Nearly all desktop OS and software reviews focus around the difference between Windows and one of its competitors. Usually this is either Mac OS or Linux, which isn't always a fair fight – as the growing number of both Mac OS X users and Linux users could testify to. That's why an article released today caught my interest, as it is taking Windows out of the equation and pitting several Linux distros, primarily Ubuntu, against Apple's champ.

Normally, OS reviews like this are pretty hum-drum; it is all about how you use a computer and not what it runs underneath the surface that matters. However, it was still very interesting to see it written from the perspective of “switchers”. It covers pretty much everything an enthusiast or a regular Joe could expect, starting from the installation of the OS. They cover hardware support, power management, ease of networking, desktop software, security, stability and many other categories.

It is a bit short and dry for a true comparison, but at 10 pages it's a worthy ready for anyone wanting to compare two relatively popular desktop environments without Windows overshadowing them.