[Matt B]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of installing Linux as your main OS?

[Hybr!d]

A lot of software is Windows only so a disadvantage could be some stuff will not work.

Advantage wise I suppose it will be faster and less, branded.

[Carbon]

Poor device support (depending on what kind of hardware you have), necessity to master the terminal, it being simply different from the OS you're likely used to.

It's not really a desktop OS.

[thingie2]

The main advantages, are that is runs faster, as it need less system resources than windows. It's also free.

However like other people have said, it's got bad driver and program support.

[MJM]

It depends onw hat hardware you have.
Sadly there are still a lot of stupid comapnies that annoy the linux users by jsut saying, no linux drivers! Often times there will be ways around it or at least standard drivers that will work well enough for what you want to do.

Generally however, any software you know from Windows has an equivalent in Linux and if it's not good enough for you, you can use something like Wine!

[serverguy]

The fact it is free..

To be honest though it is better suited to servers.

[Hybr!d]

Originally Posted by serverguy

To be honest though it is better suited to servers.

Funny isnt it, Computer Juice runs on Linux, wouldn't have it any other way, opposite to my PC preference.

[serverguy]

Yep. Much more stable. Much more reliable. Much more efficient. I could go on.

What sort of uptimes do you get for the CJ server?

[Hybr!d]

Need apache mostly. Running on CentOS, Virtuzzo, Plesk.

Uptime is solid, except when I overload the server or we get ddos'd which can't be helped.

[Cew27]

hmm seems to be alot of misconception here.
linux is actually at the point where it is contending with mac and windows.
it is more than ready for the desktop and it actually runs more hardware than any other os.
drivers arent poor. all my systems run out of the box with the new ubuntu.
and obviously it wont run windows application, because there windows applications but it has software for everything and i found the software to be much more stable and alot faster.
also you dont need to master terminal at all, you will have to use the terminal most when something goes wrong because people online post a command that fixes the issue, this can be done via gui but it would take alot longer to instruct you through lots of menu's when a simple command and enter will do it in an instant.

the advantages?
free
fast
stable
ease of use (just because it isnt like windows does not make it hard to use, obviously you will need to learn new ways but thats no excuse to say its complicated.)
software installation is fast, easy, free
oh and did i mention free?

disadvantages
not all software coded for windows is ported to linux.
not all hardware vendors supply linux drivers (although alot do nvidia, ati, intel, asus....and alot more)