How do I know if I want Linux

Gents:

I have read most all the threads that have been coming through about the
Linux O/S. Back in the days when I first started with computers it was
on the 8086's, and we had to use MS-DOS because that's really all there
was to use then.

Now, with the development of all the "Windows-Gate" O/S's of the past,
present, and who knows what in the future, we all run a variety of
Win95, Win NT compatible software for other uses(accounting,
Spreadsheets, etc.) than just our CNC machines.

My question is, how do I, myself, know and justify the reason that I
would want to have Linux on my system with a partition for Linux
exclusively to do other tasks?

I have heard and seen here many messages from the Linux/EMC guru's here,
and with the amount of controller software for Windows systems, I am
having a hard time to seek a reason why I would need two O/S's.

Can someone please try to explain to me and any others that might be in
the same predicament as myself about these decisions.

Thanks to all for a great forum here.

Regards,
Don Hughes
Vancouver, BC Canada.