Has anyone tried out xtra pc?

Taureau

Administrator
If this works it is an interesting and safe option to use to keep information from prying eyes
If this works someone could plug it into any computer and have access to their files and then remove it without leaving any information on the computer you where using. Seems in theory to be a good way to stay secure.


Xtra-PC® is a tiny, powerful flash drive that plugs into your computer’s USB port. Within seconds, it bypasses your old, slow, operating system (Windows or Mac) and replaces it with a fully functional Linux operating system that’s blazing fast and easy-to-use!
Over 300,000 Customers Trust Xtra-PC®!

  • Saves Money – Don’t spend HUNDREDS on a new computer!

  • Works on any Mac or PC – If your computer has a USB drive, you can use Xtra-PC®!

  • Easy to use and works in minutes – Just plug it in, no technical skills required!

  • Includes all your favorite programs – Web browsing, email, docs & spreadsheets, music, video players, and more!

  • Keeps ALL your existing files – Xtra-PC® does not touch or modify your existing files in any way!

  • Broken or missing hard drive? No problem! If your hard drive is missing or corrupted you can now use your computer like normal!
 
If this works it is an interesting and safe option to use to keep information from prying eyes
If this works someone could plug it into any computer and have access to their files and then remove it without leaving any information on the computer you where using. Seems in theory to be a good way to stay secure.


Xtra-PC® is a tiny, powerful flash drive that plugs into your computer’s USB port. Within seconds, it bypasses your old, slow, operating system (Windows or Mac) and replaces it with a fully functional Linux operating system that’s blazing fast and easy-to-use!
Over 300,000 Customers Trust Xtra-PC®!

  • Saves Money – Don’t spend HUNDREDS on a new computer!


I like it but to be clear it disconnects you from using Windows. Every point they make is mostly valid.

Linux as an operating system only loads a driver for your exact hardware. It doesn't load parts of drivers for 200,000 other video cards, processors, sound cards, network cards you're NOT and probably never will use and so on. It just loads what you need so it cuts an INCREDIBLE amount of "You might need this if you upgrade so we're making it so you have bits of software to make it so you can upgrade at all times" so that windows will start up and allows you to start detecting the correct hardware. Linux does have a better "detect your new hardware" piece now but it might need you to book Linux to install it versus just chucking a new video card into your computer with windows and 2 mins later, bing, video card installed for windows.

THE GREAT PART
The REAL power of Linux is that the developers of it have been united for two decades. Every piece of software developed for Linux (unless its commercial or has proprietary secrets that make the software like an application like Microsoft Excel) has a fair bit of oversight in that people can view the source code and see if there is bad code in there that could cause you to get hacked by the software provider). The community has remained strong and has an "anti price gouging the fuck out of people for your product" component to them. Some profit is good but charging $700 for MS Excel, Word, Outlook? You serious?
Now what these developers remaining dedicated has done has kept the installation and setup of Linux very very tight and strong. A new driver for a network card is generally eyeballed by thousands so you don't get the same "Holy shit, Micorosft just did a windows update and their network driver software can be exploited so people can steal your banking info!" type of scenarios.
Linux has Kept it Simple, Stupid (KISS) fo a long time so a lesser computer stays relevant for a long time. It's important to note that if you want to do those high end graphics on a game or app are going to be WORSE on Linux because they must load a piece of software that fools the software into thinking it's on windows and then you install your software on top of that emulator.
- Linux doesn't need 128GB of ram because its memory control is amazing. Windows has really dropped the ball on this and it's getting to be STUPID what Windows says it "needs"

