If you are fairly tech savvy you've heard of Linux, or a Linux distro. For this article I'm going to pull from Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu Linux is based off of Debian Linux and is one of the most popular Linux distros today. All cut right to the chase, Linux is good, considering. When I say considering, I mean based on a few things, open source, software quality, problems, and development. With all of these things into consideration, I'll go over each one of them one by one.
Open source.
It's a brilliant idea if you ask me, but if you ask me as well, it will never replace proprietary software. Companies simply cannot make *near* as much money off of software that is free. The Open source theory makes a bit of an issue with Linux as well. With Ubuntu, the theory is that *all* software should be free. This causes an issue because by default Ubuntu comes with no programs that will use proprietary file formats, .mp3, .wma, these types of files will not work unless you scour the net for a free Linux program to play them. Although personally of this is balanced out by the fact that the OS is free.
Software quality.
I may be sticking my foot in my mouth with this article. Software quality is an issue that Linux distros have had for a while. Because it is open source and anyone can make software for it, you are never promised the softwares quality (although you aren't in the proprietary world either, but more than linux programs). I once used a Linux based program (adept maybe incorrectly on my part) to try to partition a hard drive, it somehow made an "overlapping" partition. This was a simple fix by running recovery consoles chkdsk /r /p, but the damage was already done. Both windows and Linux refused to boot, after chkdsk I got windows back but evidently Linux was dead so I had to reinstall (thank God it was a fresh installation to begin with).
Problems.
Most of the issues and problems in Linux are driver related. Once you get it working with drivers, Ubuntu usually works flawlessly, but getting it to that point is a whole other story. I've had display drivers crash X (the graphic user interface), and generally things like that. On account that I may have screwed up the installation, but I followed the help forums instructions perfectly. It was rather simple to fix X, but I still never got the drivers working.
Development.
I have to admit that everything I mentioned above is all the *bad* things about Ubuntu and Linux distros in general, because on the flip side most Linux distros are very well built systems that work very well. The biggest thing to consider with Linux based systems is exactly how far the system has gone so fast. Linux is still a young and developing system, and despite this is still impresses me on how well it works. Linux distros for the most part must have some really good programmers, that's all I can say. I will say that despite how fast the system has developed, I have had to resort to that terminal (command prompt) one to many times, and until that is almost completely un-needed, I don't think it will take the market for the PC. But hey, we can be hopeful.
Linux user hate-mail in 3, 2, *ding*

I’m going to compare the 3 major free email clients (Yahoo, Gmail, and Hotmail) here depending on a few factors: Speed, Services, User Interface, Spam protection, Storage, Attachments.
Speed.
Speed I’m basing with both page loading and reaction speed. I’m currently using a 512 kp/s internet connection and with FasterFox timer, I’ve found that Gmail is the fastest loading, and most reactive. Yahoo is close on Gmail heels. Hotmail is Rather slow loading with the full version, the classic is considerable faster, but I’m trying to test the clients with their newest and best software.
Verdict: Gmail
Services.
Here is the other benefits that signing up with these Clients gives you. Hotmails Live ID gives you a lot of access to other things from Microsoft, things like new Beta products, sidebar gadgets, news, a customizable home page, a messanger ID, Live toolbar, and some other things. Yahoo gives you a customizable home page called My Yahoo, messanger program, Yahoo toolbar access, and that’s about all. Gmail gives you a messanger, document publishing, POP3 forwarding for using with email programs like Outlook and thunderbird, News feeds, Web publishing, Google Toolbar, Maps, photos haring, and Google Pack. I’m having a hard time giving a verdict on this one. But I think that Hotmail slightly outweighs the other two.
Verdict: Hotmail
User Interface:
Okay, the interface of all three. Hotmails full version is purposefully made to strongly resemble the new “Windows Mail” and Outlook to make it easier for user to find options. Although the speed of the interface is too slow. Yahoo’s old interface is getting way outdated and the new Yahoo Mail is a significant improvement. It is faster than Hotmails and has a new tabbed interface making it easy to view several emails at once. I do have one issue though, it’s difficult to select large amounts of mail to delete or move, and many buttons are hidden under various sub menus. Gmail is gonna have to catch up here. The interface is kinda jumbled looking. But I do have to give Gmail this, when we check our email, that’s what we want, out inbox. Many email Clients give us a home page full of news most of us just don’t care about. Gmail takes us straight to our mail.
Verdict: Yahoo
Spam Protection:
I don’t know what happened to Hotmail here. It’s spam guard catches usually most of the things I want and lets a lot of spam into my mail box. Yahoo has a usually very well built spam guard that catches most of the spam sent to my inbox, but what I don’t like is there is no simple block list. Gmail, what spam. Gmail has also never caught a real email.
Verdict: Gmail
Storage.
Yahoo has finally delivered on it’s unlimited storage promise, so it is in advance the winner. Hotmail has a set amount currently at 5 gigs. Gmail as I’m writing this is currently at 4.4 gigs but it’s such a nice feeling to actually watch it go up.
Verdict: Yahoo
Attachments.
The Current Attachments are somewhere between 10-5 megabytes. Yahoo currently allows most file types up to 10 megabytes. Hotmail, I can’t find out how to use attachments 0.o. Gmail has recently increased the size of it’s attachments to 20 megabytes. Although Gmail is more limited in the file types you can attach to an email. I’m having an issue deciding here. I’m going to go with the biggest file size.
Verdict: Gmail.
Total Winner: Gmail takes the cake.
Before you say anything, I've used all three for quite sometime.

Hello, welcome to my blog. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Link Stifle, I'm a 24 year old computer hardware tech. I'm extremely experienced with Windows running PC's, any system from 95 to Vista. Here is where I'll try to help people as much as I can, and if I can't, I'll point you to someone who can. Please don't ask for help in the comments, ask for help by sending me an email to link48010@yahoo.com with a detailed description of the problem, any other info relevant info (error messages, etc.) I'll post a blog entry with your question, the answer and anything else that you may need. For follow up, use comments not emails please. If your email doesn't go through for whatever reason, you can also use my hotmail link9454@hotmail.com but chances are I won't answer it near as fast. Glad to see you here (should I be O_o, if you here that means you have a problem).