Why Linux is Better than Windows - Five Reasons to Change your OS

This question on your mind if you are considering upgrading to Linux is most likely "Is Linux better than Windows?” Here we attempt to prove that, yes, Linux is better than Windows. There are specific reasons why Linux is better than Windows, and most of them are related to "freebies."

Linux is an entirely open source project. That means that anyone, even you, can download and change the source code as you please. Because of the free and open nature of Linux, different distros, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, and OpenSUSE, have evolved. This evolution has also branched into the main types of desktop managers regularly used by Linux users: KDE, Xfce, and Gnome. And all of them are free without charge, with some distributions even giving away free CDs (Ubuntu) and ISO downloads from their websites.

Normally, beginners in a certain program or operating system would certainly buy a guidebook, either from a bookstore or from the Internet. Books like “<insert anything here> For Dummies” indeed help in some cases. In the case of Linux, however, you do not have to pay for it. Being an open source project, everything is on the Internet. Even little meticulous details like how to change the font interface is available by just Googling it for a few seconds. There are limitless ways to learn Linux.

Unlike Windows (and now Mac), Linux is currently free from viruses. Why? Virus creators basically create their virus frameworks by using tools that run under the target OS. For Windows malware, they use programming languages such as C#, C++, VB.NET, and the .NET Framework, all of which run, and are created in, Windows. Linux was created from scratch, meaning that it has a completely different framework than Windows. You don’t have to worry about the Conficker virus.

Windows demands more and more memory for every generation. Windows XP needs at least 128 MB of memory. Windows Vista needs at least 2 GB of memory, while Windows 7 needs at least 768 MB of memory. How about Linux? Lighter still. Some Linux distributions only need 128 MB of RAM, which stays constant at every update. Some need 384 MB or 256 MB, but this requirement never changes. Unlike Windows, most versions of Linux are distributed without eye candy or desktop effects. The only way to have desktop effects on Linux is by finding and downloading its package on the Internet, considering you have enough memory - which only needs 512 MB of RAM itself.

One example for this is Ubuntu. Ubuntu creates a new version of the OS every April and October. So you just downloaded Ubuntu and found a bug? Just report it to the distributor and there will be an almost 100% guarantee that the bug will cease to exist on the next update. This counts as a good community support—which you will have forever. Compare this with Windows, which gives limited manufacturer support, at maximum only five to six years.