Getting more performance out of existing hardware is a dream of every desktop user. In more ways than one, Linux makes this possible. The desktops and notebooks have now started preferring “LINUX” over Microsoft Windows. Nowadays there has been a continuous shift towards Linux. Also being open source software, it is gaining popularity. In fact, after the flop of Windows Vista, if tech-savvy people and newbies could only recognize the merits of Mandriva Linux (2008 spring), and install it on their machines, I think the demise of Windows (with all its versions) is sure and certain. You get all of what you need and can download many more packages-all absolutely free, and while abiding to the terms and conditions of the GPL license.