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If you have even a casual interest in computers, then the chances are you've heard of Linux. Linux, like Windows and Mac OS X, is an operating system. Without getting too technical, the operating system (OS) is the platform on which everything you do on the computer sits. The OS manages all the physical components of a computer so that the programs you use (like a word processor) can function. It also acts as a ringmaster so that multiple programs can function together. For example if you are browsing the web and simultaneously listening to music on the computer, the OS is busy making sure that both your browser and your media player have the resources they need and that neither is encroaching on the other's space.

Linux has been around for some time (since 1991). For many years it was only suitable for use by enthusiasts willing to spend a lot of time learning how it worked. However in recent years it has become sufficiently mainstream that Dell and others will sell you a PC with Linux installed instead of Windows. So what are the benefits of Linux and why should you be interested? Three words provide the answer: cost, security and freedom.

Cost:

Windows (and for that matter Mac OS X) isn't free just because it was included with your current computer. Whenever you buy a new computer which comes with Windows, the price you pay includes a payment to Microsoft for Windows. In fact the Windows software license says that you can get a refund for the cost of Windows if you choose not to use a copy that comes with the computer. Buying a shrink-wrapped copy of Windows makes the cost explicit. If you want to upgrade your operating system without getting a new computer at the same time, an upgrade version of Windows Vista can cost up to $259. In contrast Linux is available from many sources for free. One supplier (Ubuntu) will even send you multiple copies of their installation CD, postage free, so that you can also give copies to your family and friends. Even better, virtually all the software available for Linux is also free, from office software which can read and save Microsoft Office formats to graphics programs to multimedia players.

Security:

Although undoubtedly more secure than it once was, Windows is still beset by malicious software like viruses and spyware which flourish in the wild places of the web and on compromised home computers. Some of these nasties are even capable of infecting Windows systems running up to date virus checkers. Linux by contrast has

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