On-the-Road OS Comparison(s):
Introduction:
On-the-road OSs - what / which is the 'better' / 'the worser' and
the 'just to get by:
Bottom-Line: - on the road you want something that is RELIABLE if
nothing else - the bouncing, jouncing, drop-kicks, and other such
'abuse' as any laptop computer always endures on the road makes certain
that if an OS is a 'wimp' it's going to fail, 'on-the-road' (read this
as "When I need it MOST"!)...
I've had Hardware and OS failures that are 'hefty' enough to completely
put me out of business in:
- Bangalore India
- Singapore
- Sydney, Australia
- Krakow, Poland
- Stuart, Florida
- Aizu, Japan
And believe me- when they happen (not IF, WHEN) this sort of failure
will definately make your day...
AND though (see below) Unix has an 'advantage' it's not a big one on
the road, everything fails, eventually...
However, - here's the 'methodology' to prevent a total meltdown...
- Unix 'tends' (over the last 10-20 years) to be more 'robust' than
Windows on almost any laptop computer
- that being said, in the 'corporate world' there will be offices /
locations / support groups that throw-up their-hands when presented
with a Linux-based-computer
- Windows (of almost any flavour) tends to be more 'prevalent' in
most offices / countries / support groups
- a 'total-failure' of your hard-drive isn't going to help you
'recover' your damaged boot-sector nor your file(a) and almost no
support group (of the Windows variety) can recover things either?
(especially on short notice)
- MANY corporate entities / and/or support groups might 'stock'
Dell and/or HP and/or IBM and you might get a loaner or a spare AC
adapater or external hard-drive (maybe boot from this?) or whatever..
- the SAVIOUR though, over the last 10 years or so, for ME has been
something called "Knoppix" and it
'can' save you (to some extent) EVEN IF you're a Windows Laptop user...
-
- Knoppix boots from a CD-ROM
-
- Knoppix can typically mount your Windows (or other OS) hard -
drive (even if it won't boot)
-
- Knoppix can boot (from it's CD-ROM) even if your laptop has NO
HARD DISK at all installed
-
- Knoppix can allow you to USE your COMPUTER even if no hard-disk
is installed
-
- Knoppix can allow you (assuming you know a little Linux) to
recover files, put them on floppies, use them
- Knoppix is ONLY about $5 US (yes, that's US $5(for the CD-ROM
(bootable))
-
- Knoppix DOES REQUIRE that you know and understand Linux to at
least 'some' degree
- Knoppix ONLY REQUIRES you to carry-around a single bootable
CD-ROM to 'recovery' (somewhat) from 'total system failure (inability
to boot your laptop's hard-drive
AND _ here's Bill's last-little-item - if you have and do travel 'a
lot' (more than 2-3 weeks a month) - make no mistake about it - if
you've not (yet) had a 'total meltdown' it's going to happen - even in
the world of international warranties and such there will come a time
when your system quits, cold-turkey, while travelling JUST when you
need it MOST. - You may have backups - but you won't have them all -
and you WILL NEED HELP! - and it makes no difference what OS
you've had - it will fail, and your screen will break and your OS won't
boot... -
my only caution: - be as 'prepared' as you can be -
last updated:
28Feb05; revID: 1e