[ Thanks to Gn@ for
this link. ]
“With my Windows PC fast approaching that depressingly regular
state of instability where only a complete reinstallation can
correct it, I was only too happy to try an alternative. But my
experiences as a first time user indicate that the truth about
Linux is more complex than the enthusiasts would have us
believe.”
“As nobody actually owns Linux, various distributions are
available and I sampled two. To see whether “free software” could
be financially as well as intellectually gratis, I obtained
Mandrake 7.0 from a magazine cover disk. The other, shrinkwrapped
and boxed, was Caldera OpenLinux 2.4. Costing around £30,
it’s still a fraction of the retail price of Windows and contains a
comprehensive – and generally commendably clear – printed manual:
something Microsoft seems to consider a luxury nowadays.”
“Linux was once notorious for the complexity of
installation. But recent versions boast streamlined setup routines
to automate the process as much as possible. While neither of
those I tried was quite as smooth as Windows, they weren’t overly
daunting, with Caldera offering an impressive range of hardware
choices.”