[Clara Lou]

I am ready to revolt, but this is my situation: I choose never to go the Macintosh route. I want to stick with a PC. (My son can put together a new PC for me in an afternoon, as well as repairs and replacing parts.) Isn't Linux for servers and networks? Isn't Linux software limited? I surf a little, email a little, use MS Office alot. Is Linux going to fit my needs, or would I have to fit my needs to what Linux can do?

[Eala]

Isn't Linux for servers and networks? Isn't Linux software limited? I surf a little, email a little, use MS Office alot. Is Linux going to fit my needs, or would I have to fit my needs to what Linux can do?

Clara Lou, I am on through my main home Linux machine ("vanilla" CD installation, i.e. untweaked, the kind most any non-technical person would do). On this machine I do all my browsing and e-mail.

I have also installed OpenOffice, though I haven't used it much. I'm told the current version is pretty compatible with MS Word, though possibly not with extremely complex documents. That could be a caveat, though I don't know the state of Wine et al these days (to allow you to run native MS Office).

Given your self-described usage pattern, I'm not sure why "software-limited" might be an issue. I've not found it software-limited -- but then, I wasn't really interested in playing my "Braveheart" game on it. *\:-)

OTOH, there was a CAD package I've been using (on Win98), and recently I downloaded the latest version. On Windows it froze -- repeatedly. So I downloaded the Linux version and used that instead. (Interestingly, the package was written for Linux and then ported to Windows -- so much for "software-limited.")

Oh. Linux has spoiled me in another way. I am so used to having 4 desktops (the default) to spread my applications around on, I get really annoyed when I get stuck on a Win machine with its limited desktop.