I switched over from Windows XP to Linux (Ubuntu, Linux for people) several months ago. Occasionally I use other computers, those with Windows and Internet Explorer. It just struck me how paranoid I was as a Windows user.
When searching for something on Google, for example, I wouldn't go to sites that had something suspicious about them. I avoided most lyrics sites, and other pages with lots of cookies, and so on. And with good reason--after being bombarded with pop-ups and viruses, having to load Windows in safe mode to perform virus scans, and freaking out about keyloggers and that my personal files were compromised, I learned my lesson: with Internet Explorer, only go to sites you heard of. Don't download email attachments, not even from people you know.
Press alt f4 with those pop-up ads, don't close them with your mouse, or else they'll install something on your computer. Update your virus scanner (which doesn't work anyway. No antivirus software ever prevented viruses for me), reboot. Update your spyware scanner, reboot. Run a couple of firewalls. And so on. Without all those scanners and firewalls, your Windows computer is in serious peril, as that little red shield thingy on your taskbar will tell you. With all those scanners and firewalls, your computer is still in danger, but it runs real slow. Most of your CPU and RAM is used to do background scanning. Then the stupid thing crashes, or your firewall malfunctions and you have no internet access. So you have to reboot yet again.
With Ubuntu, however, I'm starting to forget all these things. I'm starting not to fear viruses. I just surf, without constantly looking over my shoulder. Software updates come daily. Having to reboot is rare. And Linux is safer, by design and because there are fewer Linux viruses. Here is a great article on the matter.
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