A computer with Linux pre-installed isn't necessarily cheaper than one with Windows. several reasons, 1/ the machine with Linux might be better speced hardware wise. 2/ Computers are often sold very cheap with Windows because they are loss leaders, both Microsoft and the manufacturer are taking a loss, or getting very little in return on that sale, because they really want to push the high end stuff, and very often they will immediately try to up sell you when you enquire about the cheap machine , so they do a loss leader, see the article I linked to on loss leaders. 3/ The Linux shop is small and can't get the same sort of deal on hardware as the big guys. 4/ The Linux shop might be doing all sorts of value add things like customisation, or even building/modifying drivers so the hardware, which may not have proper Linux drivers will work properly.

In all cases, the Linux OS is still not cost.

Yes MythBuntu is the entire OS, already configured to run MythTV out of the box.

No it doesn't mean blowing away the Mac OS, you can dual boot .

The main reason for going to Linux, in my case, was better security, no viruses, no Anti Virus needed, not price, the fact that the OS was free of charge was jam. In fact I paid for the first Linux I used, a company called Lycoris had a boxed set, complete with Manuals for $49.95 US (I'd have gladly paid 10 times that, for what you get on any Linux Distribution). Later I joined a Mandriva group that had access to extra software, and proprietary software, and I paid a yearly subscription for that (about $130 Aussie Dollars back then). It's only since I've moved to Ubuntu/Linux Mint that Iactually get everything at no cost.


Last Edited By: tracyannef Oct 6 10 3:32 PM. Edited 3 times.