Operating System Comparison: Windows and Linux

 What is an Operating System?

We all use different kinds of devices. You might be reading this in a smart phone or in your computer. What makes you able to read this in your device? Have you ever thought about it? Let's see...

Your device is just hardware or a physical machine. It is in complete without a software. The software which enables you to use the capabilities of your hardware or make a use of your hardware is called software. You might also say that you are reading this through your web browser and not through your OPERATING SYSTEM, but you might be not looking to the fact that your web browser is also running on your operating system. Your operating system is the main piece of software on top of which you download different other applications and software. 

So, you might have now understood what an operating system is or you might have already understood it before. Then let's move on. In this post, I'll be talking about two major operating systems on a computer. The operating systems about which I'll today talk about are:

    1.Windows

    2.Linux

Windows

Windows is one of the most used GUI based operating system software on personal computers. Windows is developed by Microsoft and it's first version was released on 1985. 

Windows is one of the best OS for normal purpose. Due to it's easy user interface and proper functionalities it became popular in the users pretty quick. Windows at that time was able to fulfill all the basic needs of the people and was able to give all the necessary feature to it's users. Slowly as the needs and requirements of the people increased, the Windows was also getting better and updated with more and more features and abilities. Even during this day, Windows is the most used Operating System in computers.

One of the problems that you see in Windows is the cost. It is not a problem but Windows is kind of costly. The price of the Windows 10 Pro costs around $200. The new Windows 11 also costs around same price. This can be an okay amount for many people but for poor students who want a decent computer, this cost might be quite expensive for them.

Other problem in the Windows operating system for many people is it's closed source. Unlike Linux the Windows does not have an openly available source code. This creates a limit to the customization that the users can do in their Windows. The source code not being public also disables the users to properly supervise their data.

Most of the other features of the Windows system are great. It's really easy to use. The software availability is great. The most of the software that are available are mostly made for Windows. Most of the software's first version is always for Windows. This might be because the majority of the computers use Windows (around 75% of the total computers) which is a good point for Windows.

Linux

Linux is another operating system like Windows. It is not used as much as Windows in fact, it is used only around 3% while Windows is used like 75% . So you get the idea. Linux was first created or introduced in August 25, 1991. It was introduced by a Finish software engineer and student Linus Torvalds. 

Linux unlike Windows is not made for normal use. Even though it can handle the normal applications and normal office works can be performed easily, the main purpose of Linux is not just limited i performing normal office works. Even though the Linux operating systems are available in GUI versions, it more productive in the CUI form. The initial purpose of the Linux was to be used in a dark black screen rather than with a graphical interface that we find toady. As Linux is open-source, it is mostly used in servers and different other devices as it can be modified according to the need of the device. This is a huge advantage of using Linux.

Linux does not need that high specifications to run. It can run even in old computers with low specs. Linux also has different versions which are called distributions (also known as distros). Some of the most used distributions or distros of Linux are: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Kali Linux, Debian, Arch Linux, Fedora, Red Hat, etc.

Linux is also used for hacking. It is again due to it's source code being open because it is easy to customize and modify Linux according to the nature of work ad need of the user. Linux also has many hacking tools that can be directly used. Linux is also good for programmers and developers. Linux has the support for almost all major programming languages. The Linux terminal is also better than the Windows' command line for the developers.

One of the major problems with Linux is it's  software availability. Linux does not have many software supports. There are adequate amount of software available but the popular and frequently used software might not be available for Linux. However, you can always find alternatives for the popular software with similar features.

Which one is better?

Now this is an answer which totally depends upon you and what you do. 

If you do normal office works then Windows will be the best option for you as Windows has more software available than Linux for the office works and the interfaces are also simple. 

If you are a gamer and play games, Windows is the only option for you. Even though Linux has really good games and the Windows' games can also be played through emulators, the games' original release mostly come out only for Windows.

If you do things related to graphics, animation, video editing, photo editing, digital art, etc, Windows is again a better option for you. Windows has better drivers and better support for the graphics cards and all.

If you are a casual user and use your computer mostly for browsing, Windows is the option for you.

If you are a programmer or thinking about learning programming, Linux is the best option for you. It has support for most of the programming languages.

If you want to enter into hacking and cyber security, Linux is the best for you. The Linux terminal is one of the most powerful command line out there.

If you use a old computer and it runs Windows slow, you can use Linux. It will make your computer faster as Linux is not heavy like Windows and run on computers with low specifications.

If you think that you can perform tasks better with your keyboard than your mouse, then you should definitely try Linux. Almost all the tasks in Linux can be done with the help of the command line.

If you are trying to get in in any field of IT, it will be best if you use Linux.

So, now it's your turn to decide what you want to use and what will give you more benefits. Good Luck!