For about four months now, I have been using the Ubuntu Linux operating system full-time on both my desktop and notebook computer. A few weeks into this experience, I wrote an article sharing some of my findings about the Windows to Linux migration process.

I don’t have the patience to go through a full install of Ubuntu but I also don’t think that running the Live CD does the operating system justice. If only there were an easy-to-use Windows installer that didn’t "require you to modify the partitions of your PC or to use a different bootloader." Enter Wubi.

There are quite a few possibilities to take the Linux distribution Ubuntu for a test drive. It can be run from Live CDs, run in a virtual machine or installed on a free partition on the computer system even from within Windows (using Wubi). Portable Ubuntu adds another possibility to these choices by offering to run Ubuntu directly in Windows without installation or configuration at all.

WUBI dramatically reduces the gap that prevents windows users to try Ubuntu. If you are wondering what WUBI is all about, you may get some idea from my post “WUBI - A wonderful little gem that helps windows users to try Ubuntu“. Yes, with WUBI, installing Ubuntu is just like installing Firefox or Thunderbird on a windows machine.

Microsoft Office is one of the most popular application suits which no doubt facilitates the users to the full extent. But due to its high price or due to any compatibility issue with the operating system, it is always desirable to have some alternatives. Lets have a summarized look on the available alternatives.

Wubi is an Ubuntu installer for Windows that lets you install and uninstall Ubuntu from a Windows desktop. Wubi adds an entry to the Windows boot menu which allows you to run Linux.

A quick search on Google for tutorials regarding Linux and Windows interoperability, will reveal a lot of guides on how to install (emulate) Windows on a virtual machine inside Linux or how to migrate from Windows to Linux or how to dual boot Windows and Linux, but what I was really looking for was a way to run Windows and Linux at the same time, on the same machine; sharing the same desktop, work

Despite Google’s move into the operating system (OS) space, the idea of a primarily cloud-centric OS is nothing revolutionary. Some current offerings present welcome alternatives to mainstream operating systems, packing in useful features and making it easier to access your online content.

Although Microsoft is gearing everyone up for the release of Windows 7 on October 22, there are other solutions out there that might satisfy a user's desire for a new operating system without the additional cost.