Whether you are an Ubuntu user or a Windows user, this post is aimed to compare Ubuntu 11.04 with Windows 7 in every aspects… So let’s start a positive debate between them. Your view/idea is very important for this discussion so add your opinion through comments.
I ‘ve been using Ubuntu on my computer, from the last 2.4 years (Although I started with Windows Vista, and now I am using Windows 7 in triple boot mode, along with Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) and 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) ), and I don’t Windows in general (exceptional case : like playing games). There are lot of reasons why prefer Ubuntu over Windows or any other operating system, and of course you will notice few of them, in the comparison table.
Update 1 : Two new rows added !
Update 2 : Two more rows added! (Thanks to Conualfy for his/her comment!)
| Points | Ubuntu 11.04 | Windows 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Since Ubuntu is an open source software, you can customize it as you want..There is no limit on the level of customization because the source code is available to use as you want (under GPL). | it’s an proprietary software so forget about the source code and full customization. |
| Cost | it’s completely free to use and distribute! | Not free! No way, how can you think of that ? |
| Fun | Ubuntu is complete fun! probably due to fact that there is always something new and exciting thing/stuffs try, just for Fun! | You will get bored because there is lack of new things, so it feels like ‘got trapped in a box’. |
| Learning | Ubuntu or any other Linux based Distros is excellent from learning point of view, specifically recommended for those who are interested in learning about modern Operating Systems (OS) and want to understand how it works. | Forget about that, it doesn’t make any sense here. |
| Security/Virus | STOP!!! Ubuntu or any Linux based OS are virus free!, because it doesn’t work on the Ubuntu platform (probably due to the reason that most of the viruses were targeted to Windows and GNU/Linux is secure by default) so using ubuntu means that we are entering into the Virus free zone. | Virus is one of the greatest threat to Windows based OS..and some one said – Windows and Security do not appear together – in a single sentence. |
| Diversity | There is always new things waiting to try – e.g if you don’t like Gnome desktop, try something different such as KDE or XFCE or LMDE etc..it’s very flexible or in other words – modular. It has some desktop optimized for old hardwares while on the other hand you can enjoy 3D desktop effects with your new computer and graphics Card. | There is nothing new on this side! choose something from the Menu and go on!! |
| Softwares | A lot of free and open source software are available right there – in the Software Center or package Manager; just select and install in moments. Whether you are a student learning – “how to program” or a developer (desktop based software or web Apps), Ubuntu has better compiler (GCC, G++ etc), IDE(Eclipse, NetBeans), editors (gedit), Terminal (Bash) and all the tools you need. For programmers the apps are good but most common desktop applications – open office, Evolution Mail etc. sucks! | Some proprietary softwares are good such as – Microsoft Visual compiler/IDE, Windows Live Writer, Microsoft word,One Note, Adobe Photoshop etc, but you can get an equivalent open source software for Ubuntu. E.g Gimp instead of Photoshop, Open Office in place of MS Word etc. In short, Windows has better commonly used Applications but a lack of programming tools and Apps. Windows Console sucks! (On the other hand bash Terminal is far better, powerful and Fun!) |
| Ease of Use | GNU/Linux has very bad reputation if we consider this point (probably due to the fact that initially Linux based OS were used by only geeks who couldn’t think about non technical users), although Ubuntu is the most simple and easy to use – Linux based distro, it is difficult (for common desktop users) to use as compare to windows 7. File permission, root … irritates a lot to a normal desktop user. | Windows 7 is very simple to use! as compare to Ubuntu 11.04 or any other Linux based distro. |
| Stability | Ubuntu 11.04 or any other version of Ubuntu has very high frequency of releasing new versions which makes it very unstable and there are always a lot of crappy bugs waiting to fix. so it doesn’t seem – suitable for production/personal environment, even though LTS (Long Term Support) versions can be used in production environment. | Windows 7 is very stable as compare to Ubuntu 11.04, so well suitable for production environment. |
| Drivers Compatibility | Ubuntu has a lot of compatibility problems when it comes to device drivers e.g Graphics Card drivers, Webcam drivers… | All device manufacturers releases the driver software for Windows 7 so there is no compatibility issue in this case. |
| Start Up Time | Much Faster! | Slower |
I disagree with the stability/drivers of ubuntu (11.04) vs. windows (7)
The “stability” of ubuntu is pretty good even though the updates. You won’t get in a bootloop like in windows if u make bigger changes in your software.
