The Asus Eee PC is one of the hottest, most sought after notebooks on the planet, but do you know what powers the little PC that could? Not Windows Vista, not Mac OS X Leopard, but Linux, the longtime plaything of geeks worldwide.

 

Linux, in its various forms (known as “distributions”), is an open-source operating system that you can download from the Web free of charge and burn to disc. Your freshly burned Linux disc will act as an installer, or, in the case of certain distributions, you can give it a trial run on your system by booting the OS straight from the disc. Due to Linux’s relatively small user base, finding compatible accessories can be hit or miss. But with the platform’s growing popularity, an increasing number of products now work within the various distributions--no need to tweak code as you would’ve done in years past.

 

Are you ready to make the jump to one of these fast, secure, and stable operating systems?