# Linux did a better job than Windows XP with Hardware Detection



## Fyzbo (Feb 6, 2002)

So everyone is always saying how windows has linux beat out when it comes to the hardware it recognizes and the ease of install, well not in my experience. I have a no brand computer that I am trying to turn into an mp3 jukebox, I just basically want it to play mp3s. I thought the easiest way to do this would be to install windows xp, so I popped in the disk and did a clean install, let it format the hard drive, the whole deal. Well it did not give any errors on the install and loaded a driver for the sound card, but obviously the wrong one. The sound was awful. It was fuzzy and crackling. I tried to update the driver and it told me I had the correct one. I then went and installed multiple flavors of linux, from flavors as robust as mandrake to tiny versions like geeXbox and each flavor correctly set up the hardware during the install.

In my opinion windows no longer has an edge on hardware detection.


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

Agreed - SuSE and Ubuntu both setup my computer with sound, video, and USB2 support - XP wouldn't even do that, I had to manually install the drivers. Linux blew me away by how easy is installed and I think we should keep it a secret!


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## Fyzbo (Feb 6, 2002)

Why was my post moved? I thought I had created it in Random Discussion. Everyone in this forum already knows the advantages of linux.

Or maybe instead of Random Discussion it should be in Reviews, but in any case I don't think it belongs in this forum.


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## dvk01 (Dec 14, 2002)

Random is anything EXCEPT computer topics 

It's the only plkace on the board along with Civ deb where computers aren't discussed


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## Fyzbo (Feb 6, 2002)

I still don't understand why it would go here instead of say Reviews. I'm not asking a question, and my post is not exclusively about unix/linux.


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## dvk01 (Dec 14, 2002)

OK I'll move to reviews if that's what you want 

Normally anythning related to linux goes in the linux forum

and I don't think that you will get any converts to linux by moving it


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## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

Well, I'm not anti Linux, I take it out for a test run every once and a while, but my luck in hardware detection has not been as good with the distros I've tried as it has with Windows.

On the Live CD's I try, my HP DeskJet Plus printer is not recognised and some distros don't recognize my Epson 1260 printer or usb flash drive. 
I've installed Mandrake 10 recently, it also didn't recognize the printer.
Some time ago, I installed Mandrake 8.0 and it did recognize an HP usb printer, but I no longer have it 
I'm not that familar with the 'inards' of Linux, but I keep trying it out :up:

But when it comes to hardware detection, Windows has certainly been easier for me.


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## Ciberblade (Sep 22, 2003)

I have a system in which I use onboard sound and a PCI NIC(linksys) I have not yet found an OS that will install and have these two items working. Some may try and load drivers...some don't. And it only does it on this one box configuration.

No biggie...I have the disks


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