25 reasons to convert to Linux

I'm, like most of you, using Windows XP as my primary operating system. I always pondered if I should make a complete change to Linux, make a dual boot system or stay with Windows. Every decision would have advantages but also disadvantages.

The site Bellevuelinux lists 25 reasons to convert to Linux and they are doing a good job at that. What they are saying is basically that its free and more secure, and that it may benefit the average user. I agree with most of their reasons but some do not make lots of sense to me.

For example, 12) the number of distributions is not a positive factor, at least not for someone who wants to change and does not know about them. It's hard to make a selection if you have dozens of distributions to select from and no or little information about differences between them.

Update: The original site is no longer available. Here is a site that is offering a copy of the top list.

• Because it is licensed under a free software license
• Because it is free software
• High quality support for Linux is available for free on the Internet
• There is little possibility that support for Linux will be discontinued at some future date due to planned obsolescence or for any other reason
• There is little or no fear of major obsolescence, planned or otherwise, with Linux
• There are no forced upgrades for Linux users
• Should a user decide to upgrade to a newer version of Linux, there are no licensing fees or other software costs if the user selects a free distribution
• Linux has no onerous requirements for keeping track of licenses
• Linux features superior security, including a very low rate of infection by viruses, trojans, worms, spyware and other malware
• Linux is highly resistant to system crashes and rarely needs rebooting
• Linux is highly resistant to system crashes and rarely needs rebooting
• Although the number and variety of application programs for Linux are not yet as large as those available for the Microsoft Windows operating systems, an extensive selection already exists and it is continuing to increase rapidly as more and more developers start creating programs for Linux
• There is a choice of numerous distributions (several hundred) of Linux, each with its own unique set of characteristics but all basically compatible with each other
• Linux features a high degree of flexibility of configuration, and a great deal of customization can be accomplished very easily and without having to modify the source code.
• Linux and other free software uses open format file formats
• Linux is generally faster for a given set of hardware specifications.
• Linux features a high degree of compatibility with other operating systems.
• Very high ethical standards are maintained for Linux and other free software, in large part due to the very openness of their development process and the free availability of the source code.
• Linux reduces the need to upgrade or replace hardware when upgrading to newer versions
• Linux is capable of operating on a wide variety of platforms (i.e., processor and system types), rather than just being limited to Intel-compatible processors and computers.
• Linux is a superior choice for use in academic institutions for a number of reasons
• For governmental agencies, Linux and other free software allows for transparency of data because it stores the data in formats consistent with industry-wide standards.
• With Linux and other free software there is little reason to fear the existence of backdoors, in large part because all of the source code is available for inspection
• Using and advocating Linux helps foster a healthy diversity and increased competition throughout the software industry.
• Linux and other free software have not only caught up with, or some cases surpassed, their proprietary counterparts, but they are also developing at a faster pace
• Linux and other free software provide the opportunity for users to contribute to the advance of software technology because the source code is freely available to study, improve, extend and redistribute.
• There are actually more than 25 reasons that organizations around the world are converting to Linux and other free software.

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