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Why Linux is better than any other operating system
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Reasons why Linux is better than Windows
Brief: Are you wondering if Linux is better than Windows? Don't wonder. Linux is better than Windows and in this article, we'll see the advantages of Linux over Windows.
If you are not a power user, it might seem that "Windows" OS is a better (or easier) choice when compared to Linux. In either case, if you are not enjoying using a Linux distro then Windows would be your obvious choice.
However, in reality, we tend to experience something different, which lets us jump to the conclusion where Linux gets the edge over Windows OS.
Advantages of Linux over Windows
In this article, we will take a look at 10 of the compelling reasons why Linux is better than Windows. Some of the points mentioned here are already discussed in our earlier article on why switch to Linux.
1. Open Source Nature
What is it like when you buy a car, but you cannot see what's under the hood? Similar is the case with when you use a Windows-powered system.
However, in contrast, Linux is completely an open source project. You can have a look at the source code of a Linux OS, which is a plus.
I know, most people don't care about this openness of Linux, but to me, this is the most important feature of using GNU/Linux.
2. Secure
Let's face it; Windows OS is vulnerable to different types of attacks (or hacks). However, Linux is not as vulnerable as Windows. It sure isn't invulnerable, but it is a lot more secure. Although, there's no rocket science in it.
It is just the way Linux works that makes it a secure operating system. Overall, the process of package management, the concept of repositories, and a couple more features makes it possible for Linux to be more secure than Windows.
When you have Windows installed, you need to download/purchase an Antivirus program to keep your computer safe from hackers and malware. However, Linux does not require the use of such Anti-Virus programs. Of course, a couple of software tools still exist to help you keep your system free from threats, but it is often unnecessary when you have a Linux system.
Being secure by nature would make things easier for you and save money as well because you will not have to get a premium Antivirus software!
3. Can revive older computers
As the operating systems evolve, so do their hardware requirements increase exponentially. For instance, if you purchase a genuine copy of Windows 10, you will have to meet the minimum hardware requirements to run it successfully, and you cannot run it on just about any low-end system.
Nevertheless, with Linux, you could even utilize one of your oldest computer systems to achieve a task. However, that does not mean that every Linux distribution would work with 256 MB of RAM coupled with an outdated processor. However, there are options which you can install on such low-end systems as well (such as Puppy Linux).
So, being an efficient OS, Linux distributions could be fitted to a range of systems (low-end or high-end). In contrast, Windows operating system has a higher hardware requirement.
Overall, even if you compare a high-end Linux system and a high-end Windows-powered system, the Linux distribution would take the edge. Well, that is the reason most of the servers across the world prefer to run on Linux than on a Windows hosting environment.
Suggested read
10 Best Lightweight Linux Distributions For Older Computers
4. Perfect For Programmers
Linux supports almost all of the major programming languages (Python, C/C++, Java, Perl, Ruby, etc.). Moreover, it offers a vast range of applications useful for programming purposes.
The Linux terminal is superior to use over Window's command line for developers. You would find many libraries developed natively for Linux. Also, a lot of programmers point out that the package manager on Linux helps them get things done easily.
Interestingly, the ability of bash scripting is also one of the most compelling reasons why programmers prefer using Linux OS.
Linux also brings in native support for SSH, which would help you manage your servers quickly. You could include things like apt-get commands which further makes Linux one of the most popular choices of the programmers.
SemiCode OS: A Linux Distribution For Programmers And Web Developers
5. Software Updates
linux software updates - why linux is better than windowsSave
Microsoft pushes a software update when it receives a set of problems or if something major needs to be fixed. On the other hand, you would observe a software update to address a little problem.
So, with Linux, you will notice more updates to fix the problems you might be facing. You will not only encounter a larger number of software updates, but you will also observe much faster software updates.
6. Customization
Linux desktop customizationSave
Credit: Eye Candy Linux G+ Community
One major advantage of using Linux instead of Windows is customization. If you like tweaking your system's looks, Linux is just perfect for you.
Apart from installing themes, you have tons of beautiful icon themes. In addition to that, you can use Conky to display system information on the desktop in the coolest way possible. Needless to say that you can do a lot around Wallpapers in Linux.
7. Variety Of Distributions
There are no flavors of Windows. Yes, you may have different plans & packages which differ in licensing terms, the period of activation, packaged features, and price.
In contrast, you will find tons of Linux distribution catered for a different set of needs. So, you can choose to install any of the available Linux distros according to your requirements.
