Quote:
Originally Posted by BWinmill
Cost. Linux distributions typically offer free updates, which is important if you want security patches (clearly that does not apply to XP in the VM) and to support new hardware. If the newer application software that you are running is open source, you also have the ability to update that software.
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Cost is relative if you consider time. I ran ArchLinux (and Ubuntu) for a couple years, and I spent substantially more time on tinkering, tweaking, and fixing than I ever had with a Windows machine.
For a while, that was fun, especially with a rolling release distro like Arch, but it really wasn't efficient, particularly if you wanted current software versions. (The latter applied to Ubuntu also, at least if you didn't only use mainstream programs.) There was also a lot of time spent on learning and re-learning things, which also took time.
Open source software exists for Windows and OS X, too, so the benefits of it are not limited to Linux. As far as hardware compatibility goes, it's very hard to beat Windows. Nearly everything you buy works out of the box, whereas with Linux you have to be very mindful of what you purchase, especially when it comes to more exotic devices (but also wireless chips). I recall spending a LOT of time trying to get a modern (that also means: updated) Linux distro work with a 10 year old laptop that has a propriety wireless chip, whereas Windows had no problems with it at all. That is not Linux's fault, but the manufacturers's, but it's still an issue.
Windows 7 is fairly non-bloated, and many of the modern Linux distros have similar hardware requirements. I'm all for people experiencing different operating systems, though, and I certainly learned a lot from using different flavors of Linux (and it's the obvious choice for a server, too). Choice is a good thing.
I'm actually entertaining the idea to get a Mac, because I never had one. Wanted one in 1993, when the Atari era came to a close and I had to make the jump for professional reasons, but I couldn't afford it, so had to take the Wintel route. Since a lot of the software I use is either open source or has an OS X version also, I'm relatively independent, OS-wise.