Ok, not that anyone cares, but it's our site and I can talk about whatever I please.

I've decided to quit dabblng in the kiddie pool and jump straight into the deep end. I am now Micro$oft-free on this computer. Yup, bought the propeller-head hype and switched it to Linux. For the non-computer folks out there, about the closest thing I can say to relate it to you is imagine switching from your PC to a Mac. Only not as pretty. Or friendly. But a lot cheaper (free!) Potentially a helluva lot more powerful too.

Some observations so far:

• Whoever says Linux is ready for the business desktop is on crack.
• Linux on the desktop right now is about where Windows 3.0 and DOS were in 1992.
• Far, far too many Linux applications still start out with "recompile your kernel to enable [this obscure feature]"
• The default desktop for Gnome is close enough to Windows probably anyone can get around in it with just a little instruction.
• Absolutely no crashes.

Do I like it? Well, yeah, there's the geek factor of getting to play with a completely different kind of computer. It's also a poke in the eye of the Borg. I should also be able to play with a ton of new software (as long as I'm willing to compile it.) Would you like it? Well, if you like tinkering with computers for the sake of tinkering with computers, probably. If you've got someone who can set it all up for you, and don't do much gaming, maybe. If you want it to "just work", well, IMO it's still not ready for prime time.

Update: Just got "WINE" sort-of working. WINE is a package that (supposedly) allows the installation of windows software onto linux machines. Took two days to get rid of all the error messages. My first shot? Windows Media Player (for watching ... cartoons, yeah, that's it, cartoons). Result: "This Player is Meant for Windows Only."

Well, it was a windows error this time, not a linux error. Back to the drawing board...