@David
Sorry, crossposted again!

Makes no difference though, not really, GNU/Linux is gaining ground faster than it ever has, and one of the reasons for that is people are getting wise to whats really going on.  The more it happens, the more people are aware of it and the more people ditch Apple and Microsoft because of it.  It's not perfect, but seriously, I mention the Raspberry Pi because it's the easiest way to get into GNU/Linux for those that have never used it, or have used it years ago and couldn't understand it.

One of the biggest problems people used to have with GNU/Linux is the installation of software, they thought it was overcomplicated.  But with a Raspberry Pi, you get a computer and a ready installed Debian OS, and installing new software on it is as easy as searching the software section, selecting what you want from the result, and clicking install.  It's not a power computer, it's not meant to be, but the point is, it's a self-contained computer - completely seperate from your main computer.

For peanuts, you get a peice of hardware and a ready installed OS that is dead easy to use and is not commercial.  The bonus is that having a seperate device to hand, you soon get the hang of using it, so then installing the OS on your main system later on, is no problem.  A further benefit is that you have a safer system for browsing the web, and being totally fanless, it's silence means it can double-up as a cool little media player that'll run 1080p, no sweat.

My Pi is never switched off, it must have been running for at least two months now without a break since I last rebooted it.  The silence means that I use it to watch movies when I'm in bed and don't have to bother about falling asleep and being woken again by the sound of a noisy fan.

It's a great little device in more ways than one, and everyone should have one.