Most people I know who have migrated to  Linux love the terminal. I had to recently work with a Windows Vista system. I m not going to debate the Linux – Window war. This particular experience I had with Vista was very unpleasant. The system was high end and it took quite a while to start, open windows and move around. I was not happy and wasted a lot of time. It drove me crazy. I then realized that I was so used to Linux and the terminal so my irritation was lost on everyone else. A very simple example was loading a chat program or opening a document — well vista took its time.

With Linux there are a few straight advantages with the terminal. First if you don’t know the command but only know the first few words of the whole command you could type in “sk… ” and then press the TAB key and you would have all your suggestions. The TAB can also be used to help you navigate through the linux file structure — if you wanted to know what the directories under /usr/bin – just hit the tab. The same tab principle can be applied for opening up an individual file with an application (like Vim)

Another thing that Linux now makes very very easy is updating packages for your linux version. If you know what you want to install just pop open your terminal and type in “apt-get install” and you are well on your way. If you are working with a rpm package manager like Yast or Synaptic use the search function find the package and then update. This beats going to a site and downloading an exe file.

Above are just a few examples of how the terminal makes life easy. Linux also has A LOT more choice. Desktops like KDE, GNOME — are heavier but feature packed and then if you want something light you have ICE. In terms of Applications like players, editors, mail user agents etc you have a variety to choose from. You can run mplayer from the terminal or Amarok from the desktop — the choice is yours.

Linux has brought back ease and choice to computing .. yes there is the argument that you need to install it, understand the filesystem and hardware compatibility etc, etc ,. That is such a small price to pay for a system that is dependable and quick. Linux has finally brought back  Power to the User