Ubuntu 9.10 Vs Windows 7: 5 reasons why Linux wins
Filed under: Computers, Software
Are you a fan of Linux? If you are, you have probably already installed the latest version of Ubuntu (9.10) and are currently working your way around all of the new features.
We have found an interesting article from Computer World for you to read now, which gives 5 solid reasons why they think Ubuntu 9.10 is already ‘better’ than Windows 7 – released on October 22nd.
The first reason is security, as they have stated that Windows 7 is still prone to a whole selection of malware programs, and still requires users to constantly keep on top of security updates, or risk being hacked.
Other reasons they have stated is the Cost, the simplicity of installing Ubuntu 9.10 and Ubuntu’s support for Hardware.
You may agree with the reasons mentioned there, you may not. It is still a very interesting article to read. Take a look, then give us your thoughts afterwards.
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What a load of bull!
Linux isn’t more secure than Windows. Windows is just a larger target. In fact, it’s rediculously easy to get root on Linux if you can get to the console. I read almost daily about mass hacks of Linux systems at one corportion or another. As Linux gets a larger desktop share, be prepared to be a target of virus and hackers.
I use both at work and home, and after years of trying to promote the use of Linux, I am wondering if it’s really worth my time. I just installed Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.10 on both new and used systems, and Windows 7 was easier and automatically detected all of my hardware. It’s also easier to get various USB devices working.
As a busy Systems Engineer, I need a solution that works without endless tweaking. I have also done shell scripting on Linux, and Powershell on Windows and Powershell is so much better IMHO.
When Linux has a feature to manage large scale systems via Group Policy similar to Windows, I may take another look at it. For now, I have made the decision to stick with Windows.
NO Steve, Ubuntu is made safer due to the very fact that it is run using a C++(T) platform and then a C#/XHTML.adb (simply subgroups of codes within another code known as ADA, which is why it is so hard to hack linux because ADA will not run if you force it to, unlike C++, ADA will not fix user errors so once you change the data, you cannot go back. Note, Linux does not run on ada, it uses it as a command point to launch other systems and groups) or Java Internet source through Mozilla. Linux is by far safer. In a 2008 article from the New York times, the government practiced its use of computer hacking to find out the most secure system. What they found is that it took on average 5 minutes to hack into a Mac (lepard), 24 hours to hack into vista, 12 hours to hack into a XP, 12 minutes to hack into a Windows 7 beta… but when it came to a Linux machine, the hackers where next to stumped. For most of the versions of Linux the hackers could not get into because of its unusual set up and configuration. The one time they where able to hack into a Linux OS Ubuntu 9.5, it took them close to three weeks, but they had to reconstruct the OS in order to retrieve any data off the hard drive.
Linux is just all around safer. I am a Computer Scientist working with other comm scientists at the university of Washington to try and make bio-chips that run off strains of dna using C++T. oh and… I only use Linux.
As a systems engineer, you are very pathetic.
Seteve,
Knowing you are a systems engineer, I think you will agree on a couple points I have here.
First, we should both know that having physical access to any system makes it easy to gain administrative/root/whatever to it. That is across the board, Windows, Linux, Netware, etc.
One thing I will say is that Ubuntu made it very easy to encrypt the users home directory upon install. Windows has encryption features also, but not quite as easy and is not supported across the versions of Windows 7. That alone to me is more important that someone being able to root my box if they have physical access.
Second, I always hear the “Windows is a bigger target” argument a lot. That is definitely true, but not a way to measure how secure something is. I’m sure the Pentagon is a bigger target than my house, but I’m sure it’s a lot easier to get into my house than the pentagon. So that is a moot point. The reason Linux, *Nix, and most POSIX conforming architectures are more secure is they have been built from the ground up to separate the user space from the system. While that doesn’t cover all security problems, it does mean that a regular user of the system won’t get infected with viruses from other users of the system (unless that user happens to have root access).