For example, there are Linux distributions for hackers, there are Linux distributions for programmers, there are Linux distributions for extremely old computers. There is a Linux for everyone.
8. Free to Use
Linux is accessible to the public for free! However, that is not the case with Windows!
You will not have to pay 100-250 USD to get your hands on a genuine copy of a Linux distro (such as Ubuntu, Fedora). So, it is entirely free.
If something is free but useful, it is always the best thing one could expect. With the money you just saved, you can consider enhancing your system (just saying, you can go to Starbucks as well!)
9. Better Community Support
Linux Community Support is one of the advantages of Linux over WindowsSave
You do not need to hire an expert to solve a problem you are facing on your Linux system. You just need to search for a similar thread on the web for a solution or post a thread to let others solve the problem. Within minutes of posting a thread on any of the Linux forums, you may expect a reply along with a detailed solution which would finally help resolve your problem at no cost!
There are a lot of active Linux users who are always ready to respond to a relevant thread one might have created. The number of community users active on such forums is more than the number of active members on any Windows-focused forum.
However, the community response might vary depending on the Linux distribution being used.
10. Reliability
Windows, as we know it, becomes sluggish day after day. You will want to re-install Windows after a while when you encounter crashes or slowdowns on your system.
If you are using Linux, you will not have to worry about re-installing it just to experience a faster and a smoother system. Linux helps your system run smooth for a longer period (in fact, much longer!).
Also, with Windows, you will have to adapt to a habit where you keep on rebooting the system for just about everything.
If you just installed software, reboot!
If you recently uninstalled software, reboot!
If you just installed a Windows update, reboot!
If the system seems to slow down, reboot!
However, in the case of Linux, you will not have to reboot for the situations mentioned above. You can comfortably continue with your work, and Linux will not bother you.
Another fact that proves Linux to be reliable are the web servers. You could observe that most of the Internet giants like Google and Facebook run on Linux. Even almost all of the supercomputers run on Linux.
So, Why isn't Windows preferred over Linux? It is because Linux is far more reliable than Windows OS. Period.
11. Privacy
Microsoft certainly tries to anonymize the data collected from every user. However, it does not look convincing with Microsoft's latest Windows 10. It has already received an enormous amount of criticism of how it collects data, what it should collect and what it should not.
If you have ever used Windows 10, you could only head into the privacy settings to know that everything is enabled by default. Even if you opt out to send Microsoft information about your data, it is still being collected. Of course, Microsoft will not bother revealing it officially with a press statement, but it surely does. So, you would need a set of tools to disable the spying modules of Windows.
In contrast, Linux would be the perfect solution for a privacy buff. First of all, Linux distributions do not collect much data (or none). Moreover, you will not be needing additional tools to protect your privacy.
Do you also think Linux is better than Windows?
Now that you know the advantages of using Linux instead of Windows, what do you think?
If you're still going to keep using Windows as your primary OS, what reason could you think of choosing it over Linux? If you've already made the switch, and using Linux, what more benefits do you observe?
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Brief: Are you wondering if Linux is better than Windows? Don't wonder. Linux is better than Windows and in this article, we'll see the advantages of Linux over Windows.
If you are not a power user, it might seem that "Windows" OS is a better (or easier) choice when compared to Linux. In either case, if you are not enjoying using a Linux distro then Windows would be your obvious choice.
However, in reality, we tend to experience something different, which lets us jump to the conclusion where Linux gets the edge over Windows OS.
Advantages of Linux over Windows
In this article, we will take a look at 10 of the compelling reasons why Linux is better than Windows. Some of the points mentioned here are already discussed in our earlier article on why switch to Linux.
1. Open Source Nature
What is it like when you buy a car, but you cannot see what's under the hood? Similar is the case with when you use a Windows-powered system.
However, in contrast, Linux is completely an open source project. You can have a look at the source code of a Linux OS, which is a plus.
I know, most people don't care about this openness of Linux, but to me, this is the most important feature of using GNU/Linux.
2. Secure
Let's face it; Windows OS is vulnerable to different types of attacks (or hacks). However, Linux is not as vulnerable as Windows. It sure isn't invulnerable, but it is a lot more secure. Although, there's no rocket science in it.
It is just the way Linux works that makes it a secure operating system. Overall, the process of package management, the concept of repositories, and a couple more features makes it possible for Linux to be more secure than Windows.
When you have Windows installed, you need to download/purchase an Antivirus program to keep your computer safe from hackers and malware. However, Linux does not require the use of such Anti-Virus programs. Of course, a couple of software tools still exist to help you keep your system free from threats, but it is often unnecessary when you have a Linux system.