And for the drivers, some drivers of very old and extremely new (2 days old) graphics cards may not be available in ubuntu, but it’s a lot easier to get them!
Next to that I would like to add that the software is easier to obtain in ubuntu, only there’s less available.
ps. My main point would be that if software/driver/game producers started producing for ubuntu it would be the ultimate OS.
KKKKK, this guy use linux,
Have no true here ;]
Its hard to get a unbiased review from anyone these days in OS comparisons. Or anything else for that matter. If you a person who does not like to buy things or have good support or like tinkering with your OS rather then using it. I think Linux is a good choice. From what I have seen most Linux users over use the fact that their OS linux is virus free. Sounds a lot like Apple touting OS X. Linux is not a huge target by any stretch on the desktop OS and in its mobile platform Android its a highly attacked platform for malware. What does that say, its says Linux is not immune to viruses and malware. Its just nobody cares about it on the desktop. But see’s the mobile platform as being more of a target. I have run Windows 7 since its beta introduction without any serious malware or viruses getting on my computer. I can say the same for my Mac. If your cheap and want a decent OS then Ubuntu is a good choice. But its not without issues for some. I can load Windows 7 onto almost any computer without installing a single driver manually. I can plug and play almost anything and it works! Linux is very good when a hardware maker conforms it to certain hardware. But when the end user has to do that. Problems happens. Hence the reason Linux is much more usable in cell phones, TV’s and appliances for examples. They change very little and the device manufacture can keep it running smoothly.
Its the main reason Linux is not accepted by consumers well for computers.
is there best fIRWALL Security in LINUX ? (specially UBUNTU)
is RED HAT better thn UBUNTU ?
if u want a firewall in ubuntu(i dont really see the point :P:P) u can always install firestarter… i have no idea about red hat but for me, ubuntu was better than windows in almost all respects except firmware upgrade for my android smartphone which requires windows
Hi there. I just wonder how Canonical (ubuntu producer) make profit. I don’t believe that it’s totally FREE, because the Canonical also need to pay their employees and to make profit (I mean, who want to work for nothing :D)
I think that Canonical (with it’s FREE product – Ubuntu) is just a kind of another business model. Give the MAIN PRODUCT for free and get the profit from the service or complementary product. It’s clear. It’s definitely NOT FREE.
From the comparison above,
Control: Not everyone want to customize their OS. Mainly because they doesn’t understand programming and they don’t need to do it.
Cost: just like i explain before
Fun: Not everyone have much time to have fun with their OS. Most people will use their OS to support their WORK, and not for fun.
Learning/Diversity/Ease of Use: For those who doesn’t like computer that much (but somehow need it), they need environment that as simple as possible. While both OS (Ubuntu and Windows 7) may claimed themselves to be the simplest one, the variations/derivations in Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, etc) is definitely make it need more time to be learned. For example, if I use ubuntu as my os and i have frined that use Linux Mint as his/her os. If he/she has trouble and need help, i definitley need more time to be familiar with Linux Mint to help him/her.
Softwares: Microsoft (as Windows maker) already provide a lot of softwares, which should be COMPATIBLE with WINDOWS. Furthermore, the consistency of Windows appearance makes it much easier to learn.
Stability/Drivers compatibilty: I agree with you 🙂
Startup time: I think it is trivial thing to be compared. The difference will take only in MINUTES (less than 2 minutes i think), it’s not a big deal for most people.
Thanks.
I believe Windows 7 is better than Ubuntu. I used Natty for some time, loved the features, and the customization, but always had some trouble with buggy software. If you want something reliable, go with windows 7. If you don’t care that every now and then you’ll spend a few hours fixing things, then go with ubuntu. Viruses are not a problem with windows. Het an antivirus and don’t be stupid online. I have never sen the blue screen in vista or 7, and I’ve been using them almost 24/7 for the past 3 years. Judge for yourself, but windows is more reliable than ubuntu.
