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Time to Switch?

If you use a computer, it's a pretty safe bet that you will have heard of Microsoft Windows. The best way to explain the job that Windows does for your computer is to imagine it as a kind of brain. It's the 'intelligence' that knows how to print a document or display a mouse pointer or connect to the Internet. If we were to refer to this 'brain' by its proper name, we'd call it an operating system.

What you might not know is that there are other operating systems out there for your computer, many of which work better than Windows, some of which are even free!

Let me introduce you to my favourite operating system. It's called Ubuntu, and it's my favourite for many reasons. If you stick with me, I'd love to explain why.

Ubuntu is free. First of all Ubuntu and the applications (programs) that run on it are free. Yep, you read that correctly, Ubuntu doesn't cost a penny. I know that generally, the first thing to pop into your mind when you hear free is 'cheap' or 'rubbish', but I'd like to dispel those thoughts right now. Ubuntu is quality software. It's used by schools, governments, universities, airlines and businesses to name but a few examples. Ubuntu just happens to be distributed under a licence which is unfamiliar to most people outside of the IT profession.

Without getting into the nitty gritty and legalese, I think it suffices to say that Ubuntu is free, but if you're a company who wants to purchase support (and it's important to note that you are in no way obligated to), you can purchase it from the people who make Ubuntu - Canonical. If you want support without paying for it, you can turn to the vast Ubuntu community (of which I'm a member) for help. More about that later.

Ubuntu is safe. Unlike Windows, Ubuntu stands up very well to online security threats. Because of the way it is built, it is exceptionally resilient against viruses. This is important for two reasons. One - you don't have to buy expensive antivirus software, and two - you're safer when browsing the Internet. When you surf the web with Ubuntu, you don't have to worry so much about people stealing your identity. You don't have to worry about accidentally downloading a malicious file which destroys your data. All in all, after you have installed Ubuntu you'll enjoy the Internet more, and worry less.

Ubuntu is stable. When you try Ubuntu, you'll soon discover that crashes are a thing of the past. This is because Ubuntu is based on a very stable system called Linux. Linux is trusted to run highly critical applications such as government servers and global banking networks. Because Linux and Ubuntu are developed by thousands of paid programmers and volunteers worldwide all working towards the same goal, bugs are found and fixed quickly and without fuss.

Ubuntu is environmentally friendly. Instead of upgrading your computer to run the next version of Windows, install Ubuntu. Ubuntu runs on older PCs that you may otherwise throw away. Re-using them and extending their lives helps save them from landfill sites thus securing the environment for the future of our children.

Ubuntu is friendly. Not only is Ubuntu easy to install and use, but when needed, there is a large and active community out there to help you if you have any problems. There are a variety of support channels to take advantage of including email, chat and web support, and I'll say it again, all for free!

So if you're interested in seeing what Ubuntu can do for you, you can download it from www.ubuntu.com,or if you don't have a broadband connection you can request free CDs from http://shipit.ubuntu.com. If you enjoyed this article and would like to read more about Ubuntu please feel free to request this of the magazine editors, or email me directly so I can point you in the right direction.

If you would like to contact me, my email address is insert@youremailaddress.here

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