Linux vs Windows?

[Mom]

Help a gal out would you mind?

As above. Bear in mind I am a Windows user and have never used Linux. I know there is a divide between the two.

What are the differences?

Practical ones...

Personal ones...

Any snags?...

Easy to move from Windows to Linux?...

Sensible answers appreciated, though I need cheering up so I will take anything at this stage.

The search fucntion is too hard to use

[bogan]

for me it comes down to what programs you can't run on linux, it'll do browsing music vids etc fine, but few of my engineering programs run on it so I haven't used it much. However the newer version have a nice interface and it should be easy enough to learn after using windows. So check what programs you need, see if they run on linux, or if similar ones are available. If they will work then try it out, it is free after all!

[ffirman]

Here is what I know, and my background.

Now I have been using Linux as a desktop OS prob now for about 12 years, and I have been using it as my main OS for the last 6-7 years, including at work, both at Telecom and now at Slingshot/Callplus.

Now to start with, to make your life a bit easier, start with the version of Linux called Ubuntu. It has been designed to make it somewhat more simple to use. Not always, as there are always going to be differences.

Now if you want to browse the internet, use things like facebook, and play flash games etc, do your email, trademe then you shouldn't have any real problems.

If you are a big gamer, then you will have many more issues.

There are many free applications available in the built in installer, so you don't have to go hunting for them, for doing photo management, including facebook, flicka exporting. Music playing, video playing and editing, writing dvd's, and creating video dvds.

The Ubuntu download cd, can be used to try Linux out without installing, thou it is a bit slow, and you can't do everything.

If you want to know anymore, drop me a note..

Enjoy.

Fran

[Grasshopperus]

Hi Mom,

Be prepared for a huge amount of fanboy ranting on this topic.

I feel I'm pretty qualified to answer because I started with Windows but now do quite a lot of software development on Linux systems and my job involves administering heaps of Linux servers. I used to be a Linux fanatic and everything had to be "give me Linux or give me death"

I'm going to assume that you're asking about using computers for personal use (as opposed to business)

The thing to understand about Windows, GNU/Linux and Mac is that they are all just operating systems that you run applications on. The correct way to chose the right operating system for you is to decide what you want to do with computers. Each OS is better for different types of things, for example.

Windows is the best gaming, office, and general usage OS; It has heaps of easy to install and use software, it has huge market-share which means heaps of people know how to use it and can give you support. As its been the de-facto standard for PC desktops for 15+ years every type of software that you'll want to use will be available on this platform. It will just work and be the easiest for you to do whatever you want it to do.

Apple Mac is getting pretty popular now; they have the best graphic, video and audio editing software available as "exclusive titles", things like "Final Cut Pro" will only work on Apple Macs. Creative (content creators) people love them because of this. They make good-looking laptops and are also pretty easy to use. What they do suffer from is a lack of breadth of software available. For example, only recently are games being released that work on Macs.

Linux, by comparison, can get quite complicated for people who have never had any exposure to the OS and just want to use their computer to check emails, do office work and other basic things. To get real value out of linux you need to scratch the surface and that means you'll spend time doing arcane things just to get your applications to work. Linux is the ideal OS for people who want to learn about computers, do programming, play with cutting edge software, run network services and other more hardcore things. For business you can't go past Linux for servers, this is because the internet, and networks in general, were created on Unix (which is what Linux is based on) and all the nice security, reliability and configuration-centric features are available to users.

So in summary;

Windows is the EFI bike - super-reliable SV650 or something
Mac is the Ducati - looks cool and does some things well but won't carry your pillion passenger
Linux is the racebike that needs heaps of fiddling to go hard

[jonbuoy]

Ubuntu is one of the easiest version of Linux to set up and install. If you only surf, play music, email and print and edit pictures and write the odd document it will do want you want quickly and for free. If you are installing onto an desktop computer its fairly straight forward and you shouldn´t have too many problems with drivers, netbooks or laptops may need someone with Linux knowlage to do some searching for hardware drivers and possibly some command line tweaks.
Its a great alternative to Windows/Apple and there are some excellent free applications that would cost thousands to buy on a PC/Mac.

The user interface is easier to migrate from Windows than the MAC user interface (insert fanboy slagging here - I´d like to fullscreen any of my applications, sorry Apple decide how big you want the windows on your desktop to be, and a mouse that right clicks by default? ) Ubuntu works exactly like Windows from a user point of view you won´t have any problems.

Download the live cd image and you can run it from within windows to try before you format. If you have any specific software or you want to play games other than flash internet games you will need to run windows as well.

[SpankMe]

I've been looking after Linux systems for over 20 years, but I'd never use it for my desktop. Unless you're looking at getting into IT, I'd stick to Windows. Windows 7 is a very good OS for everyday PC stuff.

[Cayman911]

linux is good for technical stuff. for specialists etc. not a everyday user at home.
if you want to get away from microshaft's buggy windows operating system. and like linux.

there is a working friendly perfect faultless operating system called OS X, by apple buy an apple.

as they say, an apple a day keeps the comptuer doctor away .

[Grasshopperus]

Unless you're looking at getting into IT, I'd stick to Windows. Windows 7 is a very good OS for everyday PC stuff.

What he said

[3lemental]

The other major factor in favor of Linux' is that if you're worried about paying for stuff legally then virtually every Linux distro is FREE!!!

People often reccomend Ubuntu for first timers, but i actually found Fedora easier to learn my way around. To each their own, but if you want to head down that path you may want to look at both.

[jonbuoy]

I´m not sure when anyone here tried the latest release of Ubuntu but it isn´t just for specialists anymore, once drivers are loaded the average user will never need to open a command line window for everyday use.

[SpankMe]

...once drivers are loaded the average user will never need to open a command line window for everyday use.

and almost any other time you need to load drivers for new hardware. and forgot about old or non standard hardware.

[Bren]

I also have been running Linux on and off for years...(my first username on this forum was Linuxrunner)...

I am using a new laptop with Windows7 on it and it is rather good, but still love having a spin with Linux now and then. One thing to consider is how old your computer is. linux in general is not as bloated as windows7 and uses less PC grunt. There is great software for Linux which will not let you down for choices....eg..Gimp for graphics, RhythmBox for Audio, Firefox for browsing etc just to name a few....

As stated before Ubuntu is a good distro to start with...

Mom, test with your big toe and set up a dual boot system, then at least you can play about with it and if needed reboot into windows...

[dipshit]

Basically it boils down to - that amongst computer nerds Windows is uncool and Linux is seen as cool.

Just like Telecom is uncool and any other provider except Telecom is cool.

Even though something like Windows 7 (or Telecom for that matter) will take care of most of your needs satisfactorily.

[jonbuoy]

and almost any other time you need to load drivers for new hardware. and forgot about old or non standard hardware.

I didn´t have any issues with hardware on the new distro, older hardware is sometimes better supported than the newer hardware loads of people running Ubuntu on "obsolete" hardware. Horses for courses, if it keeps developing like it as at the moment it will be THE main OS in the years to come.

[Mental Trousers]

I've been looking after Linux systems for over 20 years, but I'd never use it for my desktop. Unless you're looking at getting into IT, I'd stick to Windows. Windows 7 is a very good OS for everyday PC stuff.

15 years for me. I live on CentOS and Ubuntu at work but at home I'm still using my WinXP install cos I'm too lazy to move to Windows 7.

If you want to try it out install it in a virtual machine so you use both at once.