NOW FOR THE DARK PART
Linux isn't simple under its graphic interface. To be perfectly clear, what people installing Linux now graphically get is a ton of emulators that operate on top of a very complex text-based operating system. Windows does this as well however every part of windows has a graphical interface. Linux is only FOOLING you into thinking it's graphical. It's complex as hell, just hidden. This generally isn't a problem for most because most just browse the web do some pretty boring things. For that, Linux could run a ten-year-old computer and would seem like you just bought a gigantic powerful beast of a computer.
You CANNOT use every application like they say. There are LOADS of applications that can't load on Linux or the windows emulator in Linux. This can be complicated by the fact you're always needing little updates to apps to stay up to date security-wise.
Linux is very very secure however you can't just install a bunch of Windows software on it. When you go to install, they'll barf and say that you can only install on windows x32 or x64.
"Includes all your favorite programs – Web browsing, email, docs & spreadsheets, music, video players, and more!" is an outright lie. There is productivity software in there that can those but you are NOT getting copies of Ms Office or Finale or Photoshop etc etc. You might get something that edits those files but they are NEVER as good as a product developed over twenty or more years and sold to customers along with customer support.
"Easy to use and works in minutes – Just plug it in, no technical skills required! NOT ALWAYS TRUE.
"Broken or missing hard drive? No problem!
If your hard drive is missing or corrupted you can now use your computer like normal! Linux off an SD card runs like shit. It may work but its not productive. You need those PCI Express lanes from a processor to your hard drive for your computer to run quickly. An SD Card plugged into a USB port uses a portion of one PCI Express lane which means the speed is horrible. (it should be noted that windows can be run in ASS mode as well)

WHAT I DON'T LIKE
I don't like how Linux software providers (there are a ton of companies that make their "version" of Linux. I do NOT like how they say you can "use all your apps and keep your data". They use their own things that are like Windows Office and many other productivity and entertainment software. They are NOT Windows Office/those other pieces of software and some of the differences can be pretty glaringly annoying. I don't about you but I change my ribbon of Windows Office with each new update so that it looks like the same one I started using about ten years ago. It's just nice to have the same look.
They say that your files are accessible...they don't underline that it won't be applications you've seen before. They're accessible via Linux versions that are "like" the software(which can be nasty). Now some of these are actual Linux installed versions of software which is good because you can get something that looks just like that software you've used forever. Some however are not Linux versions and I hate that some of the companies pushing the Linux operating system use trickery here.
Example>You can access your files just like before. Sure you can but I can access my photos in 30 different pieces of software right now inside Windows 10 x64. This matters because 29 of those pieces of software I find annoying or don't have features I want to be able to edit/change a file how I like it. Windows has it's own deal right now. Paint and Paint3D. I love Paint but HATE Paint3D. Paint is so quick and dirty that I can grab a screenshot, paste it in paint, crop it, lower its image quality/size so it fits the fire requirement on your website and poof I can upload a file in one minute. Paint3D isn't nearly as seamless. (same for a ton of other graphical editors).
I HATE that companies with Linux (and other Unix operating system creators) use some sneaky wording in their productivity software. YES they can edit a copy of a .DOCX file. It's because Microsoft was facing a possible lawsuit over forcing people into using MS Word. So they opened the ability for (Insert Linux Productivity software here) to open and edit their documents. I have yet to see ONE native Linux operating system productivity software that approaches Ms Word as far as comfort. I have been using it since before 1995 so there obviously is a bit of being used to the software from addiction over time involved there in my choice obviously but Windows has spent billions on making sure MS Word is designed or configurable so that 95% of the people in the world prefer it's look.

THE BOIL DOWN
Linux is big on many free pieces of software. You can't physically sell it unless you make serious changes to the operating system to justify it. It's becoming more and more pay though. The days of free free free are ending because free doesn't keep the hydro on for software developers. I would consider this when looking at it. Linux is great and its very fast. There is a price to be paid for trying to crossover into it though. Not everything works or works well whereas with windows it's built to generically work with anything that is windows based. You lose performance, you generally pay more for this but at the end of the day you may pay for features but you can go to any windows website, download their app, install it and you now have a fully running application. Linux can't guarantee this.
Some companies make Linux versions of their software but not enough. That means you generally run an emulator that makes software THINK it's installed on windows but it's not. Emulators are generally terrible because of them being another layer between your software and the hardware.

SORRY FOR THE BOOK. It's not as simple as just chucking an SD card in with your operating system on it. f there's anything I missed, please let me know and I can help clarify it. I LOVE helping on these deals because people get the right information. No question too big or small!
 

Then you can't possibly run/understand Linux. It's a whole new operating system. You can't use 5 lines and explain what and why you should run it because its impossible. Kind of like trying to explain your brand new car and how to run all its new features in 5 sentences.

I broke it into the Black areas that might interest you but if you can't take the time to read the sentences there then you truly have no business thinking you can run Linux well. Windows is what you need.
 
gfy. ive been using linux for decades. be more concise in your communications

Can't. Again go find yourself an official MS Windows 10 promotional review that's shorter. I ran a review and that's as short as it gets.
 
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