[wplug] Need Advice Switching From Windows to Linux

[Larry Daberko]

Hello,

I wanted to give my experiences with some of the software you're 
considering.  Others have excellent recommendations on the OS/Interface 
so I'll skip over those.

E-mail/calendar - I use Thunderbird as it runs on multiple platforms.  I 
use Google calendar for synchronizing my mobile devices.

Office - Libreoffice.

Finances - I paid for Moneydance and I think it's worth the cost. I 
haven't set it up for online banking since I use the export/import 
functions because I like making sure every entry is verified and 
correct.  It runs on both Win and Linux so you can migrate at your 
leisure.  There's a demo install that lets you do 100 entries, but that 
quickly ran out for me.

-Larry

On 10/28/2013 09:09 AM, Lawrence Wolfson wrote:
> Hello.  I am new to the mailing list and need some advice about moving from Windows to Linux.  The reason for the move is to avoid being trapped in the coming Microsoft plan to change from one-time software purchase to monthly fees.  I am a bit familiar with Linux having configured a Ubuntu system last year as a curiosity,
>
> My plan for Linux is to find a solid stable configuration and environment that I can keep current with a minimum of maintenance and upgrades.
>
> However, to make the change I need to find equivalently robust applications on the Linux side.  My key concern is replacing Quicken.  I plan to try Gnucash and MoneyDance.  (I know that MoneyDance has a price.)
>
> My questions are:
> 1. What flavors of Linux ought I to consider?
> For a start, I was planning to look at Fedora 19 and Mint Cinnamon.
>
> 2. Same question for desktop environments?
> For a start, I was planning to look at KDE and XFCE but am interested in looking at any that are effective and different from what I am used to in Windows.
>
> 3. What are good replacements for Outlook?  I like the Outlook email and calendar.
>
> 4. What office programs or suites?
> I use MSOffice for Word, Excel and Access and write a fair amount of VBA code.  I assume that OpenOffice will be equivalent in functionality even if the implementation is different but have not looked into that yet.
>
> 5. What is the best replacement for Quicken?  Am I on track with Gnucash and MoneyDance?
>
> 6. I already use some apps that should work the same under Linux - Firefox, VLC, Audacity and TrueCrypt.
>
> Thank you for any opinions, ideas and suggestions.
> Larry Wolfson
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