Which one should I choose, between Linux OS and Wndows OS?

Question

I have recently received a notebook computer from a friend, and I would like to install a nice OS that is user friendly and higher security, now I would like to know which one between linux and Windows meets the mentioned characteristics.

My comp requires the operating system with 64 bit. It is Acer ASPIRE 5520

Answer 1

You need to ask yourself the following questions:

* How hard is it for me to learn a new operating system? If your the type of person that found Vista so confusing that you just had to stay with WinXP then you will also find Linux confusing as well and you may get frustrated using Linux.

* How much commercial software do I have to use? Like the question above if you find it too hard to switch to Open Source versions of commercial programs (say from MS Office to Open Office) then you shouldn't use Linux.

* How much is your time worth? This may sound silly but your time is worth something and you have to way the cost of a commercial OS like Windows (costing at least $200 for their worst version and up to $500 for the best version), versus the time it will take getting use to Linux and troubleshooting the odd problem that you may encounter setting it up. A more user friendly Linux distro (like Linux Mint or Ubuntu) will encounter less problems but you will still have to learn how to get around in the OS.

* If you are going to go with Linux, What distro should you use? Lucky for you there is a good online quiz ( http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/index.php?firsttime=true ) that will tell you what Linux distro will fit your needs. It will also give you links to those distro's websites.



If I was you and I hadn't tried Linux before I would either install a bunch of different distros into virtual machines ( http://www.vmware.com/products/server/ ) and try them out to see which one I like best. Once I found one or two that I want to use, I would burn off the LiveCDs (a LiveCD is OS that can run from the CD and doesn't need to be installed to work) and see if the OS will be a pain to get working on your computer. If you like what you see then take the plunge. If not then fall back on Windows.

Answer 2

Give Ubuntu or Linux Mint a try first.  They won't cost you anything other than the download, and you can make sure they run your hardware from the live CD before you commit to an install.  They are user friendly and secure.



IF you decide you don't like them, then Windows 7 with the Windows firewall and a good antivirus such as Avira free is pretty secure and user friendly.  It's just a bit pricey, especially compared to Linux at $0 (or €0 or £0 or ¥0, etc. depending on where you are).

 

Answer 3

Blindly, I choose Linux in all three categories. But you can't really answer "UNIX", since there are many UNIX operating systems, some with commercial support, some as free as Linux. Also, this really depends on what kind of system are you deploying. For a simple web-based application, a LAMP setup on desktop-grade hardware will more than suffice. For a banking application or something that must be robust and handle thousands of simultaneous users with little downtime, a clustered solution should be considered. Mac OS X is primarily a desktop operating system. The only time we needed to setup one as a server was when we had to operate remotely with a specialized, desktop-only application. And any operating system which doesn't offer reasonable upgrade options (*coughCentOScough*) is not worth considering.

Answer 4

It's a choice of having both of them in a dual boot system. You get the best of both operating systems. Where one falls short the other makes up for it and vise versa. All six computers I use run dual boot with Windows. I wouldn't have it any other way.



Windows operates through the DOS level operating system. Linux runs through the kernel at the hardware level. This is one difference between the two.



This may not be the answer you are looking for, but I hope it will be of some help. You will probably find using Linux with the KDE desktop Environment more enjoyable, than the other desktop environments offered. It is the closest to looking and feeling like Windows.

Answer 5

Its going to depend really on what you want to do with the laptop.



If its for game playing then you are better of going Windows as Linux isn't as well supported.



If its for general PC use or program development then linux is as well supported, if not better than windows with a large amount of software being available for free often with source code. Even the OS itself is free as Chris G points out.

Answer 6

Windows

Answer 7

If you're a serious PC gamer, then choose Windows.



Otherwise Linux is a much better choice.





If you choose Linux I recommend you try Ubuntu Linux 9.10.

Answer 8

Windows



Linux has hardly any programs for It