There are many different options when it comes to choosing the right operating system for your personal use. One very popular option is Windows. In fact, most computer users these days are probably very accustomed to using a Windows system. However, there are many disadvantages that come along with using Windows as apposed to using a Linux based Operating system, but, we will go over that a little later. Please be aware that the intention of this article is not to discredit Windows in any way. There is a very simple reason why Windows has done so well in the software market over the years. It is a good system. There are, however, some other options for computer users. A Linux based Operating system also makes a great system, and in many ways is superior to its major counterpart. In this article we will discuss some differences between both Windows and Linux based systems, and why you may choose to use Linux as a Windows replacement. Alternatively, you may choose to use both systems on the same computer. By doing this you can explore, and learn your way around linux while still having access to your Windows system.

Lets talk a little about Vista (code named “Longhorn). When Vista was first released worldwide in 2007 the whole planet experienced what a personal computer was really capable of. Vista’s graphics were very smooth and it’s security against threats was far superior compared to its predecessor, XP. As good as this may all sound, Vista was promptly met with a great deal of criticism and bad press. It had serious user issues ranging from security flaws to frustrating usability restrictions. Despite all of it’s short-comings, Vista continues to be a very popular operating system.

Now lets learn a little bit more about Linux. Linux is a system kernel used as a base for many different shapes and sizes of operating systems. The Linux kernel was created by a man named Linus Torvalds and was released under the GNU, or General Public License. This means The Linux kernel can be used and distributed freely, that is to say that it’s FREE as in FREEDOM! Linux is very popular with businesses. In fact, its popularity in business grew substantially between 2007 and 2008. There are many different distributions, or “distros”, of Linux based system to choose from. Some are more popular than others because they are usually more user friendly, better supported, and more stable than the less popular “spin-offs.”

Alright, enough of that technical stuff! I just can’t wait any longer to tell you why I, personally, prefer Linux to Windows!

For starters, Linux is free. I can download a distro, burn it to a CD, and install it onto my computer for no more than the cost of one blank CD. Come to think of it, I do not even have to install the Linux system to my computer. Many popular Linux distros have a LiveCD option. This means that the whole entire operating system runs from my CD drive without effecting, or even touching, my current hard drive! There is also a program called “Wubi” that allows you to install the entire featured system into a folder inside Windows.

Another reason I prefer Linux is that it uses less of my computer’s resources. Windows, and especially Vista, uses a lot of a computer’s RAM and hard drive capabilities. My favorite Linux system uses a small fraction of the resources that Windows would. This, in turn, leaves plenty of left over resource allowing for very fast multitasking capabilities and also better media rendering (music and video playback is much cleaner). My old, single core processor, desktop is just as fast with Linux as my new, dual core processor, desktop with Vista. The newer computer also has four times as much RAM.

Linux is very versatile. If I need to use some Windows software on my Linux desktop I have a couple of options. There is a free program that I can download from the internet that allows me to install and use Windows software, such as Office, on Linux. There is also a free program available that allows me to install an entire operating system, like Vista, onto a virtual computer that runs on my Linux desktop. When I install Windows on this virtual computer, the “guest” system uses only a fraction of computer resources that it normally would.

There are literally thousands of free programs (commonly called applications, packages, or modules) available for free that anyone can install on their Linux system. There are hundreds of very highly developed apps that are just as good, if not better than their Windows counterparts.

Here’s a biggie. Linux is extremely secure compared to windows. Outside threats from hackers, spyware, malware, viruses, and the like, are extremely rare for Linux users. For this reason there is no need for any antivirus software, although, there are some antivirus apps available.

Online support abounds! If I ever have a problem with, or question about my system, there is almost always an answer available with a short Google search. Again, for free. There are also many books and e-books on Linux available for reasonable prices. These guides can be useful for helping you grow accustom to linux.

Before you break out in song because Linux is so great, let me go over some cons of using Linux. (They really aren’t all that bad.)

Even though there are a lot of similarities in functionality, Windows and Linux are very different systems. Someone who is accustomed to using Windows may need some extra time to get used to doing little tasks with Linux, such as installing a new software program, or hooking up a printer and it’s drivers. (However, they do always have online help to fall back on)

Another issue that people might have with Linux is this. If you use a Linux system, sooner or later you are going to have to use a command terminal. This can be intimidating to some people, but there is really only a few basic commands that a Linux “newbie” needs to know.

Linux can be buggy. Let’s say you are using the popular Ubuntu Linux. If you use last years version of Ubuntu you will probably not have any problems. If you are using the very latest, “cutting edge” release of Ubuntu then you will, most likely, come across some bugs that haven’t been resolved yet.

Even though Linux is very secure to outside threats, it’s the inside ones that often do it in. Operator error is the biggest reason for computer crashes. That’s Ok, just don’t do something in the command prompt without knowing what you’re doing first. It’s also a good idea to make a backup of your system.

And lastly, the biggest problem that I think people have with Linux is that you can’t always use certain Windows software with Linux. For example, I bought a Microsoft Lifecam that came with a driver CD and both the CD and the camera will not work with Linux. The camera does, however, work on my virtual computer that is running Windows inside of my Linux system. Let it also be known that the camera, even though it’s a Microsoft product, did not work with my Vista 64 system at all.

Don’t let these cons keep you from trying Linux. After all what have you got to loose? It’s FREE. I suggest you download a distro that offers the LiveCD option so you can try it without making any changes to your computer.

So, now that I’ve told you a little more about Linux and some of the reasons why I like it so much, I hope that you will be inclined to give it a try. Ubuntu Linux or Debian Linux, in my opinion, are both great distros to start with. If you do a little internet research before deciding which distro is best for you, it will go a long way. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and wish you happy surfing!

P.S. The following is a “short” list of some popular Linux distros that are available:

Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, Mandriva, Red Hat, Slackware, SuSE, Ubuntu, CentOS, Knoppix, Mepis, PClinuxOS, Turbolinux, Vector, Freespire, Sabayon, Trisquel, Puppy, Mk, Yellow Dog- Just to name a very few.

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