I got my first machine in 1997 (Special thanks to my dad). With it i got windows and all i was told that this is the start menu and u have programs menu in it where u can find all the software but that wasn’t enough for me….there was a strange thrust that kept me pushing to explore new,which many a times let do deleting systems files by me ( because i thought if it doesn’t work by double clicking then why to waste space by keeping them 
).Windows for new for me and the software development of windows was at its peck then, so many new things were fed to me to calm my hunger of doing something new every day.But slowly it started becoming boring, new surprises by the Operating System started to fade off.
In 2006 i first heard of Linux and i decided to experiment something new.The first Linux installed was FC5 but just after the installation the Grub Boot loader crashed and i couldn’t even see the looks of it, and then there was a subsequent second attempt which lasted another 2 days as the grub boot loader again crashed after 2 days and that was the end of my experimenting for the time being.
Then gradually Linux started building its fame and the development of both the OS and its software started blossoming. Linux become more stable, more mature and more accepted( due to its improved compatibility on various hardware). Then after leaving the past grudges behind i gave Linux another chance and this time it was openSUSE 10.0 and voila this time no major crashes, all hardware drivers supplied by the Distro and many new features that diverted me from windows to Linux and since then there has been no looking back to windows.
Linux being Free and Highly customizable always kept me attracted.Changing the looks, installing new softwares,finding windows equivalent software for Linux, Brings me a new challenge every day and lets me explore something new every day. As time is passing Linux is improving in a over all sense. New softwares, new bug-fixes, new hardware recognition all these things are making Linux more and more popular. Using Linux for such a long time i can proudly say that there is almost every windows equivalent software in Linux(Flash editor “f4l”, DreamWeaver equivalent “nvu”, “wine” to execute .exe files and this follows an endless list of softwares). From my personal experience i advice every one who wants something new from there OS, who wants to customize there OS as per there needs, who have a will to experiment…try Linux. Give it one shot and u will love it!
