Oh, the eternal question! How many posts have been dedicated to this...

Ok, here is my opinion. If you are looking for office desktop to check e-mails and browse web - linux can do just fine. I know couple of big companies that are switching to linux for thin clients - linux is such a customizable system that you can make it work on a cheap hardware, run light and allow only what is necessary. Try to do that on Windows.

As admin in a company that deals with lots of statistical data, and hence - databases and large text files with data, i cannot imagine my life without linux command prompt. Most of the stuff that i do is in linux. It takes time to learn, it takes sleepless nights of digging, but once you get hang of it the power of it becomes overwhelming, and i'm a newbie in linux. Saying that linux sucks after testing distros is like saying that bicycles suck after trying one x-country mtb, one DH mtb and one road bike. You fell couple times, so now you are sticking with tricycle. Well, i guess your initial stability is better, but don't even dream about off-roading, DH, or good mobility.

Yes, it takes some digging and googlin' to make things work sometimes (though, i have intentionally run a test - installed windows XP Pro and Mandrake 10.1 to see which one took less time - Mandrake beats Win XP. I ran this test before Microsoft came up with MS Genuine Mandatory Advantage Tool (btw, have they found any bugs in that thing yet? - soon we'll have to install an update for and updater taht would run updater for another updater that will either validate your windows or fail)) I find Linux installations (I am lazy and prefer GUI installation) more customizeable. Nobody is forcing me to install bug-filled browser. Neither do i need to switch default mail application to my favorite e-mail client (Thunderbird) each time i install updates for Office.

And of course, there is no "you moved your mouse - you need to restart your computer for changes to take effect".

This is from user/power user prospective. Let's not even get into server/administration/development/security area. I would never put a windows server facing Internet.

Windows/Import cars: cute,sporty and fun to drive.

Linux/Big Block Chevy's: ass kickin' looks great bang for bucks, custom!!!

Although morons deserve Windows, they really ought to not be allowed to use computers at all.

Hey Mods, can we close this obvious troll thread?

Ahh yes Ladies and Gentlemen
in this cage we have a perfect exhibit of a "Windows Troll"
nasty grubby little creatures they are
don't get too close - you might catch something,
and don't poke your fingers in between the bars
and most importantly
DON'T FEED THE TROLLS

time to move onto something more interesting

floppy

Trollin' trollin' trollin'
Keep postin', postin', postin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them geekies postin' Rawhide!

Congratulations, makuyl! You made Rik *Laugh Out Loud!* You're now the proud owner of a brand-new Invis-O-Matic Imaginary Ceram-I-Core Composite "tinfoil" hat! Bask in the jealous stares of the less fortunate as you strut around enjoying your newfound mental security!

You'll laugh!
You'll cry!
You'll fall down!
Invis-O-Matic Imaginary Ceram-I-Core Composite will change your life!

And there was much rejoicing!

The reason of all your hardware being detected is because almost all computers in the world are made for Windows. Since Microcrap almost has the monopoly of operating systems and computers, computer stores will of course have everything for Windows. If you walk into some computer store, the staff probably knows everything about Windows, but nothing at all about Linux, BSD or Solaris.
Microcrap has monopoly over the computer world. Hopefully not for long. I think that sooner or later many people will realize that Linux can be just as good, or even better, than Windows, while many Linux distributions are getting easier and easier to configure and use.

ugghhhh finally it got moved to somwhere i can close!!