Today ninety-five percent of home computing is under Microsoft Windows based software. This staggering figure gives the impression that Windows is the only stable operating system on the market. The truth is that Windows is not the fastest or the most stable operating system. What other options do users have? The alternative to the costly world of Windows software is called Linux. Linus Torvalds created the Linux operating system in the early 1990's hoping it would bring about a revolution within the software industry. To date things have not changed rapidly, but they are beginning to inch forward. Many believe Linux is the answer to our home computing needs; performing well in all of the factors that choosing an operating system includes: cost, reliability, and, of course, the availability of applications within that software.
             One factor when comparing operating systems is the cost itself and the cost of the programs that run within it. Windows software is on average very expensive. Programs that run within Windows often cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars, while Linux software is free for the most part. To understand this you must first understand that all programs run on source code, or sets of instructions used to navigate and utilize computer resources. Windows chooses to keep their source code private, while Linux offers source code free to the public. This means that for the most part Linux software is free. A lot of the same people writing programs for Windows based software write Linux based software as well. As the world becomes more dependant upon computers in our daily lives the cost of the software we use will become much more prevalent.
             The second, and probably most important factor is the reliability of the software your computer runs on. Windows is quite a large operating system, and often allocates computer resources at an alarming rate. Windows tends to slow down not only the memory,...