This article goes over one person's experience when moving computer beginners from Windows to Linux. This is not always a smooth transition, but this this case a computer which was barely working was salvaged and there was an easy switch from one operating system to the next.

Casual computer users almost always use Windows but the article observes that they could just as easily be using a Linux distribution, which would save money and extend the life of their computer, while avoiding many of the security hazards to which new users are most vulnerable. This is not a HOWTO so much as it is a personal experience, but it relays thoughts and observations which all people who find themselves often helping their friends and family with computers will find interesting.