[Johnny B.]

From what my friend, a networking major has told me, I would probably need a long list of text commands

That hasn't been true for a decade or more.

If you want to check for yourself, note that most modern Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, etc.) have what's called a "Live CD" version, that runs directly from the CD, without touching your hard drive at all.

You can either download an image and burn it to a CD (assuming you have Windows-based software that will let you burn an "ISO" image to a CD-R, or go to the nearest decent bookstore and find a "Learn about Linux" magazines with an included DVD.

Then, put the disc into your computer, restart, and give it a try. You might like it.

[DYngbld]

I started using Linux in the early 90s. I ran JNOS on a 3.5 in floppy. I have used one distro or another on at least one machine ever sense. I currently run SUSE 11 on my laptop and SUSE 12 on an old desktop. I don't have much use for Micro$oft or Apple OS any more. My wife still runs windows (her laptop came with it and it is still stable) but the kids are migrating to Linux after they use my computer.