OSx, Windows, and Ubuntu - oh my!

I've never really tried to use any operation system other than Windows (with the exception of my phones Android OS) and I had never really thought much about it until lately. I had acquired an older iMac with pretty decent specs that I wanted to play around with, yet upon booting it up I quickly realized I was going to have to relearn most of what I thought I knew. Still now I can't say I work very well with it, but certainly better than I used to. I also always wanted to use a Linux OS, but I was concerned about screwing something up on my main PC by messing with powers beyond my comprehension. 

The simplest and best method I could think of to try and learn more about both operating systems was to turn the iMac into a dual-boot system, running both OSx and Ubuntu side-by-side (a nice guide for this can be found HERE). The process wasn't at all complicated as I thought it was going to be (although I have to admit it took me about an hour to get the sound working in Ubuntu :X ) and pretty soon I was cruising around Ubuntu's sleek desktop.

Now I've only been using Ubuntu for few hours total, but I'm really enjoying it so far. From the built-in Ubuntu One could storage system which made it easy for me to get files from my Windows PC, to the tons of available software in the Ubuntu software center, I'm pretty impressed early on. The built-in Workspace Switcher gives you four separate screens that you can swap between to keep your desktop free of clutter.  What has really amazed me so far is the online community for the OS, so many people working to make it better, help others with their issues ( info from an Ubuntu forum post was what finally got my sound working! ) and developing their own software for the system.

You can download Ubuntu desktop 100% free at http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop. I burned it to a DVD myself, but you can also use a USB drive. There's also an installer for Windows labeled "Wubi" but I've heard mixed reviews on whether it's better to use a dual-boot setup instead. You can use Ubuntu as the sole OS on your computer, as a dual-boot system on a Mac or Windows PC, or even a Tri-boot system with all three! If you're nervous about it like I was I'd recommend trying it on a secondary computer your first time. You never can be too careful when it comes to expensive electronics ;).

Thank you for reading and feel free to post any questions or comments below! Also I wrote this blog from Ubuntu desktop ;)