Hi, I'm working on modding my PS3 to run a real os. First, what are the system requirements for running Linux?
Secondly, if I were to compare a Linux machine and a Windows machine, would the Windows machine be able to do anything at all... that the Linux one couldn't (games like CS:S, Microsoft word, etc.)???
You can check the various distributions websites for hardware compatibility. I wouldn't count on compatibility, but you never know I guess.
As for whether you lose usability, there are various "virtual machine" type programs for Linux. They have their own base of software for the most part though.