For the past few months I have been conducting a "science experiment". The question? Can Linux be a practical alternative to Windows? Practical means 1) is it easy to install? 2) Is it reliable? 3) Can I keep it up to date easily? 4) Can I figure out how to use it? And 5) Is software available for it that will allow me to do the things I do with a computer?
So far the answer to all those questions is 1:yes, 2:yes, 3:yes, 4:yes, and 5:mostly. If it wasn't for software I need for work, and Flight Sim, 5 would be yes as well. And there are so many versions of Linux out there to choose from it's amazing. The screenshot here is my desktop, currently running Linux Mint 17.3. This is my favorite so far. Installation is simple. Download the iso image, burn it to a disk, stick it in your computer, and boot it. Answer a couple simple questions and that's it. Windows is pretty easy to install. This is easier. And after it's done installing you have Libre Office, Firefox, VLC media player, Gimp, music management programs, and more. All free, and not Microsoft.
So now I have a flight sim box running Win7, with GWX Control Panel (shields up), a Windows 10 laptop, and this one, running Linux Mint. With this being a flight sim web site, I realize that this may not be an option for everyone, but it's relevant to this thread. For me, the time is fast approaching when I won't need a Windows box anymore...