Easy Ways to Get Going with Linux are on the Rise

Many of us who run Linux are intimately familiar with loading and configuring our favorite distros, and doing so on all kinds of computers. There is also a certain subset of the Linux community that is inclined to put Linux on older hardware, and some distros cater to this proactively.

However, there are more and more options for getting Linux preloaded on computers, and more options for affordably running Linux on state-of-the-art hardware. Here is a look at some of the options gaining in popularity.

Low Cost Chromebooks and Linux. Chromebooks--systems that run Chrome OS from Google--are gaining popularity with many kinds of users. With prices under $300 in many cases, although market research news has been very dreary for PCs and PC equipment makers, Chromebooks have actually had healthy sales this year. Not only is Chrome OS based on Linux, but we've had many OStatic readers write in saying that they've bought inexpensive Chromebooks simply to run their favorite Linux distros on cutting-edge hardware. (In this post, I looked at some of the most recent under $300 Chromebooks.)

Running Linux on Windows 8 Systems.  For quite a while after Windows 8 arrived, it was no walk in the park to run Linux on computers loaded with the operating system. That has changed, though, and there are many guides online to putting Linux on up-to-date hardware running Windows 8. 

Getting Linux on a Preloaded, Supported System.  Over the years, Dell and HP have been vocal about wanting to deliver Linux-based computers, but both hardware makers have faltered in consistently offering such systems. However, Dell now has a strong partnership with Canonical to offer not only desktops and laptops running Linux, but Linux servers. Dell offers Linux systems in several parts of the world. And, Lenovo offers fully supported servers that run Linux.

All of this, is, of course, healthy for the Linux ecosystem. There will always be users who want a path to using Linux that doesn't involve complex configuration and installation, and there are now more options for them than ever before.