PCLinuxOS

These days you can't throw a rock without hitting a distro for Linux. For those unfamiliar, a distro (or distribution) is a unique version of an operating system. iOS and Windows are tightly controlled and closed source operating systems, which means that all users get access to the same experience. The open ended nature of Linux, on the other hand, was designed to encourage experimentation. Anyone with an understanding of the command line and coding can alter the OS to their heart's content. As a result, aspiring developers throughout the world are trying their hands at creating their own distributions. While it might not have the reputation of Ubuntu -- far and away the most well regarded and widely used distro around -- PCLinuxOS is a solid contender with a lot of high-quality features. PCLinuxOS promotes itself on its ability to do everything you could with the base components of the two main operating systems in the industry, and for the most part it delivers on that promise. Linux distros are notorious for their lack of quality apps out of the box, but PCLinuxOS bucks the trend in that regard. Media interactivity is one of the key components of the PCLinuxOS package, as users will get everything they need to listen to music, watch movies, and even perform editing work. Spotify, VLC, and Kdenlive (a video editing program) are all standard. LibreOffice fills the need for writing and reading documents, while Chrome and Thunderbird cover web browsing and email access. The developer's choice in installed apps was thoughtful, drawing from some of the most well recognized and highly regarded free apps and covering all the bases for the sorts of functions most home PC users would want. And unlike many of the more popular operating systems, bloatware is entirely absent. If you're tired of having to clean out factory installed software on your computer the day you get it out of the box but don't want to have to go through the process of tracking down and downloading the software you need in your daily life, it's a great perk. But the app selection is more or less the icing on the cake. Linux users come to Linux because of the high level of personal control it provides them over the operating system, and PCLinuxOS does a great job of walking the line between the restrictions of iOS and Windows and the high barrier of entry that comes from working in the Linux command line. The control center displays itself in a clean and nicely designed interface, but hidden beneath the inviting surface is a whole range of control options for curious first timers and power users alike. There are a number of additional quality of life aspects to the OS. PCLinuxOS is available in 85 languages, and it's highly secure, reducing the risk of infestation from malware, trojans, or other viruses.