There are many articles on comparisons between different operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, GNU / Linux, etc. There are also many others with reasons to use a specific operating system, but in this article we will introduce several reasons why we should not use an operating system: Microsoft Windows. These reasons have been created taking as reference other UNIX-like and open source operating systems, such as Linux, FreeBSD, etc.
It is true that Microsoft Windows has a lot of software on its part, that there are many drivers and great support from manufacturers, for gamers it is the platform with the most titles, but that is due to the market share it has achieved. Most importantly, most equipment builders pre-install it on their products so that it reaches most of users almost by obligation. Many schools or educational centers also use it, so when someone gets used to it, it is more complicated to adapt it to another environment. Despite these benefits, this operating system provides little else and there are many more reasons to use other systems operational. In fact, in other sectors where the Wintel alliance did not do that damage, Windows is hardly present, such as servers, supercomputers, embedded, etc.
All the reasons why Windows should not be used are:
- Price: the license has a price, it is not cheap at all. In addition, the software that exists for this platform is also paid in many cases, so the cost rises considerably (unless it is pirated, but that is illegal ...).
- Owners: it is a proprietary environment, with closed source software. But in addition, the software that exists for this platform is also usually closed. You will not be able to modify it, you will not be able to distribute it and what is worse, you will not know what it does exactly.
- Low security: UNIX environments are considerably more secure than Windows even with the default settings. And if we spend a while setting up and implementing security measures, they become extremely secure. Also, since they are not so popular, there is less malware for them. And due to its way of managing permissions and privileges, the malware that exists is usually not so problematic and when an infection occurs it is more because of the user's trust, rather than because of security holes or vulnerabilities.
- Lack of confidentiality- Maintaining data privacy or confidentiality in Windows is mission impossible. On the other hand, in the different Linux distros, a compilation and reporting of user information is not usually done in the way it is done in Windows. Or the software and systems that compose it are not so invasive.
- Poor performance- Generally almost all operating systems perform better than Windows, be it Linux, FreeBSD, etc. They tend to consume much less resources and dedicate them to what you really want, to run the software more agile. In addition, there are lightweight desktop environments, much lighter that can even run on an old or low-resource computer. By the way, add that, although I know that a lot of work has been done on NTFS, it still continues to generate fragmentation in the files, which makes the machine slower and slower with use ... It is not built to last!
- No flexibility: Windows only has one possible desktop environment, a package manager, a bootloader, a shell (CMD or also PowerShell in some versions), a single file manager, etc. If you like it well and if you don't like it, you can put up with it… That's the philosophy. On the other hand, in other free operating systems you can choose between different environments, different shells, different boot loaders, different file managers, a large number of file systems (FS), etc. And even do without any of these elements, such as working in text mode, if you don't want a graphical interface. Not only that, its high degree of configurability makes it even more flexible, and since it can be modified, it is extremely adaptable and portable.
- Poor Stability / Robustness: Windows is not as stable as expected, perhaps for most home users, but not for other tasks. Also, it is not a system that is robust as a rock, but rather something sensitive, especially its register. If we add errors and restarts due to updates to that, it can be exasperating. By the way, updates that seem to cause more problems lately than they fix. It seems that some damaged the WiFi, others deleted user files, some have left certain computers unable to boot or generated performance problems, and the last one in May seems to have been canceled by Microsoft because it caused the USB devices and the reader to SD cards stop working ...
Do you have any more? There are. Do not forget to comment ...
I could give you a good list answering each point, but it is easier to summarize it in that with Windows the head heating is usually much less for many things. I have had days in which I have updated the NVIDIA drivers with 2 clicks and to play, and I have had days in which I have had to lose two afternoons because those same drivers gave me problems in the Arch that I have in the laptop. I use both systems daily and each one for a specific purpose, I'm not going to lie to you if I tell you that I work much more comfortable in Linux.
I always notice a lot of hostility towards Microsoft when speaking in these contexts. I prefer to see it as that not everything is black or white, I think you can live with both perfectly, the problem is to turn everything into a Barcelona - Real Madrid, or with me or against me.
I spent some time in Manjaro using non-free drivers and I had no problem with my Nvidia card.
I only went back to Ubuntu because I can't live without Unity.
