by Amanda M.

Created on: February 14, 2007   Last Updated: May 17, 2011

The discussion of running a Microsoft system or a Linux system is for many people purely theoretical as the average consumer's knowledge and understanding of a Linux based system is limited. Even if you've never heard of Linus Torvalds but you've probably seen his penguin, Tux, and if you've seen Tux you probably know a Linux user. Linux is a freely distributed platform with a functionality that makes it highly competitive with Microsoft and proprietary Unix systems. It was developed in Sweden in the early 1990's as Torvalds strove to develop a system that exceeded the standards of Minix, a smaller Unix operating system.

Hardcore Linux users speak to the adaptability of the platform, including the ability to work completely on the command line or them option to use a click and drag shell. And since the source code is freely available there are hundreds of operating systems available as well as startling array of competitive office suite programs, macromedia programs, many of which have the same capabilities of their sometimes expensive counterparts. This lack of upfront expense is what has made the Linux Server Project so appealing and successful for school districts and government agencies. Imagine the reduction cost that comes with running dummy terminals with all shared programs hosted on a few server machines.

While there are distinct advantages of running a Linux system there are practical reasons why Microsoft is still the leading choice in the computing world. The most obvious is that Windows has a single GUI interface which works for many different applications while Linux doesn't have a built-in GUI interface; it's variable depending on which GUI-X Windows interface the user chooses to run. Additionally Linux requires a certain level of programming proficiency that the average home computer consumer doesn't always have or even need to have. It's very simple to install and run new programs on a Windows system: download, open and execute. It's not as easy to do this on a Linux system.

From that perspective it seems that the choice to run a Linux or Microsoft system is a choice limited to computer enthusiasts, companies with a Linux guru, or those willing and able to put in the time to learn a complicated new language and/or join the local Linux Users Group. That's a lot to ask from the average (and sometimes) limited user who just wants to write a report, check email or play a few games. Perhaps the question of Microsoft or Linux isn't as simple as it seems.

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