[quote name=\'Zack The Man\' post=\'426532\' date=\'Apr 13 2008, 09:47 PM\']I tested out suse, and I'm loving it, except for the minor set backs w/ linux. I.E. Beryl +Compiz/Fusion isn't all that it's made out to be. Sure it's fun to sit back and watch your monitor go up in flames (who doesn't love a movie night), but the programs are very limited. I was feeling less in control of my computer, and taking up more time looking for apps that I'd be interested in for linux. There's WINE, and other API based programs that can help you run window apps, but it's not the same (very limited #, and there is some unevitable lag). But by all means, go test it out. It's great to use and a great OS to get away from Windows, temporarily.[/quote]
I think the best time to try out Linux would be when you're about to upgrade your version of Windows or buy a new PC. There's going to be a learning curve, not all of your old programs would work with the new version of Windows, you've got to reinstall all your stuff, etc. It won't be much more painful to go ahead and switch to Linux (or any other Alternative OS) at that point.
There are some things you can do now to make the transition easier. Try to run software on your Windows PC that will also run on Linux. For a browser try Mozilla Firefox. For word documents, spreadsheets, etc. try OpenOffice.org. For your Instant Messaging needs, try Pidgin (formerly Gaim). There's even Windows versions of TheGimp (think PhotoShop clone) and Mplayer. If you're used to using those programs, then a transition to Linux will be even easier.