In general I can say that we live in a pretty technologically savvy part of the world. Most people aren’t trying to “learn computers”, as they were forced to in the mid to late 90s.  We're culturally saturated with them, and truth be told, we've responded quite well. We at least have a kind of proficiency with these machines, can perform the necessary tasks, waste our time and occasionally make our work-lives easier. However, anti-trust lawsuits aside, I find it really messed up that in a world that understands computers as well as we do, nobody has pointed out the fact that there are fewer viable, commercially available options for operating systems than there are American political parties.  According to www.w3schools.com (purportedly the largest web developer’s site on the Internet), the distribution of operating systems is 87.1 per cent Windows family, 3.8 per cent Mac (although you see tons of them on campus) and 3.4 per cent Linux. Now if a single type of operating system has nearly 90 per cent of all computers under their control, would one not consider that a monopoly? 

I can recall each and every one of my computers and their quirks back to a DOS based 286 with a whopping 16 shades of grey for a monitor, to a 486 with Windows 3.1, to Win95, to XP. Since the moment of its conception, I feel like I’ve been watching that operating system internally rot away. Roughly five years ago, the malware pandemic became obvious, with all of those annoying little programs finding their way through Windows' defenses, slowing your computer down, acting as back doors, monitoring your actions and reporting your personal information to hackers. I worked countless hours repairing friends' systems, ridding them of viruses and malignant software. In spite of all of this, I was stuck with a Windows based system because I was a gamer: game development being dependent upon accessibility, i.e. being Windows compatible.

Finally, I moved to a Macintosh laptop (iBook G4) for my work and was ecstatic. Mac OS 10.3 was inherently stable, reliable and allowed me to function unfettered by the constant monitoring of “Windows Genuine Advantage” software or the countless other functions Windows relies on running to keep itself functional.  But while writing a rather long, painful thesis, I realized that I was still reliant upon Microsoft software, using Microsoft Office for the Macintosh. Lo and bloody behold, it was the only thing that would crash that otherwise steadfast system. At this point I was pissed off enough to delve deep into the Internet to find a solution to my problem. 

The solution has been Linux, particularly under the guise of Fedora Core Linux 6 and 7 for my home system and a Ubuntu for that old iBook G4.  Now, there are a few significant differences between Linux and Windows, the most obvious being Linux’s reliance on open source software.  Opensource.org has a great definition of this HERE, the gist of which is that software must be free, available, modifiable, technology neutral, non-discriminatory and must supply access to the source code. This sounds laughably idealistic, but Fedora is currently in its seventh incarnation, and shows no sign of stopping.  Through the use of open source software and following some helpful guidelines provided by MJM Wired or through How To Forge, I easily set up a system capable of doing everything a Windows machine does with relative ease. And most importantly, I haven’t had to install any proprietary software to do so. 

The one caveat in this whole enterprise is that, yes, you do have to be slightly more techno-savvy than the average computer owner but hell, you're up for the challenge, right?  And if you do find yourself stuck, you’ll find out the other major difference between Linux based OSes and Windows: their users.  Linux users generally help one another through various online tech support forums (www.linuxquestions.org, www.fedoraforums.org, www.ubuntuforums.org) and, following with the open source philosophy, are completely inclined to share their knowledge and expertise with you. 

Now, I will be honest with you. I do maintain a small, entirely offline Windows partition on my home computer for gaming. Oh, the shame. But even this is easier on a Linux based system, which employs a very simple partitioning system and a great method for switching between OSes at reboot, where a screen comes up that allows you to choose an OS from a list. I guess the major difference between my computer experiences now and in the past is that I am now genuinely surprised when something goes wrong with my computer, and whatever that is, I can usually fix it within a day or so on my own or with some internet based assistance.  Also, the previously mentioned malware problem is significantly less apparent for Linux users.  Why?  Because you're not the biggest target.  Hacking has only two modes: specific attack and general malfeasance.  You aren't a bank, so specific attacks are unlikely and you're not a member of the OS majority, thus you’re generally spared. 

So, if you're willing to shake the shackles of the Windows dominated world and of course never pay for software again, give Linux a try. Without a doubt you'll soon find yourself contributing in some shape or form to the Linux community.