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In today’s world the personal computer has become almost indispensable for day to day life. It is used for everything from writing articles and home work assignments to chatting with friends and family around the world on various social networks. But there are some aspects of computer usage that are often overlooked in our society. One is the legal aspect of respecting and paying for the intellectual property of the companies who provide the operating system and programs we use to accomplish the various tasks for which we obtained a computer in the first place. And another is the security aspect since today’s computers all to often come under attack by viruses and malware.

There is a cheaper and more virus and malware resistant option than the nearly monopolistic Microsoft® Windows® and Microsoft® Office®. Gone are the days in which Linux was just s tool or toy for “geeks”. With current distributions like Ubuntu Linux 10.04 it is possible to download and install a stable, usable operating system that comes with a GPL (General Public License) user agreement. Unlike pirated copies of Microsoft® Windows® and Microsoft® Office®, Ubuntu Linux is easily upgraded with regular security fixes. Due to the nature of the operating system it is extremely virus resistant and with the regular security updates it remains so.

Installing Ubuntu Linux is as simple as downloading the .iso file from the Internet and burning it to a CD. The instructions for doing so are available on www.ubuntu.com . The CD produced can be used as a “Live CD” which gives you the opportunity to try the system out without making any changes to your computer. By placing the CD in your computer and booting from it instead of your hard drive you can take a look at the operating system and the default programs that are included with it to ensure that it will work well with your computer hardware.

Installing other programs is as simple as using the Ubuntu Software Center. This is a feature of the Ubuntu experience that allows you to download programs, games and tools to accomplish many tasks right from the Internet – and they all come with the GPL “free” license. Open Office is included by default with Ubuntu Linux. This allows you to open Microsoft® Office® format documents and save to Microsoft® Windows® and Microsoft® Office® format as well.

Ubuntu Linux also runs faster on older computers that have problems with the more recent versions of Microsoft® Windows®. If you have an older Pentium III or newer computer sitting idle, Ubuntu Linux gives you a good way to get it back up and running better than new. And if you have a newer machine you can set it up with a legal, stable and secure operating system for little out of pocket expense.