Windows vs Linux: Windows or Linux? Which operating system do you use? The question can be an invitation to a heated debate about the benefits of GUI versus command line, modern UI versus old school friends, the pros and cons of Windows 10, LAMP versus IIS… and the list goes on.
For most people, however, the answer is between Windows or Mac.
Windows vs Linux: Let's be honest..
Anyone who has used Windows (in any of its versions) knows that at some point, Microsoft's operating system will let you down out of the blue. Windows can decide when to apply updates (endless patches) and when to reboot, putting your work at risk. Or what about the inevitable virus or malware? You spend money on antivirus software or, in the worst case, you have to send your machine in for repair because the virus that passed through has caused you some irreparable damage.
Somewhere here you might think of Apple's macOS products which suffer less from Windows vulnerabilities, but their price is quite high.
There is, however, another alternative to both that does not cost anything. We are talking about Linux. You can simply download and install the operating system that is said to be much more resistant to viruses and malware.
Not that there are no viruses for Linux, but the cases are clearly fewer than the havoc that occurs on Windows.
- What's happening in Windows today? Windows 10: The great journey of paid trust
On the other hand, programs like Gimp and LibreOffice are awesome, but they're not like Windows ones (PhotoShop, Office).
Linux has played and lost in Gaming, just as it has played and lost in Desktops in general.
What is Linux?
Linux came about in the mid-1990s, when then-student Linus Torvalds was tasked with creating a disk driver that could read the Minix file system. (Minix is POSIX-compliant, a UNIX-like operating system released in 1987.)
This project eventually yielded the Linux kernel. The kernel of an operating system is a core tool that provides basic services for all aspects of the operating system. In the case of Linux, the kernel is a monolithic UNIX-like system that happens to be the largest open source project in the world. In more basic terms, we could say, “Linux is a free alternative to Microsoft Windows and Apple MacOS.”
Let's talk about the Average User:
How does the average user handle their computer? Can Linux meet these needs?.
For the average user, a computer is a way to:
- Social media interaction
- Reading, creating and sending emails
- To listen and find music
- To watch YouTube or Netflix
- Occasionally write something
Five years ago, each of these tasks would have required a different application. Today, modern computing tasks can usually be done in a browser. Facebook, Google Docs, Netflix, Outlook 365, can all be run from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, or Edge. Each of these browsers allows the user to do whatever they want. In very rare cases, you may find a website that is not supported by one of the above browsers.
So if we consider that the average user spends most of their time in a browser, the underlying platform doesn't matter that much.
However, with all of the above, wouldn't it make more sense to use a platform with the fewest problems? Without endless vulnerabilities and weaknesses, with closed source and telemetry that records your every move. without the cost of operating system and extra applications..
This is where Linux makes a difference. It is open source, and users are not only able to use the platform for free, but they can change it and redistribute the operating system as their own distribution.
Windows vs Linux: Today
However, our digital world can be described as a Windows world precisely because it is not free. Not free means money, and if you multiply the number of computers that currently exist and run Windows by the price of the operating system, you will perhaps understand a part of the size of Microsoft.
Today, a computer means Windows, with all its advantages and disadvantages. It is now a stereotype, built after years of marketing in a network that has been designed to get as much as it can.
Of course, Linux lags behind in this area. The free distribution leaves no room for competition through companies or marketing departments that cost money.
Why does Windows dominate?
Huge business deals with hardware manufacturing companies, see OEMs. It's a lot of money...
Businesses also have a strong tendency to choose a path and stay there, unless there is a very strong reason that requires change. They add the cost of replacing systems, software, established procedures and staff training and usually decide to continue doing what they have been doing.
The fact that many companies are still running Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 proves the above point.
We should also mention the market trend of first choosing the software they want to work with and then the platform they will run it on. Desktop systems are developed as application delivery tools. For the most part, they are not purchased simply for the operating system. This means that the customer first looks for the applications and tools they need and chooses a system that supports them, as I mentioned above.
So there are many who proudly ask “does PhotoShop run on Linux?”
No, it doesn't, but it does run on MacOS and Windows. Coincidence?
The complicated world of Linux
But if we want to be fair, we should stop burying Microsoft and Apple, as they have proven to be very good at what they do. The goal of every company is to be profitable, after all.
We should also look a little into the Linux world.
You know, of course, that there is not just one Linux distribution. Linux Desktop sounds funny because there is no single one. There are many different user interfaces, file systems, ways of installing and updating a system. And while proponents say that this is precisely the power of the operating system, many businesses and individuals are confused.
Furthermore, there is no single decision-maker who has a complete picture of what is happening in the Linux world, just like it is the case with giants Microsoft and Apple.
Let's mention that once a decision-maker (Google) was found, Linux in the form of Android conquered the world!
Windows vs Linux: On the other hand, there is always the eternal debate:
Windows vs Linux: Tomorrow
The world is changing rapidly and this is certainly an important factor to consider. Desktop and mobile systems are no longer considered the only way to use applications. Smartphones and tablets are increasingly considered the platforms of the future.
In this category, we see that Linux (in the form of Android, as I mentioned above) and Unix (in the form of IOS) lead the market share.
I hope with Windows or any other closed source operating system!
