linux vs windows

For me Linux OS's is much more better against Windows OS's, In terms of user friendliness and software and hardware compatibility I will go for Windows OS's but in terms of cost Linux is far way above Windows, For desktop or home use, Linux is very cheap or free, Windows is expensive. For server use, Linux is very cheap compared to Windows. Microsoft allows a single copy of Windows to be used on only one computer. Starting with Windows XP, they use software to enforce this rule (Windows Product Activation at first, later Genuine Windows). In contrast, once you have purchased Linux, you can run it on any number of computers for no additional charge. Linux is customizable in a way that Windows is not. For one, the user interface, while similar in concept, varies in detail from distribution to distribution. For example, the task bar may default to being on the top or the bottom. Also, there are many special purpose versions of Linux above and beyond the full blown distributions described above. For example, NASLite is a version of Linux that runs off a single floppy disk (since revised to also boot from a CD) and converts an old computer into a file server. This ultra small edition of Linux is capable of networking, file sharing and being a web server. One thing that Linux can do that Windows can not, is run from a CD. To run Windows, it has to first be installed to your hard disk. Normally Linux also runs from a hard disk, but there are quite a few versions of Linux that run completely from a CD without having to be installed to a hard disk. The term for this is a "Live" CD.

I have used Windows 98 until recently, first with dial up and then with broadband. My computer broke and so I was lent one with Linux on. I was nervous about using it at first, but I need not have been. I really like its security as I had so many viruses when I first got on to broadband. I like to use the Internet, email and do word processing. I am not one for playing games but my 12 year son is. I hope to buy a new computer soon. I am trying to decide if I will buy a desktop or a laptop.