I was using Unix, DOS and Windows before Linux was first written.

You never touched CP/M, Acorn MOS etc.? Very disappointing...

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I used VMS on a DEC VAX. Liked it too.

I worked with computers as a job and on call, so I had had my fill of computers. It wasn't till the Sinclair QL came out that I got interested in programming a home computer. Even then I justified it because it had a 3270 emulator and I could dial in to work at night rather than drive the 30 odd miles after a couple of pints.
It wasn't unusual for work to send a driver to fetch me if I had had a few.

I just started using Linux and I love it!

Me too, although to be honest it was VMS on a wee beastie called a MicroVax that sat beneath my desk. A lovely piece of kit it was too.

I did a study for a well known TV rental company and they were looking at replacing a large CICS network.
One of the choices was distributed processing using VAX minis and micros. They were impressive and if it weren't for the extra staff training costs would have won the contract.

Why? Motorcycle parts. Ebay.
When? After I turned on my windows 95 laptop. Which would not run newer windows releases.

When: 2000 or 2001
Why? Wanted a free (as in beer) OS; Libre was a bonus.

1996-ish for me. Wanted something different to windows, so started playing with live CD's of linux. When Libranet Linux 1.9.1 was released, I successfully got online for the first time with Linux, and that pretty much cemented me as a Linux user.

April 2005, because a coworker gave me an IBM PC-300 I could install Linux on.

1990 perhaps, though I can't remember exactly. It was a very early version of RedHat. Originally to allow me to compile my own C programs, but soon used it for demonstration purposes for the Operating Systems module I was teaching.

I just looked it up, and I found out that Red Hat was first released on May 13, 1995. I’ve also seen a few posts from members here, talking about buying Red Hat install discs at Best Buy. It would be cool if Best Buy still sold Linux distribution discs. I guess they just figure it’s a lot cheaper for everyone to distribute it digitally, and that at this point in the game, you’re probably not going to get a lot of people to switch just by having the OS discs in the store. But it would be nice if more folks used Linux instead of Windows.

Maybe LUGs can setup a folding table outside like the boy scouts or girl scouts and hand out free DVDs?

Sounds good to me! Reminds me of the part of the Revolution OS movie where the LUGs are handing out Linux discs.