The Linux Kernel

Whenever you are buying a computer, salesman like to use the car analogy. I'm going to use it here.

OS X is like driving a BMW. It is precision engineered, fast, and if taken care of it will last you a lifetime.

Windows XP is a Ford Station Wagon. It was made to please, but it's underpowered and destined to rust out in a few years... requiring you to purchase a new one.

Linux is a tank with radar-cloaking armor and a laser guided cannon. The engine runs on nuclear waste so there is no need to refuel it. On top of all that, you get it for free if you want it.

Yet very few end-users (people who are not running servers, linux is king there), bother with linux. Instead most choose the Windows jalopy. It's easy to drive a station wagon with those annoying automatic seat-belts (a metaphor for the wizards used in setting up windows XP that never fully get the job done)... A tank requires training, sometimes years worth.

Mac OS X and Linux are cousins in a way. They both feature the same sense of security and stability (They are both based on Unix, and have developed into their own worlds). What is more important is the GPL, or General Public License for use.

All of the Linux distributions out there today are OPEN SOURCE and FREE. This means anyone can edit them (If they desire to do so) and use them without paying. It's not just the operating system, most linux software is similarly free. With every piece of software for other OS's, linux has it's own equivalent. Instead of Photoshop, theres GIMP. Instead of Microsoft Word, theres Open Office. Think of how much money you have spent on software, now picture getting all of it for free.

Open Source does have caveats. There is no tech support line, just a web forum of fellow users. Sometimes the software might be buggy or crash. There is a learning curve to Linux, because it is made by programmers, ease of use was never a concern for them. Slowly, it is becoming more end-user friendly, but until then Linux is not for the timid.

Either way, once you can pilot that tank, you will have nothing but power and glory in your computing days. I recommend linux to all my friends, many of them have adapted to the environment and embraced it. I use it all the time, it's so worth it. Wikipedia "Linux" for more information.