So now that I have successfully modified my once defunct laptop, I was on a mission to see what else I could do. I started to read blogs and forums and articles and whatever else I could get my hands on. I didn't even know where to begin. At first I thought it would just be cool to get familiar enough with Linux to where I could use it as efficiently as Windows so I could enjoy the best of both worlds on my one computer! This was my intention on first pondering what I would do next. That is, up until I went back to the now secondary operating system on my computer and I was not impressed at in the least.
I didn't expect much because I really hadn't done anything to make Windows run any better than it had previously on there. I guess it was just disappointing to think that I continue to try and find a use for something so powerful yet so frustrating to try and operate without issue. I fiddled around on it for a while. Copied some files I was happy still existed. And promptly rebooted back into Fedora I think it was at the time. Now is when my mind started racing because this was point I was ready to completely wipe this old computer of anything it had previously had on it.
Strangely, this was an anxious moment for me. It's hard to explain the nerves I would have each step I got closer to eradicating Microsoft. I decided on Ubuntu Budgie to occupy the drive and I can't really offer an explanation for it other than I thought the “Budgie” name might imply it was light on resources. Anyway, this decision was the first in my process, and it took some time to make it.
And then I used the amazing tool “dd” in the command line. I prepared the USB stick like an executioner sharpening his blade. Booting into the live environment on the USB and selecting install was throttling my emotions. It sounds ridiculous but I felt like I was burning custom leather seats because I could now get free, more suitable seats for my car for free. Windows to me is like the Lincoln Navigator I just recently had to get rid of. That thing was sweet on every level. But it was built for the masses and if used too often would become unreliable. Fixing it required a professional if its anything beyond normal maintenance. How much sweeter would it be to have a custom built ride that I build myself?!?! I digress...
Once the install was complete I felt liberated. And thrilled that the only thing occupying that computer was a Linux OS. I messed around with this for a few days figuring out how to install programs or reading about the Linux file structure. I stumbled across a distro that sounded so cool that I eventually convinced myself that cutting my 1 TB HDD in half would be ok to do on my new computer. So I dual-booted my brand new shiny ASUS Q405U with Ubuntu Studio. And I loved it.
Cosmetically, that distro might be one of the cleanest I have seen out of the box, and it certainly sold me. I quickly forgot about ever logging back into Windows unless absolutely necessary. “I would still need Word or something at some point I'm sure.” So I left it, and it was fine. But I never seemed to ever “need” to boot into anything other than my Linux boxes...