Being secure by nature would make things easier for you and save money as well because you will not have to get a premium Antivirus software!
3. Can revive older computers
As the operating systems evolve, so do their hardware requirements increase exponentially. For instance, if you purchase a genuine copy of Windows 10, you will have to meet the minimum hardware requirements to run it successfully, and you cannot run it on just about any low-end system.
Nevertheless, with Linux, you could even utilize one of your oldest computer systems to achieve a task. However, that does not mean that every Linux distribution would work with 256 MB of RAM coupled with an outdated processor. However, there are options which you can install on such low-end systems as well (such as Puppy Linux).
So, being an efficient OS, Linux distributions could be fitted to a range of systems (low-end or high-end). In contrast, Windows operating system has a higher hardware requirement.
Overall, even if you compare a high-end Linux system and a high-end Windows-powered system, the Linux distribution would take the edge. Well, that is the reason most of the servers across the world prefer to run on Linux than on a Windows hosting environment.
Suggested read
10 Best Lightweight Linux Distributions For Older Computers
4. Perfect For Programmers
Linux supports almost all of the major programming languages (Python, C/C++, Java, Perl, Ruby, etc.). Moreover, it offers a vast range of applications useful for programming purposes.
The Linux terminal is superior to use over Window's command line for developers. You would find many libraries developed natively for Linux. Also, a lot of programmers point out that the package manager on Linux helps them get things done easily.
Interestingly, the ability of bash scripting is also one of the most compelling reasons why programmers prefer using Linux OS.
Linux also brings in native support for SSH, which would help you manage your servers quickly. You could include things like apt-get commands which further makes Linux one of the most popular choices of the programmers.
SemiCode OS: A Linux Distribution For Programmers And Web Developers
5. Software Updates
linux software updates - why linux is better than windowsSave
Microsoft pushes a software update when it receives a set of problems or if something major needs to be fixed. On the other hand, you would observe a software update to address a little problem.
So, with Linux, you will notice more updates to fix the problems you might be facing. You will not only encounter a larger number of software updates, but you will also observe much faster software updates.
6. Customization
Linux desktop customizationSave
Credit: Eye Candy Linux G+ Community
One major advantage of using Linux instead of Windows is customization. If you like tweaking your system's looks, Linux is just perfect for you.
Apart from installing themes, you have tons of beautiful icon themes. In addition to that, you can use Conky to display system information on the desktop in the coolest way possible. Needless to say that you can do a lot around Wallpapers in Linux.
7. Variety Of Distributions
There are no flavors of Windows. Yes, you may have different plans & packages which differ in licensing terms, the period of activation, packaged features, and price.
In contrast, you will find tons of Linux distribution catered for a different set of needs. So, you can choose to install any of the available Linux distros according to your requirements.
For example, there are Linux distributions for hackers, there are Linux distributions for programmers, there are Linux distributions for extremely old computers. There is a Linux for everyone.
8. Free to Use
Linux is accessible to the public for free! However, that is not the case with Windows!
You will not have to pay 100-250 USD to get your hands on a genuine copy of a Linux distro (such as Ubuntu, Fedora). So, it is entirely free.
If something is free but useful, it is always the best thing one could expect. With the money you just saved, you can consider enhancing your system (just saying, you can go to Starbucks as well!)
9. Better Community Support
Linux Community Support is one of the advantages of Linux over WindowsSave
You do not need to hire an expert to solve a problem you are facing on your Linux system. You just need to search for a similar thread on the web for a solution or post a thread to let others solve the problem. Within minutes of posting a thread on any of the Linux forums, you may expect a reply along with a detailed solution which would finally help resolve your problem at no cost!
There are a lot of active Linux users who are always ready to respond to a relevant thread one might have created. The number of community users active on such forums is more than the number of active members on any Windows-focused forum.
However, the community response might vary depending on the Linux distribution being used.
10. Reliability
Windows, as we know it, becomes sluggish day after day. You will want to re-install Windows after a while when you encounter crashes or slowdowns on your system.
If you are using Linux, you will not have to worry about re-installing it just to experience a faster and a smoother system. Linux helps your system run smooth for a longer period (in fact, much longer!).
Also, with Windows, you will have to adapt to a habit where you keep on rebooting the system for just about everything.
If you just installed software, reboot!
If you recently uninstalled software, reboot!
If you just installed a Windows update, reboot!
If the system seems to slow down, reboot!
However, in the case of Linux, you will not have to reboot for the situations mentioned above. You can comfortably continue with your work, and Linux will not bother you.
