Who's afraid of Linus Torvalds?

People talk to me about their computers, they know I'm a good listener if we're talking about anything with an internet connection. "I hate Vista!" they blurt. "It's soooo slow!" "It's always crashing!" I listen, I nod when I feel like I'm supposed to, and wait for them to calm down. They ask me for advice, and without thinking, I say it:

"Have you tried Linux?"

And their demeanor changes instantly. Their eyes scan for exits. They try to change the subject. They look at me like I'm trying to convert their religion, or get them to invest in a Ponzi scheme. They shoot out an excuse, and that's that.

So today, I thought I'd put together responses to reasons that people have given me why they're afraid of the L word.

"Only hacker geeks who smell like Doritos know how to use Linux."
Have a TiVo? You've got Linux. Many mobile phones run on a modified Linux kernel. Heard of the T-Mobile G1? Linux. The system is free, stable, and doesn't require a lot of system resources, so yes, people use it. Many businesses and government agencies trying to save money are being turned on to the free system. Computer companies, including Dell among others, have begun rolling out Linux systems in frustration with Vista compatibility and performance issues.

"Linux is uglier than Windows."
Oh?


"I don't know if my computer can even RUN Linux."
Well, find out. Google's there for a reason. But, chances are, you can run some variant. People run Ubuntu on Pentium II processors.

"I can't run Microsoft Office/iTunes/Photoshop."
True, but there's a great open source software equivalent for most software out there. OpenOffice.org gets better reviews than Office, is compatible with Office, and doesn't cost a dime. Look around; there's a lot of great, free software for Linux that just works.

"I just can't lose Windows."
Don't have to. most distributions of Linux let you boot off of an external drive, meaning nothing has to happen to your main system. If you're handy, you can set your computer to boot Windows and Linux. If you're unsure, you can load a live CD and try the system out without writing anything to your system.

"I don't have time to learn a new OS."
The days of command line are all but gone. You know what the file menu is called in Linux? "File Menu." You know how to open a menu? You click on it. Most Linux window managers keep the functionality as much like Windows as possible; they want it to be easy to use.

"It'll void my warranty/it's bad for the economy/it's communism."
Stop that. You're embarrassing yourself. Nobody likes it when you do that.

"Linux is so hard to set up!"
It sure used to be. Anymore, not so much. A major distribution called Ubuntu takes most of the guesswork out of it. It configures most of the drivers for you, and comes with a comprehensive suite of software. That being said, there are still quirks. Look up your system beforehand to anticipate problems. Worst case scenario, the most you'll have to do is open a terminal and paste a couple of lines of code. It's a small price to pay for actually liking to use your computer again.