12 reasons why Linux is better than Windows

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The myth that Linux is complex and is only needed by programmers and developers is not true.

Windows is the most popular operating system, and it deserves it. She has come a long way, constantly improving and developing. However, while Microsoft claims the Ten is its best creation, Linux beats Windows in some ways.

1. Convenient implementation of updates

Probably, we are all familiar with this situation. You turn on your computer in the morning to do important and urgent work, and Windows 10 suddenly pleases with a bluish screen and the inscription "Updates in progress." Apparently, Microsoft is hinting that your business can wait. And if your configuration is not the most powerful, the update can take an indecently long time.

Yes, a forced restart was removed from the operating system, and now you can set an interval during which the computer must refrain from it. Still, Windows 10 Home won't let you postpone updates for more than 12 hours. Some users are so annoyed with this need that they resort to all sorts of tricks to disable the function.

On Linux, there is no problem with a long update during which you cannot do anything. All patches are installed in the background while you are working, surfing the Internet or listening to music, and do not interfere with the use of your computer in any way. And the reboot after the update in Linux happens as usual - there are no signs "28% left" hanging for an hour. And finally, you can just forget about operating system updates and not install them - it will not try to argue with you.

2. Easy installation of applications

Have you ever felt that the Windows Store, how to put it mildly, is a little useless? No, of course, and in it, if you wish, you can find worthwhile applications.

But for the most part, when we need to install a program, we open a browser and go to the software developer's site to download the installation file from there. And then open it, enable execution, press the "Next" button several times … A bunch of unnecessary actions.

All popular Linux distributions have convenient app stores that download and install programs from repositories (network sources). And this is very convenient.

Do you need to install Firefox, Skype or Telegram? You don't have to google them. Check them in the store or package manager, click one "Install" button, and after a few seconds they will appear on your computer.

Another plus of Linux repositories is that updates for all programs come from the same source and are installed at the same time. Along with the system patches, the browser, the video player, and everything else will also be updated.

In Linux, there is no situation when you run the program, it offers to update, and you have to wait until the new version is downloaded and installed.

3. Absence of intrusive programs

Windows 10 has a ton of so-called universal apps built into it. Some of them, like Mail and Calendar, can be useful.

But why do you need Mixed Reality Portal if you don't have a VR headset, 3D Viewer if you're not a modeler, and an Xbox if you don't play on a Microsoft console? Moreover, in the Home edition of Windows, new applications that you did not ask for may well be installed on their own, if Microsoft decides that you need them.

The presence of such programs in the Start menu is only annoying, and they also take up extra disk space. Of course, they can be disabled or removed, but this will take time and unnecessary gestures.

There is no such problem in Linux. The system will never impose certain applications on you, persuade you to use a specific default browser and install something without asking. If you need a ready-made system with built-in offices, calculators and players, download the distribution kit, where all this is included by default, and use it.

Do you want to control what and how will be installed on your computer? Start installing the system using Net Installer and check the boxes which programs you need and which you don't. Nothing extra.

4. Low weight of the system

Windows 10 is pretty heavy and takes up a lot of disk space. On average, after installing and downloading all updates, 25-35 GB will be filled in the system partition. But you still have to install a browser, an office suite, a media player and all that stuff like that.

This will especially "please" the owners of budget notebooks with a small amount of internal memory. The Windows 10 installation ISO file alone weighs more than 4GB - I wonder what they put in there?

The Linux Mint distribution kit, for example, weighs 1, 8 GB, and it already has an office suite, media players, a tool for creating backups, and a whole lot more. After installation, it will take up somewhere 4, 8 GB. Moreover, this is a rather heavyweight distribution. And there are also very tiny ones that will eat no more than 700 MB.

5. High level of performance

Owners of not the fastest and newest computers and laptops, on which Windows 7 was still installed, probably noticed how unhurried the system becomes after updating to the "Ten". This is especially evident on devices without SSD. When Windows 10 tries to install in the background updates or downloads programs from the Microsoft Store, the computer literally starts "howling" all the fans.

Linux has much lower hardware requirements and can fly even on very modest configurations, making it an ideal candidate for installation on low-power or older computers. Some distributions are capable of doing quite well on devices with 128MB of RAM!

