Linux vs Windows

There are absolutely linux distros with ease of use. I've used one in which I never touched a console, everything was plug and play and one click software installs. Maybe the linux of yesteryear was a hard to use clunker, but today it's a very viable alternative to windows, without the viruses, BSoD, and the slowness. That said those features have their merit; I get paid to remove viruses and speed up computers, so I guess in that sense they're a good thing.

 

Never had any such issues. You just read that somewhere, probably on DP, by someone who never tried it.

 

I like Linux a lot... obviously, ubuntu, kubuntu or mint, since these are very user-friendly. Linux is always faster, more secure, and their developer communities let you have nice features that are not in other OSs

But I also like a lot gaming and using all the Adobe suite, so it's a little annoying to be switching between OSs ... I would rather to have two or three PCs and use them as needed

 

It depends on your usage...
For an advanced user Linux is good
But for a normal user windows

 

windows for pc linux for se rver. that was i think

 

Tablet computers use *nix, not Windows.
Phones mostly use *nix, not Windows.

 

Windows crashes all the time, but most of the time you will find that Linux is a much smoother running system.

 

It depends a lot on what you are doing it for really.

For me, I use window.

 

I like Linux, and also fit in Mac. But I can't work without Windows, just because there are so many tools that doesn't run on UNIX/OSX Systems.. Windows is the must, imho...

 

I use Win7, and its the best

 

Name ONE thing that doesn't have a *nix equivalent.

 

Sure you can run a virtual machine to run wintools, but there are many tools wich are only build for Win.. For example: scrapebox and million others

 

Terminal tools are so robust, I don't understand how anyone can work with computers without using them. My all time favorite is GREP, I just love it. GUI search tools are so limited in comparison. And this is just a simple example...

GUI is overrated, but administrating through terminal helps to standardize operations. All linux flavors can be managed from terminal with the same commands (more or less, but logic is usually the same).

I was DOS user, later used win95 up to XP. Afterwards migrated to red hat. Currently I'm in love with Debian.

At the moment though I'm on mac, which isn't very different from any linux OS, but it's much more constrained and limited - practically no options for customizing the OS the way I want...

My suggestion would be to learn linux, it's an investment in future... open source is the future...

Anyone who thinks linux isn't widespread is having illusions, every router you use to connect windows machine, every switch, telephone network, websites you visit is based on nix.

So which one is the best OS?

It's the one that gets the job done in efficient way. For me it's linux.

 

And I can find a million programs that run on *nix but don't run on Windows so Windows == FAIL.

@sandrodz +1. You forgot to mention DVRs, phones and tablets and just about anything that isn't a desktop computer.

 

Comparison of Linux and Windows

Linux is becoming a more preferable Operating System in the IT industry these days, in comparison to Microsoft Windows operating system, mainly because of these following reasons :-

1. Cost - Linux is available in different variants or distributions which are generally available free of cost or at a very low cost as compared to Microsoft Windows operating system. The different versions of Microsoft Windows cost from $50 to $200 in different parts of the world.



2. Ease of Use – Since it is the most popular operating system on the market, users are more familiar with how it operates. Until the recent explosion in Linux adoption, Windows had been the operating system of choice in the majority of worldwide corporations, educational institutions, government sectors, and homes. It is, therefore it is only natural that a vast majority of users would find it more user friendly then a foreign system with a unique interface. However, in present times a lot of new versions of various Linux distributions have made user-friendliness a major issue and the new version released have ensured that necessary steps are being taken to ensure this user-friendly nature of the operating system. With new versions of Famous Linux distributions like Ubuntu (Ubuntu 11), Fedora (Fedora 16), OpenSUSE (OpenSUSE12.1), using Linux has become much easier than ever and can easily be compared to the simplicity of Microsoft Windows systems.



3. Ease of Installation - Program installation on a Microsoft Windows system is an independent process that takes the user step-by-step through each facet of the install requiring little user input. The installation process does not typically require an advanced knowledge of computers and Microsoft Windows provides choices of standard or advanced installations. Also, included are recommended choices for those who may be new to Microsoft Windows and would not have the skills to successfully set it up on their own. Earlier versions of Linux distributions required advanced computer and programmer-level skills to install programs on a standard computer. But, nowadays, with the newer versions available, installing programs and application on a standard Linux computer is no more a hectic task and can be done with the simplicity which once was a feature pretty limited to Microsoft Windows.



4. Reliability and Stability - The majority of Linux variants and versions are notoriously reliable and can often run for months and years without needing to be rebooted or re-formatted. Although Microsoft Windows has made great improvements in reliability over the last few versions of Windows, it still cannot match the reliability of Linux. As the design flaws of Microsoft Windows are consistently exploited, the stability of the operating system is under constant scrutiny. These flaws are not exclusive to virus and worm exploitation but also to how Windows interacts with other technology. Windows is infamous for not working well with third party vendor products causing slow processing time and system crashes.



5. Customizability and Open Source - Linux distributions and many of the Linux application programs are open source and enable users to customize or modify the code however they wish to. Therefore, the customizability of the operating system and/or the applications is not limited by any means. This means Linux systems and applications can be customized to fit the individual needs of any corporation. Whereas Microsoft Windows, not being a open-source system, does not provide the ability to customize the program to meet the specific needs of the users or organization. If a particular program does not contain all the functionality, style, compatibility, or security desired, an organization must purchase additional products to fill that void.



6. Security - One of the main missions of the open source methodology is to utilize the expertise of thousands of developers in a collaborative network to create secure and powerful for computing. It is the opinion of the open source community that programs developed in such an environment are subject to much harsher scrutiny due to the “many eyes” analyzing the code. As such, vulnerabilities are identified much earlier, patches are created more quickly, and in many cases are released before the users are exposed to any threats. On the other hand, in case of Microsoft Windows, the cases of Virus, Malware, Spyware attacks are very familiar news to hear.



7. Availability of Application Software - Many of the available software programs, utilities, and games available on Linux are freeware or open source. Even such complex programs such as GIMP (Image Editor), OpenOffice (Office Suite), and Wine (Virtual Machine Software) are available for free or at a low cost. Although Windows does have software programs, utilities, and games for free, the majority of the programs will cost anywhere between $20.00 - $200.00+ US dollars per installation.



8. Support - Although it may be more difficult to find users familiar with all Linux variants, there are vast amounts of available online documentation and help, available books, and support available for each distribution of Linux. Microsoft Windows includes its own help section, has vast amount of available online documentation and help, as well as books on each of the versions of Windows.

 

I prefer linux .........But Window is also good

 

I totally agree with you. Win 7 is a very successful OS among those made my Microsoft.

 

Windows is the most used OS ... buty it is more prone to virus attack (excluding Windows 7) on the other hand Linux is safe and secure... and the best part is you can design your own Kernel for Linux, in layman terms you can create your own Linux also.

 

Windows is the most used DESKTOP os. Fixed that for you. Windows is hardly used anywhere else.

 

I would prefer windows because it is User Friendly and Well supported . In the same way if you need something a little easier to use and don't want to waste time searching for tech support and applications,then give windows a shot.