Several years ago, I bought a Red Hat Linux CD at a local retail store.  I never figured it out...I couldn't get it to install, and didn't really 'get' the whole Linux thing anyway.  Recently, I gave Linux another look, after reading an article about how a bootable Live Linux CD might be useful in rescuing a Windows system that can't boot. 

Since then (just a couple weeks), I've tried both Knoppix and Ubuntu flavors of Linux.  I've booted both from Live CD versions, which is sweet for Windows users that just want to check it out without losing their Windows systems.  Essentially, Linux loads from your CD drive, and once it's loaded it acts like it would if it were the only operating system on the computer. 

Of the two, I like Ubuntu a little better, I think...for two reasons.  It comes in 3 different flavors (desktop, server, and alternative install), and if you boot from a Live CD and decide you love it, you just click a shortcut to completely switch over and ditch Windows. 

Anyway, I've decided I definitely 'like' Linux now...for several reasons. 

1. It works.  You just run the installer, and Linux figures out how to use the hardware you've got.  Printers are easy too...you add them much like you do in a Windows system (wizard style).  
2. It's intuitive.  Well, it's as intuitive for the casual user as is Windows.  You have nice, pretty UI's with meaningful buttons and labels...you can find what you want at least as well as on a Windows machine.  You can surf the Internet, check email, and type documents largely like you do in Windows. 
3. It's free...as in no money.  Even better, it lets you turn that old junk PC into a really nice server or extra computer for the kids. 
4. Related to #3.  It doesn't demand great hardware to install and run.  I have an Ubuntu file server runnning (amazingly well) with 128MB of RAM, a 6GB hard drive, and a 733Mhz processor.  
5. With Ubuntu at least, adding and removing programs is a breeze.  Much like the add/remove programs applet in Windows, you can easily see a list of programs installed on your computer.  The big difference is that Ubuntu lets you see a list of all the (free) software available for your computer.  If you want it, just check the box, and it installs. 
6. Updates don't force a reboot.  I'm only a beginner here, but Ubuntu has downloaded and installed hundreds of updates, never once complaining that it has to restart to apply the changes. 
7. Community support - It does feel strange for a Windows guy to be typing on the Linux command line (shell) all the time (sudo this, grep that, nano this, etc.).  The best part of that, though, is when you're stuck, you can Google the error you're seeing, and a half dozen forums and articles show up to guide you through.  To be fair, I'm comfortable with the Windows (DOS) command line because I've been using it for 12 or so years...I'm confident the Linux shell is just 'hard' for me because it's 'new' to me. 

I can see tremendous potential for many of my clients here.  Linux plays nice with Windows computers on Windows networks, can act as a file/print server, and a dozen other useful things.  The potential is that the price point is low, the reliability is high, and the price point is low (oops, did I already mention that?) 

As I get further into this, I want to post more about my experiences with Linux.  So far, though, what I've seen is very exciting and promises to help with a number of problems I've seen in the past.