One remarkable feature of Linux is certainly its price - the system, as such, is free, and can be copied and distributed without restrictions. Conveniently prepared versions, can be purchased for very little money.

The biggest advantage of Linux, however, is the free availability of its source code. Existing systems often cause exasperated developers to say "We will just have to live with that." Linux enables them to say "We can change that." When a bug becomes known, a patch is often available within days. The last years have shown how important this really is. It is entirely due to this unlimited access to the source code that such a large number of interested, competent and expert users all over the world contribute actively to developing Linux, bringing it to the level at which it stands today. This freedom also means that users are not tied to one supplier when it comes to service and support. On the contrary - they can pick the most attractive company on the market.

I suggest before you read any of the reviews or visit any of the distributions home pages you look at the two main desktops and read abou the X windows system. These are all common core coponents of Linux distributions.

The Gnome and KDE desktop's
X windows

Although all the distributions are supposedly in competion with each other there are advantages of this. The availibilty of their open source code to each other and their collective groups of programmers is always pushing development in the users favour. This is why LINUX went from a comand line OS that fitted onto on disk to the simple to use GUI desktops that are available today at such a fast rate.