One of the things that keeps people from trying new operating systems is that they don’t want to lose any data that they have.  Most people also do not have multiple computers to use to try different things on.  A good alternative to erasing all of your data to try something new is to use a Virtual Machine.

Virutal machines emulate the environment of a computer and allow for you to install another operating system and run it inside of your current operating system.  Of course this will make the virtualized operating system not run as fast (in most cases)  but will give you the basic experience of the OS.  There are many Virtual machine applications out there that work with Windows, Mac, and Linux.

VM Ware – 30 day trial available

VirtualBox – Free but is not as full featured as VM Ware. Supports Windows, Linux and Mac.

Virtual PC – Free but only supports some versions of Windows

Parallels – Allows Mac users to run Windows software on their computer

Check out Ars Technica’s review of VirtualBox for Macs> Ars Technica

If you are wanting to try out Linux or maybe you are already using Ubuntu there is an excellent resource available for you. The Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference from author Keir Thomas is available for FREE right now in PDF format.  Normally it sells for $10 on Amazon but now you don’t have an excuse to not try Ubuntu.

The guide is designed for the 100% newbie and really explains things in normal terms without overwhelming the user.  Even if you don’t want to use Ubuntu most of the topics covered are relevant to other Linux distributions as well.  This is a good way for Linux geeks to get their friends and family to switch over to Linux too.

Check It Out> Ubuntu Pocket Guide via Lifehacker

With today’s computing environment it is important to backup your data regardless of the operating system you are using.  There are many different services that are either free or relatively cheap.  If your one of those that neglects backing up your data you should check out one of the following services before you lose everything.

SkyDrive – 25 GB Free

Amazon s3 – Complicated pricing but relatively cheap

Mozy – $4.95 Unlimited

Geek Squad – 25 GB for $49 a year

Humyo – First 10 GB is free

iDrive – 2 GB free

Every computer crashes, it’s not a matter of IF it’s a matter of WHEN.  If you are not comfortable with the idea of backing up your data to the Internet then you should at least buy an external hard drive to backup your data to.