linuxwindowsinmin: Advantages of Linux

Linux source code is freely distributed. Thousands of programmers have reviewed the source code to improve performance, eliminate bugs, and strengthen security. This Open Source design has created most of the advantages which are listed below.
Technical support available. Linux is supported by commercial distributors, consultants, and by a very active community of users and developers. In 1997, the Linux community was awarded InfoWorld's Product of the Year Award for Best Technical Support over all commercial software vendors.
No vendor lock-in. The availability of source code means that every user and support provider is empowered to get to the root of technical problems quickly and effectively. This contrasts sharply with proprietary operating systems, where even top-tier support providers must rely on the OS vendor for technical information and bug fixes.
Hardware Support. Most Linux systems are based on standard PC hardware, and Linux supports a very wide range of PC devices. However, it also supports a wide range of other computer types, including Alpha, Power PC, 680x0, SPARC, and Strong Arm processors, and system sizes ranging from PDAs (such as the PalmPilot) to supercomputers constructed from clusters of systems (Beowulf clusters).
Stablility. Properly configured, Linux systems will generally run until the hardware fails or the system is shut down.
Availibility of tools and applications you need. Programs ranging from the market-dominating Apache web server to the powerful GIMP graphics editor are included in most Linux distributions. Free and commercial applications meet are available to meet most application needs.
Linux interoperates with many other types of computer systems. Linux communicates using the native networking protocols of Unix, Microsoft Windows 95/NT, IBM OS/2, Netware, and Macintosh systems and can also read and write disks and partitions from these and other operating systems.
Low cost of ownership. Although the Linux learning curve is significant, the stability, design, and breadth of tools available for Linux result in very low ongoing operating costs.