Well, as I say, Linux is missing many things, many people will not install their video card or other device with simple 2 clicks in Linux, there is no free suite that does what ms office does, basic things maybe yes, but you You feel like using an office from 10-15 years ago, rough interface from the Windows 98 era and without many new functions; Until they come up with a really similar, user-friendly alternative, many people will just go back to Windows.
The last point: the games. Many games are on different platforms not compatible with Linux, and the drivers come out with performance optimizations for new games almost weekly. You skip the notification, you get the log with the improvements in certain games, you just press a button and everything is updated. In Linux you almost occupy drivers from 6 months ago without these optimizations. Or to say how friendly the file manager is when you connect a pendrive or other external drive and the files come out with their own icon when they have it and it opens a window to open them. These are little things that Linux users keep away. In my case, I play a lot and use the office a lot. How do you get me out of there?
If it is a Radeon graphics it is less than 2 clicks, they are 0, you do not need to install anything
MS Office since 2009 I hate it, it's horrible and not productive the tabs
Not everyone lives off games and 70% hacks them on Windows
Without optimizing the drivers? You will say it for Nvidia, that the drivers are painful, AMD updates them almost every week and they are free
Vulkan is by default on Linux while Microsoft does not want it for not killing DirectX
Linux works for everything, the cons is the libreoffice which is a bit of a bum.
Windows, don't lose the drivers because the machine won't work for you anymore. I bought laptop with original win7, when I had to reinstall it again ... I didn't have the win7 (they don't give it to you) or the audio, wifi, etc. dirver. I put kubuntu on it and it works great.
My opinion is that you can live with both operating systems, it is all made for windows, an example is the use in my work, it is very difficult to get my colleagues used to use linux, they can barely with windows, imagine, in particular in my home we use linux lite and sparklinux and q4os, without drawbacks, anyway I think it would not be convenient to go the other way around, linux would be commercial just like windows and surely they would create viruses and others, on the linux platform, to feed the industry of antivirus that is quite large
Hold Windows. You can see the hatred they have for him but they will never win.
PS: Fucking.
autodesk- no program comes very close to this. Draftsight a bit.
adobe after effects - come on ... those who use these applications seriously know that the alternatives in linux are in their infancy (yes, this blender, but when exporting ... it takes 1 year compared to adobe)
outlook- nothing remotely similar is for linux, not 1 third of the utilities.
hmm ... something else?
PS: I LOVE linux, but I am aware of its low points
Seriously?? I agree with you in the first two answers, although you also have to admit that it is very specialized software, but… outlook ??
You have Thunderbird as a mail manager, which works great, managing contacts, groups, custom signatures, application customization (much more advanced than outlook), extensions, calendar, task management, multiple email accounts, synchronization with gmail , email management by tabs…. and I could go on. Even the searches are more complete than in Outlook, and it is not that I say it, my colleagues say it using the application daily on more than 20 computers.
AutoDesk in the whole is almost not comparable for the experts with others that exist in Linux, for the average and the others, it is not required.
Adobe after effects, is a program also classified for experts but in Linux it has many contenders that overshadow it, including blender, which is faster in Linux than in Windows.
Microsoft Outlook, here you can download the cons of the program, poor memory management, slow, heavy and not suitable for the home (complicated if we talk about the professional version), your opponent is undoubtedly Thunderbird, Evolution and Kmail (for the professionals) but if you talk about simple Outlook, it also has strong and simple opponents in Linux, even in Windows there are better programs.
Currently, Linux is the best implemented operating system for programmers, filmmakers (let's see the latest movies with special effects to realize that Linux was introduced strongly), companies in the administrative part (its stability and its longevity) and in the house (it has the latest and least complicated on the market)
Of course Linux is not the answer for everything like MacOS but it works and very well. It all depends on the person in front of the computer.
I am not against linux. but your comparison is disgusting .. I'll give you this example: if you're going to buy a car, where are you going? put it chevrolet ford. You pay for the car and you know that if you have problems with it one day because you misused it, you have a support and people who are there to repair that car ... or do you prefer to buy the free car that you don't know who did it, what if you leave to paw you have to beg to find the mechanic or electrician who made the installations to solve it for you because the guy did those things because he had free time and he has a life, and he is not available for your problems. Then look for another neighborhood car to meet at least what you need. but surprise that other car is made in a very different way but with the facades of ford or chevrolet. but it is not even half of what a real ford or chevrolet yields ..
