You can get a Linux operating system right now and ditch Windows for good

Aug 6, 2014 07:07 GMT  ·  By

It looks like Microsoft might finally be ready to take the next step and offer the upcoming Windows 9 as a free update for Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 users, but the world is not standing still in anticipation. There already is a free upgrade for Windows out there and it's called Linux.

As you would expect, most of the things that you will hear about Windows 9 are rumors and speculation, but some of the information comes from good sources and it seems just on the edge of possibility.

Microsoft is not doing as well as it once did and the rate of adoption for Windows 8.1 is far below the expectations. There are a few steps that the Redmond company can take, but two are the most important.

The main tool for Microsoft is flooding the market with faster releases. As you can see, Windows 8.1 is barely mature and the next Beta build for Windows 9 is already scheduled for the end of this year. If all goes well, Windows 9 might be here in 2015.

This might seem counterproductive, but if you take a look at Ubuntu, for example, you might notice that the constant stream of precise timed releases is one of the reasons for its success.

The other tool at Microsoft's disposal is making the new products really cheap if you upgrade or even free. This is not unheard of, and in fact, Apple is now using the same policy for Mac OS X. They have a different business strategy, but making Windows 9 free for people who already own a previous Windows version might really boost the market share.

This would be all fine and dandy if Linux were in the same state as it was a decade ago. Right now, Linux operating systems are like a freight train running at full speed. They’ve been gathering momentum in the last couple of years and they don’t seem to slow down.

Linux still has some bad PR and there is no one to speak for it. Bits and pieces of information might find their way into the Windows community, but for all intents and purposes, Linux is still a scary OS that needs a priori knowledge.

Nothing can be further from the truth right now. The matter of fact is that Linux could easily take on any users that might want something different and better than Windows and it can do it for free now.

Unlike the Windows ecosystem, which doesn't give users any choice in the matter, the Linux one is exactly the opposite. It gives people choices with multiple operating systems, multiple desktops, and much more of everything. There are very few things that Linux can't do, and it's getting there.

A few years ago users could say that they would like to run Linux, but they couldn’t have any proper games. That has changed dramatically, and in a couple of years’ time, Linux and Windows will be on equal footing when it comes to gaming.

The main appeal of the Linux platform is security. That hasn't changed on the platform and it won't change in the future. Windows was unsecure in the past, it's unsecure now, and there is no indication that that will change anytime soon.

Before getting all riled up with hopes of getting Windows 9 for free, remember that nothing is really free in the Windows universe. There are always hidden costs that might not be apparent from the start. You might get the OS for free, but you will need to pay for a decent antivirus (usually per year), you will have to pay for Microsoft Office, and you will have to pay for many other applications as well.

Linux is free now, it will always be free, and it only gets better with each year that passes. Can you say that about Windows?