For companies with access to strong programming resources, adding the Linux OS as a complement to (not a replacement for) Windows can provide access to specialized applications. Linux is especially popular among those who maintain Web servers, but which Linux version is the best for your situation?
For those taking a closer look at Linux, an essential first decision is picking the "distribution." Unlike Windows, which has only a few versions in production, all from the same vendor, Linux offers many different ones, called distributions (or "distros," in Linux-speak). These are available from a long list of companies and individuals, priced from nothing to hundreds of dollars. Even restricting yourself to those that run on Intel x86 hardware leaves literally dozens of options.
