Something New & Used
(Paul Watkins 05/11/09)

    Have you ever tried something new that was used? ("Huh?") You heard me right. Have you ever tried something new that was already used? What I mean is this. Have you ever tried something brand new to you, that's already been used by millions of other people? Well I have something new and used for you to try.
    It's called "Linux" or in this particular case, "Knoppix" (a type of Linux; click here for more of "what" Linux is). I'm sure Linux is new to most of you, even though it's been used by millions of other people around the world for nearly 20 years now. Knoppix is a copy of Linux that you can download off the Internet, burn to a CD, then boot your computer up with. You can play with it, test it, and experiment as much as you want; all without touching anything on your hard drive where Windows runs from. You can surf the net, use the OpenOffice suite, play a music CD, and lots more. When you're done experimenting, just reboot, remove the CD, and you're back to your untouched Windows.
    To get more info about Knoppix, go to www.knoppix.net. To download the Knoppix***.iso file for burning to a CD, follow the links from the knoppix.net site or go here and pick one of the ftp or http links from a site closer to you. (I used the Univ. of Wisc. site.) If you don't know how to burn an iso file to a CD once you've downloaded it, check the Documentation > FAQ links on the knoppix.net site. They've got some good instructions there. If you'd rather just purchase a Knoppix CD for around $5.00, they have a link for that too.
    This is a great way to get a feel for an Operating System that is more stable than Windows, doesn't have problems with viruses, and is totally FREE along with thousands of free programs designed to run in Linux. It's a great way to enjoy something new and used.

Note: With all that said, I would be remiss if I did not offer this reminder/disclaimer. Anytime you experiment with your computer; for that matter, anytime you work with your computer, if you do not back up your data, you run some risk of losing some or all if something would happen. (e.g. You can accidently format your hard drive in Windows if you're not watching what you're doing, and lose everything.)

(NIV) I Cor. 2:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
...
:20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

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