Another fact that proves Linux to be reliable are the web servers. You could observe that most of the Internet giants like Google and Facebook run on Linux. Even almost all of the supercomputers run on Linux.
So, Why isn't Windows preferred over Linux? It is because Linux is far more reliable than Windows OS. Period.
11. Privacy
Microsoft certainly tries to anonymize the data collected from every user. However, it does not look convincing with Microsoft's latest Windows 10. It has already received an enormous amount of criticism of how it collects data, what it should collect and what it should not.
If you have ever used Windows 10, you could only head into the privacy settings to know that everything is enabled by default. Even if you opt out to send Microsoft information about your data, it is still being collected. Of course, Microsoft will not bother revealing it officially with a press statement, but it surely does. So, you would need a set of tools to disable the spying modules of Windows.
In contrast, Linux would be the perfect solution for a privacy buff. First of all, Linux distributions do not collect much data (or none). Moreover, you will not be needing additional tools to protect your privacy.
Do you also think Linux is better than Windows?
Now that you know the advantages of using Linux instead of Windows, what do you think?
If you're still going to keep using Windows as your primary OS, what reason could you think of choosing it over Linux? If you've already made the switch, and using Linux, what more benefits do you observe?
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The following 1 user thanked mat for this useful post:
Loke (05-07-2018)
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Great topic explaining things, and even though I don't use Linux on my main machine, I have used it before. The only thing Linux isn't good at though, and the main thing I want out of my computer, is gaming. Linux is garbage when it comes to games and they don't even support half of my steam library. It's big sin for gaming.
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AR15 wrote Great topic explaining things, and even though I don't use Linux on my main machine, I have used it before. The only thing Linux isn't good at though, and the main thing I want out of my computer, is gaming. Linux is garbage when it comes to games and they don't even support half of my steam library. It's big sin for gaming.
The library of games supported on linux has grown exponentially over the last few years. The main thing holding it back is companies not wanting to develop for linux because they think no one uses it.
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I mean UNIX systems are just much better in my opinion. I use MacOS and just feel it run better than Windows. However, to change to Linux for many companies would require a lot of money on training and understanding. I wish it was simple.
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Glad to see some more posts about linux.
I would not recommend using a GUI though.
Just use the command line.
I would not recommend using a GUI though.
Just use the command line.
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CriticaI wrote Glad to see some more posts about linux.
I would not recommend using a GUI though.
Just use the command line.
Most people do not want to use a command line.
And besides it would be pretty difficult to use the internet through command line.
Most people want something that is simple and easy to use. That is why people use windows.
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Oozy wroteCriticaI wrote Glad to see some more posts about linux.
I would not recommend using a GUI though.
Just use the command line.
Most people do not want to use a command line.
And besides it would be pretty difficult to use the internet through command line.
Most people want something that is simple and easy to use. That is why people use windows.
There's actually a few tools that you can use to browse the internet from the command line.
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hotshot55 wroteOozy wroteCriticaI wrote Glad to see some more posts about linux.
I would not recommend using a GUI though.
Just use the command line.
Most people do not want to use a command line.
And besides it would be pretty difficult to use the internet through command line.
Most people want something that is simple and easy to use. That is why people use windows.
There's actually a few tools that you can use to browse the internet from the command line.
I never said it was impossible. Just that it would be difficult. At least more difficult than your average person would want it to be.
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I have to disagree with a lot of this as it isn't entirely accurate. I use linux on a day to day basis from work and home. Stating this part in specific.
Any install aside from the paid installs linux is quite open to most any attack that requires a network connection. This is one of the main reasons that it isn't as popular as Windows for mainstream. Not to mention Nvidia support is half-assed, doesn't support DirectX so gamers are at a standpoint if the game doesn't support openGL or their card can't handle openGL that great. There are other driver problems that cause pure leaks and openings in the system that takes a while for a patch to be put out at times even then a patch could open up another vulnerability. So saying this quote in general is extremely false.
I laughed a lot harder than i should have at this in specific.
Alright so I've used linux for an extremely long time, and well this right here just had me dying laughing. In specific the "to fix" don't you mean for one slight update error in the installed package to completely break your package manager?. This is common sense to anyone who has used linux prior a lot of stuff will BREAK if you aren't paying attention. This goes well with what i said above talking about the driver support.
I am not exactly going to comment on this as what exactly needed to be said was said above. Yes there are ways to correct errors and broken pipes. Not every end user wants to repeat the process when one package breaks itself or a plethora of others(quite common).
