Linux By The Book.

When I first started out using Linux, one of the first things I did was visit my local book store.  I immediately went to the computer section to seek out any and all books that dealt with Linux. I picked up one called "Peter van der Linden's Guide to Linux."  The book was a terrific find!  And it was recommended to me by the author himself!  Peter was a member of the Linspire community and made a habit of visiting the Linspire forums and answering questions about Linux.  The book was well written, easy to follow,  and geared toward the first-time Linux user.   All my obvious questions about Linux operations and "moves" were quickly answered.  I also was given a book called "The No-Nonsense Guide" by a Linspire community member. He shipped it to me for free.  (See? I told you these Linux forum folks were friendly!)

Anyhow, the point is, sometimes you need to have information in one place right in front of you.  And, at times, the best location is in a well-written Linux book.  (I'm willing to bet you own a Windows book or two.  You used the book as a guide when you first sat down in front of a Windows system).

The neat thing is, many of these Linux books have a Linux distribution on disk right in the book!  So, not only do you get a great beginner's guide to Linux, you get Linux, as well!   Just pop it in your computer, reboot, and the live CD runs Linux. You can then learn Linux by the book and on your computer.

Linspire was sold to Xandros Linux.  But I wouldn't let that concern you too much.  The information in both books is still very helpful. And the great thing is, these books are much more affordable then when they first came out (only a couple of bucks on amazon!).   You'll be getting the Linspire Linux disk with either book.  So, you'll still be learning Linux.   You can learn the OS, visit the Freespire forums (the free version of Linspire) with your additional questions, and when you feel comfortable, move to a newer Linux distribution.  Maybe even Xandros.

Get a bargain book and then get Linux.