By far, the majority of today’s computer users are on Windows OS or macOS. Both of those operating systems have their strengths. I am a Mac guy, always have been.
Hey, there’s another way to go! If you’re not thrilled with Windows snooping around or macOS feeling a bit too restricted, why not give Linux a shot? Over the last decade, the Linux Desktop has really grown and become super user-friendly. Many folks are switching over to it, especially as a replacement for Windows. Linux is FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software), which means it’s not controlled by a company. Almost all the software on Linux is free, but if you need something extra, you can always buy third-party software.
One of the beauties of Linux OS is you can install it on older computers. A good way to try it out is to install it on an older machine that is not “mission-critical”. Maybe you have an old laptop sitting in the closet. It installs on Mac computers quite nicely as well.
All you have to do is download an .iso file of the Linux distribution of your choice, burn it to a thumb drive, then boot from the thumb drive on the old computer in question and proceed with the installation. There are several hundred different Linux distributions because they all use the same kernel. However, there are about 15-20 more popular distributions that most new people use.
The Linux Desktop is very modern looking. It offers nice features and is fairly easy to use. I have run Linux machines for about 3 years now, just for fun. I like playing around with it and tweaking things. I have learned a lot over this time.
Here is the thing about Linux. If you are an average computer user, then Linux has all the Apps you need. You could definitely do well on the Linux platform. If you require specialized software like the Adobe suite or Microsoft Office, you might want to stay on your current system. There are Apps on Linux that can open and use Office documents just fine. But, sometimes people need to interact with Microsoft stuff.
Approximately 95% of the world’s servers run Linux. A form of Linux is used for other things like gas pumps, cash registers, etc. It is supported by people all over the world, not just one company like Microsoft or Apple. It really is “we the people’s” operating system. Linux has just reached 5% Desktop market share in the US. Not a huge amount, but it continues to grow.
Again, the best way to try Linux is on an extra, older computer. You can get a good feel for it to see if it will work for you. If you want the most privacy and security, Linux is the way to go.
Doug
