What are the advantages of using Linux and Firefox instead of Windows? Explained simply for a novice.?

Question

I am not particularly advanced when it comes to techy stuff, it's not that I'm incapable, but rather that I've never been interested. I can use a computer no problem, but do not understand the esoteric jargon that goes with this stuff like open source etc. I've recently become aware of the growing popularity and ostensible superiority of using open source systems instead of the standard Windows ones, I've done a bit of research but cannot seem to get to grips with much of the language used. Please could someone explain in simple terms the potential advantages of using these systems.

Answer 1

"All differences between O/S's are mostly in the G.U.I (graphic user interface.) "



With all due respect, anyone person saying that has absolutely no clue at all what they are saying.



The difference in the OS has little to do with GUI. Linux is Linux, but you can have several very different GUIs - gnome, xfce, Kde, fluxbox, windowmaker, etc. They are *very* different, but the OS running them is identical. Very different GUIs, exact same OS.



For the non-technical user, the reason to use Firefox with Linux is:



It is free.

It is very stable.

It is very secure, and has almost zero virus/malware risk.

It is very fast.



There are many technical reasons to use Linux instead of Windows, but those four basics are a good start.

Answer 2

linux is definitely NOT for beginners or novices there are too many complexities for people who are not computer literate , there is limited poor quality software and if things go wrong solutions can be a,most impossible to find , in 10 years I am sure linux will be as good as windows

Answer 3

>Sir, if you never want to write a program, and you aren't bothered overmuch by

> malware and the burdens of extra cost, then Windows is fine. Firefox or Safari

> is better as a browser than Internet Explorer, in my humble opinion, but your

> mileage may vary. Also, I like gmail, which I got with Mozilla and Firefox. But

> I would never use Yahoo for mail or searching. The rest is just a matter of price.

>

> John ([e-mail])

Answer 4

Linux is built as a multiuser and networked system from the ground up with well designed security protocols at every step. Mac OS X is the same, it's based on BSD Linux.



Windows on the other hand is designed as a single user environment and networking and access controls are an after thought. By trying to design a system for numb-nuts based solely on convenience the trade off was poor security.



With Linux there is a massive army out there in the developer community actively nutting out bugs and collaborating to find fixes and patches for any vulnerabilities. Open sourced software also makes it possible for the software to be modified and adapted easily for different uses and ported to different operating systems and architectures.

Answer 5

Linux and windows are operating systems, simply put, the program a computer uses to run all of your programs. Without it, you would just have lines of code flashing at you. The way an O/S (operating system) interprets that code is where the differences start. All differences between O/S's are mostly in the G.U.I (graphic user interface.) The GUI is the style in Which your monitor displays. So at the main root, it is just wether you like the style of windows, Linux, or Apple best. Windows is usually preferred because of it's functionality, where Apple is more user friendly, and Linux is most complicated. HOWEVER, Firefox is a browser (what you use to search the internet) All windows computers come default with internet explorer, but that takes up a lot if memory. To fix this, Google and Mozilla both made there own free open-source browsers. Google made google chrome and mozilla made Firefox. Chrome runs the fastest, but Firefox is still faster than explorer.