One of the reasons cited by users when they are told about switching to Linux is the fact that they don't have the same kind of apps as Windows does, but is that really enough?

There was a time when installing a Linux operating system was quite difficult and maintaining it was quite hard. Installing apps that required strange dependencies was a nightmare, and a distribution that crashes was difficult to repair. All of these issues are now in the past and running a Linux system is just as easy as anything else.

The complexity of maintaining a Linux system cannot be put forth as a reason for not moving to Linux, so we've now moved to other ones, like the fact that you don't have the same apps. That would be true, but only for a small number of applications, for very specific purposes and that are usually very specialized.

Missing apps are no longer a valid reason

A very interesting question was asked on Slashdot: "What Windows-Only Apps Would You Most Like To See On Linux?" This is a corollary to what I am asking now. Citing the lack of apps for not moving to Linux should no longer be an issue although it's quite likely that someone will bring up Photoshop, which seems to be a favorite.

Yes, that is true. Photoshop and all the other products from Adobe are not available on Linux systems. I can tell you of a few others that you won't find, but these are not run-of-the-mill applications. They are used by a very small number of professionals who really need them. I'm also not going to say that GIMP is an alternative. It's a good application, but it doesn't come close just yet.

All the other regular users, who just want a PC they can use to browse the Internet, open some documents and other minor tasks, can do just fine with Linux, with an added bonus. Linux is free and, with very few exceptions, everything else that you might choose to install is free as well.

Linux is a better solution than Windows in many ways

Ok, now that we've established that there is no Photoshop on Linux, what are some of its strong suits? Well, for one, it's incredibly safe. There are virtually no viruses to speak of, any vulnerability found is usually patched within hours, long before you get to read about it in the press, and no one is collection data about you.

When it comes to regular apps, Linux is pretty much on par with Windows. No matter what you were doing in Windows, you'll be able to do it on Linux, as well. For example, if you want to set up a DLNA server, you have several alternatives, if you want some text editors, you'll find that LibreOffice 5.x will be much more than you'll ever need, and so on.

Linux is now also about gaming

The Linux platform was really behind in terms of gaming, but that has changed dramatically in the past few years. We now have more than 1500 games on Steam, and countless other on other platforms like GOG.com or Humble Bundle. The number of games for Linux users is constantly increasing, and there is no sign that it's slowing down.

Just like in the case of Photoshop, not all of the titles you would find on Windows also have a Linux counterpart. Stuff like Call of Duty is not available, but the hope is that it will change in the future.

The point I'm trying to make here is that, if you are a Windows user, you should really give Linux a try. It's safer, much more stable, and it will probably offer you anything you'll need. It doesn't matter what distribution you choose, as long as it is open source. You'll be surprised to see that it's much better than you can imagine.