My Favorite User

One topic of discussion that seems to surface every once in a while is, How many people out there use linux? To be honest, answering that question is next to impossible. It cannot be tracked by how may times the operating system was downloaded because one person can download the same OS multiple times. Not to mention that person could have downloaded it one time and then installed it on several different people's computers. It also cannot be tracked by how many people contacted the maker of the OS and asked for a free Live CD. The end user can again install the OS onto multiple people's computers using the same Live CD. However I can tell you how many people use linux.....

A LOT!

It's easily over a million users world wide, and if it's not...it should be!

I have to tell you though, there really is one user that stands out above them all. My Wife. That's right, my wife is also a user, and even though she would never tell you....she enjoys linux. She is not my favorite user simply because she's an amazingly wonderful woman, but also because she's genuinely a fan of linux at this point. She uses it everyday at home and even on her laptop.

I remember that I mentioned to her that I wanted to get her a netbook with a built-in webcam so that she could use that to call me at home on my webcam. I was planning on getting a netbook for her with Windows XP installed on it (the program that we use with the webcam is for Windows or Mac only) and then I could answer the call in my Virtual Machine running Windows 7 beta. Here's a small part of the conversation we had:

Me: So we'll get you that netbook.
Me: Then we'll run the Z-PC100 in that.
Wife: Can you install Ubuntu on it?
Me: Really? You...want...Ubuntu on it?
Wife: Well, yea.
Wife: I've gotten so used to it that I don't want Windows on it.

How awesome is that! She actually asked for linux to be installed on her future netbook. I have to tell you, that makes me very happy. My wife is amazing.