So what exactly am I getting by installing Linux onto my computer? Will it be like learning to use a computer again or is it all pretty straight forward? What do I stand to gain by choosing to install Linux?
What do you gain by choosing to install Linux? Let me count the benefits.
First and foremost, you gain an immediate speed advantage. Linux is an open source platform. So the developers have no vested interest in making a bloated operating system just so that they can get more money from you.
In fact, there are some Linux developers who make it a hobby to see how small a Linux distro they can make. The smallest that I have heard of is just under 50Mb. So what has this small size got to do with speed? One, a smaller operating system means that it can work with less ram. Even if you have a lot of ram, when the operating system uses less ram, it simply means that you have more ram for running other programs. Actually, some Linux distros load up totally into ram. Puppy Linux does this.
The next benefit is something you will enjoy in the long-term. Linux is hardly affected by virus. I suppose that it is possible to write a virus to infiltrate a Linux system. Not that it's going to be easy. Linux has many levels of security which makes hacking it just so much more work. I think the real reason why there are just about no Linux-specific viruses is simply that there's nothing to brag about when you hack into a Linux system. It's an open source system. So no virus makes for a much more pleasant working atmosphere. Right?
There are a lot more other benefits of using Linux but I think just these two alone should be enough incentive to get you started. I am not an expert on Linux but I play with it. So ask any questions you want and I will see if I know the answer.
Over to you.