by Ryan Budiman

Created on: January 14, 2009

Which Operating System should I choose, Windows or the Linux distros? Unfortunately, that decision can only be made by YOU, and I can't interfere. You decide which one you will install on your computer. Is it the expensive but more user-friendly Windows, or the free and contemporary Linux desktop? To help you in deciding, here are the non-biased comparison of Windows and Linux. As for me there isn't a single perfect OS, hopefully after reading this you'll be able to make the right choice.

First of all, you must know (if you haven't already know) that when we say Linux, actually we are not referring to any individual distros (also known as Linux 'flavors'). This means that you can run either Ubuntu, Fedora, or even the Damn Small Linux and that is still considered as using the GNU/Linux operating system, eventhough they all differ in appearance and features.So think of this: Windows is much better than some poorly-designed Linux distros, but ultimately still lagging behind some professionally made Linux OSes, and that depends on how YOU look at it. Ok, moving on the real comparison. In this article I will be comparing Windows (preferably XP and Vista) to some major Linux distros (such as Debian, RedHat, Fedora, and Ubuntu).

Now let's see how they score in the most important aspect of computing for normal users, the ease of use. If you prefer to be able to use your computer easily rather than a spending your time configuring security and other things, then Windows is for you. XP and Vista both offer you the luxury of forgetting the system configuration and/or the security, performance, and compatibility issues and lets you focus on your works and games. It automatically configures itself, needing only minimal attention from the user and it installs an application using the 'Next-Next-Next-Finish' method. But with every luxury came a cost, and frankly Windows isn't an exclusion. The first negative point of Windows compared to Linux is that you must PAY to use it, Microsoft didn't make Windows an open-source project (imagine if they did). And secondly Windows isn't that configurable compared to any Linux distros, so it may not be able to do what you wanted it to do.

On the other hand, if you could bear the configurations and many package compilations needed to run Linux, and prefer a secure, stable, and virus-free computing, Linux is definitely your best choice. The great thing is that some Linux distros such as Ubuntu has been developed with computer dummies in their mind; they offer many automatic solution to some of the most widely spread issues. So that means that if you only wanted to do simple things such as word processing and web browsing, you don't have to face the command-line and the config files.

All in all, the decision is yours. Whether you want to run Windows with its user-friendly interface, or GNU/Linux distros with its highly secure and extensible system, it is up to you and your needs.

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