@thisand: "Don't Let 'Microsoft Trained Brain Syndrome' Happen to You
<url>
"The problem is that people who have lived, worked, and played in a
homogeneous Microsoft computing paradigm are lost and confused when they
encounter a different paradigm," explained the original ERACC blog. "These
people have only seen the flawed Microsoft ideology for how computing
systems should work and so have a difficult time with more elegant systems
based on Unix.
"They see the Linux system with its own paradigm and ideology and try to
force it into the only paradigm they know, which is Microsoft's," the blog
adds. "This will always cause the user problems."
50 Million Viruses
Indeed, problems are the primary result of using Windows, I
believeproblems with (un)reliability, (in)security, (high) prices, vendor
lock-in and rampant malware. Just yesterday, in fact, IT security lab
AV-Test registered the 50 millionth new entry into its malware repository,
according to a report on The H. What a milestone!"
    @Userpor: "Hi Bob,
<quote>
Is the Linux system the one that supports all the "freeware"?
I don't own a 'puter, but someday~~~- - -?
Computer Expert NOT
(harmless flake)"
    @thisand: "<quote>
before that question can be answered, you need to know the concept behind
GNU/Linux, the GPL, & Software Freedom.
here's a link to a website maintained by Richard Stallman & the Free
Software Foundation.
<url>
this is what Free Software is:
?Free software? is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the
concept, you should think of ?free? as in ?free speech?, not as in ?free
beer?.
Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute,
study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to four
kinds of freedom, for the users of the software:
*The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
*The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs
(freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
*The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom
2).
*The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the
public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the
source code is a precondition for this.
the "freedom" is derived from the software license that accompanies it. in
the case of GNU/Linux, the GPL software license is used. 
here's the link to the site that explains the details about the GPL License.
<url>
"Preamble
The GNU General Public License is a free, copyleft license for software and
other kinds of works.
The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed to
take away your freedom to share and change the works. By contrast, the GNU
General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and
change all versions of a programto make sure it remains free software for
all its users. We, the Free Software Foundation, use the GNU General Public
License for most of our software; it applies also to any other work
released this way by its authors. You can apply it to your programs, too.
When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. Our
General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom
to distribute copies of free software (and charge for them if you wish),
that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can
change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs, and that you
know you can do these things.
To protect your rights, we need to prevent others from denying you these
rights or asking you to surrender the rights. Therefore, you have certain
responsibilities if you distribute copies of the software, or if you modify
it: responsibilities to respect the freedom of others.
For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether gratis or
for a fee, you must pass on to the recipients the same freedoms that you
received. You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source
code. And you must show them these terms so they know their rights.
Developers that use the GNU GPL protect your rights with two steps: (1)
assert copyright on the software, and (2) offer you this License giving you
legal permission to copy, distribute and/or modify it.
For the developers' and authors' protection, the GPL clearly explains that
there is no warranty for this free software. For both users' and authors'
sake, the GPL requires that modified versions be marked as changed, so that
their problems will not be attributed erroneously to authors of previous
versions.
Some devices are designed to deny users access to install or run modified
versions of the software inside them, although the manufacturer can do so.
This is fundamentally incompatible with the aim of protecting users'
freedom to change the software. The systematic pattern of such abuse occurs
in the area of products for individuals to use, which is precisely where it
is most unacceptable. Therefore, we have designed this version of the GPL
to prohibit the practice for those products. If such problems arise
substantially in other domains, we stand ready to extend this provision to
those domains in future versions of the GPL, as needed to protect the
freedom of users.
Finally, every program is threatened constantly by software patents. States
should not allow patents to restrict development and use of software on
general-purpose computers, but in those that do, we wish to avoid the
special danger that patents applied to a free program could make it
effectively proprietary. To prevent this, the GPL assures that patents
cannot be used to render the program non-free."
once you read & fully understand these concepts & then compare them to the
concepts behind propriatory software (like Microsoft Windows & Software),
which is full of restrictions that affect the user. 
another thing that is not mentioned very often is that when you buy a new PC
with Microsoft Windows installed, you only own the Hardware. you do not own
the Windows operating system. you only are granted the permmission to use
it by the Windows License that was supplied by the PC's manufacturer."
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