Linux has been a large news topic lately in the IT world. Linux is an opensource (free) operating system (like Windows/MacOS) that runs on just about any modern hardware. It is commonly found in routers and other "appliances". The Tivo is another Linux based device that many people have. Beside these embedded applications, Linux makes a great, very stable and reasonably fast desktop operating system. The problem is that unless you have some sort of Unix background, it can be hard to get started. A number of companies have tried to make Linux easier to use and install but work still needs to be done. As an alternative to windows, Ubuntu, SUSE or Linspire are among the easiest to install. The problem is that most people aren't ready to just give up Windows, so would prefer a dual boot setup. This is doable by just about any Linux distribution but you may need to know what you are doing. For playing around you can use a Linux boot cd (sometimes called a live-cd) such as knoppix but since cd/dvd drives are slow compared to hard drives, you will need some patience and a lot of memory. The last approach is a relatively new (at least to me) Linux flavor called Topologilinux which comes with a installer which is run from windows. It doesn't require you to reformat/repartition your hard drive like the others do, instead installing to an image file on your windows hard drive. Topologilinux can then be booted either from a bootloader (most dangerous, I wouldn't install it), from the bootable install cd or run in a colinux emulator. The colinux approach will be slow but it allows you to try Linux without even shutting down Windows. While I haven't had a chance to test it out yet, one of my friends is going to try it today, and it looks good from the website and some preliminary investigation on my part. If your curious about Linux, go download it, burn it to a dvd or a couple cds and give it a try.
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