Hello I am a Linux newbie myself. It took me maybe a week to get to know Linux and I believe it is better then Windows if you are a software developer at least. Here is an example of why Linux is better then windows in one sense. Installing certain softwares. Lets say I wanted to install something like MSN Messenger. Windows method: Open up web browser > navigate through web pages to find the MSN Messenger installer > download the package > install the package. Ubuntu Linux method: Open up terminal > enter "Sudo apt-get install MSNMessenger" (don;t know if that is exact but you get the point)>Enter administrative password > wait for it to download and install. You can also use the sofware center or package manager. Linux also offers support for more drivers. Windows 7 did not support my audio card, Ubuntu 9.10 did. Also, you can press "CTRL + ALT + F1-F7" to get different command line interfaces instead of the graphical one. To keep this from turning into a "Which OS is best" war, I would say just read a few guides and play around in Linux.