Windows vs. Linux

Everyone knows that Linux is a better OS than Windows. The only problem is, you still don't have many choices in terms of widely compatible softwares that can be run on Linux.

 

Linux is <i>better</i>? It's not better with regard to application compatability. It's not better with regard to hardware compatability. It's certainly not better with regard to ease of use (are you good at the command line?).

It <i>is</i> better with regard to default security and it's better in terms of being immune to most viruses (but that will change over time as people start writing viruses for linux). It <i>might</i> be more stable than XP but, if XP is on proper hardware, XP can be rock solid. Linux won't even work if you don't have the proper hardware (unless you feel like writing drivers).

If you are <i>into</i> computers and don't mind doing research and lots of tweaks to get it going, then linux can be a great and fun OS.

If you just want it to work, be able to run tons of software and games at the expense of having to secure your system (i.e. run anti-virus, anti-spyware and load patches) then XP is what you want.

BTW, Linux has patches to load as well - it's not perfect.

 

Linux is better because it's more stable. I consider that to be the number one measurement of OS quality. I agree that XP is closing the gap now.

In fact, I'd say Mac is better than Windows. But I don't like Mac simply because I don't like to buy a car that doesn't have a hood for me to open (both in the hardware sense and in the software sense).

And, Lil Pun, if you want to do lots of things with your computer and you are not a geek, then definitely go with Windows. If all you are doing is the internet, then Linux maybe a good choice.

 

The best OS is the OS that allows you to do what you need to do the most efficiently. You'll get Unix geeks thinking their OS is the best and Winblowz users saying there's is. The fact of the matter is, ultimately, it's what's best for you.

I've tried Linux/Solaris. Bleh. Not much in software choices. Not yet mainstream. Cutting edge hardware may take a while to have software/drivers written for on this platform. You can run it on older boxes with older hardware, which is an added benefit.

Windows XP. My favorite. The amount of software out there is mind-boggling. There's all kinds of commercial software, freeware, and shareware. The quantity of choices is staggering. It's mainstream in that the majority of companies out there run PC-compatible boxes. XP has been stable as hell for me.

OS X. Damn beautiful OS. I have a G4, so I'm not talking out of my arse. Its heart is Unix. You can even drop to a shell if you want. They've gotten less and less proprietary as time has gone on. The hard drive, the video card, the memory, etc. are all standard parts that you'll find in PC's. You'll still find people saying that "it's all proprietary maaaan". They don't know what they're talking about. The only thing proprietary about the Mac is its processor and mobo. The processor and its interface is what makes it so powerful. This operating system is what Linux wants to be. KDE? Give me a break... OS X... that's where it's at. Apple is really the first company to successfully and seamlessly put an absolutely beautiful interface on top of an industrial strength operating system. Unfortunately these things are damn expensive. And of course all your buddies have PC's (not "pig calling" you Arkansas freak! ) not Macs, right?! Now they've released the first 64-bit PC's for home use and those things are just flat out gorgeous.

Given the choice today, I'd go with Windows XP 1st because of the monopoly, OS X close behind in 2nd, and Linux a distant 3rd. But like I said, I'm not you, so you need to try them and see for yourself. I don't mean to insult you by saying this, but you're my favorite poster when it comes to PC problems because you have one every week.

 

Hi All,

I do not post often, but as a Linux Admin I must respond here. If all you want to do is surf the web, break the Microsoft Tax now. Any of the modern Linux Distributions will work fine (Redhat 9.0 and Mandrake 9.0 are great for consumers). I will attach a link for a live CD. What you do is put this in your cdrom and reboot the computer, nothing is written to the hard drive and you can test the system. For your needs, there is no reason to pay $200.00.

Enjoy.

http://www.gentoo.org/news/20020916-ut2k3.xml

edit

Also try this if you are more into music

http://www.dynebolic.org/index.php?show=features

or

http://www.knoppix.net/

 

I have both XP and Linux on my personal home computer.

I rarely use Linux simply because I don't know it well enough.

 

I have both linux and windows XP in my computer. I only use linux to do my programming homework and some server side related stuff. If your main usage is just to surf internet, I'll say go with Windows XP because it is easier to use. IMO, IE is way better than netscape or Mozzilar right now.

