Whether the install is faster or not is immaterial if the final product doesn't work (in either case). I won't go into detail here, but I tried to install Slackware 8.0, Red Hat 7.0 and 7.2, freeBSD and Mandrake on two different computers before finally getting Red Hat 7.3 to install. I enlisted the help of two different long-time linux users, two full books on linux, and several web sites. I poured hours upon hours into the problem. The most humerous part is when the Red Hat boot floppy kept telling me that my computer didn't have any hard drives, and the Red Hat disk one in my CD-Rom wasn't a Red Hat disk! Once Red Hat 7.3 instaled, it was like pulling teeth to get X-windows to work. Even though my Video Card and Monitor were both in the list and selected, they didn't work. Had to try combinations of other monitors and cards before finding something to work.
On the other hand, I've installed every version on Windows on various computers. I agree, have something else to do while it installs. I also agree that win 98 is buggy, ME is useless, and while I love XP, it's a resource hog and full of security holes. But you know what, they all WORK! I have never had a failed install of any Windows OS in probably 40+ installs. And I can use my computer without HOURS of configuration.
My point is that the speed of install is only part of the equasion. If you want a solid secure system, get a Linux CD and set aside a week. If you need to use the computer before then, Windows is probably the better choice.
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Whether the install is faster or not is immaterial if the final product doesn't work (in either case). I won't go into detail here, but I tried to install Slackware 8.0, Red Hat 7.0 and 7.2, freeBSD and Mandrake on two different computers before finally getting Red Hat 7.3 to install. I enlisted the help of two different long-time linux users, two full books on linux, and several web sites. I poured hours upon hours into the problem. The most humerous part is when the Red Hat boot floppy kept telling me that my computer didn't have any hard drives, and the Red Hat disk one in my CD-Rom wasn't a Red Hat disk! Once Red Hat 7.3 instaled, it was like pulling teeth to get X-windows to work. Even though my Video Card and Monitor were both in the list and selected, they didn't work. Had to try combinations of other monitors and cards before finding something to work. On the other hand, I've installed every version on Windows on various computers. I agree, have something else to do while it installs. I also agree that win 98 is buggy, ME is useless, and while I love XP, it's a resource hog and full of security holes. But you know what, they all WORK! I have never had a failed install of any Windows OS in probably 40+ installs. And I can use my computer without HOURS of configuration. My point is that the speed of install is only part of the equasion. If you want a solid secure system, get a Linux CD and set aside a week. If you need to use the computer before then, Windows is probably the better choice.