Linux - Is it worth it?

I've been thinking about getting a new harddrive and installing linux on it lately. I've never used it before but I know that its very attractive if you wanna do program which by this fall I will be taking a course on.

Now if I get it, I'd get the standard linux distribution and a 80/120gb hdd. so it'd be very cheap.

But is it worth it?

I like lunux. The penguin is my hero.

Yes, and I'd just get one of the free distributions online. Ubuntu is very good...

Ubuntu? cool thanks man.

umm, one question about it tho. Since technically I'm still a linux noob does that one have a web browser, word processor, all that junk?

There are freeware programs that can do all of that.

ohhh ok cool, yea I just looked up on google. looks good.

and one last question...how do I install it? do I write the downloaded file to a disc and then boot from that?

Yessir.

Hell theres one version of it that boots off the CD without even instaling it.

sweet, thanks a lot guys

i tried linux but it would take a while (a very long while like 17 hours) with dial up. [:p]

You also have to have some knoweledge as to what you are doing -- failure to read up and know what you are doing will lead to hours of mind-blowing frustration ...

The one you can actually run off a cd is called konppix. Link below

http://www.knoppix.org/

I have not tried to install Linux before but out of all the views i hear, Ubuntu is good for starters. Google are also got a Linux distro in the making so make sure you watch out for that one too. It's based in Ubuntu and called Goobuntu [approve]