Linux for regular people, not just geeks. (Wubi)

Many Baby Boomers somehow missed the boat on the whole personal computer thing. (Admittedly, that one still boggles The Boomer Beat. After all, computers were effectively born right around the same time as the oldest Baby Boomers.) Given that, most of you have had Microsoft forced down your throat somewhere along the way, and that's all you know. Some of you may be Macintosh users, again either by force, or with Mac more likely by choice. Still...

...there is another fantastic OS (operating system) available, but it has a well-deserved reputation for putting people off. That OS would be Linux. However, it is now time to put aside your bias for any one OS and give Linux a try because Linux has finally been made easy (or, a great deal easier).



Meet Wubi. Wubi is an easy-as-pie installer of the Ubuntu variant of Linux. Yes, it is now both possible and very easy to setup your Windows PC as a dual-boot Windows/Linux box. Forget repartitioning your hard drive. Forget arcane command line instructions. Forget pretty much every awful thing you've heard about converting to or trying Linux.

Yes, forget all the bad and hoary things you've heard about Linux and give Ubuntu (especially with the Wubi installer) a try. You might find yourself saying goodbye to Microsoft. Oh, and remember that everything Wubi/Linux-related (e.g., software, OS) is completely free! (Well, it may cost you just a very few gray cells to see the computing world anew, but they'll grow back.)

In fact, using Wubi and Ubuntu is the perfect cure for your older computers' blues. They are too old and slow to run a modern Microsoft OS, but they will find a new life with Wubi/Ubuntu. In fact, if you're still a tad cautious, you can always first try Linux on the older computer. However, The Boomer Beat doubts that will be where you stop.