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Yes, it is a freeware operating system that you use instead of Windows.
You can download it, burn it to a disc and run it from there, so your hard drive is not affected. It's a way of seeing if you like it.
Another one is Ubuntu - which is also free and gaining in popularity. You can order the disk free, and use that instead of the hard drive.
Neither are for the faint hearted, a certain amount of techie knowledge is needed, but could be an interesting learning curve.
You can download it, burn it to a disc and run it from there, so your hard drive is not affected. It's a way of seeing if you like it.
Another one is Ubuntu - which is also free and gaining in popularity. You can order the disk free, and use that instead of the hard drive.
Neither are for the faint hearted, a certain amount of techie knowledge is needed, but could be an interesting learning curve.
Linux used to be the domain of techies but nowadays it has become as simple to use as Windows. It was the use of the command line that put the average home user off but now you can do everything by GUI like Windows.
There are many flavours as the whole thing is open source, which means those with programming knowledge can change whatever they wish.
For the newcomer though, distrubitions like Ubuntu, Mandriva, SimplyMepis are simple to use and come with a hell of a lot of software including OpenOffice, which is the equivalent of MS Office.
Much software that you will find for Windows you will find there is Linux version.
Another bonus is most Linux users dont worry about security as the malware writers tend to target the most common OS.
There are many flavours as the whole thing is open source, which means those with programming knowledge can change whatever they wish.
For the newcomer though, distrubitions like Ubuntu, Mandriva, SimplyMepis are simple to use and come with a hell of a lot of software including OpenOffice, which is the equivalent of MS Office.
Much software that you will find for Windows you will find there is Linux version.
Another bonus is most Linux users dont worry about security as the malware writers tend to target the most common OS.
The biggest drawback is the lack of gaming. Game makers rarely make a Linux version although some older games will play through a program called WINE which emulates the Windows environment.
And if you use a Lexmark printer, you'll be hard pressed to find a Linux driver for it. HP and Canon do Linux drivers though. Most distros come with numerous drivers pre-installed and set up during install.
Just Google Linux and find out more.
And if you use a Lexmark printer, you'll be hard pressed to find a Linux driver for it. HP and Canon do Linux drivers though. Most distros come with numerous drivers pre-installed and set up during install.
Just Google Linux and find out more.
Just to clarify: Ethel makes it out as though Ubuntu is different to Linux. This isn't really the case.
First, name confusion. Linux is popularly the name for two things -- a kernel, and an operating system (incorrect usage). The kernel (all operating systems have a base 'controller', the kernel, that does core tasks like memory management) is called Linux. The operating system is correctly called GNU/Linux, but many call it Linux.
I assume you mean the operating system. As such, it's a complete replacement for Windows. It was created before Windows was, as the starter of it all (a man named Richard Stallman) came to the realisation that non-free software was a bad thing. Here is another term much-confused. He uses free as in 'freedom', not 'doesn't cost anything'. It means that you should have the right to edit the stuff that runs on your own computer, since it's your property. In much the same way that you have the right to play about with your car engine, if you so wish.
Most stuff in GNU/Linux is 'free software'. This means that you can download it and run it as you like, with no license issues or anything like that, which plagues non-free software. It tends to also be free of cost too, but it doesn't have to be like that in general.
Now, there are lots of parts to GNU/Linux. Many different programs all packaged together to make a complete working operating system. As such, these can be packaged in different combinations, and so you end up with different 'distributions' of the GNU/Linux system.
One such 'distribution' is called Ubuntu (what Ethel refers to), and it's actually very good -- very easy to use.
First, name confusion. Linux is popularly the name for two things -- a kernel, and an operating system (incorrect usage). The kernel (all operating systems have a base 'controller', the kernel, that does core tasks like memory management) is called Linux. The operating system is correctly called GNU/Linux, but many call it Linux.
I assume you mean the operating system. As such, it's a complete replacement for Windows. It was created before Windows was, as the starter of it all (a man named Richard Stallman) came to the realisation that non-free software was a bad thing. Here is another term much-confused. He uses free as in 'freedom', not 'doesn't cost anything'. It means that you should have the right to edit the stuff that runs on your own computer, since it's your property. In much the same way that you have the right to play about with your car engine, if you so wish.
Most stuff in GNU/Linux is 'free software'. This means that you can download it and run it as you like, with no license issues or anything like that, which plagues non-free software. It tends to also be free of cost too, but it doesn't have to be like that in general.
Now, there are lots of parts to GNU/Linux. Many different programs all packaged together to make a complete working operating system. As such, these can be packaged in different combinations, and so you end up with different 'distributions' of the GNU/Linux system.
One such 'distribution' is called Ubuntu (what Ethel refers to), and it's actually very good -- very easy to use.
http://www.ubuntu.com/
Also to note, is that you can 'dual boot' with your computer. This means that you can have both GNU/Linux and Windows installed on your computer at the same time, and every time you start your computer you can be presented with a list -- to either choose to run GNU/Linux or Windows.
The CD you can download from the Ubuntu website is a liveCD as ethel says -- meaning that you can just run it from the CD and try it out. It also can be installed to your computer straight from the CD, and it'll do all the dual-booting stuff for you too.
Also to note, is that you can 'dual boot' with your computer. This means that you can have both GNU/Linux and Windows installed on your computer at the same time, and every time you start your computer you can be presented with a list -- to either choose to run GNU/Linux or Windows.
The CD you can download from the Ubuntu website is a liveCD as ethel says -- meaning that you can just run it from the CD and try it out. It also can be installed to your computer straight from the CD, and it'll do all the dual-booting stuff for you too.
The advantage of GNU/Linux is that principally it's free software. Some people care very passionately about this (it's like a basic human right). There are great web browsers, word processors, spreadsheet apps, and everything else, for GNU/Linux.
The drawbacks are that it doesn't really do Windows software -- it's against the point of GNU/Linux (as it's non-free). However, the Microsoft Word, Excel replacements etc. can quite capably handle Word and Excel files, so this isn't much of a problem normally.
You also have to make sure that your hardware is supported on GNU/Linux. Due to Windows' overwhelming popularity, hardware manufactuters make sure their stuff works in Windows flawlessly (usually), but GNU/Linux sometimes requires a bit more time.
The drawbacks are that it doesn't really do Windows software -- it's against the point of GNU/Linux (as it's non-free). However, the Microsoft Word, Excel replacements etc. can quite capably handle Word and Excel files, so this isn't much of a problem normally.
You also have to make sure that your hardware is supported on GNU/Linux. Due to Windows' overwhelming popularity, hardware manufactuters make sure their stuff works in Windows flawlessly (usually), but GNU/Linux sometimes requires a bit more time.
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