We all need to open the window and let the air in… OMG UBUNTU is here… No it flew away… Long live Jolicloud.
In all honesty windows is far superior to linux in looks and ease of use but after using linux only for a few days on a back up drive i have to say alot of programs i use in windows do not work with linux but linux is very stable compared to windows. I would pick windows 7 over linux anyday because in my eyes it is superior. Fair doos you can use linux on low spec machines but when you switch to linux you loose all independence in my eyes. windows 7 has everything i need and im glad i grew up with what i see as the right os WINDOWS. Maybe i sem a bit biased with using windows all my life but i have installed linux on my mums netbook for her as she only watches films so im not totaly against it. Its just not for hardcore users.
oh and i dont think windows should be priced as high as it is. its sickening.
i’ve been using ubuntu for the last couple months. In general i must say it’s not bad.
the user interface in windows is better – more stable and most actions are easier to perform – it feels more comfortable, especially when you perform small tasks. If you are into massive customization, linux will allow you more, but for the standard way of working – windows 7 is much more handier..
when it comes to performance: unity is heavy. windows 7 is doing a good job. If you want something really lightweight, i’d say don’t use windows 7 nor ubuntu – go with puppy or DSL or some other real lightweight distro.
i need linux for it’s shell, not for the GUI. I tried both ubuntu + VM windows 7 and windows 7 + VM linux (not ubuntu). the latter seems to be more comfortable right now.
when it comes to compatibility, in both windows and ubuntu most things work out of the box, except for the cases when things work only under windows.
for now, i’m back to windows.
Why I get the feeling the one who make this comparisson is on Linux side and make Windows look very bad in everything. But you forget the gaming peformance
Why I get the feeling the one who make this comparisson is on Linux side and make Windows look very bad in everything. But you forget the gaming peformance
Why I get the feeling the one who make this comparisson is on Linux side and make Windows look very bad in everything. But you forget the gaming peformance
I am nearly 50 years old and started with a manual to get a 286 machine going what a steep learning curve that was. after DOS have been sucked in by window promises since 3.1 have been through the whole 95,98,ME, 2000 Professional (wasn’t too bad) than XP, never tried Vista was determined too get away from microsoft at all cost, hate dit from the first time i looked at the file system which seems too grow by itself and decided that i would take the plunge to a stable OS. Apple is too commercial for me and hate it when my son needs to pay for every little stupid application on his iPad. I have been using Ubuntu latest version on a Dell latitude along side my other Dell which has XP and i love exploring the Linux based OS its really fast when loaded on the Dell it was just like a brand new laptop.
I definately will make a donation through paypal to the ubuntu project.
My sincere Thanks to all those thousands of developers who have finally given me a stable PC.
After having used linux for 2 years exclusively , here are my thoughts on the topics above.
Control:
Too much control in linux. There are too many different versions of linux that all do about the same thing with only slight tweaks. As for software, forget it. Only a couple pieces of software are actually worth downloading. The rest are buggy , half finished and crap. Then you get some pinhead that will take that buggy peice of crap, tweak it slightly and release it as something else. “New and slightly improved”. Opensource is a joke, at best it kinda works. For pay software is years ahead . Look at video editing on linux. Right now the most STABLE video editors look and act like moviemaker from 2003. Don’t even get me started on the bugs in kdenlive, sony vegas blows it out of the water.
Cost:
It’s free, and it doesn’t always work. You couldn’t charge for linux because NO ONE would buy it. “Hey guys, here’s this operating system that kinda does what you want, sometimes.”
Fun:
Linux is a pain in the ass. Getting anything configured takes twice as long than in windows. If you’re using xubuntu for examply and you want a second HD mounted and accessably , you have to go into the terminal and mount it yourself. WOW. Just exactly what you want in an operating system, an OS that doesn’t do anything. How fun. Oh, and if you want to play games that look like they came from 1995 then linux is the place to be. It’s not entirely linux’s fault , I mean its the manufacture’s fault, right? Why wouldn’t someone want to invest money into making a video game for a community that is going to demand the sourcecode so they can rip you off and put out free versions of the game you have the nerve to charge for. That is absurd!
