New & Need Help Getting Started

[thedjidentity]

LXDE looks like a great OS, but Im having some trouble finding answers to some questions. If I install and run LXDE as my primary OS, can I still run programs that I currently have installed on my computer like my Office tools and such, or am I limited to what I can run?
I have several programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and some music production software that I use on a daily basis.
Also, if you decide you do not like LXDE, can you go back to your old Windows OS? Im just trying to get a handle as to the options that I would have with LXDE. I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks much!

[maces]

Hi,

LXDE looks like a great OS, but Im having some trouble finding answers to some questions.

first of all, LXDE is not an OS! It's a Desktop Environment, that's a suit of applications like a panel, filemamanger, session manager, ect..
Please tell us the name of your Distribution, I guess (L)Ubuntu.

If I install and run LXDE as my primary OS, can I still run programs that I currently have installed on my computer like my Office tools and such, or am I limited to what I can run? I have several programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and some music production software that I use on a daily basis.

You can use a application called "wine" to run software like Photoshop, but it's not made for production work (my opinion). You can have a look at open source alternatives, like "The Gimp" and "Inkscape" and "Open/Libre Office".

Also, if you decide you do not like LXDE, can you go back to your old Windows OS? Im just trying to get a handle as to the options that I would have with LXDE. I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks much!

You can even use both at the same pc, have a search for dualboot. A software like Grub gives you the opportunity, to choose Linux or Window on each start. Have a closer look about that in the wiki/documentation of your Distribution. I'm using dualboot with my Archlinux/Win7 Laptop and my Ubuntu/Win7 Workstation, works quite well (worked on my old Archlinux/XP machine, too)

mace