Linux

Why do I like Linux? There is something special about the philosophy and intellectual integrity of open sourced software and its distribution. Of course there is the cost factor although I do contribute money to open source projects on occasion. I am not looking for a free ride. Also, I am not an anti-Microsoft person. I actually like XP Pro quite a bit and my preferred web editing software (Homesite and CSE HTML Validator) haven't been ported to Linux (Bluefish and Quanta Plus are decent Linux HTML editors, but not on par with Homesite for my personal tastes).

One great aspect of living / working in a dual Microsoft / Linux world is number of programs available (probably all open source) that work on both the XP and Linux platforms. This situation permits the sharing (i.e., importing and exporting) of key data components (e.g., address books, filter settings, bookmarks, add-ons) utilized by both Win 32 and Linux-based programs. The user interface is also nearly identical which improves the learning curve and useability of the programs. My personal favorites are:

The above programs pretty much cover the needs of a vast majority of computer users. Such a scenario makes, I believe, a compelling case for your "average" computer user to give Linux a try, especially when cost factors come into play. So if you need an additional computer and aren't confined by the need of a Microsoft Windows-only compatible program (i.e., that is one that cannot be ported to Linux via Wine), then dust off that old computer laying around in a back room (or buy a used one), install a Linux operating system of your choice, and get into doing what your computing lifestyle leads you to do.

Primary Linux Distributions: Fedora 10 (Dell Inspiron 600m) - and Ubuntu 8.10 (Dell Inspiron 3800).

I've found a nifty little Fedora installation guide at my-guides.net. I like the guide for its comprehensive yet easy to follow guides for tweaking your Fedora installation to your liking. I'm still looking for a Ubuntu equivalent, but for now ubuntugeek.com looks promising. I've been using Linux pretty much since Fedora Core 3. I used to dual-boot my laptops with XP Pro and Linux, but now use only Linux distros on my laptops.

Additional Linux Software I've Found Useful

Security

Graphics / Images / Photograph / Video

Audio / Music