If you’ve ever been to a tech-related on-line discussion board, possibilities are you’ve witnessed a thread known as “Linux vs home windows” or comparable, where users of each OS insulted each other in an attempt to prove which OS is better. Perhaps this isn’t so surprising after all. People get attached to the OS they use every day, and they want to convince the opposing side that it’s really great. It’s easy to get carried away when others start bashing something you want.

This comparison won’t be like that. The purpose of this text is to assist people decide which OS is higher for their cutting-edge needs, because that’s the only sensible way to compare operating systems – by relating them to a specific context. we think we can agree that a perfect OS doesn’t exist; they all have issues, and there isn’t a single one that’s “best for everything”. We should look for features that make each OS suitable to different types of users: students, beginners or programmers.  It’s also important to don’t forget hardware limitations, because now not every OS can run on any form of hardware.

How to compare Linux and Windows?

The biggest problem is that the two operating systems are very different. Initially, the term “Linux” used to refer only to the kernel, but today we use it interchangeably with “Linux distribution”. There are such a lot of distributions, and although they’re all based totally on the same kernel, they use exceptional desktop environments, package deal managers and are available bundled with one of a kind software program. windows is greater homogeneous, even though there are distinctive versions of home windows, too (XP, Vista, 7, eight…).

Trying to evaluate every model of windows to each famous Linux distribution could be time-eating and futile, in view that antique variations of home windows are becoming out of date and home windows might likely lose that “war”. On the other hand, comparing Windows and Linux on a too general level doesn’t work well either, because Linux is so modular and some features are available only in one DE or distribution. If your generalized contrast doesn’t point out that, Linux will probable appear “worse” than home windows.

Therefore, we believe it’s better to make a comparison focused on just one version of each OS as a “sample”.

In this text, I’ll compare Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. However, I will mention if some features are available in other versions, if that information is relevant.

Final disclaimer: We have been a Linux user for almost ten years, and prior to this comparison of Linux vs Windows, we haven’t touched Windows in a long while. If there’s something in the text that we misrepresented, please believe that it’s not out of malice, but simply because we don’t have much experience with Windows. Of course, you’re always welcome to correct and inform me about it – in a respectful, constructive way – down in the comments.

System requirements:

Before installing any OS, you have to make sure your system supports it, at least on some basic level. Official system requirements for Windows 8.1 are as follows:

1 GHz or faster processor;

1 GB of RAM;

16 GB of free hard disk space;

a graphics card that supports DirectX 9 with WDDM 1.0 or higher.

Not too demanding, right? Let’s see what Ubuntu 14.04 needs:

1 GHz processor;

1.5 GB RAM;

7 GB of free hard drive space for installation;

3D Acceleration Capable Videocard with at least 256 MB.

Ubuntu seems more RAM-hungry; however, it calls for half of the disk space that Windows needs. Additionally, observe that distinctive flavors of Ubuntu have distinct requirements – light-weight environments gained want as a great deal RAM or disk space, and if you don’t want computing device outcomes, you don’t want the ultra-modern pics card.

If you have an old PC, Ubuntu is a better choice, but if you have a configuration that’s strong enough to handle both systems, don’t worry too much about this.  We’ll supply a point to every OS on account that they’re similar in this thing.

Linux: 1

windows: 1

Which version to install?

Previously I’ve mentioned “flavors”. They are versions of Ubuntu with different DEs installed by default. You can choose Kubuntu (KDE), Xubuntu (XFCE), Lubuntu (LXDE), or Ubuntu GNOME. There’s also Mythbuntu (a Home Theatre PC version of Ubuntu), Edubuntu (bundled with educational sotfware) and Ubuntu Studio (for multimedia creators). Then there is Ubuntu for servers, for the cloud, for smartphones, and Ubuntu Core, which is a very minimal implementation (only 20 MB) that you can use to install software. Aside from all this, you can install any other desktop environment, like Enlightenment or Cinnamon, on Ubuntu if you so desire.

Windows 8.1 comes in four editions: Basic, Pro, RT and Enterprise.

Only the two first ones are aimed at regular, desktop users. They all look more or less the same, but they don’t offer the same features, and Windows RT can only be installed on ARM-based devices. There’s also Windows to Go, which is a portable version of Windows intended to run from USB drives. However, this feature is supported only by the Enterprise version, which sucks for everyone else. Ubuntu, like any other Linux distribution, lets you install it on a USB drive and run it without restrictions.

The multitude of Ubuntu flavors might seem like an overkill, especially for beginners who don’t fully grasp the desktop environment concept or the differences between DEs. However, I think this flexibility and freedom of choice, as opposed to Windows’ limited options, earns a point for Ubuntu.

