Lynix VS. Windows? ?

Question

Hey, i wanted to know if i should put lynix or keep windows on my laptop (what are the advantages of lynix compared to windows? Is lynix Faster? stuff like that...Also is lynix free if so where can i download it thanks.

Answer 1

First of all I have to disagree with those who said there are no drivers and no software for Linux.  Provided that you are not using unusual hardware, drivers should install automatically.  Also there is plenty of software for Linux.  The good part: most of it is free.  For example the Office equivalent is completely free.

Now that the misinformation is corrected I will answer your questions.  Windows is a more "mature" operating system compared with Linux.  What this means is Microsoft has been honing Windows for much longer so it will be more compatible and easier to use.  Will it be to the point that you will notice a difference?  That depends on your level of computer proficiency.  If you are less experienced with computers then maybe Windows is best for you.

Since Windows has most of the market share there is more hardware, software, and support for it.  Some websites will even be incompatible with Linux, though this is less and less true over time.  As an analogy, iPods have many more accessories because they are the most popular.  It's similar with Windows.

On the other hand Linux is completely free.  As previously stated you can get almost any software you like for free.  Many Linux users love it so much (and hate Microsoft) that there are many people who are willing to help, so support is easy to find.

Plus Linux is much more secure.  This is for several reasons.  For starters hackers prefer to hack into Windows because there are so many computers running it.  If you are looking to take over as many computers as possible would you choose Windows with 98% of the market share or Linux with 1%?  Plus hackers also hate Microsoft.  Another factor in Linux's security is its structure.  A virus cannot run without your knowledge in Linux.  You would have to download it and mark it as executable before it would run.

I know that is a lot of info , but you should be able to make a good choice.

Answer 2

Taken from http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000...

LINUX

Price

The majority of Linux variants are available for free or at a much lower price than Microsoft Windows.

Ease of Use

Although the majority Linux variants have improved dramatically in ease of use, Windows is still much easier to use for new computer users.

Reliability

The majority of Linux variants and versions are notoriously reliable and can often run for months and years without needing to be rebooted.

Software

Linux has a large variety of available software  programs and utilities.However, Windows has a much larger selection of available software.

Software cost

Many of the available software programs and utilities available on Linux are freeware  and/or open source. Even such complex programs such as Gimp, OpenOffice, StarOffice, and wine are available for free or at a low cost.

Hardware

Linux companies and hardware  manufacturers have made great advancements in hardware support for Linux and today Linux will support most hardware devices. However, many companies still do not offer drivers or support for their hardware in Linux.

Security

Linux is and has always been a very secure operating system. Although it still can be attacked when compared to Windows, it much more secure.

Open source

Many of the Linux variants and many Linux programs are open source and enable users to customize or modify the code however they wish to.

Support

Although it may be more difficult to find users familiar with all Linux variants, there are vast amounts of available online documentation and help, available books, and support available for Linux.

WINDOWS

Price

Microsoft Windows can cost a considerable amount per each licensed copy.

Ease of Use

Microsoft has made several advancements and changes that have made it a much easier to use operating system, and although arguably it may not be the easiest operating system, it is still Easier than Linux.

Reliability

Although Microsoft Windows has made great improvements in reliability over the last few versions of Windows, it still cannot match the reliability of Linux.

Software

Because of the large amount of Microsoft Windows users, there is a much larger selection of available software  programs, utilities, and games for Windows.

Software cost

Although Windows does have software  programs, utilities, and games for free, the majority of the software the costs can be considerable

Hardware

Because of the amount of Microsoft Windows users and the broader driver support, Windows has a much larger support for hardware devices and a good majority of hardware manufacturers will support their products in Microsoft Windows.

Security

Although Microsoft has made great improvements over the years with security on their operating system, their operating system continues to be the most vulnerable to viruses and other attacks.

Open source

Microsoft Windows is not open source and the majority of Windows programs are not open source.

Support

Microsoft Windows includes its own help section, has vast amount of available online documentation and help, as well as books on each of the versions of Windows.

My opinion Linux, my reasons being many. They are probably best described here http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/

Here are some Linux distros. worth considering

Mandriva 2008.1 Spring http://www.mandriva.com/

SimplyMEPIS 7.0 http://www.mepis.org/

Ubuntu 7.10 http://releases.ubuntu.com/7.10/ (My Preference)

Ubuntu 8.04.1 http://releases.ubuntu.com/hardy/

Linux Mint 5.0 http://www.linuxmint.com/

All are easy to install and easy to use.

LUg.

Answer 3

Linux is free and doesn't have many virus issues - These are the only benefits from Linux - You can't do a lot of stuff with it. You have to run a fix patch on almost everything - Youtube, MySpace apps and so on. Your software would not be compatible unless you use a crossover program while holding your breath and standing on one leg. Umbuntu has been getting a lot better but it still is not user friendly for the average user as of yet.

Answer 4

well linux is faster than windows, but it not really adviseable to replace windows, since some hardware will not work since there is no drivers available, plus software isnt designed to work on linux.

linux is open source which means free. for beginners i would advise getting ubuntu http://www.ubuntu.com/ and for more advanced i would advise getting fedora (which i use)

Answer 5

It is the whole philosophy, depending on problems can win either Linux, or Windows. Try to ask a question on is narrow-specialised sites.

Answer 6

Linux is better at stopping viruses. Linux is also free.    

Answer 7

There are many many distributions of Linux.  Most are free.  By distribution, I mean it's linux made by other groups with their own name.  Linux is complicated for the average computer user and when someone has used windows for so long, it's quite frustrating.  It's mainly because when you're used to one thing, you tend to expect the same from similar products.

If you want to try linux, there are LiveCDs which are discs you can boot off of and trry without actually having to install it to your computer.  These run much slower because you're loading everything off of a disc instead of off of a hard drive, but it will give you an idea of what to expect.  I recommend Ubuntu to all beginners simply because of all the users and support available.  It also comes with similar software that people are used to having.  You can find it at http://jwww.ubuntu.com

Do not download the alternate version, it is not a live cd.  It is possible to run ubuntu and windows on the same computer, but it takes a lot of configuration that we don't need to go into right now.

There is a very informative wiki for ubuntu at http://wiki.ubuntu.com and a forum linked on their page.  I wish you the best of luck and much enjoyment in working with alternate operating systems.

Answer 8

Personally, I would do what is called a Dual-Boot. It is easy to do if you already have windows installed and have a large enough hard drive to accommodate it. The Kubuntu (or Ubuntu) installer will help you with this. Then you can try each out for yourself because on start up it asks which operating system you want to use and boots it accordingly.

Personally I prefer Linux because it has better memory management and is speedier for me. I know a lot of people do prefer windows because it is more supported and has more compatible apps.

I have found that with a little bit of a Google search there is nothing I can't do in Linux that I can do in Windows.