I don't do Windows
"Computers are like air-conditioners. They stop working when you open windows."

After my last diatribe against Micro$oft, I promised to talk about other operating system options we can use on our PCs instead of windows.

The most popular alternative is GNU/Linux, although most people just shorten it to Linux. Linux is basically a clone of the Unix operating system. Linux is distributed under the General Public License (GPL). The GPL states, among other things, that the software may be freely distributed. That is, having obtained the software, which can be purchased or downloaded from the web, one may do whatever he or she likes with it. Install it on all your computers, make copies and give it to your friends/relatives/neighbors. Modify the software code to make it work the way you want it. You can't do these things with proprietary software such as everything Micro$oft sells. In fact, if you own two computers, M$ will make you pay for two copies of its software. No sharing with your spouse. Windows XP has a little spyware thing built into it that can access the internet and tell on you if it thinks you are installing it on more than one machine. And don't even think about trying to get the source code.

Linux is available in many flavors. Since it is freely distributable and changeable, many people put together pacKages called distributions or distros and bundle it with lots of different software. The typical Linux distribution comes bundled with huge amounts of free software for which you would normally pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for if you purchased proprietary versions.

To learn more about Linux, check out the links on the left or send me an email.

Another operating system I've been studying about is called FreeBSD. It is also Unix-based. I haven't tried it out yet, although I may do so soon. For more information, check out that link.