My last point is the installation piece. I’ve had the pleasure of installing Windows 7 now for a month (we got it early via enterprise agreement). While the install is pretty trivial, I have run into the same thing I always do with Windows installs. I have to find drivers, and this time around I even had to upgrade BIOS’s on Dell Optiplexes and Dell Latitudes.
I’ve installed Ubuntu 9.10 now for a week, and I’ve had some issues also with drivers, mainly on my netbook. I refreshed the software packages, and enabled the missing drivers.
Neither of these pose a problem to me. It’s my job to figure these things out, or at lease have one of my techs figure them out. Once they are figured out, we deploy en mass, we don’t keep tweaking…
As far as the Powershell vs. Bash (or your favorite shell), I use both to great effect.
Your last point is the greatest hurdle in adopting Ubuntu. Active Directory, while not the only game in town, or the best, has become a defacto standard for most medium sized IT shops. There are other options, but it’s a bigger hurdle to migrate AD than it is for the actual desktops.
With that said, we do use Ubuntu loaded computers in a few areas. They are great for public access computers, and they are great for accessing intranet only type applications. I don’t have many problems with these machines, and it’s almost a leave them and forget them proposition.
Thanks for putting things in perspective, John.
I use both Windows & Ubuntu.
In my experience, I find Ubuntu is more safe and requires less maintenance than my Windows setup.
Hard coded settings, unnecessary warning after each mouse click but lack of real choices, ugliness, bloat and marketing bullshit. Windows the same old milk-cow in a flashy package served by a bunch of MS Pimps.
Windows 7 is Vista with a bit of makeup, Visat is XP with a bit of makeup, etc. What’s new? Oh nothing really, but unnecessary resources needed by unnecessary code and applications (20 GB for an OS, is this a joke?!?). BTW DOS sucks as much as powershell does, and in a large manner any MS products do.
Either you use windows because you don’t know Linux, either because you are a complete cretin. and if you use Mac, you deserve the palm!
Complain (in vain, but complain anyway) to the hardware makers maffia supporter of the MS pimps! Educate your children and change their consumption habits and if you have a wife, lock her in the kitchen, that’s her real place. And if she says a thing – hit her with the laptop (you are also welcome to hit any MS pimps staff, and you kids if they ask you for an i-pod, i-mac, mashit, etc.). My advice chose a strong notebook – like a Thoughbook (Panasonic)- it is shock resistant and Linux compatible (load the module panasonic if your FN keys are not working)
Enjoy Linux. it’s simple, fast, funny to use and light. Hit the bad people with your notebook and make the earth a better place to live.
I have tried many linux distros, and I like what the linux comunity is trying to do. But there are also many things that needs to be fixed. I’ve seen many driver problems with linux, expecially with wifi, and GPU drivers; windows 7 installed all the drivers on both my PC’s and my laptop; and let me ask you one thing – how was your last gaming experience with – let’s say – Mass Effect in Ubuntu?
In the last few years linux has evolved a lot, but there are still many things that needs to be done, and I hope developers do not stop here, when there’s so much work to do.
The reason for the driver problems of Linux-based OSes is that the driver manufacturers are closed-source. They do not release the source code of their hardware drivers. Therefore, all these problems are caused by the hardware manufacturers and not the Linux community. If the hardware drivers become open-source, there is no doubt that the mainstream Linux-based Oses like Ubuntu, Mandriva, Mint, etc. will have the same gaming experience as with Windows.
One more thing, even if the hardware manufacturers doesn’t turn into open-source, but if they release a native driver specifically for Linux, it will turn out fine as well.
Windows archiecture makes it more vulnerable than popular-target aspect.
Windows 7 never detected more hardware than ubuntu in my experience.
Ubuntu lacks gaming software support in front of windows due to windows popularity.
Funniest part is your “it’s rediculously easy to get root on Linux if you can get to the console”
Arent you a system administrator?
I know most of you guys are experts at what you all do. I’m looking at this in an angle of a regular user. I have used Ubuntu from 6.04 and yet to install 9.10 as I’m waiting for the CD.
