I really Really REALLY don't want Windows 8 or Windows 10. I'm hoping someone can help me out by telling me what version of Linux (or any other operating system) looks almost exactly like Windows XP, has free updates provided for the software edition purchased, and doesn't require a programmers knowledge whatsoever to use.
Windows XP is rather archaic. The look and feel is rarely emulated closely, so if you want a linux system that *really* looks like windows xp, then you'd either have to:
- Pick some obscure linux distribution without guarantee for support
- Install the theme yourself
While not really requiring any *programming* knowledge, both would probably need some sort of linux knowledge (especially the latter) I would assume that getting used to a new user interface would be over with much sooner than acquiring the necessary skills to replicate one you're used to.
Valerie did post some helpful links, so check them out. The simpler guide appears to use the
Lubuntu distribution.
Because I heard a rumor (and Cryptic7 apparently confirmed this for me) that the User Agreement for Windows 10 forces you to give your consent to allow the Government to spy on your PC in real time.
The government? Haven't heard that before. There are a lot of unsourced claims about the Windows 10 user agreements/privacy policy, or at least ones I haven't been able to find in the official agreements. That said, you could probably find and interpret shady things in most user agreements.
Honestly? It's mostly due to me liking how the destop, folders, and such looked and worked. I was born with incredibly bad eyesight (even with glasses it's difficult sometimes) and thus switching to something completely different and brand new rather than what I'm used to seeing is an arduous task for me.
Do you mean the concepts of a start menu and a file manager, or are you looking to have even identical icons?
Hmmm...would Skype not work on it or is Skype a dated software by now?
Skype works. There is a native Skype port, no need for Wine. While it may not be available from official repositories, you can simply download a linux version from their website.
You must realize that there will be many many more differences going from windows to linux than there will be going from windows xp to windows 8/10. It's best to go into this with an open mind to new things and not expect anything to work the same way it did in older windows versions. I'd like to suggest these distributions for a beginner:
Ubuntu is the default go-to distribution for most newcomers and you will find a very helpful community there.
However, they've been rather artistic with their user interfaces lately which may be a bit daunting. Linux Mint derives from Ubuntu and provides a more traditional approach, which may be more in line with your expectations.
