[plug] setting up

[Ben Jensz]

James Elliott wrote:

>Hi all
>
>Now my Uni exams are over for this semester, I and others will be moving on
>to other topics and not doing Linux/Unix again, but that is not the end of
>Linux for me - I would like to make it my main operating system and not have
>to switch backwards and forwards between Linux and Windows for different
>tasks.  The course was a good introduction to Linux and good way of getting
>started but I am very much a newbie and would like to hear differing members
>opinions on the merits of the various distributions.  Reading the large
>volume of PLUG e-mails that pass through my machine I see Red Hat, Mandrake,
>and Debian mentioned, just to name a few.
>
>For work and play, this is what I need:
>
>e-mail (most important)
>Internet access (I download a lot of drivers & product info for customers'
>Windows computers;  lookup wholesale price lists; Internet Banking; etc.)
>Word-processing
>Spreadsheet
>Minimal graphics (for designing pamphlets, letterheads, etc)
>
>I have an Epson 600 colour printer and a UMAX Astra 2100 USB scanner which I
>need to be functional (so I might need minimal photo editing software as
>well as I doubt that UMAX has Linux versions of its software).
>
>I will be buying/building a new computer soon and will network that to my
>current AMD 233 MHz 256 MB SDRAM computer.  I have a D-Link Internet
>gateway.
>
>I have the CD's for Red Hat 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 and am currently running 7.1,
>but before I spend time upgrading Red Hat I would like to know what you are
>using and what you suggest would be best for a new user.
>
>Many thanks
>
>James Elliott
>Ravensthorpe Computers
>ABN 34 305 232 710
>Tel:   08 9838 1043
>Fax:  08 9838 1049
>Cell:  0428 39 6052
>E-mail:  James.Elliott at wn.com.au
>Australia Post:
>PO Box 228, Ravensthorpe WA 6346
>
>
>
>  
>
Red Hat is fairly easy to use, same with Mandrake.  I haven't had any 
real experience with Debian, but from what I hear, it lets you get your 
hands a bit more dirty in setting it up, but the end result is worth it :).

Best thing to do would be to try both for yourself and make up your own 
mind :).


/ Ben