Linux

I use Linux, a free operating system, because I find Windows to be slow and restrictive. Modern Linux distributions give you more power than Windows and are pretty easy to use. Linux is "packaged" by various companies and organisations (usually for free). I currently use Ubuntu Linux.

Is Linux "better"?

Linux, of course, has advantages and disadvantages. Compared to Windows on the same machine, Linux will tend to run faster and multi-task better. Linux is also more secure; no virus worries, for instance. Also, it's easy to install free and powerful software from vast on-line databases. Another bonus is that you can customise every aspect of a Linux operating system. On the downside, multimedia support is arguably a step behind Windows. Support for very new hardware may be incomplete or even missing. That said, this is improving and I've come across instances where some hardware was better supported in Linux than Windows. Finally, you have to be prepared to do a little trouble-shooting at times because things don't always work as expected. If you use your computer only to surf the web and check e-mail then you'll find that Windows does these as well as Linux. Those who routinely do more complicated tasks and work a lot at a computer might well find a Linux environment advantageous.

Switching to Linux

Experimenting with Linux is surprisingly straightforward as you can run it without installing anything on your hard drive. Simply download a free Ubuntu disc then burn it to and boot your machine with it. You'll be presented with a fully functioning desktop which runs from the disc (although this is a little slow). If you like what you see then you can begin the install procedure. You will have the option to install alongside an existing Windows partition, allowing you to choose which OS to boot whenever you restart the machine.

What about Windows Software?

Sharing files with Windows users is not a problem as there are many Linux applications which will read MS Office files, etc. There are viable free alternatives to all Windows software. Furthermore, with CrossOver Office you can run many Windows programs in Linux. You can even run Windows itself within a Linux environment using VMware.