This year, my company switched to all Ubuntu linux desktops. I found that it saves my company a ton of money in the long run. I was wondering if anyone else has done this or is thinking about it.

FYI on why I did it.

Microsoft Licensing in astronomical and the hardware upgrades that they require is ridiculous.

Most software that runs on Linux is free as well, so you save on software.

I don't have to go around to everyones computer everyday and see what spyware is on their machine because they downloaded the weather bug.

No viruses to worry about at this point.

I

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We would like to move to linux but I am concerned about compatibility issues and the amount of training that will have to be done to get people comfortable with it.

How many people do you have for the switch? Training is definitely a concern, but the learning curve is very small.

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Here are a few reasons to make the switch:

Linux.

In the early days of Linux you really needed to be tech savy to get into the OS…but that has changed, and now Linux is the best solution for the complete computer novice…why? I’m glad you asked….


1. Security - Linux will keep your family safe from malware, spyware, and viruses…simply because it isn’t Windows. You know your Grandma is going to open those forwards…in fact she probably spends an hour or so a day just doing that…and her computer is riddled with trojans, malware, and spyware. Her computer is probably a zombie helping to send out spam all over the world and she doesn’t even know it. Linux will save her time and frustration because of it’s security.

2. No Blue Screen of Death - Linux is highly resistant to system crashes and rarely needs rebooting. When your Grandmother’s system crashes, she probably thinks that the computer has been destroyed…at the very least, she’s inconvienced by having to restart the system. Linux will keep that from happening.

3. Price - Linux is the most cost efficient OS in the world. Why? Because it’s free…and not only is it free, it also (typically) comes with applications that would cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars if you were purchasing their Windows counterparts. Almost every Linux distribution you can name comes with Open Office, which is all the wordprocessing, spreadsheets, and presentation software a home user is ever going to need….and again…FREE.

4. Ease of Use - That’s right…Linux is extremely easy to use….if you know Windows, you’ll be able to work easily in Linux…and with additional software like the CNR warehouse from the people behind Linspire, Grandma can install any program she wants to try without knowing thing one about installing software.

5. Runs Fast on Old Machines - Linux doesn’t hog system resources the way that new operating systems like Vista do. In fact, most older computers don’t have a chance of running Vista because they just don’t have enough power. Linux, however, can run very speedily (is that a word?) on older systems.



6. Linux plays well with others - Linux includes software to make it easy to network with Windows, Macs, and other Linux based computers.

7. Support is Everywhere - If you’re having a problem with Linux…help is as close as the nearest message board. While some “l33t” users may be hard to stomach, most Linux users are will and able to help newbies get in and fix any problems they run into. You’ll get help from Linux users a heck of a lot faster than you will from phone-based tech support.

There are more reasons to switch…in fact, if you looked online you could probably find hundreds of reasons to move over to Linux…but seriously, if you’re not sold by the 7 above, then you’re not going to be sold at all.

Thanks for the article it almost makes me want to switch