07-07-2019, 08:06 AM
Hi everyone, my first thread ... whoowhoo ... 
Switching from Winblows after 18 years to Linux in 2009, I've been utilizing primarily Linux Mint with the XFCE Desktop as well as MX Linux, also with the XFCE Desktop. Both of these more or less based on Debian, MX Linux moreso than Mint. I use the terminal when I have to, feel perfectly comfortable with it, but really prefer to just point 'n' click as much as possible.
Now I'm seriously considering making a switch from my current Linux over to the upcoming PINEBOOK Pro. My concern of course being whether or not such a switch is even possible since I'm a hobby photographer who uses Gimp almost daily (with reduced image sizes below 2000 px width per image), as well as LibreOffice / OpenOffice (since 2003), Komodo Edit (not IDE) for Webpage stuff, and Thunderbird for all of my email accounts (for the past 15 years or so). There's a ton of other software that I utilize as well, but nothing that I couldn't easily switch away from. The ones that I just listed are really important to me. I'm not a gamer, could care less about all of the gaming junk, but I am seriously hooked on the XFCE desktop environment (Mate is alright too, but I prefer XFCE).
So if I were to get a PINEBOOK Pro, how difficult would it be for me to continue using those mentioned items that I really don't want to do without (Gimp, LibreOffice, Komodo Edit, Thunderbird, XFCE Desktop) ??? Are these already available within the ARM architecture? Is it difficult or even possible to port current Linux apps such as the ones mentioned, over to a PINEBOOK Pro Linux Laptop?
Do ARM based versions of Linux also have Software/Package managers with click to install apps?
Is it possible to utilize 2TB external drives on the PINEBOOK Pro USB ports?
I would sincerely appreciate some helpful input on these questions. Thank you, everyone.
.
Switching from Winblows after 18 years to Linux in 2009, I've been utilizing primarily Linux Mint with the XFCE Desktop as well as MX Linux, also with the XFCE Desktop. Both of these more or less based on Debian, MX Linux moreso than Mint. I use the terminal when I have to, feel perfectly comfortable with it, but really prefer to just point 'n' click as much as possible.
Now I'm seriously considering making a switch from my current Linux over to the upcoming PINEBOOK Pro. My concern of course being whether or not such a switch is even possible since I'm a hobby photographer who uses Gimp almost daily (with reduced image sizes below 2000 px width per image), as well as LibreOffice / OpenOffice (since 2003), Komodo Edit (not IDE) for Webpage stuff, and Thunderbird for all of my email accounts (for the past 15 years or so). There's a ton of other software that I utilize as well, but nothing that I couldn't easily switch away from. The ones that I just listed are really important to me. I'm not a gamer, could care less about all of the gaming junk, but I am seriously hooked on the XFCE desktop environment (Mate is alright too, but I prefer XFCE).
So if I were to get a PINEBOOK Pro, how difficult would it be for me to continue using those mentioned items that I really don't want to do without (Gimp, LibreOffice, Komodo Edit, Thunderbird, XFCE Desktop) ??? Are these already available within the ARM architecture? Is it difficult or even possible to port current Linux apps such as the ones mentioned, over to a PINEBOOK Pro Linux Laptop?
Do ARM based versions of Linux also have Software/Package managers with click to install apps?
Is it possible to utilize 2TB external drives on the PINEBOOK Pro USB ports?
I would sincerely appreciate some helpful input on these questions. Thank you, everyone.
.