I use my PC and a laptop mainly for video communication. I have lot of people around the world I need to keep in touch with. My sister use the computer for JewelCAD as she is a designer. The major problem I have with Linux is their lack of support on certain web cams and the video clarity and. I’m an average user, I don’t want to rake my head and time when I just need things to work. Plus, I know some software just would not work with Linux (i.e. JewelCAD). Using it through Wine is out of the question.
Apart from that I like Linux a lot. By no means I’m a Windows fan, but as things are right now, there is no other option than to stick to Windows. I think it’s ridiculous to change my existing hardware just because Linux does not support them.
I hope in future the designers and developers in Ubuntu team take in to consideration what normal users who are not Linux gurus, need on day to day basis on a PC and plan things in that sense. That is if they want to have a major share in the home user desktop market!
Both Windows and Linux have their problems. Neither of them are 100%. Both can be frustrating at times. Both require tweaking to get setup just the way you want.
thus increasing it\’s windows boot time and overall performance.
By default, Ubuntu will out preform Windows 7 but Ubuntu\’s defaults are not nearly enough and by the time you milk the repositories for hours you\’ve got yourself another bloated cow. On the other side of the same coin you can spend an hour trimming down Windows to be have it less user friendly just like Ubuntu\’s default install.
That\’s what install after install of either one of these OS\’s boils down to. You beef one up and trim the other down to get what you want.
According to the CIA World Fact book there are around 6.6 billion people living on the world in this year.
Although their were no guesses as to how many of those 6.6 billion owned computers, I would venture to say it\’s a lot. Lets just pretend it\’s half. So that means theirs 3.3 billion people who will want their beige boxes setup the way they want. That\’s a lot of choices for any OS to cover straight out of the box and a lot of room for errors and a lot of jobs for wanna be tele-prompt text support in India.
Bottom line.
Fresh install of Linux = way fast, but then you want something pretty so you go install Compiz Fusion and now you\’re hoggin and boggin.
And for the windows users, you installed that over bloated OS with more services than a $200 hooker.
Somewhere in the middle you will eventually find a Decent looking $100 hooker.
The End, I like you, good bye.
i am not any tough techno guy like many of you but as a pc
owner i always prefer for something which is best in thing
and price.Windows 7 might be the most popular os choice but just look at ubuntu 9.10 giving a tough fight to windows7….and free is the best price one can pay!………..there are many shakespears at microsft who regard win7 as a world hero……….!let them sing its ballads and loot the guys!
i just feel it is stupid to diagnose ubuntu 9.10 problems keeping windows 7
in mind .ubuntu 9.10 fights windows 7 in all options but
when it comesto price ubuntu 9.10 easily beats windows 7……… why look for something which is already at hand?
save the money ……….!stop discussion ….and do the party with that money!!!!!!!!!
bye!
An average user here.
I tell you my recent story, I’ve been a Windows user since Win95 back in 1997 and two years ago I wanted to give Linux a try because I’d bought a second hard drive so I went for Ubuntu and that was it! just my intention cause it didn’t even let me install it, strange error appeared and I left it that way, I didn’t bother. I’d been using WinXP so much that I married it, I let Vista pass away, I also didn’t bother, eye candy will never compensate stability, speed and compatibility. Win7 was on stage and I decided to try it in May with the RC, rapidly I was very pleased, 7 was fast and stable enough, bright and more user friendly than its predecessors (sorry WinXP), so far I can say it’s the best Windows of all times (I still remember the cruelty of WinMe). That’s why I bought 7 three weeks ago and everything works just fine. But it didn’t end there, I have a 3 years old Compaq laptop (Celeron and Intel chipset) and as I don’t use it that much I wanted to give Linux a chance again but this time I opted for Kubuntu 9.10, KDE looked better (maybe cause I’m a Win user), I did a full clean install, no problems this time but when I booted the first thing I wanted to do was to config my wlan but Kubuntu wasn’t detecting it, so I plugged it to the ethernet and went to the forums… well summarizing I got to know about ’sudo’ maybe a little too much… I introduced so many sudos and didn’t solve my problem… you know a bug with broadcom drivers, wonderful! Kubuntu defeated me but I didn’t surrender so I downloaded opensuse 11.2 and installed it, certainly I liked better opensuse installation process but when booted the same problem again (I should’ve searched first): broadcom driver bug for wlan. So I finally surrendered (at least for now and with my old laptop) and reinstalled WinXP.
