chococataclyzm wrote:So uh ... I know I'm an idiot for asking this, but 3 questions:
1) What's the benefit converting from Windows to Linux?
2) Is it possible to convert from Windows to Linux using only software?
3) If so, is it a big time change?
1) There are many reaons why I choose Linux over Windows, the top among them is security and flexability. I love the freedom it gives me to develop, and things just make sense. If they don't, I can change them, and then make my changes available to people who agree with me.
The Register did an
interesting study on security, which I feel people should read.
Also, for a wider look at Linux, and the idea's behind it, have a look at
wikipeida.
2) I'm assuming you're asking "Do I need to buy new hardware to run Linux?". The answer to that, is yes and no. Yes if you want Linux on it's own hardrive, no if you're okay with sharing hdd space.
3) Switching to Linux will always be a big change, however some distro's ease the pain, Ubuntu being the best of the bunch, imo.
If any one wants to test out Linux, I suggest getting the Ubuntu CD from
here, boot from it, and watch it fire up. It won't wipe your system or anything like that, it runs totally off the CD unless you tell it to install.