We can look at Windows in all its various guises but still be left with that nagging doubt of, "There Must Be Another Way" and "How can just one company - one man - control the whole world of computing, or indeed the whole world?"

Certainly there is.  Look in many computer magazines and shops and you will see the Apple MAC machines. Apple users swear by them, they are said to be more powerful, more stable and more secure than Windows machines. The MAC is the most popular choice for desktop publishing (DTP).  The GUI (the windowing environment) is a little different to MS Windows, but similar enough for most PC users to  be able to adapt to a MAC very  quickly. 

Apple are actually world leaders in this area of computing being the first to bring a true Graphical User Interface to the desktop computer with the Apple MACINTOSH - soundly beating Microsoft in that race.  There are many MACs to choose from, with a range of good looking and great performing desktops and smart laptops.

In a work and home environment I have used a number of versions of Windows® and suffered all the various problems that you will be familiar with.  I didn't like being frustrated and wasting time so I thought  I would try something different.  I know many won't won't be easily tempted away from Mr Gates marvellous Windows system but I have found life with Linux incredibly stress free - so far.

In ten months of using Mandrake Linux I have not suffered one single system crash and had only a couple of accasions where an application programme has misbehaved and had to be closed and then re-opened.  Unlike Windows the whole computer does not need to be shut down and re-started, just close the programme and then re-open it!

The two small problems that I have had were entirely my own doing - On one occasion I renamed a file and forgot to leave the correct file extension, but Mandrake spotted this error during the next start up routine and automatically cleaned up my mistake.  The other occasion was that I unplugged my digital camera before 'unmounting' it from the file system (similar to removing a USB drive in Win XP or 2000 without stopping it first).  Mandrake really did not like this and on this occasion prompted a re-start so that the file system could be checked.  So these two wounds were both self inflicted.   Otherwise the Linux computing experience has been quite hassle free.

So why did I put off buying WinXP?  Well I am tight!  I begrudged buying a new copy at a cost of £150, or £70 for an upgrade (or OEM) and I don't have money to burn!  The fact that the Windows system appears to remain as insucure and prone to such things as virus attacks as ever before, counted against for me to use on my home P.C.  

What put me off the most though is the ever more restrictive licencing conditions - the 'Product Activation', the continuing allegations of mal-practice, anti-competitive and anti-trust attitudes of Microsoft towards the computer industry and the cynical treatment of its customers that are often reported in the press.  OK we all know that there are illegal copies available, but that can lead to other problems and you may be stuck with a system that cannot be updated to protect against all the security vunerabilities than are present in Windows and therefore be subject to the vunerability of the tens of thousands of viruses currently on the internet.

Why, when you are already a multi-billionaire with a massive, almost overwhelming share of the market, do you still need to attempt to squash, with whatever means at your disposal, any competing products and companies?

As a consumer I value competition very highly.  Competition produces choice of products, and fairer pricing.  It seems that a certain massive software developer absolutely does not want there to be a market which provides reasonable choice.  I therefore wonder if the prices that we are being charged are vastly over-inflated?  I am sure that they are far too expensive.

Very large companies and organisations must pay enormous sums of money in licencing to this huge software developer, which can run into many tens of thousands of pounds.

This certain software developer would like there to be a choice of only ONE operating system for you to buy (you know which one!).  How would you feel if you could only buy one make of car, just or one brand of television or microwave cooker?  Not only would it be an unacceptable limitation in terms of pure choice, but it should also lead to suspicions that you were also being very highly over-charged!  So why do they attempt to push any other competion out of the Operating System market? - It can only be to make a killing out of highly inflated prices from selling a sub-standard product!

Fortunately competition does still remain at the moment, and there are still choices for the home user, it just seems that many (if not most) consumers are ignorant of the other choices; there are Apple Macs, of course and there is Linux.   Incidentally hardware giants such as Sun Microsystems and IBM are actively pushing Linux as the superior Operating System currently especially where high security is required in the server market. 

