Now, I'm not trying to tell you that you're a fool for maintaining a Windows machine at home. Honest. You're a smart person and you have your reasons for everything, right? What I will say is that you (and your wallet and your equilibrium) may be better off running a different operating system on that fancy or even old hardware of yours. And how would you know if you didn't try? Don't we teach our children to take a shot at it? Fall down one time, get back up more the wiser, and have at it. Sure, we all teach our children that, so they might survive. How about it, Mom, Dad, ready to take your own medicine? But, if you're "happy" with Windows then this article is not for you. Who the hell am I to plead to your ego, your sensibilities, your work needs or your creative juices? Not me, man -- happy happy joy joy - rock on with whatever you like.

What I have seen, though, is that a sizable amount of people can and do switch to running Linux and are happier for it. Quit waiting for your turn to talk - how is that fair at all? Also, quit jumping to conclusions and forming opinions already -- let me just get this out. It could help you a little. Anyway, I have seen a lot of happy campers following a switch to Linux. These people have realized that they don't "need" Windows to do their work, play well with others, play games, design their furniture, email their Momma's, chat with friends, surf their (favorites), manage their music, watch their dvds (who watches dvds on a little computer screen anyway? OK, some of us do -- :) ) store their recipes, create their (holiday) cards, video-chat with their distant nephews, scan their ancient pictures, fax a resume, create and host a web site.....And they are very excited to tell me about it. And their friends. In fact, just a week or so ago I put Debian GNU/Linux (Lenny) on the machine of a newly turned 13 year old. Nothing fancy as I'm no sucker for bling, but a full complement of useful software nonetheless. He said that it was "astounding". Moreover, everyone else in his house demanded Debian on their machines, too. Honest. No prompting on my part, no cajoling, no pressure.

Now, I've come full circle with computers since back in the day. Only nerds used them when I was coming up, and I was certainly no nerd. In fact, I didn't buy my first computer until 1997 and it cost me well over $3000. Really - that much loot. And I justified the expense because, you know, it was shiny and new, and I friggen WANTED it. I think this is similar to how many Windows users defend their longevity with that OS. It becomes a matter of ego, too. Of self-reliance, of asserting some sense of worth. Cool, but wrong OS...My wicked expensive piece of plastic and metal came with Windows 95, 32MB of RAM, a 4GB hard drive, 56K modem, blah blah blah....You get the idea. But it was so pretty and shiny.

I immediately broke it. Pffft, it was so easy. I didn't know a thing about computers, but I wanted to know every little thing about it because deep down I'm way geek like that. I learn as much as I can about everything, though. How food is priced, why my heating oil is really so expensive, how can I make the toaster faster - which flat-screen TV is best for my loot and how I'll use it....and it goes on and on. You may not be like that, and to tell the truth, I like to keep things simple sometimes, too. As I wrote, you may not need to grok (or at least try to) everything but you're damned glad that there are people like me that do. Because we have the info you need when you need it. You have certainly tapped into it, too. The ugly part of all this is that you use our earned knowledge selectively and only how you WANT to. You already have ideas in mind and you seek some sort of validation. You'll ask the next guy if what we tell you initially doesn't jive with your plans or thoughts - no matter how ignorant they may be. That's Human nature and you're not to be blamed for this, you should simply recognize it and be at ease with it or change this behavior if you don't like it much. We're all in this together.

My first box crumbled constantly at my inexperienced or manipulative hand. But I forged on, learning, breaking, fixing, adapting, learning.....I became a "geek" simply because I had learned stuff. lol, nobody called you a geek when you could tell them about stamens or capillary refill, or how to brew a perfect cup of coffee. Computers are different, there is an aura about them, to our detriment. That aura is fake, though. Be honest. 1s and 0s, man -- just 1s and 0s.

Most people never bother to gain at least a rudimentary understanding of their computers. I know this because I know people. I know how they behave and the pressures they have in their daily lives. I know this because I have been "repairing" computers for ever and always see the same old crap. It's pretty boring if I were to be honest. Same old BS, same old problems. What really swamps my warm-gushy is that I always hear the same old excuses. Lol, and they are always offered up, I prod no one. Why do people feel a need to offer up some weak justification so quickly, without even being asked? Because they know that they are at fault in some way and want you (me) to think good thoughts about them, that's why. Tell me I'm wrong. You can't ;) Listen, it's OK. Be at ease with it.

if you're still reading then you have an interest in what I am saying in my usual roundabout way - your computer is bringing you down and you know it. You're just too (something) to change anything. Fear not. I hear you, we're the same. We make mistakes all the time. You just need to man-up, that's all. If you're reading, then you are doing just that. Awesome, I'll do my best.

