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When you're first introduced to the world of Linux, it's like nothing you've experienced before. You're finally free of the corporate bonds that Apple and Microsoft have tried to tie you up with. In the computing world, Linux represents all that's good and free.

At the end of the day, its greatest selling point is choice. Choosing the right distribution or "distro" for you requires a little bit of homework and some consideration. When you're picking a distro, be sure to mull a few major considerations before pulling the trigger.

Experience Level

If you're familiar with Unix, you're already ready to use Linux. If not, you'll need to take a crash course in Bash basics. For the beginners, Ubuntu or Xubuntu is the best. These distros will give you either a Mac OS X or Windows experience minus the learning curve that other distros like Arch require.

If you're not willing to really delve into the world of Bash, you should stick to those "safe" distros mentioned previously. Otherwise, you can pick any distribution you feel like using for the long haul.

Intended Usage

Before you pick a new distro, ask yourself this: what will I be using this for? If you need a server-like distribution for handling office jobs, go with stock Debian. If you want the most dead simple OS that even your grandmother can handle, perhaps Linux Mint is a good choice.

Knowing what you'd like out of any distro comes down to understanding how much time you'd like to invest in customizing the thing. The basic foundation of every Linux distro is the same. Only the user interface shell installed on top of it is different.

Level of Customization

It's easier than ever to customize any Linux distro if you know what you're doing. However, some distros are easier than others to tweak. If you need easy customization tools, OpenSUSE or Ubuntu are the way to go.

If you'd rather hack your way to the perfect desktop, the aforementioned Arch or something along the lines of Slackware or Gentoo will be more to your liking. There's a perfect distro out there no matter how finicky you are. The key is to figure out how much customization you're looking for.

Stability & Hardware Compatibility

The most important thing to consider when choosing a distro is how easily it'll fit in with your computing environment. The days when all drivers had to be installed manually are pretty much over. For the most part, Linux distros "just work" right off of the bat.

Still, the amount of time spent configuring any given Linux distro to work with any given PC hardware setup varies from person to person. If you're not willing to put in serious configuration time, stick with a safe distro.

The Linux Way

Linux can be scary at first if you're not used to it. Regardless, there's a whole other computing world out there just waiting for you to discover. Once you get over the initial adoption jitters, you'll realize that Linux is truly one of the best operating systems on Earth.

A bit of command line knowledge is all you need to get up to speed. Whichever distro you decide upon, just know that you can always switch it out if it doesn't work. Either way, Linux is always a smart choice for the adventurous and intelligent user.

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Millions of people use the Linux operating system. There are good reasons for this. Below are some of the reasons why Linux is better than other operating systems.

1. Linux Is Free Open Source Software

Linux is one of the few open source operating systems available. What that means is that it is completely free to the public. This is absolutely not the case with the other two popular operating systems.

2. Linux Does Not Get Attacked Most hackers have a bone to pick with the other operating systems.I was looking for more information and found it here. Most hackers are also pro-Linux. What this means is that Linux is almost virtually free of things like viruses, malware, Trojan horse programs and the like.

3. Linux Does Not Crash

One of the greatest things about Linux is that it is designed not to crash. This is certainly not the case with the other major operating systems that are easily overwhelmed by too many programs or processes happening at once.

4. Applications Are Free and Plentiful

Linux also has many programs designed to work with it. Like the operating system itself, all of these are free. You will be able to install them over and over again on as many machines as you like at no expense.

What is an Operating System?
When a car owner needs to get their car repaired, they will have choices as to who they can pay to do the repair. Presumably all the auto mechanics know the inner workings of the car and can make the repair but we all know that some mechanics are better than others. An operating system is a piece of hardware that manages the computer hardware like the screen, keyboard, wireless network card, mouse, etc. Confused? Here ‘s a little help .

