migrating from Windows 7

[Slade Watkins]

Bret,

On Sun, Nov 7, 2021 at 7:51 PM Bret Busby <bret.busby at gmail.com> wrote:
> I assume that, because you have MS Windows 7, you have a Legacy BIOS
> based computer.

Nope, UEFI. I made a personal choice after 8.1 and 10 were so terrible
that I downgraded back to 7 about a year and a half ago. ESU has been
on this machine since (I have access to it through a corporate
network.)

>
> You might want to consider replacing your computer, as, if it is a
> Legacy BIOS based system, it might not be able to cope with larger
> file sizes (>4GB) that you might need to deal with, now or in the
> future. I know some video files can be greater than 4GB, and,
> depending on what video resolutions you want to deal with, especially
> if you are going to be creating videos for youtube, the file sizes
> increase significantly as the resolution increases. If you go to the
> "4K" video resolution, in you videos creation, you will be dealing
> with quite large files.
>

Replacing my computer is an expensive feat that isn't really necessary
right this second. It functions well enough that I can make it work by
switching to something that's 1) getting security updates and 2) is
lighter on resources. Linux checks those boxes, and I'm simply more
familiar with Ubuntu which is why I'm choosing it over anything else.
(I want something I'm at least somewhat familiar with and can feel "at
home on" after an adjustment period.)

To be clear, I'm certainly planning to replace the hardware ASAP as
it's nearing time for something modern. I just haven't felt the need
to do so since most of the games I play were made for older hardware
(and even software) or can run on an actual toaster. Video production
is maxed out at 1080p for a similar reason. 4K is something that no
computer I have can handle (nor play back) so that's not a concern.

Right now my focus is leaving Windows 7 behind on my primary
workstation one way or another before ESU Year 3 starts in January
2022. I'm doing my due diligence to ensure that wherever I end up
going, be that Linux or a newer version of Windows, on _this computer_
is the right call for what I need to do.

             -slade