Sounds like whoever wrote this just discovered linux. Yes there are advantages but going as far as saying this kind of bothers me. Keep in mind one slight internal error WILL kill your linux install and throw you into an un-correctable from system error at times (where you have to edit the files from another machine to correct).
Last but not least this. When was this obtained over the last year Microsoft has gained a fair bit of respect back from being open about the telemetry logs and what they collect. Not to mention these articles are directly bashing windows when any user who wants the possibly experience linux can use the Ubuntu sub system (which is surprisingly good if i must add) to see if they could adjust to a linux environment.
Now i have been lenient dropping a lot of the major points that were argued regarding (price, performance and community). While the linux community is extremely active and welcoming it is a bit of a challenging to understand some of the stuff to a new end user. This can easily be proven by just looking at a general breakdown on SOF, multiple different explanations to something simple and methods regarding ways that worked in prior builds and not the current that they are on it is a disjointed community in a way but extremely helpful nonetheless.
this was mentioned and it got to me in a way because there are business specific distros that DO cost money, not everything is free. While in general yes linux is free not all of them are.This should clear up some confusion to new people even considering the swtich.
linux is not as vulnerable as Windows. It sure isn't invulnerable, but it is a lot more secure. Although, there's no rocket science in it.
Any install aside from the paid installs linux is quite open to most any attack that requires a network connection. This is one of the main reasons that it isn't as popular as Windows for mainstream. Not to mention Nvidia support is half-assed, doesn't support DirectX so gamers are at a standpoint if the game doesn't support openGL or their card can't handle openGL that great. There are other driver problems that cause pure leaks and openings in the system that takes a while for a patch to be put out at times even then a patch could open up another vulnerability. So saying this quote in general is extremely false.
I laughed a lot harder than i should have at this in specific.
So, with Linux, you will notice more updates to fix the problems you might be facing. You will not only encounter a larger number of software updates, but you will also observe much faster software updates.
Alright so I've used linux for an extremely long time, and well this right here just had me dying laughing. In specific the "to fix" don't you mean for one slight update error in the installed package to completely break your package manager?. This is common sense to anyone who has used linux prior a lot of stuff will BREAK if you aren't paying attention. This goes well with what i said above talking about the driver support.
If you are using Linux, you will not have to worry about re-installing it just to experience a faster and a smoother system.
I am not exactly going to comment on this as what exactly needed to be said was said above. Yes there are ways to correct errors and broken pipes. Not every end user wants to repeat the process when one package breaks itself or a plethora of others(quite common).
So, Why isn't Windows preferred over Linux? It is because Linux is far more reliable than Windows OS. Period.
Sounds like whoever wrote this just discovered linux. Yes there are advantages but going as far as saying this kind of bothers me. Keep in mind one slight internal error WILL kill your linux install and throw you into an un-correctable from system error at times (where you have to edit the files from another machine to correct).
Microsoft certainly tries to anonymize the data collected from every user. However, it does not look convincing with Microsoft's latest Windows 10. It has already received an enormous amount of criticism of how it collects data, what it should collect and what it should not.
Last but not least this. When was this obtained over the last year Microsoft has gained a fair bit of respect back from being open about the telemetry logs and what they collect. Not to mention these articles are directly bashing windows when any user who wants the possibly experience linux can use the Ubuntu sub system (which is surprisingly good if i must add) to see if they could adjust to a linux environment.
Now i have been lenient dropping a lot of the major points that were argued regarding (price, performance and community). While the linux community is extremely active and welcoming it is a bit of a challenging to understand some of the stuff to a new end user. This can easily be proven by just looking at a general breakdown on SOF, multiple different explanations to something simple and methods regarding ways that worked in prior builds and not the current that they are on it is a disjointed community in a way but extremely helpful nonetheless.
Linux is accessible to the public for free! However, that is not the case with Windows!
this was mentioned and it got to me in a way because there are business specific distros that DO cost money, not everything is free. While in general yes linux is free not all of them are.This should clear up some confusion to new people even considering the swtich.
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Mitochondria wrote
Linux is accessible to the public for free! However, that is not the case with Windows!
this was mentioned and it got to me in a way because there are business specific distros that DO cost money, not everything is free. While in general yes linux is free not all of them are.This should clear up some confusion to new people even considering the swtich.
The OS itself cannot be sold under the GNU licensing, however, some like RedHat sell support for the software and overall system but not the actual distro itself. And even then you could still opt for CentOS which is just RedHat with all the RedHat branding stripped away.
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