GlueGum wrote:
If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask
at an XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for
newbies (like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP
home) and was wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it
compare to XP?

i use linux sometimes. two out of three of the systems on my KVM use a free
unix of some sort (linux or freebsd) and the third uses XP. how do they
compare? that totally depends on your goals. if you use (or aspire to use)
unix tools in the workplace, linux makes a cheap and compatible home system.

beyond that, there are plusses and minuses. a CD set from mandrake will
have more bundled apps (totally free, and not demoware) than an XP install
.... but if you try to move beyond that starting set you won't have as many
options as XP.

.... it goes on and on, plusses and minuses, but disk space (or even a
secondary system) is cheap, so give it a try if you want. fwiw, here is the
story of somebody choosing a $40 computer (plus extras) to try linux on.
the main site, LinuxBeginners might be a good place for you to surf anyway:

http://www.linuxbeginner.org/modules...rticle&sid=372