For a while, I wanted to write a little bit of advice for those of you wanting to move from Microsoft Windows over to a Linux based desktop computer. Today, I’ll run down a few of the points that are incentives to switch and some that might be incentives to stick with windows.

Open Source. First and foremost in my mind is open source versus closed source. Linux is, of course, open source, which means that anyone can see the source code and can freely modify it. Any good computer programmer can contribute to the project. This might sound like an uncertain idea at first, but in general, the collaboration goes much deeper than closed source projects due to the diversity of the programmers, and bugs are resolved pretty quick, as anyone, including high level users, can fix the bug. Open source projects are volunteer based, but that doesnt mean that no one is supporting the project. All of the tools at the heart of open source projects are actively and passionately supported by dedicated programming teams. Closed source, like Microsoft Windows, on the other hand, has its code typically held in secrecy. End users cannot see the internals of the programs, which leaves bug fixing up the mercy of the software company. Furthermore, algorithms cannot be improved by savvy end users, as the internals of the program are hidden. To most people though, what matters is if their programs work well. Open source and closed source both have good programs, but it is my experience that open source typically work better and fix bugs quicker.

Licensing.

More of Part 1 Here

Also:

Alright. You’ve decided that Linux is worth a go. First thing that you have to decide is what Linux distribution you want to install on your computer. A distribution, or “distro” as they’re more commonly called, is a collection of programs that make up a full operating system. Each distribution has a different collection of programs associated with it, but all of Linux distributions are very similar at their core.

So you have a specific distribution in mind. You need to download and burn it to a DVD or a CD. After it has been burned, turn your computer off and back on again. Your computer will boot up into a fully functional linux environment. Don’t worry though! Your windows partition is safe and sound.

Migrating to Linux From Windows: Part 2