Your IP Address

Knowing your IP address matters because it’s basically your device’s “home address” on the internet, but it’s enough for advertisers, websites, and sometimes attackers to profile your activity.
Knowing your IP helps you understand what you’re exposing and whether you want to hide it using a VPN. Security-wise, we all have an IP address, and hackers use these to enter your network, but knowing a person’s IP is uncommon. Do you know your own IP anyway? It may be insignificant, but the IP address affects how you appear online. When you know it, you get more control, better security, and you can make better privacy decisions.

Using a VPN is a great decision. Whatever IP you see above would change with a VPN using servers all over the world. So each time you log on to your PC, your IP could be coming from Japan, the USA or anywhere.

In modern-day computing, an operating system is a must. Without an O/S the PC just would not work or have any base to run programs.  Windows alone can cost anywhere between £110 and £180 for 1 license. But is there an alternative, and is it cheaper?

With people getting dismayed with Microsoft and the end of support for Windows 10, people are looking for a change.

How about an operating system that is free? Let’s introduce you to the world of Linux. Linux is an open-source OS whose code is all available to download and manipulate. Linux comes in various distributions, i.e. Linux Mint and Ubuntu, being two of the easiest-to-use operating systems.

So, whatever your favourite distro, just go to the relevant Linux site and download the .iso file for free. Then you can test it in a virtual machine. This means it runs in a closed container and does not take over your drive till you’re satisfied that Linux is what you want.

Firstly, download VirtualBox, which is free and choose the download link and select the installation file for the OS you’re using. Download and install, ignoring any dependencies and start the application. Download Virtualbox

Then, when it opens,s start a new virtual machine. It’s self-explanatory after that, and just follow the wizard to start Linux. Most Linux distributions come with a live option at the beginning to let you try it without installing it.

It’s also possible to boot your machine from a USB stick to the live demo. To do this, make a bootable USB drive using Rufus. Download Rufus and locate your .iso Linux distro. Insert your USB stick, and it makes a bootable OS stick. Once complete, enter the drive into your pc, restart, and boot to Linux live.

Let us remind you that being open-source Linux software is free. Microsoft Office costs a lot these days, and the open-source equivalent Libre-office is free and easy to install. There are thousands of programs to install, and some are well-known so you can have fun. There is VirtualBox for Linux, too.

We have added some links to popular Linux distros. Feel free to browse their sites and pick a system you want. At the bottom is a video on how to install your O/S.

Distros

Linux Mint  Ubuntu  Kubuntu  Ubuntu Cinnamon. Just search online for Linux and pick your distro.

Take a chance. There might be something for you.

It genuinely depends on what you’re doing and what you value. Here’s an honest breakdown:

Linux tends to be better for:

• Developers and sysadmins (superior terminal, native Unix tools, runs on servers everywhere)
• Privacy-conscious users (open source, no telemetry by default)
• Older or low-spec hardware (lightweight distros breathe life into old machines)
• Customisation (you can make it look and behave almost any way you want)
• Stability and uptime (servers often run for years without rebooting)
• It’s free

Windows tends to be better for:

• Gaming (much wider game library, better driver support, DirectX)
• Creative/professional software (Adobe suite, many industry tools are Windows-first)
• Ease of use for non-technical users (familiar UI, broad hardware compatibility out of the box)
• Corporate/enterprise environments (Active Directory, Microsoft 365 integration)
• Niche software that simply doesn’t exist on Linux

The honest truth:

• Most people use Windows because it’s pre-installed and familiar, not because it’s objectively superior
• Linux has a steeper learning curve, but it rewards you with more control and understanding of your system
• For everyday tasks (browsing, email, docs, video), modern Linux distros like Ubuntu or Fedora are perfectly capable
• The gap has narrowed significantly — Linux gaming via Proton/Steam is now surprisingly good

If you’re a developer or technically curious, Linux is worth trying. If you rely on specific Windows-only software or are a serious gamer, Windows is still the pragmatic choice. Many people (myself included, conceptually) would say the ideal setup is having access to both.