will be very,very appreciated by me!I really want to get rid of windows and will fully convert to linux next month.

Just one more little question Fedora/Ubuntu or Mint?From what I've seen each has its purpose,but I have not researched the very fabrics of those distro's.

[Huffer]

I have used OpenSuse, Red Hat (Fedora) and most recently Kubuntu which is the K-desktop variation of Ubuntu. Linux Mint is also a debian type distribution and is very similar to Ubuntu. Of these frankly I recommend Ubuntu or Kubuntu. The difference is in the packaging. Very roughly the K-desktop is more similar to Windows in appearance and the Linux Gnome wrapper used by Ubuntu looks a little more like Mac. 

In Linux you almost never need a special driver. It usually just works but things like the nVidia video and some other hardware like odd wireless cards will have downloadable driver packages where you have to run some processing on them with a make and make install command. What I have always found with Linux is that some guy way smarter than me has posted a step by step tutorial on exactly how to do it command by command. When you have followed the step by step on a few things you start to get a feel for how to figure it out yourself. For example you have to update your software from time to time so you open command prompt and type 

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

This invokes root priviliges and tells the updater to run out to the software server and check to see if there are updates and then the second one downloads and installs those updates. Security packages are updated and holes patched, drivers updated in some instances, software updated to the latest version just with those commands.