As a lifetime Windows user I never really had much experience with Linux but have always been curious. The other day I downloaded and installed the latest version of Ubuntu Linux and I have to say I’m impressed. It installed with very little trouble, didn’t destroy my copy of XP which was already installed, and most features seem to work. I’m a network admin running a 2003 domain and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I can access network shares, printers, and could even setup the included email client with my Exchange server, all with little to no effort. I can browse the internet, get updates to the operating system, and download/install any apps that might be useful. It even comes with an RDP/VNC client which works great with Windows servers and desktops.
So this is just my way of spreading the word now that I see the value of it. Being free there is nothing to lose in trying it aside from a little time. Give it a try, you may be pleasantly surprised like I was.