So What then is Linux and Why It's Better?
Linux is an operating system in the same manner that Windows is an operating system. However, Linux has a more robustly developed understanding of things that make it a viable alternative to Windows. Linux, on the same hardware that runs Windows, will likely do the same things much faster and with increased stability. Linux is robust enough to run office software, internet browser, games, e-mail software and run for months on end without needing to be rebooted. Linux is graphical but it will take a small investment of time to get to know. Just like moving into a new home in a new city takes time to adjust, Linux will require some getting used to. This one point is what traditionally has been difficult for new users to get used. However, users will find that investment of time well worth it.

The Linux operating system has gained in popularity in the past few years. This is in large part because it is a free open source program anyone can download and install on their computer. There are some questions people often ask before choosing to install this system. One of the more frequently asked questions is whether the operating system will be able to run Windows programs. Linux itself is not designed to run the code used for creating Windows based software, but there are emulator programs which can be installed inside of Linux to run any of the Windows based software.

People who use Linux often wonder about the ability to add new utilities to their existing operating system. Because Linux is an open source program, new add-ons are continuously being created for it. One of the concerns people have with this system is in the area of security. The add-on available for increased security can protect your computer when you are browsing the Internet or connected to a networking system. Linux can be added to a computer as either a primary or secondary operating system when the computer has more than one hard drive or when a single hard drive is partitioned.

If you're looking to expand your skills in information technology there's no better way to do that at home than by using Linux. Why? Because Linux is very much like its counterpart operating system: Unix. What does that mean? Well, if you want to break into computer work, knowing Linux means money, dinero, pengar, dinheiro, get the picture? Why is that? Because by installing and running Linux on a computer at home you will be learning many of the basic skills of a systems administrator. I myself have developed at times a small "computer lab” consisting of two or three computers. The skills I've learned by using Linux in that setting have proven valuable because whether the computer environment you're using consists to 2-3 computers or 2,000 - 3,000 computers the principles will be the same. The problems you encounter will be the same. The solutions you find to those problems will be the: SAME. Now, if you're new to Linux just install it one on computer and get familiar with it. Laptops are very cheap nowadays and some vendors will give you the option of having Linux pre-installed for you. However, part of the learning experience is installing it yourself. As you get into Linux you'll find many similarities with Windows and for the rest you'll find suitable replacements for word processing and spreadsheets, etc. In the end, you'll be finding that Linux is much more stable and faster than Windows.

Ever since the release of Linux there has been a debate as to if it is better than Windows and why. Most Linux fans will have a long list of the things the operation system can do better than Windows.

Security is one of the biggest concerns with any computer and Linux shines in this area. Since it is an open source code there are more users able to help track down any issues and resolve them quickly. With guarded code only authorized programmers can see problems and that takes longer to fix things.

Linux is designed to be much more reliable as well. Certain critical system functions do not get glitched by other faulty software that has been installed. Meaning that where Windows would want to shut down or crash, Linux is set up to stay running smooth and just shut down the offending program.

The support for questions you might have with Linux is amazing. Being that it is a community of world wide programmers all you need to do is access their forums and an army of people with knowledge of the system will jump to help. Which is a huge difference from the support at Windows.

Although there are plenty of convincing reasons for why Linux is the better operating systems, here are the top ten reasons to consider:

Price
Linux is no cost to you, so any upgrade or new version of the operating system is free of charge and applications, such as office suites, graphics editors are free and preloaded.

Security
Linux is not resistant to viruses, spyware, worms or malware that infect computers, but designed with significantly high protection and security.

User-Friendly
Linux is very easy to use, no need to be an avid computer user, programmer or techie to maneuver through Linux.

Development
Unlike Windows, Linux has updates every six to nine months, so if you are not fond of a new feature, skip it and wait for the next version.

Configuration
As a multi-user operating system, each user can personal their configuration on one computer. This may include the desktop look, icon display or start programs.

Platform
Linux has the capability to run on any platform, from cell phones to computers.

Interoperability
Linux operates well with other systems, it will install successfully alongside Windows and Mac OS X.

Community
Linux is developed and shared with vendors, which makes you part of a community and not a customer to a manufacture.

Applications
Each base Linux distribution includes thousands of application programs.

Standards
Since Linux follows open standards, an update to one system does not make another system obsolete.