Why Should You Change?

Well, why did I upgrade my computer to Linux? Let me count the reasons.

I got tired of paying through the nose for program upgrades every year, or deciding to live with something less than the latest because I refused to pay.
I got tired of PC crashes. Professionally, I used Windows NT. But at home, I could afford only DOS, Windows 95, and 98 over the years. Windows XP is better, but I had already upgraded to Linux by the time that WinXP came along.
I felt that my computer use was controled from Redmand, OR. I don't claim that Microsoft was controlling me like a puppet on a string. It was more subtle than that. They would decide what was best for me and my PC. Any good program was either bought out by Microsoft or it was run to the ground and replaced by a Microsoft look-alike. Not so with Linux.
I looked at Apple. The Mac is cool, but it was just as closed and controlled a system.
Viruses have gotten worse over the years. Now we also have spyware. It can actually be unsafe to use Windows on the Internet! I teach a class in how to use Windows safely, and have been building this Web Site to help Windows users use the Internet more safely.
I got curious about Linux. Linux was difficult to use until recently. Now there are several distributions that have been fasioned spefically for people upgrading from Windows. Later on, I'll tell you what a distribution is and how to choose the best one for you.
I soon found out that there is no concern for lack of good programs in Linux.
I began to enjoy the close, freindly Linux community. There was always someone to help me, and soon I found myself helping others.
After a while, there wasn't any reason to keep Windows on my PC.

That's my Linux history in a nutshell.