 

As long as you can afford the software, then go ahead and install both on your computer. It's kind of a pain to install since the two OS's run on different file systems. So you're going to have to partition your hard drive into at least 2 parts where one's for Windows and the other is Linux. I've been able to play with Linux quite a bit, and it's a good system. However, there is a learning curve to use it, especially if you never played around with MS-DOS before, so you'd have to be patient. There are definite advantages to running Linux. For me, I find Linux to be more efficient, and I am able to got more done in less time with Linux. However, I run Windows on my computer now because I didn't feel like finding drivers for my hardware. Also, I am guarenteed that my OS will be compatible with all the software that I run. Still, if you have the money, and if you have the time, I'd recommend installing both.

 

I dunno, Mozilla has never ever crashed on me, and they have tab surfing (where you don't need to create a new window to view a separate page). IE has a history of crashing like The Great Depression (at least in my experience). Is the new IE better?

 

As much as it pains me to asy it...
IE has gotten tons better than it used to be.
It very rarely crashes anymore on my XP box.

As for OS preferences..

I like the free tank OS versus the station wagon OS ( yes, I'm reading Cryptonomicon again) because I think open source is a great idea and the tank is much more reliable and I like having the ability to hack the kernel and other important config files to optomize it for my machine.

but then again, you have to be an ultra-geek to enjoy that kind of stuff, so my reasons for using it are not good reasons for most normal people.

that being said, with the recent develoment of the much miore user-friendly versions of Linux, why not dual boot and give it a shot. I havent used them,but I hear that the new versions of Redhat and Mandrake Linux are damn near as easy to use as Winblows.

and one last thing...if you are afraid of tryin Linux...keep in mind that there are tons of places on the net where you can get help from other Linux enthusists. They are normally glad to help people get going on their journey away from Unca Bill's monopoly.

 

I have both Windows XP and Mandrake 9.1 on my computer. It's true that Linux is not good for personal use. I only use it for programming and hacking . But I also use it on another of my computer as a firewall, which is fantastic, I just have to set it up, and it will run smoothly forever.

And heck, it is free, if u can't afford windows, Linux is the only choice u have.

 

As I’m waiting for my kernel to compile, I’ll chime in with my thoughts. I’m not a Linux bigot, whatever OS does the job for you is great, but I find using Linux and open source more rewarding. It’s great to be able to write a quick and dirty script to automate a task for you. And as always being able to look at the cool stuff that zooms past your screen when you compile stuff is a treat.

I also find documentation very concise and abundant, especially with The Linux Documentation Project and distro’s websites like Debian and Gentoo. All that’s up to you is to spend the time and dedication to learn. Trust me, you will be reading a lot; there’s no way around it.

 

Windows is better for web surfing because almost all websites are written with IE in mind and if you are only web browsing than XP is rock solid. Just make sure you do your windows update every week and get an antivirus software.

I test operating systems for a living and linux definitely is not as stable as people say. I see linux hang and kernel panics as often as I see blue screens of death. It is more stable than windows on server apps like oracle but most desktop apps that are available for linux are really purely written.

 

For personal at home use, XP is the best choice. You will have more and better choices of applications/games. There is one very large caveat with Windows. All the virus writers have Windows and Bill Gates in their sites. The magnitude of this flaw can not be understated.

If you do chose XP, you will need to take the appropriate security precautions. My suggestion is to not use Outlook or Outlook Express ever (Eudora is a fine replacement). I would go as far as removing Outlook from the Start menu and removing the desktop icon. My second suggestion is to get some security software that can check individual files, for the times when you get Word/Excel/PowerPoint files from d/l-ing from the net or as attachments to emails. If you got a cable/DSL modem, you will also have to install firewall security software.

If you were really serious about only surfing the net from this PC, Linux would be the better choice. As someone else suggested, dual booting your PC with XP and Linux may be your best choice.

 

If you don't know anything about Linux, and don't want to spend hours upon hours learning a complicated system, then stick with Windows. I tried going the Linux route on one of my secondary PCs and it just wasn't worth it.