Hardware detection

I love how fast the hardware detection is.  In Windows when you plug in some new piece of hardware you have to wait for that “ba-doop” sound (and the driver to load).  It can take an especially annoying length of time when booting up with new hardware attached (especially a mouse).  In Linux hardware detection is nearly instantaneous.

I just plugged in a new mouse and it was recognized and working properly before I could even put my hand on it.  Also, no annoying sound.

Desktop customization

I love how I can customize everything.  If I don’t like the boot screen graphic I can change it.  If I don’t like my login screen, desktop, window decoration, or even what happens when I move the mouse over a window, I can change it in almost any way imaginable.  I can make it look and operate like Windows or a Mac or I could make it completely unique; *my* desktop.

Not only can anything and everything be customized but most of these changes don’t even require administrative privileges.  Linux puts a lot of power in the hands of users without sacrificing security.

Available software

I love how I have easy access to tens of thousands of applications for free.  Most poeple don’t know this but there’s far, far more software for Linux than there is for any other platform.  If you combined all the available software for Windows and Macs it wouldn’t even come close to what’s available for Linux.  Best of all, you don’t have to pay a cent.  Just about all of it is completely free.

Solutions are just a Google away

I have a saying, “To find a solution with Linux you merely search the Internet. To find a solution with Windows you have to search your IT budget.”  If I want to do something new with my Linux desktop all I have to do is perform a quick search and I’ll likely find a swath of easy-to-follow HOWTO articles.  In Windows when you search the Internet for solutions, nine times out of ten the only way to do what you want is to pay for some proprietary software package.

If the (Windows) product you just purchased doesn’t do everything you want you’ll likely have to purchase more software to fill the gap.  In Linux, because of the nature of open source software, adding new functionality is usually just a matter of mashing up your existing free software with some new free software.

Linux distributions are the perfect example of “mashing up” disparate free software packages to create a system that has comprehensive functionality.  Best of all, there’s hundreds of them to choose from for all sorts of generalized or specialized purposes.  You can try a few and pick the one that best meets your needs and desires.