Despite all the marketing pressures and alleged mal-practice, the uptake of Linux on commercial computer systems is steadily increasing and even home users are begining to latch on to the Linux system in ever increasing numbers.

So I decided to try a GNU/Linux distribution on one of my PCs.  GNU/Linux is an open-source operating system, developed by a world-wide community of volunteers, and distributed in various forms called distributions (distro's).

A typical distribtion will probably contain all the additional software applications you will need such as photo editors, office suites, multi media players, MP3 type applications and anything else that may be required can be downloaded from the internet for free.  Most distributions have a wonderful GUI called KDE (the K Desktop Environment).  I think the KDE desktop works as well as Windows, if not better, and certainly looks wonderful and users of Linux agree.  The alternative desktop is GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment), which also looks very nice and works in a similar way.  Currently KDE seems more popular than GNOME, but the Mandrake distribution offers the option to use either!

A Linux distribution can be obtatined completely free of charge, or as a boxed set (complete with instruction manuals and all that application software) which can be purched for a very reasonable price, typically £30 to £40.

This is rather low cost of ownership, however  I got my distribution, Mandrake Linux, from a DVD ROM that came on the front of Linux Format magazine essentially for free.

The system seems a little safer and more stable than others.  No anti-competitive practices and expensive and restrictive licences.  A community of developers and helpers, and excellent choice of distributions and software.

I have found it quite easy to migrate from Windows®, and for general home office use Linux seems fine.  Very specialised tasks may require more consideration though.  If you have a spare PC doing nothing in the cupboard under the stairs, get it out and load Mandrake Linux onto it.  Loading the system could not be easier, it's pretty much an automated process that will take less than 30 minutes.  Have a go see if you like it as much as I do.   If you run ito problems there are Linux forums on the internet where other users offer solutions, e.g. try linuxquestions.org .

CRASH PROOF YOUR PC!

If you are fed up with frequent lock-ups, crashes, blue-screens and re-starts, why not try crash-proofing your PC?  Simply back-up your data (letters, photographs, dicuments etc) and then delete Windows from your hard drive.  Next choose a nice distribution of LINUX (e.g. Mandrake or SuSe) and load this onto your machine instead.

You'll be able to save and edit your digital camera photos and watch your video clips, burn and copy CD's, use the OpenOffice.org office suite, browse the web, send e-mails, even create your own website and upload it with an ftp application.  All this for minimal cost (or absolutely nothing if you download it!).

You will then have a PC that can be left switched on for weeks or even months without fear of the operating system crashing and without needing to re-boot every so often in an attempt to get Windows to behave properly.  You will be much safer from viruses - probably completely virus free.  There are very few viruses written for Linux, because it is a rather futile excercise since Linux keeps the system files safe from prying viruses due to its secure user permissions.  On the other hand there are hundreds of new viruses written every month to attack Windows - because Windows is so easy to target and destroy!

You will also have the joy of multiple desktops.  This is difficult for the average Windows user to appreciate, but it's like having several PC's available to you all at once.  One desktop could have the OpenOffice.org word processor open, another have the Mozilla Mail e-mail client open, another surfing the web with the Mozilla web browser, another viewing personal files and photographs, and another creating a web page all while listening to streaming adudio with Real Player or XMMS.  It's all so convenient and avoids all the muddle that you can get into when trying to accomplish many tasks when using Windows.

WHY NOT GIVE IT A GO?

I think it is well worth giving it a go!  Certainly Windows XP is very pretty and easy to use, but what about a bit of variety or even a challenge!

KNOPPIX is a Linux distribution deleoped by Klaus Knopper based on the Debian Linux distribution.  KNOPPIX is designed to boot off and run directly from a CD-ROM.  Just set your BIOS to boot from the CD-ROM before the hard drive.  Knoppix will then boot up and run, detecting much of your hardware automatically. It will even detect FAT32 partitions on your hard-drive (but not NTFS).  Knoppix  is loaded with applications, including CD burning software.