6. Customizable interface

There is not much you can change about the Windows 10 interface. You can experiment with the color of the windows or the theme, add or remove tiles from the Start menu. But this, in general, is all. You will not be able to reshape windows and taskbar, move the notification panel to the right edge, or change something else. We'll have to use what Microsoft designers came up with.

Linux gives users almost complete freedom of customization. It has a lot of desktop skins that you can change the way you want. Want a super modern interface with tons of transparency, pop-ups and other goodies? Or maybe you need large icons and menu items for a touchscreen display? Or do you prefer a conservative and minimalist option for a low-power computer? The choice is great.

7. Flexible management

Microsoft thinks it knows better how you should use your computer. The window control buttons are located on the right, and you can't argue with that. The selected window cannot be docked on top of others (without using third-party tools), which means that you do not need it. Bring the shutdown and restart buttons from the "Start" to the taskbar - what are you talking about? And there is only one active corner - the lower right corner, and it minimizes all windows. He shouldn't do anything else.

In contrast, Linux allows you to customize the behavior of the interface as you wish. If you prefer to use hot corners to launch programs, you just need to enable them in the settings. Need a global menu bar like macOS? In almost any shell, you can add it by simply installing the desired extension. But what is really there, even the order and location of the window control buttons can be changed.

8. High level of security

Although Microsoft has done a lot of work to improve security in the Top Ten and even built its own good antivirus there, Windows is still a vulnerable system. It is for her that most viruses and malware are created.

Another Windows problem is adware programs. You download some useful gizmo, launch the installer without recklessly looking at the checkboxes, and you are added to your appendage with someone else's home page in your browser, a bunch of toolbars and extensions, some kind of Yandex Browser and all that kind of stuff. Even very high-quality and popular programs sin with such dirty tricks. The same AIMP player, for example.

In Linux, viruses are almost completely absent. There is no adware in it either. And you don't need to worry that you will do something wrong and install some nasty stuff.

9. Free distributions

Gone are the days when you could get Windows 10 upgrades for free. Now for the licensed home version of the "Ten" you will have to pay 199 dollars, and even more for the Pro edition. If you are not ready to unfasten this money from your pocket, and your conscience does not allow you to become a pirate, try Linux.

This system is completely free. You can download any distribution kit from the official site, install it, and it will never ask you for money or make you doubt its "authenticity".

There are, of course, several Linux distributions with paid commercial support, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux. But they are focused on corporate use and are not needed at home.

10. Free software

Even after purchasing Windows 10, your spending isn't over yet. The next step is to purchase a Microsoft Office package or some kind of graphic editor such as Adobe Photoshop. Another blow to the pocket.

Linux app stores are just a bunch of free, one-click software. Graphic and office editors, options for video processing, archivers and other stuff. Of course, free counterparts are somewhat inferior to commercial ones, but they will be enough for home use.

11. Complete confidentiality and privacy

There are a lot of broken copies of telemetry in Windows 10. The system diligently sends information to Microsoft about which applications you install, which sites you visit and where you are. Of course, these data are impersonal, and in general everything is for your own good.

True, digging into the settings, this feature of the system can be turned off, but there is no guarantee that with the next update it will not be activated again.

Linux lacks telemetry. As a last resort, in some distributions, you can manually send a bug report to the developers, and before that the system will ask your permission. However, this is optional and can be easily disabled.

12. A wide variety of distributions

Windows 10, by and large, exists only in two guises - Home and Pro (there are still all sorts of Enterprise and Enterprise LTSB, but they are not for mere mortals). The difference between them is small: the Pro version has a little more functions and capabilities, but they are all safely hidden in the bowels of the operating system and are not particularly interesting to the average user.

Linux is very diverse. There are a large number of distributions that can meet a wide variety of needs. For comfortable homework, there is Linux Mint and Ubuntu, for lovers of beauty - Kubuntu and Neon, for fans of everything new and experimental - Arch and Manjaro.

And then there are distributions for programmers, for paranoids, for owners of old hardware, for creating media centers and home servers … There is plenty to choose from. Take a look, for example, on the site and see what is there from the popular.