"Linux is Not Windows"

Here's an article that people frequently point new Linux users to:

"Linux is Not Windows"

I don't know how helpful it is. I must confess that I've never read through the entire article.

But once again, I was browsing in the Ubuntu forums and someone started a thread about his experiences with Ubuntu. He mentioned that he'd been a Windows power user for 12 years and had been looking at Linux for 2 days.

One of the replies included the following:

You have two options:

1) Learn to use Linux - which is actually very easy.

2) Use Windows.

Honestly, I'd say it would seem you'll be happier with Windows, since it's the so-called 'Power Users' who tend to find themselves the most lost on the easy to use but highly flexible Linux based desktop.

I'd have to agree with all of that.

The next line of that reply mentioned the "Linux is Not Windows" article.

"Why do new users give up on Linux?" Variations of that question are always popping up on Linux forums. It's an interesting question. But I always turn it around: Why didn't I give up on Linux? Why do so many others stick with it, learn to use it, become happy with it?

I know that in my case I was highly motivated to learn to use Linux. I basically wanted to find a way to be able to always have a computer, even if I found myself in a situation where I couldn't afford Windows or a Mac. That was my motivation, to free myself from having to pay so much. Also I was challenged to see if I could learn to use Linux.

Along the way, I found out that Linux actually works out better for me than Windows.

Linux might not work out better for you, though. But what I like to tell people is what I kept in mind while I was learning to use Linux: That lots of other people are happy with it, and there must be a reason for that.