I love Linux! Yes I do! I love Linux! How about you?
Oh, you're not quite sure yet? I can understand that. Linux has a reputation for being a bit dark and mysterious. That reputation is somewhat deserved, though recent upgrades have made Linux a bit more user friendly than in years past.
To help you decide whether Linux is right for you, let's look at some of the things Linux does right, and some of the things that need just a little more work. After pondering these points, you may have a better idea of whether or not you wish to try Linux for your self.
THINGS LINUX DOES RIGHT
LINUX IS EXTREMELY STABLE
If you've used Windows for a number of years, or even just for a short time, you've probably become used to those strange, un-explainable crashes and lock ups. No matter what you're doing, or even when you're doing nothing at all, all of a sudden the PC stops working. You have to reboot. And maybe later, reboot again. Windows Vista was "supposed" to stop these errors from occurring, but sadly, they still remain a part of the Windows computing experience.
Linux, on the other hand, is an extremely stable operating system. Circumstances when the operating system completely crashes are very rare. Linux has been used to run web servers that must run for months or even years at a time, and these servers run by Linux rarely crash.
The reason for this is because, unlike Windows, the "kernel", or core components of the OS, is isolated from the other parts of the system. Yes, the sound server may crash, or even the graphical interface, but whereas with Windows you would have to restart Windows completely, in Linux the kernel just keeps on going. The sound or video system can just be restarted, and the core system has been running all along. Applications may crash, but there's no need to restart the PC, most of the time. If system stability is very important to you, than Linux may be for you.
LINUX PROVIDES EASY INSTALLATION
Though installing Linux and its applications used to be a nightmare that made Freddy Krueger look like Santa Claus, this is an area that has made tremendous strides in the past few years. Unless you are attempting a dual boot situation, such as having Windows and Linux on the same PC, installing Linux now requires little or no technical knowledge. With most distributions (versions) of Linux, installation is as simple as inserting the CD into your CD drive, and starting the PC. Follow the prompts, and the installation process is as fast and easy as installing Windows, if not faster and easier.
Installing applications also used to be quite a chore, requiring the use of command line instructions that even Merlin the Mage would choke on. Now, however, installing applications in Linux, provided you have a working internet connection, is actually easier than installing them in Windows. And, as an added bonus, the vast majority of those applications are free!
Most distributions of Linux now have a graphical application that lists the various categories of software, and the various applications within that category. Simply click on the application you wish to install, and your PC will download the application and all its needed "dependencies" (software required to run the software) and install the program for you. Most of the time, it will also place a shortcut in your "start menu" as well.
Upgrading your OS and its applications is also quite easy. So easy, in fact, that most of the time it requires no input from you. The software will just update itself whenever an update is available. And, unlike Windows applications, you won't have to worry about a free application suddenly updating itself to a version that demands money! (I hate it when that happens!) So, if ease of installation and upgrading is important to you, than Linux may just be for you.
LINUX IS EXTREMELY SECURE
With Linux running your PC, you don't have to worry about viruses, spyware, and other nasty little buggers from infesting your PC. Yes, these things do exist in the Linux world, but your chances of "catching" them are much smaller than with Windows.
One reason that these things are rare is because of the way Linux works. Because you, as the user, must authorize any changes to the system that have any potential of doing harm, no virus or spyware program can sneak its way past you. Linux uses a method that is similar to Windows Vista's user Account Control, but is much less annoying! The bottom line is that it's fairly difficult to be infested with a virus or other malware on Linux. So, if security is important to you, than Linux just may be for you.
WHAT LINUX NEEDS TO WORK ON
SUPPORT FOR WIRELESS INTERNET CONNECTIONS
Unfortunately, Linux still struggles with allowing your PC to wirelessly connect to the internet. This is possible, with a lot of reading and a lot of work, but for most people, that dog just won't hunt. Computers with wireless cards just will not connect to the web.
Now, to be fair, this really isn't the fault of Linux. It's because the companies that make the wireless cards are reluctant to release their code to the Linux community, so it's difficult to write support for those cards into the kernel of the OS. But, whatever the reason, if you use a laptop and wireless connectivity is important to you, Linux may not be for you.
MORE APPLICATIONS AND GAMES, DRILL SARGENT!
One area where Linux lags behind Windows is in the software department. Although Linux will work, right out of the "box" for such uses as word processing, checking e-mail, listening to music or watching videos, and surfing the web, Windows has the definite edge when it comes to the number of applications and especially games available.
Again, this really isn't Linux's fault. It's simply because, since most PCs run Windows, most applications and games are written for Windows. It's a matter of supply and demand.
One area in which this really makes an impact in the area of multimedia production. For many years, Linux couldn't even handle MIDI music satisfactorily. Though this has been steadily improving, there are still few applications for producing music and video productions, though the ones that are available tend to be very good.
WINE has made this a bit easier. Although Wine Is Not an Emulator, it sure acts like one! WINE allows a good number of Windows applications and games to run under Linux. It's not perfect, and it can't run everything, but WINE sure helps some in this department. But, even with WINE, if you need a specialized application, or want to run the latest greatest shoot-em-up, Windows is the big boss. So if you want or need to run specialized application, enjoy a great deal of PC gaming, or just want a lot of choices when it comes to software, Linux may not be for you.
WHOO-HOO! WUBI!
If you're not quite decided on whether or not Linux is for you, there is a way to take the OS for a test drive. Simply download and install WUBI. WUBI is an application that will download Linux (in this case, Ubuntu), install it into a virtual drive on your hard drive, and set up a dual boot for you. In other words, nothing on your computer will be changed, except there will be a large file on the hard drive that Linux will think is its own hard drive.
If you give it a try, and decide it's not for you, you can un-install Linux just as easily as any other application. If you decide Linux is for you, you can perform a traditional install and let Linux take over your PC completely.
To Linux, or not to Linux, that is the question. Hopefully, with the information we've just gone over, that decision will be a little easier for you to make. I love Linux, yes I do! I love Linux! How about you?
Happy computing!