9 reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

Before we start our journey to Linux land there is one question you need to ask yourself: why do YOU want to switch from Windows to Linux? What do you expect Linux to achieve? You don't want to spend the time and effort learning about Linux just to realize that changing your operating system to Linux does not solve the problem you have or does not deliver the benefits you expected.

I will list 9 of the most common reasons to switch from Windows to Linux and try to explain in which cases the switch to Linux has a good chance of delivering the expected benefits.

- Your computer is getting slower!
It is a known fact that the Windows operating system degrades over time (don't worry, I won't explain why to a poor beginner: let's just say it's technical). As a result a computer that seemed fast 3 years ago can now feel like a snail. Installing Linux will fix the problem permanently as Linux does not degrades over time like Windows. Note that you can also fix the problem for a few years by having Windows and all your applications reinstalled from scratch, so this is no in itself a reason to switch to Linux. The advantage of Linux over Windows here is that Linux fixes the problem permanently.

- You are fed up with viruses and spyware and you heard Linux does not have any!
This is one of the best reasons to switch from Windows to Linux! It is indeed more difficult to write viruses and spyware for Linux. This means that currently there are no Linux viruses out there and that an Antivirusis not required once you install Linux.

- Your old printer or scanner don't work with the latest version of Windows!
Windows Vista, which now comes with most PCs, does not work well with a lot of older peripherals such as printers or scanners. Linux usually works much better with old equipment and is compatible with more hardware than Windows Vista. We will show you in a future post how you can very easily check if all your equipment is Linux compatible. If some of your equipment does not work with Linux out of the box however, then Linux is maybe not for you right now. If you are in the market for a new computer and you know that your peripherals won't work with Windows Vista, this can be a good reason to buy a computer with Linux installed.

- You have a computer without Windows and don't want to buy Windows
One of the advantages of Linux over Windows is that Linux is free of charge, so you can install it without paying anything. This can be a good reason to choose Linux but you have to be aware that you will require a little bit of effort to adapt yourself to Linux at first, so don't expect to just get "Windows for free". Linux is more like : a bit of effort and then "Windows" for free.

- You want to run a Linux application.
It may sound strange but I think that this is not a very good reason to switch from Windows to Linux. Most programs available for Linux are also available for Windows. If it is not the case an alternative program can often be found on Windows.

- You want to (re)use an old computer.
If the original operating system of your computer is Windows XP, still fits your need, isn't full of viruses and has not degraded I would suggest keeping it as it is. If is an old operating system like Windows 2000 or Windows Me it probably does not support newer applications and peripherals. Also it will probably have degraded. In that case installing Linux can be a good solution to give the PC a second youth. Note however that if you have a very old Windows NT4 or Windows 98 machine it is probably better to replace the computer completely. Nowadays there are very cheap Netbooks that will work better than your old computer and will be more portable.

- You had problems with Windows activation.

One of the inconvenient of Windows (and some Windows software) is that it is linked to the physical components of your computer. If you had the computer repaired or upgraded you may have run into trouble with Windows activation. Even if the problems are usually solved with a phone call it is annoying and can undermine your confidence in the reliability of Windows. Since Linux does not require any for of activation this can be a good reason to switch from Windows to Linux.

- You do not like the new Vista interface of Windows.

With Linux you can choose what your computer desktop looks like to a much greater extent than with Windows, so this can be a good reason to switch. Be aware however that the interface is not exactly like Windows XP, even if it can be made to look and behave a lot like it.

- You are curious about Linux.

In my opinion this is one of the best reasons to try Linux. Since it is now possible to safely install Linux in addition of Windows why not try it just to see what it's like?

As you can see there are many reasons to switch from Windows to Linux, some good, some bad. What you need to realize is that a lot of things are better in Linux than Windows, but that better also means different. You should not expect Linux to be an exact copy of Windows. If you recognize yourself in some of the good reasons above I suggest that you continue reading this blog! Next week I will explain what is a Linux distribution, something you will want to know in order to get the right Linux for you. The week after I will present some of the disadvantages of Linux.

