Obtaining Linux

Since I use dial-up intead of a high-speed internet connection, I've never tried do download a Linux distribution. I don't know how long it would take to do it, and I don't think I want to know.

Instead, I order Linux CDs, except for the two times I've purchased computers that came with Linux.

Both of my Linux computers came from Wal-Mart. Go ahead, laugh. It was a cheap way to get them; both of them have turned out to be okay, though.

The first one, a small Balance notebook, came with Linspire, and the second one was a Microtel PC that came with Xandros.

I won't comment on either of those distros right now, except to say that I don't use either of them anymore. I still use both machines, though, and the Microtel is my primary computer.

Getting a computer that comes preinstalled with Linux isn't a bad way to go because, from what I've seen, those computers turn out to be more Linux-friendly than computers that were made for Windows. If you don't like the distro that came with the computer, you can install a different one once you feel comfortable doing so, and it'll probably work out just fine. Has for me.

I like to order Ubuntu and Kubuntu CDs. Ubuntu sends out installation CDs free of charge, postage paid.

I also order other Linux CDs from a couple of distributors. I do this about once a year. I pay about $5 for a single CD, including the postage. I've also gotten a 5-CD Debian set for about $10 bucks.

Distributors might charge more or less, but in any case, you can get a Linux installation CD without breaking the bank. It's nothing like the hundreds of dollars you'd pay to get Windows, but the Linux CDs come with more useful software, and to me they seem to be more valuable. And if you purchase Windows, you're legally restricted to installing the system from any one CD to only one computer (and maybe one laptop), but you're free to use one Linux CD to install that system on as many machines as you'd like.