[jeb]

I use linode, with Apache installed, since it's the default stack. Would it be a better idea to spend a day or two installing nginx? At the moment, Apache runs okay, is there an advantage to my installing nginx now?

[bradleyland]

There isn't nearly enough information in your post to make a good assessment.

What services are you running?

Are you using any Apache specific functionality?

Are you using an Apache module like mod_php, mod_python, etc, to host a webapp?

Do you need to serve more than one type of language through a single httpd server. E.g., a PHP app and a Rails app?

There is no one-size-fits-all web server. It's all dependent upon your specific needs.