I go to a lot of computer forums not just this one. there are always certain people talking about how good linux is.
1. linux can't run most games.
2. it can't run most programs but someone said it's getting better.
3. constantly have to update to new operating systems because there are no updates.
hardware conflicts.
4. so why do people like it so much? I heard servers, but what can Linux server do better than Windows Server 2008 or whatever the newest is?
5. there is like 20 different Linux operating systems so how do you know which is good? no updates so then you have to keep changing?
thanks
Moved from CPUs and Overclocking to Operating Systems
Moderator PM
I added numbers to your questions to better answer them here.
1. Its not a gaming OS. There are games for it, and ports of many games, but by and large, its not a gaming OS. Steam for Linux is out, and its getting more attention though. Linux Gaming has been growing a a microbe's pace for years, so I wouldn't hold your breath on this front.
2. Linux can run just as many programs as Windows, and probably more than OSX. It may not run MS Office, without Wine, but there are programs that match or exceed the functionality in all windows apps. Because you don't see them on the shelves at Walmart and Best Buy doesn't mean they don't exist. LibreOffice vs MS Office, Apache vs IIS, for example.
3. Not sure exactly what you mean here, Linux packages are updated very frequently, without having to upgrade the entire OS. I do agree that the 6 month release cycles are too short, but those are usually for the desktop distros. CentOS, the biggest server specific distro, does not release new versions every 6 months, however, its libraries and packages get updated just as frequently as Microsoft's offerings.
4. People like it because it doesn't force you into one method or obstruct you. If you hate the Metro Start Screen in W8, too bad. If you don't like Gnome 3 in Fedora, install whatever you wish. Or start from the get go with a distro that uses Cinnamon, LXDE, Unity, whatever. Linux respects the enthusiast and power user. Linux servers can do everything that Windows servers can faster, often with a lower system resource foot print. The tricky part, is that good Linux admins command a high salary because it takes more than 3 weeks at a crash course to learn the OS.
5. There's probably closer to 200 distros out there.

I find that Distrowatch is a good indicator of which are more popular than others, but that's not a metric of which is better. CentOS doesn't feature very high on their HPD ranking, but thats what you see primarily in enterprise environments. Fedora, Mint, and Ubuntu are the most popular desktop versions, all with very large communities and user bases. Personally, I prefer Mint. Its Ubuntu based, so it uses their sources, has the same wide hardware support and community, but doesn't have the god awful Unity UI. To each their own, though.