Time was when you had to use Windows. That time is long over. Taking what they force upon you has been shown time and time again to be folly and you've been duped quite enough, thank you very much. Now, it's time for you to get some self-respect back. To gain some control in a spooky place. Right on. As I already wrote, if you're happy where you are -- then maintain, brother. More power to you. However, if you're like most, you just know that there has to be something better. Even if you think yourself too ignorant or rookie to do something about it, you're waiting for that helpful instruction or atta-boy to prod you into action. Well, how can I help? How can the community help?

With Linux.

Awww, see -- there you go again. Don't do that - hold your thoughts. Linux is probably completely different than what you've heard. My kids have no problem with it, your Uncle runs it fine, people from all over the world demand it for many solid reasons. And when they find out that they can have all that bling and more, well, that's just a bonus that really tickles them. They feel pretty good again in no time flat. When it's used in schools (as it oughta be) kids become very knowledgeable quickly about computing instead of the let-downs of Windows. They become savvy with using spreadsheet tools instead of learning how to get a free copy of Excel and becoming dependent on that program. When you use it you save money, compute faster and more reliably, and are able to do all the things that you want.

Generally, all OS's have limitations and I wouldn't be honest or be able to gain your trust if I wrote that Linux was the magic that we all need. However, you will find it quicker, cheaper and and able to operate FOR you with far less stress gotchas. Honest. Hey, man - you and I are the same, I want that stuff, too. I have it and I want to share this good fortune with you. That's a good thing right? At least it used to be, in better times. You can run Linux on the machine you already own. You can run it without touching your hard drive, meaning, you don't have to lose data or Windows in order to use it. See there, a safety net. Windows doesn't give you that. With it, it's all or nothing and then you get all that "other stuff", too. I like the other bonus better and you probably will, too.

Obtaining Linux is simple, it's everywhere. Some companies will mail you a copy, free. You can buy a Linux magazine and more times than not there is a CD or DVD in the magazine with a version of Linux that you can run "live" or install. Cool. You can search "the Google" to find a version, too. You can ask your friend, daughter, cousin...the bagger at your grocery store, your Dentist. Many people don't know about Linux yet so don't get discouraged if you get blank stares from some of them. The marketing of Linux is horrible (non existent, really) and one could get the impression that it's some sort of exclusive club. Nah, it's just that Linux has better things to do than jam its existence down our throats and spend money to try to convince you. The Linux community is far more interested in creating stable and usable software for all of us to enjoy. Fault them for it if you like, but I'll take those kinds of priorities all day.

Recommending a version of Linux is simple - Debian GNU/Linux. All the wonder and charm and attention to detail that can be found in Linux is part of Debian. All the reliability, usability, customizability or dead-nuts simple (lol, some would argue this, but I'm not that smart - if I can do it...) is already inherent in Debian, and since it's a general type of OS, if you wanted to, you could build something from it that suited you to a tee. Exactly and only for you. But if you didn't want to do that, you could download the first CD of the entire collection of CDs that comprise Debian, install it, and be happy with it. You'd never need to download another Linux CD again. Updating to subsequent releases is free, a click away, and not at all going to demand that you buy new hardware. Again, honest.

You could also buy it if you wanted to. Doing so can help you to feel pretty good, too, because the pittance that you will spend to obtain the entire Debian distribution is about $20. Moreover, that money doesn't go to some marketing machine, it goes to help better the distribution. How cool is that? Goto www.debian.org and poke around. Check it out for yourself. Or, you can buy Linux at BestBuy, too. And other large retailers. Hell, goto Dell and buy a computer with it already installed if you like.

If you run a business I would suggest that you seriously need to consider running Linux or at least open source software on your Windows box(es). Spending money foolishly here is probably not a thing that your chainsaw sharpening business could afford. There are a bunch of us that would be glad to help you make informed decisions in this regard, probably for the price of a beer, too. We do this for community more than a buck. Although, you could pay us, too, and we'd be happy with that. Some of us have kids and stuff that like to eat, wear clothes, live in a place. You know. Seriously, think about open source and Linux specifically to save you money, time, stress...all that. How cool would it be to not have to buy new machine? How cool to not have to worry about satisfying licensing strangleholds, or vendor lock-in, or worry if that document you wrote 3 years ago can even be modified today? How cool would it be to be able to control your own information? Price that out one time, Mr. fancy-Pants.

Many of us right in your neighborhood would be more than happy to help you migrate to Linux, or, at least help you to start using it to some degree. It's up to you, though, if you want it, it's there for the taking. If you don't want it, that's cool, too. We can show you a whole new world, in a friendly and non-pressure way, that isn't scary at all. Then you can have your cake and eat it, too.