A traditional line of thought from those refraining to migrate to Linux is that it has a steep learning curve. "It takes time to learn how to install it; it takes time to learn how to use it", they say trying to convince you that Linux is this kind of cryptic and unreachable entity.

My way of seeing this issue is simple: everything new is apparently complex or, phrased differently, everything different is apparently complex. Linux is different if you have spent most of your life on Windows. This is the same as saying that driving a Porsche is different than driving a Chevy. This difference does not mean that driving a Porsche will take you a lot of time to learn. It can even look complex at first - those cool, different gouges on the dashboard and all - but you'll sure get the hang of it in no time.

Underneath this initial argument though, there is a huge misconception. Most of the time Linux is simpler than Windows and not the other way around. Problems get solved at their root and not by weird contraptions as their Windows counterparts.

Take as an example my Internet surfing routine. Differently than most people, my Internet traffic is mostly encrypted. I do it on Windows and on Linux but the complexity level and efficiency rate are worlds apart. On Windows I have to log in to an HTTPS router which will authenticate me against an Active Directory. During the log in process a previously installed host checker application is started on my computer which authenticates itself against the router. A small screen is presented to me allowing me to choose an option to start a second application. This time it is a virtual network device simulator which will finally route my traffic to the web - if I'm lucky.

On my Linux box the process is as simple as connecting my encrypted SSH host and binding some dynamic ports which get then routed from my browser. With some extra ingenuity, I can even selectively decide what to encrypt and what not to, speeding up my surfing while still maintaining security for those addresses I really need. All of this transparently, natively and without any useless paraphernalia.

To achieve selective routing on my Windows setup, an expensive content manager system has to be acquired and installed somewhere. Not necessarily a simple task.

PS: It is important to mention that the same setup achieved on Linux could be reproduced on Windows but with an interesting twist: using Linux software ported to Windows.