The Linux Advantage

Microsoft has certainly won our hearts with Windows Vista, and the upcoming release of Windows 7 is very appeasing. However spending anywhere from $100 to $400 per license for these user operating systems seem a little steep to me. Microsoft and even Apple have us brainwashed to think that operating systems need to cost money. Especially with the economy taking a big hit recently, who has the money to throw away on overpriced pieces of digital code. Support for Windows is just plain frustrating. Apple is very proprietary and expensive to support. It only leaves us one solution for the new age of computing.

Linux is here to appeal to all computer users; whether your the type of person having trouble finding the power switch, or the type that can whip up a custom program to automate part of our day. There are plenty distributions of Linux, and may be overwhelming to select one. Luckily there is an online quiz that gathers information about your computer knowledge and selects the best distribution for you. Also this quiz will teach you some basic Linux information if you are unsure. After selecting a distribution, your have just opened up the computing door.

The Linux community is an amazing combination of programmers, developers, and software testers that can be reach via forum. People on these forums provide detailed advice on just about anything, and even more, they are very helpful in finding solutions to user's problems. The software for Linux is usually just as good as some other high price brand name software. Open Office is a good example to a free alternative office suite instead of shelling out mega dollar for other office software.

When it comes down to it, Linux is just becoming more and more popular. This is by no accident, but rather caused by competitors outrageous prices and unloyal support. As this free community grows, I hope it will overtake our defacto standard of Microsoft and be replaced by a operating system that is supported by the people who understand computing. Linux!