Linux is and will be the crazy one of the computer science .. everyone gets their hands on it .. name how many editions I release windows .. and name how many distro linux has .. and second
One of the important privacy issues is missing Windows 10 is the operating system that collects the most data from its users
Reasons not to use windows UnU that ugly but if Linux distros where I can't use photoshop, premiere, indesing, illustrator, play and stream 100%, Linux is fine, it has helped me a lot for databases and some code but from there to having it as the main one, no thanks, I couldn't do anything.
May 2th 2019
Good!
I have been a regular user of gnu / linux (more specifically of the Ubuntu family) since 2012. When I say regular user, I mean someone who hardly uses this type of system on home PCs. I am not a "distro tester", nor do I have a great deal of Linux knowledge beyond what any ordinary user needs.
I am an unconditional fan of free software and its philosophy fits perfectly with my way of thinking. I am a graphic designer, photographer and illustrator. Every day I use programs like Gimp, Krita, Rawtherapee, Inkscape and a long etc. I buy my computer equipment and the first thing I always do is format it and install a Lubuntu distribution, even if it is on an i5, precisely because I love the simplicity of its LXDE graphical environment, without effects or decorations and above all to optimize performance as much as possible. In short, I hardly use my PC to earn my bread (I only play with my XD camera).
The problem I have is that I am not a computer scientist, nor a developer ... my thing is art, and when I have a problem I don't know where to turn.
I've been looking for an active gnu / Linux forum for a long time. Do not know where…
I also wonder if regular Linux users always use a single distro or are always changing (I'm tired of updating the OS often for nothing).
My computer is an HP Intel Core i5 (3.40 Ghz) with 8 Gb of RAM.
OS Lubuntu 18.04.2 Lts with kernel 4.15
Graphics Nvidia Quadro K600 / PCIe / SSE2
I use two 500 Gb hard drives, one of them just to save my work.
The problem I have is that it constantly hangs. Gimp crashes, sometimes Leafpad crashes, even PCMANFM ... I use them precisely because they are lighter but there are days when I can't work it's incredibly frustrating ...
and before with versions of Lubuntu 14.04, 16.04 it did not happen to me. I do not understand what is due. The computer, the system, myself… I don't know… My experience in Lubuntu 18.04 is so bad that I am desperate.
I recently also bought a Wacom Mobilestudio Pro (it's a tremendous i7) with Windows 10, I spent 3000 euros on it and my dream is to use it for illustration with Krita on Linux systems but I don't know what to think anymore ... Windows doesn't inspire me at all but it works and it is the minimum that I ask of an operating system.
All my expectations and all the benefits I read about Linux go to the ground when I open Gimp on my desktop PC and it hangs again.
I'm not giving up on the gnu / Linux system, but I need help.
Maybe you are asking yourself the wrong question. Better ask which distribution is the best for what you want. Lubuntu is not designed for what you use it for. I would choose Ubuntu Studio, ArtistX or Debian with a light desktop like Xfce or Mate. Avoid "rolling releases" like Arch, since constantly evolving there always comes a time when packages lose their compatibility. Let's say that with the "rolling releases" the best tester is you. But above all, think that operating systems are there to serve you and not the other way around. If you estimate that windows meets your expectations and you can forget about its performance and focus on your work ... use windows. If you have "philosophical" concerns and you think that GNU / Linux deserves a chance and that it is a system that, with a little knowledge, is much more powerful, flexible and configurable than Windows, then go ahead and try. Do not forget that apart from the system the hardware also counts. For graphic and multimedia design there is nothing better than OSX, but it does not work for you on all computers. Use what you want and what suits you best since the OS is there to make your life easier and not complicate it. My advice is that you leave windows 10 in the Wacom and with the other try linux distros. Install, uninstall, test distributions, learn ... But be careful, it is addictive.
Hello Oscar,
At first glance your HP problem is due to the nvidia driver, it is likely that you will have to change the driver, go to additional drivers to get the alternatives. Although it is not a very important detail but perhaps convenient for your machine instead of LXDE, I would advise you XFCE (if we talk about Xubuntu distributions).
The two tips is because sometimes the graphic crashes and not the computer, and LXDE is being shelved, let's say the interface is slowly dying.
Thank you very much first of all.
