QUOTE(gman @ Apr 21 2006, 02:43 PM) [snapback]320264[/snapback]
If you have the time to spare, by all means.
Don't get me wrong, I love Linux. I wouldn't use anything else for my servers, but in my opinion it's more hassle than it's worth as a desktop.
Yes, I never recommend linux to users. Running Linux needs alot of knowledge about the system, otherwise users always run into trouble, starting with the installation, I.e. partitioning (while not losing the Windows partition, and the bootability of Windows), no sound, no gui (inproperly detected video card), no internet (how to set up pppoe), how to install additional packages, dependencies, how to compile stuff that is not in the distribution, having the flash plugin, java plugin in the browser, playing back music, videos.
And still, even with many years of experience I can still run into trouble, e.g. few weeks ago evolution (the e-mail program) just stopped working, started to crash all of a sudden. I couldn't read my mail for about two weeks until it turned out it was a library upgrade that broke it, and the new corrected package arrived.
I run Debian Testing (which is called Etch this year).
So, for a total newbie, like my mom, linux can be an option, if someone installs it, and regularly supports it/her. Otherwise it is still for geeks, who are happy with it.
Another problem is that if someone wants to migrate from Windows to Linux, his Windows knowledge worth nothing in the Linux world, it is a totally different system.