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The question I get asked the most on a regular basis is why in the heck I choose to run Linux over something a bit more mainstream such as OS X. My reasoning for this is based on a track record of watching Microsoft make one mistake with their users after another.

Way back when, I was a happy user of the Windows operating system. Because at the time Apple's OS X was something like a four letter word that was never to be spoken in mixed company, I felt that for the price and option of building my own PCs, Windows was the match for me.

Computer repair -- it'll open your eyes

During the same time period described above, I was also a self-employed computer repair guy. I managed networks for SoHo's, in addition to catering to house calls for the wealthy and those with less in the way of spendable funds. I chose the latter clientele because I wanted to make sure everyone had access to proper support services. Those in lesser income brackets were encouraged to apply for a sliding scale on my rates, which otherwise would have been out of their reach.

At any rate, I used to watch with amazement when I would see non-business clients kept coming back time and time again with the same issues. I would take the time to educate them, show them how to avoid issues. But as anyone working IT will attest to, no one outside of the geek circles is paying attention to how they use their computer.

Blaster Worm -- a wakeup call

When the Blaster Worm hit everyone here in my home state, I was shocked and appalled at how many IT pros failed to patch their systems/networks ahead of time. Pure laziness as far as I am concerned, but it also opened my eyes to just how vulnerable our Windows PCs were. Despite the patch being released well ahead of time, many people ended up needing to use a removal tool to fix the problem. This troubled me greatly.

Roughly in the same time line, I had been using Knoppix Linux to help with rescuing data off client PCs. I was always amazed at how cool it was that I could run this operating system from a LiveCd without being forced to install over the existing data on the hard drive. Shortly after this, I found myself drawn to one of the most promising distros at that time, called Simply Mepis. Unlike Linspire during the same period, I found Mepis to be a bit more cutting edge, hence was drawn to it as something I wanted to run on my notebook while still keeping my feet in the Windows world on my desktop.

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