I used Xubuntu a lot before, but XFCE (which I love) had a "thumblerd" bug with the icon previews that didn't let me work smoothly, it would hang for a few moments. Which is why I decided to switch to LXDE and change Thunar to PCMANFM.
Anyway I will test what you say, it may be that the conflict is due to the Nvidia graphics (it would not be the first time that happens).
Thank you very much again!
Good morning everyone.
My personal opinion: I see this article as another tantrum or tantrum on the part of ultra sectors of free software based on the continuous dominance of Windows on PC. But the reality is that (like many answers that have been written in this post) Windows works and Linux makes waters at the hardware - software level.
Be careful, I am also a 32 and 64 bit Lubuntu user for financial reasons. For office automation, Linux COMPLIES, but in professional matters: NOT FAR.
Except for Gimp (sometimes) and 3D editing (Blender), Adobe-type editors are real monsters with serious compatibility problems and are far from offering a reliable alternative to »paid« software.
I do web pages: with Atom, Gimp and a Libreoffice it is luxurious and I will always thank Lubuntu but we must recognize the shortcomings of the Linux system. And that should have been the intention of the article, as a wake-up call: if we want free software we will have to invest, whether we like it or not (as Windows and Mac do).
Now Isaac, do you want to help improve the image of Linux? You should write a post about the optimal hardware (microphones, plates ...) for equipment such as PC Ofimatica, PC Worstation or Professional PC and the appropriate software for each of these. This way you would demonstrate with solid arguments and not with a bit subjective evaluations the REAL advantages of Linux freedom over Windows.
Thank you all for reading my humble personal opinion.
Hello,
Well, I respect all the comments that I have been reading ... But most of the criticisms I see are attributed to GNU / Linux and in reality they are problems of software developers such as Autodesk, Adobe, Microsoft, etc., or the manufacturers of hardware that does not provide drivers for Linux. But not a problem of Linux itself ... Why not do it? Because there are not as many users as for Windows and it is not as profitable. But, I repeat, it is not a problem of Linux itself or of the open or free source philosophy. Most of the criticisms of the article have been due to lack of commitment from developers of certain companies.
Criticize things inherent to Linux if there are any, but this type of criticism perhaps you should make of those who do not develop for Linux, not the community or me. Tell that to Adobe, Autodesk, and other giants of software, video games, etc.
What Linux does not work? What Windows works? I've been working professionally with Linux for years and no problem. Office? Well, you can use Office online or Google Docs ... or use Wine, etc. And unfortunately I sometimes have to touch Windows computers that they bring me to repair and it is hateful. For example, why does being an administrator and forcing the deletion of a folder from the console not let you? !!! Why those reboots to update? !!! Why have I received a multitude of computers with problems after Win 10 updates? !!! ... if everything works so well ...
Tantrums? If I received a salary from the Linux Foundation or FSF, or my salary depended on sales of Linux or free software ... Maybe it could be a tantrum. But none of that is so. And I am FREE to use Windows or Mac again whenever I want. Why not do it? Because in Linux I find myself super comfortable, even though there are people who are bothered by this ...
Regards!
Good morning everyone.
As I repeat in my previous post: it is my humble opinion.
But Isaac, the reality is that people want their computer to work, period. They don't want to get complicated with incompatibility issues ... and I'm talking to you from experience because I've installed quite a few Ubuntus (Mate, with Gnome and Lubuntu) both 32 and 64 bits on laptops and PCs ... and 5 days later they begged me to please install Windows again because the screen was going black or with multicolored stripes (NVIDIA and ATI), it did not make correct VPN connections to work, there was no sound, it did not recognize the Wi-Fi card or it was constantly losing connection.
Of course, it is not profitable to make hardware compatible with Linux because there are not so many users, therefore they will return to windows…. and how bad is windows (or MAC) ... and it will always be the same story ... unless Linus Torvalds has to change his kernel design based on hardware, or maybe he has to chat with his "friends" from NVIDIA or ASUS ... although I'm afraid that will be a train wreck because I don't see anyone on his arm to twist.
And it is no less true that talking to "those friends" (read corporations) is frowned upon in certain sectors of free software for their proprietary software policies.
And what do we do?
Frankly, it is very sad, because it is true that Linux is a good system and a good alternative (and I am a user, be careful), but the reality is that if it is not implemented correctly on hardware it is useless because it can never be executed with guarantees. And that's why the 3% share, mostly in virtual machines ... and of course, Adobe says: »it will not be«.
