Linux vs. Windows
- Thread starter MrEMann
- Start date
fastdude
Active Member
It depends on what your using your system for,If its Gaming then you will want to stick with windows. (7 Home premium X64)
If its just general and non gaming stuff then Linux would be a good choice.
Yep, agreed. Linux is awesome for programming, plus its free, but for mainstream programs you'll want windows
tech savvy
Active Member
just get windows,only good thing about Linux is thats its free and its free for a reason.
salvage-this
Active Member
Because it is an open source operating system and that is how they are designed?
tech savvy
Active Member
no because if they charged for it no1 would have it,lol. and are you asking a question or making a statment?
salvage-this
Active Member
I would have it. Gaming is the only thing that I use windows for.
I dual boot XP and Linux Mint on my laptop. Linux is by far faster than Windows, and far less bloaty.
tlarkin
VIP Member
just some facts...
1) They do charge for Linux, it is called Enterprise Linux. Redhat enterprise, SuSe, and some other Unix-bsed OSes do in fact cost money.
2) The free, "open source," market is a 500 million dollar a year market, so it is in fact making money.
There are plenty of people who do not use Windows. My buddy's wife uses their Ubuntu laptop and she has zero computer knowledge. Granted she uses it for basic things but she has no problems at all using Linux. It is not a 'must-have,' unless maybe you are a gamer.
Also, Linux is not only good for programming. My HTPC at home runs Linux and it works great. You know why I use Linux? Simply because I don't want to spend $150 on an OS to play movies on my TV, that is dumb.
It all comes down to personal preferences and needs/wants. If you want to game, Windows is the best OS choice for gaming currently.
Quiltface
Active Member
I will second linux mint as far as linux goes.
What are you going to use this computer for? Like they said gaming will sway you towards windows instantly. Just doing Internet and office type stuff linux would work just as good as windows. Do you plan on using it for work and installing work applications or company VPN software. Make sure that it is supported by the OS you choose. Linux has an alternative for a lot of things but sometimes an alternative isnt an option. So keep those things in mind. If they were both free I would do windows.
What are you going to use this computer for? Like they said gaming will sway you towards windows instantly. Just doing Internet and office type stuff linux would work just as good as windows. Do you plan on using it for work and installing work applications or company VPN software. Make sure that it is supported by the OS you choose. Linux has an alternative for a lot of things but sometimes an alternative isnt an option. So keep those things in mind. If they were both free I would do windows.
I just installed XP on a Linux Laptop for a Lady who thought Linux would work because about all she did with a Computer was Voice Chat with her Mom, and do email.
She said she spent a lot of time first trying to get her Wireless Headset to work. A MS XBox 360 wireless mic and earphone. That Failed linux just would not recognize it.
Then she couldn't find a application that would allow her to use Voice Chat services on MSN Messenger, she could type messages, but not voice Chat.
So it can be something pretty simple for Windows to do that Linux can't cope with, or you the user can't figure out how to configure.
She said she spent a lot of time first trying to get her Wireless Headset to work. A MS XBox 360 wireless mic and earphone. That Failed linux just would not recognize it.
Then she couldn't find a application that would allow her to use Voice Chat services on MSN Messenger, she could type messages, but not voice Chat.
So it can be something pretty simple for Windows to do that Linux can't cope with, or you the user can't figure out how to configure.
tlarkin
VIP Member
sounds like she cannot use google
http://pingus.seul.org/~grumbel/xboxdrv/
http://kmess.org/
http://pidgin.im/
I will give you Linux is harder to learn because it is so different than Windows and Windows owned the first market share of personal computers for the most part. So, most people are acclimated to the monolithic design that is Windows.
Also for someone who doesn't really care about computers that much any techno-speak can be like speaking Latin to some people. However, I am sure she could have gotten everything to work right if she researched, RTFM, and tried and had a little patience.
Though, Windows is easier, and there are many reasons it is and that is a discussion I really don't want to go down because it involves OS design from the kernel on down.
Dropkickmurphys
New Member
As someone else said, if you want the best of both worlds, dual boot. If you choose windows in the end its not the end of the world cause Linux is free.
I have considered moving to Linux for my main OS and keeping Windows for gaming only (though I do get Windows for free - it's awesome being a student - so that also factors in my decision).
I have considered moving to Linux for my main OS and keeping Windows for gaming only (though I do get Windows for free - it's awesome being a student - so that also factors in my decision).
iAteBillyMays
New Member
I haven't been using Linux for too long, but it doesn't seem to be all that great compared to Windows. The only benefit to having Linux is that it's free, software is free, and there are only like two viruses programmed for it. I happened to get a free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate and getting free software is never a problem for me as it is, so Linux doesn't really do me all that good.
tech savvy
Active Member
^as i said, only benefit of linux is thats its free.