^first of all Linux is Open Source and depends on community developers.they are doing volunteer service unlike paid service which is expected with apple or M$ products.
device drivers are either wrote by volunteer developers who can when a company give access to their product specs or sometimes for few devices reverse engg is done to write the drivers.also unlike windows,Linux 2.6 kernel onwards esp,the device drivers are part of the kernel itself or made as modules.
So Linux is not an alternate to Windows,but a completely different Operating system with little similarities with windows or DOS.
if you can,read below link for an enligtenement.
*linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
Linux needs the use of terminal bash shell which is easy compared to MS-DOS cmd.com.
if ur searching for a free oss windows,then get on hand with a crawling project called "reactos".
