Okay, so this post is definitely going to launch me into the Uber Dork category, but I’m okay with that.
With the launch of Microsoft’s new version of Windows (Vista), more and more people are looking for alternatives. They have MANY reasons for wanting to do so, and I’m going to address a few of those here.
There are a LOT of very comprehensive lists on the internet as to why Linux is better than Windows, so I’m really only going to cover the most important issues and also offer some of the ways that Linux falls short (so you can make an informed decision about switching).
Pros
- Security – Linux is the most secure operating system in the world. With Windows, a user can simply navigate into the system folders, delete critical system files, and Windows won’t argue. But when you restart the computer, suddenly you find out your system won’t startup and you need to reinstall Windows.This simply doesn’t occur in Linux. System files are protected and the worst a normal user can do is damage some of their own personal files – but the main system remains intact.
- No viruses or Spyware – Since Windows is the most popular operating system in the world, almost all of the viruses out there today use it as their target. Even if, by some odd chance, a virus WAS able to infect a Linux system, due to the reasons stated above, it would be able to do very little, if any, damage.In fact, although virus scanners do exist for Linux, most Linux users never run one (myself included).Spyware is also a non-issue (which will be explained a bit further under “Open Source”).
- Always up-to-date – With Windows, when there are updates to Windows itself, Automatic Updates will download and install them automatically, and then force you to restart your computer. If you want to update any of the other software on your computer, you must manually go to the publisher’s website, download the update, install it, then restart your computer.In Linux, security updates are automatically downloaded and installed as well. However, every single piece of software on your system is also automatically updated whenever updates are issued. This means that you will never need to go to any program’s website to install the update yourself. Linux handles it all for you!
Oh, and the really exciting part? You will NOT have to restart your computer! Just keep on working, knowing that your system is completely up-to-date and any security patches that have been issued have been applied and you are safe.
- Complete System – When you install Windows, that’s all you install. You still need to go out and buy or download all the other software you may want or need. Word processors, video players, device drivers (the software that allows Windows to use your printer, scanner, digital cameras, etc.), games, graphics viewer/editor, instant messengers, etc.When you install Linux, you are installing a complete operating system that includes everything you need to begin using your computer for everything you’d like. You get an office suite (to write documents, work with spreadsheets, create presentations; all fully compatible with Microsoft Office files), an instant messenger, video/audio players, a few simple games, an advanced web browser, an excellent graphics editor (similar to Photoshop), CD/DVD burning software, system backup software, and much more.
- Open Source – Linux is what is known as “open source” software. Basically what this means is that anyone can download the source code (the set of instructions that tell a piece of software what to do and how to do it), change it any way they like, and then send it off to other users.So how does this benefit the average computer user that has no interest in programming? Well, look at it this way: have you ever used a program in Windows that just keeps crashing or not doing what you expect it to? What can you do about it? You would have to email the programmer of that program and hope they fix the problem.
With Linux, there are thousands upon thousands of other people (and most of them are programmers) that are using the same programs as you. If they encounter a bug, they can fix it and submit the changes to the original author. In this way, crashes and bugs in Linux programs truly do not last for long before a fix is created (and remember, Linux will automatically apply that fix when it is available).
Now compare that to Windows. The only people that are ever allowed to see the source code for Windows are the programmers that work for Microsoft; only a couple of hundred. It is very easy for so few people to miss errors in the code. But even more dangerous, the people that use Windows have no way of knowing exactly what is going on behind the scenes. Microsoft has gotten into a lot of legal trouble in the past and recently because they are gathering personal data from Windows machines. They’ve even made a deal with the NSA to include some code in Windows that would give the U.S. government access to your computer (email me, and I can give you the link to this news report).
In Linux, this isn’t possible because of all the thousands and thousands of programmers that look at the Linux code at any given time, one or more of them would instantly notice dangerous code and remove it (and they have a legal right to do so).
- Perfect for multiple users – Linux was designed from the ground up to accomodate multiple users on one machine. This means that every person in your house can have their own login name and password which gives them access to customize their system however they’d like. They can choose their own backgrounds, colors, icons, etc. They also have their very own “home” folder which contains all of their documents and program settings.Windows has tried to do this for their users, but it has never really worked very well. In Windows, nothing is truly private or seperate: for example, I could always open, read, and change any user’s documents in Windows.In Linux, I only have access to the files I have created myself and there is no way to view other users’ files without their password.
- 100% FREE – And the absolute best thing about Linux is that it is absolutely, 100% free. You never have to pay a dime to install or use Linux. But it doesn’t stop there, all of the software you would ever need for Linux is also completely free! If you buy Windows for $150, you then need to buy an office suite for at least $200. Then, if you want video editors, games, CD burning software, or other software, you’ll pay at least $50 for each one!With Linux, if it hasn’t already installed something you want, simply browse through their collection of 20,000+ software titles, click a couple times, and it’s installed and ready to use – and you don’t have to pay anyone anything (or worry about breaking the law, because the software is released by the original programmers for free).
Cons
- It is NOT Windows – Now, I put this under “Cons” even though it is also a great thing about Linux. But it belongs in this section simply because there is a bit to learn in order to use Linux. Even if you were an absolute pro in Windows, it will take a bit of learning to do everything you used to be able to do in Windows. It does not run the same software that Windows runs (although there is almost ALWAYS a comparable program to replace its Windows counterpart).
- Fairly advanced installation – Linux has come a very long way since it began some 15 years ago. However, installing Linux and getting everything up and running smoothly does still take a certain amount of computer know-how. There are a few strange quirks that you will need to read a lot in order to resolve. However, once you get everything working well, it will run forever, very rarely (if ever) crashing or requiring you to even reboot your computer.
So that’s about all I can tell you. I’ve been running Linux now for 2 or 3 months and have not used Windows more than maybe once every couple of weeks (and then only to play a game or two).
Did you make it all the way to the end of this list? I’m impressed, since I really don’t have any friends that I thought would care to read about techy stuff :).
If you’d like to know more about Linux or to try it yourself, let me know. I have a lot of discs of Linux that will allow you to try it before altering your computer at all (and if you like it, the discs will help you install it). If you decide you’d like to install it permanently (which you can do and still keep Windows… you can run both on the same computer without a problem), let me know; I’d love to help you get everything running smoothly.
Also, the version of Linux that I use is called Ubuntu… you can get more information on that by going to http://www.ubuntu.com.
Okay, now that I’ve completely “geekified” myself in the eyes of everyone that has read this, I’m going to go. Please feel free to ask me if you have any more questions about Linux… and remember, Microsoft is really screwing over the people that pay so much for their software. Don’t give them the money you work so hard for and they have not earned!
Sporadic Ramblings 