Just because you and everyone you know has a Windows-based computer, except for a few Macintosh friends, doesn’t mean that other operating systems aren’t also used. A free system, called Linux, can be downloaded and used by anyone, without any charge, and it is liked by a lot of people. By looking at both Windows and Linux, together, we will be able to tell what they have in common, as well as their differences.
Flexibility is usually the reason that people choose Linux over Windows. The distribution of the software comes from many different companies which gives you a variety to choose from. Microsoft offers Windows exclusively, which is completely different than the Linux OS distribution. This monopoly that Microsoft seems to have in regard to personal computing makes it difficult to choose other operating systems. Likewise, Apple computers are the sole providers of Macintosh and its iOS system. This is far different from Linux which offers its operating system open source which means it is alterable by companies and individuals. In my line of work as an ultrasound technician, I prefer using Linux system in my OS, given that it’s more customized and low cost than windows. If you’re not familiar with Linux, it might seem that it’s an obscure operating system that doesn’t have much to offer. Useful applications can be run through the Linux OS, and it is also used by many people worldwide. Even though you cannot run Microsoft programs with this OS, it actually is not limiting. The Linux OS has a variety of applications including e-mail, graphics, and other applications which are very similar to many Windows programs. Easy to use, Linux products are just about as good as the software available for Windows. On the other hand, if you are working or interacting with people who are using Windows programs, there may be some issues regarding compatibility.
One benefit of using Linux is that it can be run on old computers. This is what makes it unique among all of the available operating systems. We all know how quickly most computers become obsolete–it happens in just a few years for computers that have Windows and Mac installed on them. If you tried to install Windows 7, for example, on a five year old computer or older, it would overload the system due to the high memory requirements of Windows. Ubuntu Feisty Fawn, however, one of the Linux operating systems, only ask for 64 MB RAM and 300mHz which is very tiny by today’s standards. What this means is that you are able to take an old computer out of a closet or buy one relatively cheaply, download Linux and have everything up and running pretty quickly. If you want to choose an operating system there are a lot of factors that you need to keep in mind. Whether you should choose Windows or Linux is dependent upon whether you want the flexibility involved in Linux or the compatibility that Windows offers with all of the software programs you might want to use. These are just some of the reasons that Linux and Windows are great choices for your computer.