“This column is written for mainstream, nontechie users of
digital technology. These folks aren’t necessarily novices, and
they aren’t afraid of computers. They also aren’t stupid. They
simply want their digital products to operate as promised, with as
little maintenance and hassle as possible.“So, I have steered away from recommending Linux, the free
computer operating system that is the darling of many techies and
IT managers, and a challenger to Microsoft’s dominant Windows and
Apple’s resurgent Macintosh operating system, OS X. Linux, which
runs on the same hardware as Windows, has always required much more
technical expertise and a yen for tinkering than average users
possess…”