Why Linux?

Answer me if you will, why Linux?

I'm having a lot of fun, that's for sure, but is there really a compelling reason not to use Windows or OS X and turn to Linux instead?

I'd say the same thing about open-source software for Windows, but here I am using a bunch of it to get real work done.

Will I be saying the same thing about open-source operating systems a few years down the line?

That said, how much does an OS cost when you buy a new PC equipped with Windows? I'll have to look into it. Buying Windows Vista on its own runs anywhere from $99 for a crippled home version up through $200 for the deluxe renditions. And upgrading Mac OS X 10.3 to 10.4 costs about $150, if I have it right. That's over and above what you paid for the original Windows OS. So over the life of a single computer, and certainly over the lives of many PCs and Macs, the money spent on operating systems can add up.

So you can have fun and get things done on your own desktop, or you can save a business thousands of dollars in software costs by using Linux. On the other hand, while shit happens with Mac OS and Windows, for the most part you plug stuff in, get the drivers loaded and it works. That kind of plug and play is a bit elusive with Linux. But I can't forget not getting ANYTHING to work in Windows 98.

Put your foot in the Linux shoe. If it boots, and if the shoe fits, then wear it.