Posted on 05/02/2020 10:57:06 AM PDT by BenLurkin
If Microsoft made the toaster it would have barely functioning legacy vacuum cleaner attachments, having originally been a vacuum cleaner.
If you are a gamer or run intuit products, no. Otherwise, hell yes. If you just run intuit turbotax just set up a virtual machine under the linux system running windows and run it there once a year, otherwise Linux is vastly superior. I recommend someone coming from windows start with Linux Mint. Nice interface. All the Ubuntu (programs) stuff works on it. Very user friendly. Rock solid stability. Runs fast. Office suite and email are good. Not a big learning curve for windows users. Average user will not need to ever drop to command line and do anything there. Security in Linux is not an afterthought like it is in windows.
Ping
Take a guess.
Windows is for children that have to play every game on release day, or for artists that only know how to use adobe products. Or simply for Satanists.
For everything else, Linux performs better.
Very good post.
I’m tired of these lame comparisons. Different strokes for different folks.
If you’re an expert in your operating system then that’s the best one for you.
If you only ever used a Windows computer, then yes, learning a new Operating System can be a daunting task.
Generally speaking, there’s more business software for the PC, and artistic music software for the Mac, but the numbers of users are going to dictate where most of the software development is. It’s just straight up economics. Meaning, the more people using a platform, the more others are trying to sell them stuff for it.
That doesn’t make the OS “better”. The more stuff, the more chaff...
Current percentage of global market share per platform is:
Platform........Share
Windows.........88.14%
Mac OS..........9.38%
Linux...........1.89%
Chrome OS.......0.42%
Unknown.........0.16%
BSD.............0.01%
Linux has excellent ease of use features. It works well, and it has far less nonsense than Windows. Linux also has professional level customer support.
Windows is full-featured but it introduced more and more nonsense that makes the user experience less rewarding and more frustrating.
Third-party companies like printer manufacturers also have come on board with Linux.
Linux is also primarily free. As someone who runs very large systems, I cannot afford Windows at $800+ per server plus $8,000+ per database and $300,000 per enterprise database. Linux is affordable and provides the level of professional computing I need.
I would never had said this 10 years ago, but Linux has significantly matured since then.
For the home user, it may present too much technical know-how, but I’d recommend giving it a try if you have a spare computer to try it on.
Linux Mint would by my recommendation for a home user.
Thank you. Great feeback from FReepers
“Linux is awesome for running hardware devices It is a horrible desktop OS.”
Windows is a data sucking insecure malware virus, friend. Either you have not played with the Cinnamon desktop interface in Mint or you like the crap like the idiotic ribbon interface and the moronic menu interface in windows 10 which Microshaft insists on cramming down our gullets.
Better? It’s different. If you prefer to have more control over your PC, and don’t mind doing some configuration and setup yourself, it’s better. If you want automatic updates and want the OS to handle more things while you concentrate on the tasks you actually want to use your computer for, Windows 10 might be the way to go. My house has computers running both (and also Mac OS and OpenBSD).
Not Mint 18.3, it is hard to tell the difference between it and Win XP/Win 7 as a desktop. I even took an install and customized all the graphics and icons to win 7 and it is hard to tell the difference to a win 7 user.
For security reasons alone I would definitely say absolutely. I will never look back at MS again.
The best computer system to use is the one you already understand well. Unless you have expert level needs, or multi-platform job requirements, switching between operating systems is usually more aggravating than helpful.
That said, Windows security sux, so does Androids
If you just want to use a machine like a toaster, get a Mac.
make a DVD .iso with linux on it- and give it a try without installing it- linux mint is very like windows- with some differences of course- but you’ll find a lot familiar with it-
look up youtube ‘how to make a linux .iso DVD’ for instructions on how to burn the DVD- it’s really simple really- then, if you decide you do like it after trying it- you can use the same DVD to install it with- and the install is very easy- just click buttons like you do with a windows install- very easy-
You could pick up a very cheap laptop somewhere and give it a try- try ebay for one- you’ll have to wipe it clean first though, and start with clean HD- don’t want to buy someone else’s viruses- or if you have a computer repair shop near you- you can sometimes find good cheap ones there- or, you could just buy a very cheap Hard Drive- take your old one out, install the new one, and load linux onto that- and switch back to your old one if you don’t like it- Pick up a cheap HD from amazon for like $20 or so- refurbished might even be cheaper-
All kinds of ways to try linux cheaply-
“Artistic types like Mac/Apple...”
That might have been partially true briefly around 1988. Your thinking and knowledge needs some updating.
Couldn’t say. The last Windows machine I looked at was XP.
[[Linux also has professional level customer support.]]
True BUT- you need to be a geek to understand it and know how to use a terminal to fix things with code- aint easy- linux’s forums are great places to find info- but again- a lot of it is over my head- This is the one thing that intimates most people about linux-
BUT- if you are just a casual computer user, like email, surfing web, some documents, etc- then one shouldn’t have to mess around with any code in terminals- but if soemthign does go wrong- it’s daunting-
Thanks, and PS: If you download and install the ‘Desktop’ version of Mint, or any other Linux distribution, it should go smoothly and with any hiccups. You run the installer and it boots to a screen for you to use. You may need to read a little to understand how to install, such as copying the Linux installer files onto a USB drive and inserting that into the computer and turning the computer on.
Agreed...this is like asking if it's better to carry a .22 or a .357 or whatever...The answer isnt embodied in stopping power or revolver vs handgun or max round capacity.,,the answer depends upon whichever firearm works best for you under pressure. I'd rather have a female defend herself successfully with a .22 than miss and die because her .357 had too much kick.
I know people who sniff at "idiots" who use Macs. Whatever. It beats an abacus and parchment.
“It is a horrible desktop OS.”
I’d say Mint and Ubuntu are both excellent desktop experiences. Mint is very similar to Windows, although all Linux versions are very similar.
If a person can use a Mac, and millions of people do, they can use the many flavors of Linux as well.
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