Every time I load Ubuntu or whatever into VMware to have a look, I feel like Im slogging around in quicksand. Granted, it would run faster booted native, but it really is just a cheap imitation of windows, I get that servers run Linux, but why would anyone wanting to get anything useful done lower themselves? WINE at least lets you run Win software, but why bother,
I have been trying many different linux distributions for the last 10 years. I have thrown out stacks of linux install disk trying to find an adequate distribution. Recently I tried OpenSuse 13.1, Linux Mint 16, and PCLinuxOS 2013.12. There is always some issue that quickly ends my use of a distributions. I am convinced linux distributions are created by linux users but not created for those who want to become linux users. Linux has only 1.58% of the total desktop operating system share and that is likely not going to change due to a long list of reasons.
Not only that , but as soon as something doesn't work as intended you're thrown into a command line nightmare
Yes, there is a learning curve. Running any version of *nix is like being mechanic who drives instead of just a driver - a driver who doesn't want to be bothered with turning on the headlights or changing the oil... I found VMWare readily renders a high performance system into a 386... You might get a better experience using VirtualBox instead of VMWare... Then again, you might not... I gave up on Linux in 1999... Too much work to keep things sane.... I'd recommend FreeBSD, as, in the long run, you won't have to continually fiddle with it to keep it working. Once configured, FreeBSD will run years w/o anybody changing driver or libraries out from under you. Linux is like a committee... too many cooks in the kitchen cooking their own version of the entree... FreeBSD is like a dictatorship... everything is controlled, stable, and predictable. If you know my posts, you know I prefer dictatorships...