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program will give you the option to download and install the update right
from the Windows desktop. This is so much easier than the old way of storing
the BIOS update files on a boot floppy, CD-ROM, or external USB drive,
rebooting the computer, and hoping the update goes smoothly. Instead, EZ
Update does all the work. Thanks to the application, manually keeping up to
date on the latest UEFI BIOS versions is a thing of the past. Of course, if you
prefer to update the BIOS the old-fashioned way, the UEFI BIOS used by the
Maximus VI Formula motherboard allows you to do so.
That's all there is to it. You're ready to install the latest high-end games,
video-editing software, sophisticated software-development tools, and what-
ever else you want your PC to run. But before we conclude this chapter, let's
take a brief look at two alternative x86-based operating systems compatible
with the hardware we assembled.
Ubuntu Linux
The various Linux distributions that run on desktop computers have come
a long way since the '90s. The first time I ran Linux, I had to compile the
kernel, graphics, and sound drivers myself. Every year since then has been
"the year of the Linux desktop," with hopes that Linux would gain considerable
traction in the desktop computing space. Linux has been far more successful
in the mobile space in terms of sheer numbers (if you have an Android phone,
you have a Linux-based computer), but the major Linux distributors are still
attempting to improve the desktop experience to the level of commercial
operating systems like Microsoft's Windows or Apple's Mac OS X.
Of all the Linux distributions available today, I consistently find the desktop
edition of Ubuntu Linux to be of highest friendly compatibility with a majority
of PC hardware.
5
Based on Debian Linux, Ubuntu is one of the most popular
Linux distributions available. It's also free. Considering the amazing power
that Ubuntu and other Linux distributions like Fedora, Mint, and Slackware
deliver, it's stunning to realize that so much value is given away in the name
of software freedom.
Ubuntu Linux can be installed side-by-side with existing OSs like Windows,
or stand-alone. You can also run it inside a virtual machine using commercial
solutions like VMware's Workstation or free alternatives like Oracle's Virtual-
Box.
6,7
If you have never used Linux before and already have Windows
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