Advantages of using Linux over Windows
If you’re not a power user, it might seem like a better (or easier) choice than Linux. In any case, if you don’t enjoy using a Linux distribution, Windows is your obvious choice.
However, in reality, we tend to experience something different, which allows us to conclude that Linux is superior to the Windows operating system.
10 reasons Why Linux is better than Windows:
In this article, we take a look at 10 reasons why Linux is better than Windows.
1. The nature of open source
When you buy a car but you don’t see what’s under the hood? The same is true when you are using a Windows system.
Linux, on the other hand, is an entirely open source project. You can take a look at the source code of a Linux operating system, which is a plus.
I know most people don’t care about this openness of Linux, but for me, it’s the most important feature of using GNU/Linux.
2. Safe & Secure
Let’s face it; The Windows operating system is vulnerable to various types of attacks (or hacks). Linux, however, is less exposed than Windows. It’s certainly not invulnerable, but it’s much safer. Although it is not rocket science.
This is what makes Linux a secure operating system. In general, the package management process, the concept of repositories, and several other features allow Linux to be more secure than Windows.
Once you install Windows, you should download or purchase an antivirus program to keep your computer safe from hackers and malware. However, Linux does not require the use of such antivirus programs. Of course, there are still some software tools that help you keep your system safe from threats, but when you have a Linux system, it’s often unnecessary.
Naturally, being secure will make things easier for you and also save you money because you won’t need to get a premium antivirus software!
3. It can revive old computers
As operating systems evolve, their hardware requirements increase exponentially. For example, if you buy the original version of Windows 10, you need to have the minimum hardware required to run it successfully, and you almost can’t run it on any low-end system.
However, with Linux, you can even use one of your oldest computer systems to get the job done. However, this does not mean that every Linux distribution with 256 MB of RAM will work with an old processor. However, there are options that you can install on such inexpensive systems as well (such as Puppy Linux).
Therefore, as an efficient operating system, Linux distributions can be installed on a wide variety of systems (low-end or high-end). On the other hand, the Windows operating system has higher hardware requirements.
In general, even if you compare a high-end Linux system and a high-end Windows system, the Linux distribution will have the upper hand. Well, that’s why most servers in the world prefer to run on Linux instead of Windows hosting environment.
4. Ideal for programmers
Linux supports almost all major programming languages (Python, C/C++, Java, Perl, Ruby, etc.). It also provides a large variety of beneficial applications for programming needs.
The Linux terminal is the best way to use the command line window for developers. You can find many libraries that are natively developed for Linux. Also, many programmers mention that package management in Linux helps them get things done easily.
Interestingly, bash programming is also one of the most compelling reasons why programmers prefer to use the Linux operating system.
Linux also supports SSH, which helps you manage your servers quickly. You can add things like apt commands that make Linux one of the most popular options for developers.
5. Software update
Microsoft updates the software when it receives a set of problems or if a major problem needs to be fixed. And because of this – your system will potentially crash with the update or you’ll end up waiting for an update to fix your problem for a significant amount of time.
I’m sure if your Windows system has been around for a long time, you might encounter problems with any updates.
However, with Linux, you’ll see software updates to fix every little bug, and if you’re using an LTS version of a distribution, most of them won’t crash the system.
So, with Linux, you’ll see more effective and faster updates to fix any issues you might encounter. Not so with Windows.
6. Customization
Customization is one of the key benefits of switching to Linux from Windows. If you like to change the look of your system, Linux is perfect for you.
Apart from theme installation, you have many beautiful icon themes. In addition, you can use Conky to display system information on the desktop in the best possible way. Needless to say, there’s a lot you can do with wallpapers in Linux.
7. Diversity of distribution
There is no Windows flavor. Yes, you may have different plans and packages that differ in license terms, activation period, bundled features, and price.
In contrast, you will find a large number of Linux distributions that cater to different needs. Therefore, you can install any of the available Linux distributions according to your needs.
For example, there are Linux distributions for hackers, Linux distributions for programmers, Linux distributions for very old computers, and the list goes on. There is a Linux for everyone.
If you are curious, you might want to know what Linux is to know why there are 100 Linux distributions.
8. Free use
Linux is available to the public for free! But this is not the case with Windows!
You don’t need to pay $100-$250 to get a major Linux distribution (like Ubuntu, Fedora). Therefore, it is completely free.
If something is free but useful, it is always the best thing to expect. With the money you just saved, you can power up your system (just saying, you can go to Starbucks too!)
9. Better Community Support & Privacy
You don’t need to hire an expert to solve the problem you are facing on your Linux system. You just need to search the web for a similar topic for a solution or post a topic to let others solve the problem.
Within minutes of posting a topic in any of the Linux forums, you can expect a response with a detailed solution that will finally help you solve your problem at no cost! Don’t forget, you should find solutions to many common problems in the forums that are properly explained without much research.
There are a large number of active Linux users who are always ready to answer any related problem that may arise. The number of active forum users in these forums is greater than the number of active members in any Windows-focused forum.
However, the community response may vary depending on the Linux distribution used. You can also reach out for help through our community forum.
Microsoft certainly tries to anonymize the data collected from each user. However, with Microsoft’s latest Windows 10, it doesn’t look convincing. It has already received a lot of criticism for how it collects data, what it collects and what it doesn’t.
If you’ve ever used Windows 10, you can only go to the privacy settings to find that everything is enabled by default. Even if you opt out of sending Microsoft information about your data, it is still being collected. Of course, Microsoft didn’t bother to officially reveal it with a press release, but it sure does. Therefore, you need a set of tools to disable Windows spyware modules.
On the other hand, Linux would be a great solution for privacy enthusiasts. First of all, Linux distributions don’t collect much (or any) data. Moreover, you won’t need any additional tools to protect your privacy.
10. Reliability
As we know Windows is getting slower day by day. After your system has been down or slow for a while, you want to reinstall Windows.
If you are using Linux, don’t worry about reinstalling it to experience a faster and smoother system. Linux helps your system run smoothly for longer (actually, much longer).
Also, with Windows, you have to keep restarting for almost everything.
- If you just installed the software, restart it!
- If you recently uninstalled the software, restart!
- If you just installed a Windows update, reboot!
- If the system seems to be slowing down, reboot!
However, in the case of Linux, you don’t need to reboot for the conditions mentioned above. You can easily continue your work and Linux will not bother you.
Another fact that proves Linux is reliable is web servers. You see that most of the internet giants like Google and Facebook work on Linux. Even almost all supercomputers run on Linux.
So, why is Windows not preferred over Linux for important tasks? Because Linux is much more reliable than Windows operating system. period.
Of course, it does not mean that Linux does not have problems. However, if we consider the big picture, Linux is dependable by default. If you want to try any of the Linux distributions for your computer, you might want to try Pop OS (my personal favorite) or one of the best Linux distributions we’ve listed.
Do you also think that Linux is better than Windows?
Now that you know the advantages of using Linux instead of Windows, what do you think?
What justifications can you come up with for sticking with Windows as your main operating system? What additional advantages do you notice if you’ve already made the switch and are using Linux?
Please share your ideas in the comments area below.
