Why do lots of people say linux is better?

Question

My dad always installs Ubuntu on every computer in the house. I know that more people say windows sucks, and Linux is better, but I don't see why. Windows comes on every computer anyway, so it doesn't matter that Linux is free. The Linux user interface is unhandy. It's also slower, definitely the newest version; everything moves shocky, not smooth. It also has a problem with sound. And most games, programs, and a lot of online programs only work in Windows.

Answer 1

Because linux is



1, Fast

2, Secure

3. Customizable

and 4. Generally, all around pretty bad .



The unity interface, which is the default one on ubuntu has a fairly high system requitment (1GB of RAM, and modern graphics acceleration (open GL 2.0+) Try the xfce desktop withing for a more reposnive experience.

Answer 2

In many ways, Linux is better for some people. For most people, it isn't. Not as it is right now. Maybe eventually it will be.



Linux is free, first of all. At the core, it is more stable, less likely to crash, can stay on indefinitely without problems, much faster, much smarter at handling data, doesn't require defragmentation, isn't plagued with viruses or malware, and has excellent security. Those are the good points.



The bad points are the problem. While some distros like Ubuntu work "out of the box" with most hardware, there is a problem when something doesn't work. When it works correctly, it's fine. Otherwise, you have to do a lot of work and research to try to make the hardware work. If it works at all. With distros like Ubuntu, the stability is lost with all the additional features and software added to it. It still crashes like other operating systems. Windows and Mac software do not work on Linux, however there is a method of emulating Windows, called Wine. It takes a bit of learning to get Wine to work, and it doesn't run everything perfectly. Installing software on some distros means using the command line interface, others like Ubuntu have a software list where you just click on what you want to install. Installing from a software center is easy, but installing by command line can be complicated, especially if it's something you have to compile. The file system is nothing like Windows, so things can be hard to find coming from a Windows background.



Really, I think it's what you need the operating system for that matters. If you're a gamer, you need Windows. If you're doing programming or some professional task that needs heavy computing power behind it, Linux is great, assuming you can find software for it.



If Ubuntu's interface is slow, something is wrong with the setup. Of course, there are other desktop environments that can be installed that would be faster.

Answer 3

Every operating System is Better, it is simply a matter of opinion and if that system does every thing you need it to do. They all have their Pros and their Cons and none of them are even on the same playing field. I could make a comment about each one of the things you feel are wrong. One thing here being over looked is the fact that most of these people grew up with DOS and Windows, it's not like they don't know what Windows is all about. Windows wise you really are not pointing any thing out that they don't already know about. Ubuntu is not the only Linux in existence and most of us using Linux are not using the same Linux, and yes, I have Windows also.

Answer 4

There are tons of reasons why Linux is preferred by some people over Windows, but first I want to point out a few inaccuracies in your arguments:



1. A lot of linux users build their own computers, so they don't "come with Windows".



2. There's no such thing as "the Linux user interface." There are about a dozen mainstream interfaces that are linux compatible. If you don't like the one that came with Ubuntu (incidentally, I don't blame you: the Unity interface is horrible) then just install a new one. Unlike Windows, you are not stuck with a single interface. For example, on my wife's user account she kept the default Unity interface, but on my user account I'm running the LXDE interface, which is faster than Unity and more closely resembles the Windows interface.



3. Once again, "Slower" is an Ubuntu problem, not a Linux problem. And again, if you don't like how fast your current installation is running you are free to tweak it and tune it to make it faster, which is also unlike Windows. In most environments Linux is actually much MUCH faster than Windows.



Now on to the main reasons people like Linux better:



1. It's open source. This means you are free to alter the program any way you want and even distribute your own version of Linux and nobody will sue you. I know that doesn't matter for a casual user, but in the programmer's world that's a big deal.



2. It's way more secure. And I don't mean that fake "nobody writes viruses for it because of low market share" type of secure that Apple fanboys get away with. I mean it is truly more secure from the kernel up. Basically as long as you're not stupid enough to give away your root password its safe.



3. It's way lighter. Meaning, it runs faster in most situations (like I said before, your case is unique in that your dad chose a crappy distribution).



4. Customization. This feeds into #1 above but on Linux you can tweak EVERYTHING. I know some users like having a system that "just works" and don't care about customization, but there are those of us who like tuning our computers to the absolute best performance.

Answer 5

They say it is better because for them it is better. I've used Linux for almost ten years. I've used Windows for over 20 years, starting with Windows386, which came out before Windows, 3.0. And I personally despise Windows. I use linux because it does what I want without being in bondage to Microsoft.



However, I would never use Ubuntu. I've used Slackware for years, and there is nothing I need to do that I can't do with Slackware with the exception for playing a few games.



If you are serious gamer, then Windows is better. AFAIC that is the only thing Windows is good for.

Answer 6

Uninstall it. All it's going to do is frustrate you. The lack of software, drivers and compatibility with what you are used to is just going to be annoying. Unless you are running a server- Linux is pointless. It's good at running numbers and staying in a closet without a monitor turned on / attached.



Everyone goes off about it because it's free. But you definitely get what you pay for. "It has a whole list of apps!" Yes and all of those are just as available on PC, and will most likely run better due to actually using your hardware specific drivers, instead of just generic drivers. It's like running in safe mode all the time.



Good luck getting your graphics card to work to its potential, good luck installing a printer. If you want the functionality of a web browser as an Operating System, then stick with Ubuntu.... if you want to be able to actually do anything besides surf the web and run an "OMG ITS FREE" Office Program, go with Windows. It's good on 10+ year old computers, but better still would be Windows XP.



Linux is good for Phones, Netbooks, and Tablets, because they don't do much and don't have much as far as hardware so they need a stripped down OS/web browser.

Answer 7

Linux is free as in freedom.



What user interface are you referring to? "Newest version" of what? Linux is a kernel, the same that runs your wireless router or most likely your cellphone.

Answer 8

There are far less bugs in it than windows. The security is also much tigher in lunux. It's also what programming uses a lot of times.

Answer 9

Linux is much bigger than just the scope of Ubuntu, fyi.

Answer 10

More customization, better for programming ect.



Go Ubuntu 12.10.

Answer 11

Not free as in price, free as in freedom.