Perhaps I just had back luck with Linux distros, I don’t know. But when you search the web you see that I’m not the only one with problems using Linux, even devs complain about the issues that the most popular distros have. Maybe I have been blinded by M$, and I just can’t see how Ubuntu or whatever distro is better than Windows. Linux supporters say is about security, well I have never had a single serious problem with viruses or a hacker attack on Windows. They say is because of configurability and stability, well having a 3D rotating cube with 4 different desktops is not catchy to everyone, having a terminal to input lots of codes is not interestig to most of the people, what I care for example is having support for the majority of audio formats out of the box, and nowadays Windows is as stable as any other OS out there. Linux supporters talk about a free sharing philosophy (kind of hippie) sometimes disguising an envy/mediocracy feeling. I don’t really care about Gates getting his billions and I could bet most of the people don’t care also. What I do care is that the OS I’m paying for is worthy. Finally, Linux supporters reply that as the distros are free of charge people shouldn’t complain, well that’s exactly what happens in Cuba. In that case if normal users are not supposed to complain then what a bull all that “free software for everyone” ideals… what about a Linux fanboy telling you what you should teach your children, funny isn’t it? As I see it right now, Linux 300 hundred distributions are for Linux fans (people with free time), Windows is for everybody with little free time to play with an OS. However this story might not be over, I will try in 2 years with Ubuntu 12.10
The problems is 9.10 is to glitched up. I suggest that you go with 8.10 Ubuntu or 9.04.
Linux is a great Os for what it does. I’m pissed of at Microsoft because of DRMS. I like to own my software not pay for a license to use it.
like you said I don’t care about bill gates making his millions that’s a good thing.
personally I’m glade windows is number one because like the first guy said” number one is the bigger target”.
Another thing that piss me off is security ,I got infected twice. It’s not like I go to obscure sites.
I’m pretty good at fixing my pc when it gets infected with a virus. But in some circumstance’s , you have to reformat windows hard drive depending on what the virus does to ya.
You are right on one thing Linux is mainly for people who want to go under the hood. I never understood command line till I started working in Linux.
Now I can us windows command lines as well but, I choose not to. I disagree with the hippies on some issue’s like everything should be free stuff. But If I make software, and sell it to You. You should have the right to at least make a backup copy of your new product.
In then end, I like Linux because open source means I can learn how to program by examining peoples work as I’m sure you know.
But Until you actually used Linux you don’t know to what extent I’m talking about.
their is so much more code out their to study on Linux then you could on windows because most windows software is closed.
For my closing statement:
Windows is good till infected. then as an average user, you will usually pay to get some one to fix it or try to fix it yourself.
Linux is good but when something goes wrong you need tech skill’s beyond a average user to fix it, but their are plenty of on-line sources for that.
Overall theirs a trade off when using Linux, and one for using Windows. Don’t forget the cost it takes for monthly payments to keep windows protected. So even after you own Windows, if you want to remain safe. you have to pay a fee to Norton to keep your windows safe.Or you could take a gamble with free stuff like avast good look with that!
Personally I used Kaspersky and its the only protection I know is good for a fact. because when I could Afford it I never got infected with it.
So basically what price are you willing to pay is the question. once you answer that question then you pick what’s right for you.
Personally like you I’M waiting for Ubuntu 12.10 just to try it out to see if its better then 9.10. if it is I will run it on my Gate Way Desktop computer.
As of now I’m using Ubuntu 8.10 its better then 9.10.