Is it Time to Ditch Windows?

I've been thinking about getting a new computer for almost 2 years now and due to my indecisiveness, I've missed the boat for one that comes with Windows 7 as standard.
Of course, I could simply install my current HDD into the new computer and keep using the version I've got (although I'm not sure about the legality of that, no one would be any the wiser) but one of the benefits of a new PC is starting afresh without any of the clutter that you had on your previous system.

Now that I've finished university, I don't have any requirement for a Windows PC. No more bits of specialist software like Matlab or even Microsoft Office. I can't remember the last time I had to open a word processor outside of the office (unless it was to open an email attachment from someone without the foresight to use a PDF). I've been using Outlook for a number of years to manage my 4 main email addresses (I liked to try and grab my preferred alias on each new domain that came out) but I've recently switched to using Thunderbird which I've decided is finally up to the task of replacing Outlook.

I'm still getting used to where things are and changing the settings to get things just right; but I'm only just starting to realise what I've been missing out on. Until I got my Android phone, I'd been using the Outlook calendar to manage my diary. It synced with my old phone very nicely and so I had a copy of my appointments wherever I went. I'd installed Google Calendar sync so keep the two versions synchronised but it always felt wrong trying to maintain them both. I sometime ended up double booking myself because I was checking the unsynced Outlook calendar (out of habit) rather than the Google one. Now that I'm using Thunderbird though, I find that there's a Google Calendar addon and all my problems are solved. Even better that I've found this now that Google are retiring the Calendar sync program.

I've also recently installed Libre Office. I've tried using OpenOffice / Libre Office a number of times and always found it somewhat difficult to use. Even the transition to Office 2007, whilst not the smoothest eventually became second nature and I now think is far more intuitive than the old system of menus. The only thing I miss from the new Office is the ability to see the keyboard shortcuts for the old menu items. I frequently use "Alt, a, i, (a/b/l/r)" for inserting columns and rows into tables in MS Word; and whilst these still work, I can no longer discover new ones. Alt would highlight the menu items, 'a' was the shortcut for the table menu, 'i' for insert and a/b/l/r for above/below/left/right. Similarly, I use Alt, i, r/c to insert a new row / column in Excel. Anyway, I digress. Back to Libre Office. I've only had it installed for a few days now and have only had one need to use it in that time. For what it's worth, it did the job admirably - the job was opening a .doc attachment - I had wondered how far the compatibility with the MS formats had come and it seems that they've pretty much perfected it now. I've heard that there are some issues with the newer .docx files but I can always fall back to viewing those online through Office online should I ever be so desperate.

There are a couple of sticking points that remain and will probably prevent me from getting rid of my old computer entirely. I'm still yet to find a nice native twitter client. I use Tweetdeck all the time and whilst it has it's annoying quirks - mainly that it often refuses to load tweets after I've resumed the computer from a sleep and that it resets my cursor to the top left hand corner when it closes (thanks the the automatic update check) - it does everything I want it to do, is very easy to use and looks pretty at the same time. One of my real bugbears with open source software is that a lot of the time it is let down by it's looks and ease of use. In the case of Thunderbird for example, I've had to go into the advanced about:config settings a number of times to change some preferences that I think should be in a menu somewhere. You could argue the case that the fact that it is almost completely customisable is a bonus and I'd agree wholeheartedly. The fact that anyone can take the code and change it if there's something they don't like is wonderful but I'm a real sucker for a nice UI. I think if I do take the plunge, I'll end up using the Tweetdeck chrome app. I don't much care for the idea of apps in the browser but at the moment, I can see very few alternatives.

I'm going to miss the windows Skype app. The linux version is simply horrible to look at and use although there are signs that work is being done to improve this. The sign in screen has recently undergone a transformation and now looks almost the same as it's Windows counterpart. A little strange as it's been taken over by Microsoft but I'm not complaining. I'm also going to have to get to grips with GIMP. I've always struggled to understand why the program comes in bits rather than having everything stuck together in one window like 99% of other software but again, I'm sure I'll get used to it.

My final search will be for a decent media player. I'm currently using Songbird but that's now showing signs of moving in a direction I'm not especially happy with. I really just want something that plays music and allows me to manage my library which isn't even especially large. I used to use Windows Media Player but got fed up when they removed their tools for managing ID3 tags. Songbird is based loosely on Firefox and has a number of addons that are really quite nice. Unfortunately, the sync is appalling and there is no concept of a now playing list. These two are, in my opinion, two fundamental points and I'm surprised it's lasted this long. In the case of syncing, I actually wrote my own program to take care of that and sure enough, it works perfectly. Best of all, if I want to change it, I can.

Unless something terrible happens and my current PC becomes unusable then I very much doubt I'll be replacing it this year. The power socket is a bit dodgy but given that it spends 99% of its time in one place, this isn't too much of an issue. The HDMI socket has also lost its stick so I have to use bluetack to keep it in place when I'm connecting it to the TV. Thankfully, this is only if I'm trying to watch 4OD (thanks to their removal of the PS3 version of the website, I can no watch this on my Raspberry Pi) or streaming a film.

I couldn't think of a song that went with the theme of windows or computers so this will have to do. There are a number of records I'm looking forward to in the next couple of months; White Lies release their 3rd album on Monday and from the two songs I've heard, it's set to be a good one. Chvrches and Haim both release their debut albums towards the end of September and again are set to be a musical delight. The song I've chosen to end with however is one I came across completely by accident whilst flicking through radio stations. I happened to stay on Radio 1 for more than the 30 seconds I usually manage these days and heard a song from this artist. 30 seconds later, I was looking them up on Youtube. I'd forgotten about them until I received an email from them (or more likely, their record label). I'd clearly been so impressed as to have signed up to the mailing list and I'm very glad I did. Their album is released on 9th Septemeber and they've just uploaded a new song. Here is is, Enjoy.