SOMEBODY asked me why I was still using Windows.

'To play games, silly,' I replied. 'All the best computer games run on Windows, everyone knows that.'

But how about the spyware, the worms and ever-growing list of security vulnerabilities that plague Microsoft software?

And why make Bill Gates a richer man than he already is?

Obviously this friend was getting me to use a Macintosh or the Linux open-source operating system (that is, any non-Microsoft software) but I would not budge.

Like it or not, I am too used to Windows to bother with anything else.

I hardly write about open-source operating systems like Linux because when I did so one year ago, it was obviously not ready for a mainstream audience.

Cumbersome, highly technical and incompatible with so many computer peripherals, Linux then was painful for even a supposedly tech-savvy guy like me.

Things move pretty fast in the IT world though.

I decided to give the latest SuSE Linux operating system from Novell a try and was pleasantly surprised.

A NICE WINDOWS CLONE

SuSE Linux Professional 9.2 is targeted at 'technical enthusiasts and Linux users' and not mainstream users.

Yet if you look at its features, it is clear that it really wants to become as consumer-friendly as Windows XP, though it still has some way to go.

The first hint of that is the installation program.

Known as YaST (Yet another Setup Tool - open-source programmers like to use such funny acronyms), it is really easy to use now compared to previously.

You can set up your computer to have both Windows and Linux co-exist and I recommend that if you want to continue playing your games or if other family members need to use Windows.

Every component of my computer was recognised correctly and in half an hour, Linux was up and running.

As usual, I found myself looking at good imitations of the Windows desktop, known as GNOME or the KDE desktop.

In KDE, most of the programs begin with the letter K.

For example, the Internet dial-up is called KInternet and the floppy disk is controlled by the KFloppy.

Kool, but all the different programs and utilities are not intuitively organised.

Now what made me sit up is that this version of Linux finally recognises my USB flash drive.

You would not believe how irritating it is not to be able to use a portable drive on a PC.

DO-IT-ALL SOFTWARE

SuSE Linux 9.2 also has better support for WiFi (wireless connectivity), Bluetooth and even an automatic firewall implemented to keep out intruders coming in through your modem.

For daily work, the bundled OpenOffice suite (also available as a free download from www.openoffice.org for Windows users) is a decent alternative to Microsoft Office.

Yes, you can open and edit Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel files in OpenOffice, but do note that the file conversions are not always perfect (especially for complex documents).

Multimedia enthusiasts may like the GIMP photo-editing software, as well as other programs for CD-burning, downloading images from digicams, scanning or even watching television programs.

For just $168, this software package is quite complete for most Soho users.

It is also generally free from viruses... so far.

So why not jump into Linux now?

When I tried to use my wireless Netgear adaptor, I could not find a Linux driver for it, even online.

Most times you can do a Google search and you will probably find that someone has posted software drivers to solve your particular problem.

But what happens when there isn't one?

Also, there is still a need to learn cryptic text commands to get certain things done.

Thankfully the SuSE Linux manual gives a pretty good primer to text computing in Linux, but
this alone will scare
the average Joe.

Still, it is clear that Linux is maturing fast and becoming a more viable consumer alternative to Windows with each passing year.

Also, for business users, local company Resolvo Systems has come up with an excellent solution to ease the transition from Windows to Linux.

Its MoveOver software will pack up all your documents, settings and even Outlook e-mail and contacts into a nice bundle and migrate them to Linux environments (from Sun Microsystems and Novell) effortlessly.

As for me, until game and peripheral manufacturers get into the act and provide robust Linux support - and that is not far away - Windows is still my poison of choice.

For more information, log on to www.novell.com and www.resolvo.com