By now, you may have seen videos of Linux in action. Unlike the stereotype of an total text terminal, block letters against black screen, the videos of Compiz Fusion in particular illustrate the fact that today's Linux is slick and visually appealing. Linux certainly can compete with the visual appeal of Windows 7 or Vista.
Linux certainly is a capable operating system, which is why more users are turning to distributions of it like Ubuntu and Linux Mint. But just as well, Linux certainly is also a different operating system than Microsoft's Windows. As such, it has strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons in comparison and contrast to Windows.
~The Advantages~
For the vast majority of Linux distributions, the greatest pro is that Linux is available completely and legally for free. This not only includes the operating itself, but includes several of the available programs. Whereas a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium can cost $130 for the complete package, Linux is, as mentioned before, *free*. However, on top of that, one must buy Microsoft Office, a firewall and anti-virus software, at the minimum. With Linux, there are several free office suites and several free firewalls.
For that matter, Linux itself is safer. Partially because of less popularity but mostly because of a more solid, safe core, Linux has few viruses, Trojans, or worms to worry about.
Linux is customizable. As the video for Compiz Fusion showed, the visual appearance of Linux and the desktop environment can be extensively customized - and once again, this all can be done for free. In contrast, Windows has more limited customization. While there are programs that allow one to change the appearance of Windows dramatically, many of these programs are not free. Additionally, the capabilities for customization with Linux extend past visual customization. Beginning users can stick with default settings, but more advanced users can dive deep within the system to tweak how it will work with their hardware, improving speed and power. In contrast, the Windows operating system is closed to a point, and tinkering is not supported or encouraged.
Linux has been developed to work across a wide range of hardware. It can be installed on computers old and new, and can be scaled to work quickly and nimbly with limited resources. In contrast, each new edition of Windows requires greater and greater processing capacity, memory, and storage.
These are just a few of the advantages of Linux of Windows. This isn't to say that Linux is perfect, however.
~The Disadvantages~
Because Linux isn't the most popular operating system, it is also not the best supported. While Linux will support a wide range of hardware, some hardware, such as certain printers or wireless network adapters, may not work. Additionally, while Linux has several free programs, Linux often does not officially support the most familiar paid programs for Windows. Gamers, for example, would need to realize that Windows supports far more commercial games than does Linux.
Additionally, Linux is designed for those who do want to tinker. As a result, one disadvantage is that for certain issues or problems that may arise, the user must be willing to search forums, ask around the Linux community, and drill down into the command line to troubleshoot.
Finally, while Linux is easy to install, it is not preinstalled on a great deal of computers. So, to even begin using Linux, one must be proactive in downloading the distribution, burning to a CD or DVD, and then installing based on that.