And it is not necessary to go talk to them or with Autodesk, or Avid knowing ALREADY the market share of the Linux kernel (they are not fools).
Another thing is the Servers. There, together with his friend Kerberos, things change. Defend themselves.
As for updates, Linux fails. And I have seen and suffered both on 32 and 64 machines. And Windows too (I know a W10 that got into a loop for an update package, but since it is the Home version, it does not have GPO to disable them).
And what do we do?
Not everyone knows what Wine is and people do not want to know or have no idea about virtualization of windows programs in linux. In fact they tell me: what is that? ... and when you explain it to them they say: no, no, leave it. By the way, you have to have from an I3 and 8gb of Ram to use Wine with ease, although it also depends on the application you use.
So, for finishing. Linux doesn't bother me. In fact I am writing from a Lubuntu 64 bits with firefox. And I am also free because I can work with an alternative to Windows and Mac.
The reasons for not using Windows will be many but Linux has a major problem and it is compatibility, which Windows and Mac handle much better.
And as long as Linus Torvalds does not find a solution, it will be a minority system for the public and with little importance for developers in both hardware and software ... and start over.
Come on, greetings to everyone.
When those who do not have much to spend and do not give a damn about legality, they get a second-hand device and look for someone to install a Windows for them. This tells them that the XP, very good but it is already obsolete, that the 8 is terrible, the 8.1 is worse and that with the 10 there have only been problems and that there are no good activators. Then the only option left to the poor user is to install Windows 7. Half an hour later he has installed a brand new Win 7, 2012 model with automatic updates disabled so that Microsoft does not discover it and deactivate it. That little window where it tells you that "the copy of Windows is not original is very ugly…." What follows is to defend yourself as you can with a system that at that time is 7 years old but does not know it. Just seeing that it turned on and works is satisfied. What difference with the user of free operating systems….
You linux users have to accept that linux may never reach the market share that lunux has, and not because it is better but because it is easier to use for the average user than most of the people in the world.
With a windows license you have someone to complain to if something goes wrong and you have a guarantee, with linux it is not like that, and as much as it hurts to accept they will never have what windows has at the user level, they will have to settle for the few linux users that ay and dominate in other aspects (servers, mobiles or in navigation systems) window will always like the average user
(2) The software can be cross-platform, example, micro-editor up to qbittorrent, etc. … If you need specialized software, pay for it, because it should be a problem… The classic Hello World! Is worth it, to modify it, distribute it and read its content 🙂
(3) macOS is certified as UNIX, it is 100% secure ... Android, they classify it as Linux, it is 100% secure. The default configuration of some distributions implies managing the firewall with iptables / nftables ... I doubt that the change from Windows to Linux activates the hacker gene that we all carry inside ... Some include GUFW, in OFF mode, but there it is ... We are now talking about sshd_config configuration, I ask, communication by default port, 22, and login by password, is it safe? … Why would a domestic user want the service activated?
Someone has wondered what happens with linux servers, do you think they are 100% safe? There will be some reason to include a security section in the Debian handbook or the ArchLinux wiki.
(4) Why I wouldn't want to submit bug reports in Debian (reportbug)… If you are concerned about telemetry on your device (s), find out.
(5) Ok, I can use Openbox on a pentium 4, but as I include more lines in the autostart, more RAM memory consumed ... More services activated, more RAM memory ... And the software ... I'm comfortable with GTK + 2 ... But in at some point I will have to migrate to applications compiled against GTK + 3 ... The software evolves, colleague, even in Linux ... Although a little slow, 🙂
(6) If true, diversity distinguishes Linux ... Although it is a point of conflict.
(7) I summarize it, when Debian 10 comes out, we veterans observe what happens on the computers of less skilled and restless users, and when it comes time to update, we read the release notes, so as not to ask stupid questions, like, don't me the touchpad works, I see black screen, etc. ... Someone wondering what happens in distributions like "rolling release" ... If Slackware 15 ever comes out, will I be able to upgrade from 14.2 or would it involve reinstalling?
"Also, since they are not so popular, there is less malware for them."
Do not confuse things, finding more threats to an operating system does not make it more insecure, being free software and open source OS, if users win, they can improve their security since more threats would be reported among many things and of course the OS Unix-like are completely superior to Microsoft in every way (especially FreeBSD)