Well, I did it. I've dumped Windows in favor for Linux. I feel so clean, I don't have that dirty feeling on me anymore. Knowing that I use an OS that isn't about making someone rich, that stands for freedom and just down right good computing, makes me feel so... geeky.
I first got started fooling around with Linux back in 1997. I heard about 'unix' and I wanted to learn it. Then I learned 'unix' costs money, stupid money, but Linux was free. So I went to Software Etc. and picked up a Linux book. It was a version of Slackware, can't remember what version, but the window manager had a star for the 'start' button (I know there isn't a start in Linux, but I'm just giving people a reference.).
After flying through the pages of the monster of a book, waiting in Sears for my grandmother to look at clothes, my brain over loaded with excitement for a new operating system, I couldn't wait. I didn't back up. I didn't have a single clue what I was doing. All I knew was I wanted Linux on my computer, bad! So I popped the disc in and read the book as my fingers punched keys on the keyboard, the key clicks echoing through my room and reverberating in my head.
Skip ahead a couple hours, I couldn't get it to boot, my computer was hosed and I was pissed.
For the next few years I would dabble in Linux again, this time with the cool sounding 'Red Hat Linux' I tried version 5, 6, 7 and just as recently as 8 and 9. All of them worked but never completely. I almost gave up on Linux and the open source concept until...
Mandrake.
I love Mandrake, everything just works. I can do everything I was doing with Windows, the only difference is now I'm safe on all my computers, I don't have to worry about there being a new patch from Micro$oft every other day.
The beauty simplicity of OS X on my laptop and the power of Linux on my desktop. I love being a geek.
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