Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, you’ve used Windows and at least heard of Linux. But is the hype true. Is Linux really a better alternative then Windows?

Pre Screening questions

If you say “I don’t know what that is” to any of these, stop right now, Linux isn’t for you

• I know how to burn an ISO to a CD.
• I know how to boot from a CD.

The truth is, it depends on a few factors.

How technical are you?

If you are a novice user, stay away from Linux. While overall it doesn’t require much in the way of geeky skill, if something does break, you’d be hard pressed to get local help.

If you generally know your way around a computer, Linux may indeed work for you. It’s rather simple and your skills should be enough to troubleshoot some easy issues, and if all else fails, format/reinstall.

Got guru skills with a computer? You may want to install it and even dual boot Linux/Windows so you have the best of both worlds

Now, what kind of user are you?

Casual user, this is a toss up. If you are used to Windows, stick with windows. If you want to try something new, go for it. Keep in mind though, most software isn’t designed for windows. Linux will be fine for checking email, typing documents and browsing the web. However, any other types of applications may require a few Google searches.

Gamer, don’t. Just….. don’t. Games are mostly designed for windows or MacOS so they just don’t work. That isn’t to say some games don’t work on Windows, but most don’t. Now… there is an emulator that would allow you to run Windows inside of Linux, but it crashes often (go figure, Windows crashing) and doesn’t get very good performance.

Office user, firstly, most IT departments won’t help you, nor is it allowed. Second, a lot of offices use special software for, say, scanning for viruses and missing updates company wide, and don’t have Linux compatible versions. The short answer is, unless your IT department says you can, don’t.

So, after reading all this, you still feel like you should install Linux. Well… the good news is, it’s really easy. All you need to do is visit the website of whatever distribution you wish to install. I recommend Ubuntu, which can be found at the link below:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

You download an ISO image, burn it to a CD and boot from it. Most of the time, installation is a breeze and goes off without a hitch. Once it’s installed, you bring over any data you might have, and tada!

And now you are part of a small group (but growing) of people who have cast off the shackles of Windows and delved into a wider world that is community supported.

So here is a summary:

Good:  Less viruses, usually better preformance on lesser hardware

Bad: Limited software. Support is community driven

What do you think?