With that in mind, you may want to dust off that outdated computer you retired last year and put a new free operating system on it, or you could dual boot your current system, but that lacks the client server relationship I've come to love.

.Even a lowly 486 w/64MB RAM will make an adequate Linux server for your home. If you'll want to use the open source equivlent of Windows, called XWindows, you'll want a 500mhz or faster CPU. Of course these days, it's actually pretty hard to find something that slow.

According to Linux.org there are over 200 varieties of Linux to choose from. Some designed to run from 1 or 2 floppy disks, others run directly from a CD. If this will be your first exposure to Linux, you'll likely have a better experience by choosing a widely used "mainstream" distribution. A big advantage is if you ever need help, you'll find many experienced users who are able to assist you.