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Linux is a _GREAT_ operating system, vastly superior to Windows. And, on top of that, it can be had for free, all of which helps explain its remarkable acceptance by Network Administrators as a server OS. But, John Q. Public would be wise to carefully research HW/SW compatiblity before FDISK-ing their hard disk.
Even with the cool way Linux distros will now automatically partition your hard drive to retain your existing Windows OS, unexpected HW compatibilities can still occasionally prematurely abort the install. This is not a major problem for geeks. But, unfortunately, most of John Q. Public still has no idea what a Bourne Shell is or how to use it.
My compromise was to go with a MAC. Since Apple purchased NeXT, MAC OS [like Linux] has been Unix based anyway. And, even better, Apple's paranoid control over hardware increases the chances that you will be able to find compatible HW/SW.
Have you tried any of the WINE based programs for running windows apps on Linux/Unix/MAC OS X? I tried it when I first got my MAC and was dissapointed. WINE targets only a few of the most popular windows apps. Rather than try and go both ways, I kept my Compaq laptop and run Windows on it for apps I need which are not supported on my MAC.
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