I have used Ubuntu Linux enough to know that it is a very good alternative to closed-source operating systems (Windows and Mac). Pretty much any software you use on either Windows or Mac is available on Linux. Here's a quick list:
- Microsoft Office --> OpenOffice.org
- Windows Media Player --> VideoLan Player
- PhotoShop --> The GNU Image Manipulation Program (aka "The GIMP")
- Microsoft Outlook -->Mozilla Thunderbird
- Internet Explorer --> Mozilla Firefox or Konqueror
Those are just a few of the many alternatives available. To see more, go to http://www.osalt.com/ or http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Linux_software_equivalent_to_Windows_software
Here's what I think are the pros and cons of Linux software:
Pros
- Free!
- Very large developer community (lots of people working to make the software better)
- Many different versions (distributions) to choose from
Cons
- Can be a steep learning curve for some applications
- Wireless networking features may not be available in some versions*
- JAWS or other screen readers MAY NOT be available (I've haven't checked into this)
*Ubuntu linux, in particular, DOES support wireless networking (802.11a, b, or g). But some versions may not have this available. This is due to the protocol that was developed for wireless networking was closed source, so Linux developers have had to basically recreate the wireless protocol. That being said, I don't think this is as much of a problem now as it was a couple of years ago.
Of all the Linux distros, I'd say Ubuntu Linux or SUSE Linux are the most stable and modern distros. Red Hat is good, too, but I don't think it's free (you must pay for support). In fact, I run Unbuntu Linux on my Mac desktop inside a Parallels VM.
If you need more help, feel free to email me at troy AT clearvisionvisionpartners DOT com.
I hope this helps!