Ubuntu changed my life! I’m smarter, cooler, and more ethical.

Sound too good to be true? Well, it isn’t.

Linux and UNIX-like operating systems in general are regarded as being more secure for the common user, in contrast with operating systems that have "Windows" as part of their name. Why is that?

Latest Release Boasts New User Interface, Lets User Build Their Own Installation 'Recipes'

SAINT PAUL, Minn. (March 2, 2010) -- CodeWeavers, Inc., a leading developer of software products that turn Mac OS X and Linux into Windows-compatible operating systems, today announced the release of CrossOver 9.0 for both Mac and Linux. CrossOver allows Windows software to be used on Mac and Linux PCs without the need for a Windows operating system license.

So recently I have written a lot about how user-friendly Linux has become. Naturally the nay-sayers have spoken loudly and insisted that Linux is far, far behind Windows in the user-friendliness category. So, I decided I wanted to figure out a way to test this argument to see which operating system was, in fact, more user friendly.

With Linux becoming more popular and easier to use, more and more people are adopting it as their primary operating system. But the transformation from Windows user to Linux user can be a tough road to take. Most new users become long-term users because they have friends that introduce Linux to them, and help them through the first few weeks of rough-patches. Here are ten steps to help you introduce Linux to a would-be convert.

Linux is not a free version of Windows. The two systems differ not only visually, in the graphical user interface the user sees, but also functionally, as is frequently discussed, and legally to boot, which is constantly emphasized by the Free software community. The differences between them are so fundamental that drawing a comparison between them is nearly impossible.

At the time when GNU/Linux was in its infancy and slowly growing, Microsoft intelligently and silently crept into our home computers. They launched consecutive series of successful Windows Operating Systems, sidelining other operating systems available at that time, and took over all market share.

So, while I'm twiddling my thumbs waiting for Slackware 13 to come to pass, I did what any Linux user probably does when temporarily owning a copy of Windows (XP Pro here), and checked how it's doing these days.

Much has been said about the so-called “user-experience” in Ubuntu, which drastically needs to be improved if it is to compete with mainstream operating systems like OSX and Windows. It’s a nefarious term and depends upon how one defines “user” and what kind of “experience” the user requires.