Linux, is a FREE operating system that comes in different 'flavors' (versions developed thru open source code) and can be downloaded from the internet or bought in commercial packages with limited product support. It also comes with many free applications to help you get the most out of it.
 

Because Linux is offered as open source that can be added to, altered, and refitted by anyone. It is a compilation of many programmers and developers since it's origins by Linus Torvalds in the early 1990's.
 

Not better just different...and FREE! Linux is a UNIX based operating system. Most of the major pro sites you see on the internet run on one form or another of UNIX because it's clean, efficient and a very stable operating system.
 

In an effort to win over more Linux users, the latest versions have a more user-friendly graphical interface that doesn't leave Windows users out in the cold and feeling like they're from another planet. 
 

For the most part, you don't have to worry about viruses with Linux. They can't touch it unless invoked as 'root'. Viruses are a Windows disease and most crackers typically target MS products. Also, Linux never needs to be defragmented like Windows does. Besides cost, there are many advantages to using Linux.
 

Who says you have to choose, and why can't you have it all? It's very possible to even have both on the same machine. Some versions of Linux can be run from the cd without installing anything to your system. Always follow common sense computer knowledge like 'back up your hard drive first' and 'create a boot disk' before you do anything to your system.
 

Helpful links are provided at the bottom of this page. If you download a free version from the internet, you will need a download manager in case you can't get it all in one shot. The files are quite large and can take literally hours without a cable modem connection. A good download manager will let you resume the download if you lose your connection. You will also want to burn the download image to disk.
 

It depends on your needs. We tried to install 3 different flavors to test. SuSE is notably one of the most powerful versions and recommended by programmers and developers and also has a boot/run from cd version that offers no install. RedHat Linux is probably the most widely recognized and well known flavor on the market. Knoppix runs completely from a cd and has recovery tools for Win. How easy it will be for you depends a lot on your setup, research and computer knowledge. If you don't want to or can't split your partition, choose a run from cd or from Windows version.
 

Different versions of Linux have a preferred desktop environment included in their software. Two come to mind, KDE and GNOME. You can get themes for them from the links below. There are also links for programs that are comparable to Windows programs. Unless you buy a boxed commercial brand version, they are all free.