So here it is, just two months left in 2006, and you’re still running Windows on your computer. There must be something wrong with you, right? Well, not really. Maybe you’re a little savvier than Average Joe, and you don’t pick up viruses and spyware by the truckload. Maybe you’re a gamer, and you know that if you switch over to a new operating system, most of your favorite wastes of time aren’t coming with you. Maybe, though, just maybe you are still riding the fence, wondering what else is out there, but you just haven’t had the time, the patience, or the nerve to see what life is like for the other five percent of the world.

If you don’t have the money for a new computer (i.e. a Mac), but you still want to depart from Windows for a while, then your best bet is Linux. Of course, the million-dollar question is obvious: is it worth the switch? Part of the reason that this question is so difficult to answer is because there isn’t just one thing that people call Linux. The term Linux refers to the kernel, which is the central code that makes an OS work. All operating sys-tems have a kernel, but the end user will usually never see it. With Linux, however, an end user can download a version of the kernel for free from several different places online, customize it, and compile it themselves.

The majority of us aren’t quite that savvy -- so does Linux have anything to offer us? For quite a few years, Linux had a reputation as being very technical and esoteric, best left to Computer Science majors and enthusiasts. This reputation is still following it around, though lately it has been less deserved. Don’t get me wrong; if it’s your thing, you can still find versions of Linux (like Gentoo or Slackware) that run primarily from the command line (that’s DOS for the Windows folks) and offer very little in the way of user friendliness. Nonethe-less, there’s an increasing amount of more “fun” distributions of Linux that are aimed at people just making the switch.

Probably the most famous of these are Debian and Ubuntu. Debian is a very popular version of Linux originally created by a Purdue grad named Ian Murdock, and named for himself and his wife, Deb (hence, Deb-Ian). Ubuntu is an African word meaning “humanity;” Ubuntu and its sister project, Kubuntu, are subtitled “Linux for Human Beings.” Both versions run primarily in graphical mode, and Ubuntu in particular makes it so users hardly ever have to see the command line. Both Debian and Ubuntu use special package managers that help users get Linux programs without running into all sorts of dreadful dependency problems. In other words, if you download one program and you need another to make it work, you’ll know this up front instead of finding out later when it crashes and burns. You’ll also very rarely have to compile any source code using either of these.

Ubuntu and Debian are also marketed toward a younger audience. Ubuntu and Kubuntu use catchy, alliterated names for their latest versions; for instance, they just upgraded from “Dapper Drake” to “Edgy Eft.” Debian versions are all named for characters in the movie Toy Story, like “Woody” or “Sarge.” They even name their unstable versions “Sid,” after the kid next door who breaks toys. Perhaps the biggest allure for college students is the fact that both Debian and Ubuntu almost totally embrace free software, and both come loaded with it. Both come standard with a free e-mail client, Web browser (Firefox), and office suite.

Is it worth it to switch over? It’s still not an easy question to answer, and there’s far more information than can be covered here. It’s definitely not as difficult as it once was, and most modern distributions offer a LiveCD, allowing you to run Linux without installing it or overwriting Windows. My advice? Try it out if you’re really curious. Linux isn’t ready to become the world’s only operating system, but it’s not one to be written off, either. Besides, you haven’t really lived if you’ve only used Windows!

For more information on Linux or these distributions, check out www.linux.org, www.ubuntu.com and www.debian.org. On Debian and Ubuntu’s sites you can download the files or order a CD.