Linux: 2

Windows: 1

Installation:

Installing both Linux and Windows used to be a nightmare – the former didn’t even have a graphical installer, while the latter took ages and a dozen restarts to install. The installation process of Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu 14.04 is visually pretty similar, such as step-by means of-step, person-friendly dialogs. however, nearly each Linux distribution gives the stay CD/DVD mode, which you may use to try out the OS earlier than set up. Windows does not have such a thing, although there’s Windows PE, about which Microsoft has a really strict policy:

“To save you its use as a production operating system, Windows PE automatically stops running the shell and restarts after 72 hours of continuous use. This period is not configurable.”

Basically, you’re only allowed to use windows PE for recuperation and installation, however now not as a full-fledged operating system. I’d say Linux merits a factor right here.

Linux: 3

Windows: 1

Hardware support and drivers:

Ubuntu offers support for a huge number of devices out-of-the-box thanks to the kernel and its modules. In general, Linux is much better at supporting old devices, so if you’re trying to revive an old PC, try Ubuntu first.

However, if you have new hardware, Windows might be a better choice. There are workarounds and answers, however Linux nonetheless has issues with UEFI and cozy Boot. The identical is going for brand spanking new portraits technology like Nvidia Optimus – there is guide on Linux, but windows users have it less difficult. There’s also that whole mess with proprietary and open-source AMD drivers on Linux. In short, if you’re planning to use your computer for gaming or anything that requires stable graphics support, Windows is your best bet.

Linux: 3

Windows: 2

Appearance and customization:

Windows 8.1 lets you choose between two interfaces: the traditional desktop and the Start (Metro) interface with tiles. Also, the traditional start menu is gone – although the button is still present in the taskbar, it leads you back to the Start interface. Here you can search for apps to open them, which seems to be an attempt to phase out desktop shortcuts.     Ubuntu can have completely different interfaces depending on which version and DE you install. Most DEs support a traditional look with one or two panels, letting you place icons on the desktop and use regular menus with links to all applications. Ubuntu also has the Dash, which works almost exactly like searching for apps in Windows – it’s a desktop overlay that serves as a launcher. Gnome Shell has essentially the same functionality, and you can add it to other DEs (KDE, for example) by installing widgets.

Overall, we would say that Ubuntu is more customizable, as you get several desktop and icon themes by default, and you can install everything from one centralized dialog.

Windows offers themes as well, but they don’t affect as many desktop elements. Changing the entire look & feel of the Windows desktop requires special third-party software.    In short, it’s much easier to make Ubuntu look like Windows than vice versa. If you’re into desktop modding, Ubuntu is your heaven. However, not many users care about window borders and panel transparency. Since this is an aesthetic and quite a subjective category, we’ll give a point to each.

Linux: 4

Windows: 3

Software:

Windows 8.1 divides traditional desktop apps and Windows 8.1 apps – full-screen apps that run in Metro mode and have to be installed separately for each user. This makes them inconvenient, in my opinion.
On Ubuntu, you can install almost any application that exists for Linux from the repositories. Applications in the repositories are tested and support your exact version of Ubuntu, so you don’t have to worry about backwards (in)compatibility. On the other hand, Windows 8.1 supports applications for older versions of Windows, but not all of them and not always.

Different comparisons frequently point out the fact that windows customers ought to find and download each installation bundle manually, for every utility they want to install. Ubuntu isn’t that distinctive, although – if an application is lacking from the default repositories, you’ll should add a new repository, or down load the .deb bundle and install it manually. Worst case scenario, you’ll need to compile the source code, but this hardly ever takes place on Ubuntu.

Since Windows 8.1 introduced the concept of the App Store, it’s become much closer to Ubuntu, which had the same thing for a while. Still, the fact remains – Ubuntu offers more software out-of-the-box, including a full-fledged office suite and a torrent client. While Windows 8.1 has many apps in the Store, it’s unlikely to ever let you just install Microsoft Office or Photoshop for free. Of course, there’s the free Online Office version, but it’s not as powerful.

Two things surprised me, and not in a good way, when I tried Windows 8.1. First, File Explorer didn’t have tabs! This is incredible to me, because even the simplest, most lightweight file managers for Linux support tabs. Second, the text editor (Notepad) is very limited compared to gedit that ships as default on Ubuntu. Gedit supports syntax highlighting, plugins, and guess what – tabs. Yes, you can install any other text editor from the Windows Store, but if we focus on just the basic software and functions, Ubuntu gets a point.