I know this thread is kind of old, but I'll throw my 2 cents in there anyway ...
Linux is an alternative to Windows and Apple operating systems. Just like the other operating systems, you need to learn how to use it. It's about as different Windows as Apple's OS is.
Just because it's free doesn't mean it's sub par. It's built by a huge community that believes in information freedom. (The type of freedom where each person wants to share their ideas, not the type that steals software, music, etc. just because they can.) Open source has come out with some great software, and you can find an alternative to most software for Windows on Linux. For instance, and just to name a few:
* Microsoft Office vs. OpenOffice.org
* Adobe PhotoShop vs. The Gimp
* Windows Media Player vs. VLC
* Internet Explorer vs. Firefox
* Quicken vs. GNUCash
* Outlook vs. Thunderbird
* Nero vs. K3b
These are just to name an extreme few. There are literally thousands of different programs freely available, most of which are of very high quality.
It's typically not difficult to install the software these days, either. Most of the major Linux distributions have package managers that handle everything for you. You don't need to manually download anything, and you don't need to have stacks of CDs with all your programs on them.
If you are interested in trying it, you can download an Ubuntu LiveCD from
Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu. You can boot your computer with the CD, and see what Linux looks like without touching your hard drive.
What you need to do after that is determine if Linux is right for you. Ask yourself "Will Linux do what *I* need to do?" If it will, give it a run. If it won't, stick with Windows.