If you are looking for a more unique and customizable experience on your computer then you should check out Ubuntu 10.04, the latest Ubuntu release.
If you don’t know, Ubuntu is the most popular “flavor” of Linux and can replace the Windows operating system at a cost of $0. Yes, it’s free.
Benefits:
– Runs fast on old systems
– Boots up in 10 seconds (not 30 – 45 like Windows)
– Very customizable
– Tens of thousands of free applications are available
– For every Windows application or ability, there is an equal and opposite Ubuntu/Linux alternative, 99.9% of which are free
– Change can be fun
Trade-Offs:
– Fewer experts to help you if you get stuck
– Occasional challenges connecting certain printers, sound cards, or video cards (but the nerds are on the case always improving the forgotten drivers)
– For websites that require Internet Explorer, you may be without remedy, but those sites are rare and they suck anyway
Want to try it?
You can run Ubuntu completely from a CD without affecting your current Windows operating system. Just download Ubuntu from www.ubuntu.com and try it! If you like it but are afraid to throw away Windows then you can do a dual boot system which allows you to choose which operating system to use, every time you boot up. If you do that you can still create and manipulate files across operating systems. In other words, if you have a Word document in Windows, you can still open it in Ubuntu using OpenOffice, so you will not lose productivity.