I am a big fan of Linux. If you are not familiar with Linux, it is a powerful operating system that is used on computers, embedded devices like set top boxes, video game consoles, and even cell phones. For example, if you have an Android phone, you are actually using a version of Linux. Linux is the creation of Linus Torvalds, a Finnish software engineer, who created it as a free alternative to the expensive Unix operating system. It is maintained by a large consortium of programmers from around the world. Linux is a vital component of the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) movement.
I have been a Linux user since the late 90s and have used it on many computers. Here are some of the reasons that you may want to run Linux on your computer:
Speed: If you are frustrated by bloated and laggy operating systems, you will find Linux blazingly fast, even on older hardware.
Size: Compared to commercial operating systems like MS Windows and Apple OSX, Linux is very compact. I have been able to install it (as well as a suite of applications) on machines with comparatively small (4GB) hard drives. Most versions will run well with 512MB memory or even less. There are even smaller Linux distributions like DSL and Puppy Linux that can run from a thumb drive using less than 128MB of RAM .
Stability: I have found Linux to be a rock-solid operating system. Many of the servers that comprise the Internet run Linux for this reason. Most Linux distributions will provide amazing stability with very little maintenance.
Security: If you are plagued by viruses, malware and spyware, you will find Linux to be a breath of fresh air. It is designed for maximum security and such intruders simply do not exist in the Linux world.
Customization: There are dozens of Linux distributions to choose from that are tailored to different needs. The most popular "distros" include Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Debian and Mandriva. Many can run on a wide range of hardware including desktops, servers, notebooks, netbooks and embedded devices. There are also versions for different CPUs such as x86, ARM, PPC, etc. Once you pick a distribution, you can easily customize the UI to fit your needs, unlike commercial OSes that are more “one size fits all”.
Price: Linux is free. And, there are thousands of free and open source programs for Linux, many of which rival their expensive commercial counterparts. I run free apps like Firefox, Chrome, Open Office, Libre Office, Acrobat, Skype and many others on my Linux machines. And with the increasing popularity of cloud-based apps like Google Docs, it really doesn't matter what OS you use as long as you have a browser and an Internet connection.
If you have an old computer lying around and want to bring it back to life, check out Linux!
For more information on Linux, visit:
http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major