UPDATE: Brian Reich made a very complete reply regarding my 9 reasons to switch to Linux, and he raised some very good points. It is well worth a look, but be aware that the language is sometimes more technical than the one I use on this blog.

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What is Linux for beginners

In the first tutorial of this blog I explained that this blog was for complete Linux beginners and that I would explain everything in simple terms.

The first question to answer is of course what is Linux.

If you Google what is Linux the typical answers are:

- an open-source version of the UNIX operating system (Princeton)
- Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. (Wikipedia)

Did you fully understand that? No? Good, that means this blog is for you! What I actually will explain is: What is Linux for the complete beginner?

The good answer for you is probably: Linux is a free program that you install on your computer to replace Windows.

This is probably what you heard, and in my opinion this is the best definition of what Linux is for a beginner. If you wanted you could stop reading this tutorial here, but if you want to understand a little better what Linux is there are two concepts in the "official" definition of Linux that you should understand.

First Linux is an operating system.

Well, what is an operating system?

An operating system is a group of computer programs (so a system) that allows you to operate your computer. This operating system provides you with an interface to use the computer (pointers, icons, windows etc...) and allows you to use applications like a Web browser or an e-mail reader. The operating system also allows all the parts of the computer such as the screen, the printer or the scanner to work together thanks to small programs called drivers. Since all computers require an operating system to work your current computer was probably delivered with a version of the Windows operating system such as Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7.

There are three common families of operating system: the Windows, the MacOSesand the Linuxes. All three families of operating system perform the same basic task: they let you operate your computer, but each family do it in a slightly different way, and each has it's own applications and drivers. You can change the operating system that your computer is using between Linux and Windows without too much trouble nowadays, and we'll see in the next post the reasons that may push you to change from Windows to Linux

So What is Linux? Linux is first a family of operating systems.

Second Linux is a kernel.

A kernel is the core of your computer's software, the heart of your operating system. It is the program that makes all the applications and drivers work with each other, the big boss, the CEO, the leader. What makes a Linux operating system a member of the Linux family is that the kernel program in charge of running your computer is a version of the Linux kernel. This kernel is the part that is common to all Linux distributions (I'll explain what a distribution is in a later tutorial). Different Linuxes can have different applications, different looks, different sizes (from the DVD to the thumb drive), the one thing they all have in common is a Linux kernel.

So What is Linux? Linux is a kernel program.

Now that you know better what Linux is let's go back to the first definition: Linux is a program that replaces Windows. The natural question is: Why should I replace Windows by Linux? I will answer that question in next week's tutorial: 9 reasons to switch from Windows to Linux

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This blog is an online linux tutorial for beginners

This blog is an online tutorial for the complete Linux beginner, the non technical person, who is dissatisfied by the Windows operating system that came with is or her computer, but is afraid to try Linux.

The problem with most blogs, articles and online tutorials that have been published about switching from the Windows operating system to a better alternative such as Linux is that they usually assume a fairly high level of technical knowledge.

This blog is different!

This blog is more like Linux For Dummies!

This blog's online tutorials assume that you are a complete Linux beginner, that you can use the Windows operating system that came with your computer, install a new application or two, change your wallpaper, use the web and e-mail and that it! No technical knowledge, no experience editing obscure settings, no tweaking, just the expertise of the average user.

The time when you needed above average technical knowledge to install Linux is now gone! With modern Linux such as Ubuntu everything is as easy to use as Windows (even easier in many cases), but what is required is a simple, step by step online tutorial to explain to Linux beginners what installing and using Linux is about. I will not start with a tutorial on which Linux distribution to choose, I will first explain to you what a Linux distribution actually is! Often similar things are called by different names in the Linux and Windows world, and this confuses beginners. In my tutorials I will translate these terms in a simple, understandable language for you. I will sometimes ask and answer simple questions to guide you to the right Linux solution for you (which may be to stay with Windows, but I doubt it).

I will try to publish around one post per week, so come back next week for the answers to the first question: What is Linux for beginners.

To be sure not to miss next week's online tutorial you can subscribe to this blog in your RSS reader or you can receive updates by e-mail.