Learning:
Oh you’re going to have to learn how to use linux. Too many times you’ll need to crack open the terminal JUST TO INSTALL SOFTWARE. Because you’ll need to add repos, or compile a driver, or do a decent screenrecording for a tutorial video (ffmpeg, because all other options suck). Forget using the GUI, Linux has come a long way but it’s been out for 20yrs and has no intention of being anything but a hobby operating system.
Diversity:
There are tons of linux distributions out there, but they can all be boiled down to debian or redhat based distros. That’s it. They will only vary on the gui, the included aps and file manager. Plus, you get to look forward to new OS releases every 6months to a year. Now , don’t expect any bug fixes in those releases. The freebie junkies don’t have time to actually FIX anything, they want new features. So, you end up with some new features that may or maynot break the old ones and bugs that have been around for YEARS. If any company ran a business like this they would be out of business.
Security/Viruses:
Right now, no one cares about linux. But if android has shown us anything it is that if there is an increase in market share then someone will target you for viruses. Windows has a huge target on its back. Once linux gains ground in the desktop market, the viruses will be there. It is possible to hack a linux computer and gain root access, don’t delude yourself.
Software/ease of use/ stability/drivers:
Microsoft/Mac beat linux hands down
Startup:
With all the other problems this operating system has, who cares?
I like linux, I love the idea of opensource. But the opensource community needs to get its head out of its ass and start behaving less like nerds who tinker and more like a corporation with customers. Thank goodness Canonical is making an attempt, but who knows when they are going to pull a RedHat and give up on the linux desktop entirely. The issues linux has right now with subpar software, bugs not being fixed, ease of use, stability are not acceptable. No one would want to use this product if if the community was honest about its problems. Instead its all “hey use linux, its free and works just like windows”.
Biased as hell, from a personal stand point Niether Distro of Linux(Ubuntu/OpenSuse/Fedora/Debian(good luck getting shit to work on debian if it is new hardware), etc) are “Fun” lol try having to build/make/compile firmware to get your wireless device driver to work, or even better everything works perfectly when booted into the Live Distro(trend among Ubuntu/OpenSuse) but bam! Install it and smash your face against the wall. Linux over the years has reach a very decent level of support for hardware, but the package systems for each distro is straight up fucking retarded, (yum, rpm, deb, etc)
Maybe if their was some colaboration, and Standardization(Audio Subsystems ie ALSA, OSA etc) Dump Xorg(way to dated), Strick API subsytem for Dev’s to write software on, and a unified package distro system across the board. I feel linux could really compete with other OS’s. But that shit will never happen LSB(Linux Standard Base) is the closes will ever get. I will give credit in the mobile, router, and server market linux is and will always be king. Can you imagine a typical router running Windows? lmao
Dude you seriously have to rethink what you’re saying. Ive had ubuntu 11.04 and it blows. #1 reason i hate it so much is that most files on the internet are .exe files. #2 is that i couldn’t watch netflix. And #3 is that if you use a microsoft programs loader on ubuntu they dont work as good.
Linux will never compare to Windows until you can install a driver without trying a dozen cryptic commands in a terminal window.. Tried Ubuntu today and could not even use the installer because of my monitor going black (out of sync) had to pop over to windows to research why.. Tried the ati drivers but my screen went crazy when enabling the tear free option to I tried to download and install the ati drivers from there website.. Could not just double click the file and install that way as it would be to easy.. Had to open the terminal window and type a dozen commands which in the end did not work for me.. Windows — double click next next done.. Linux — open terminal sudo this sudo that compile install hope like hell it worked if not then oh well.. Want to play a game with graphics from the 90’s linux works great.. Everything you could ever want in software can easily be found for windows.. Everything in linux also has to have weird cryptic names..
Windows “volume control”
VS
Linux “Indicator Applet”
Movie Playback
Windows: Windows Media Player
VS
Linux: Helix, Xine
Text Editing
Windows: Notepad, Wordpad, TextPad
VS
Linux: Gedit, Kate
Music Playback:
Windows: Windows Media Player, Itunes, WinAmp
VS
Linux: XMMS, Noatun, MPlayer, Xine
CD Ripping:
Windows: Itunes, Windows Media Player
VS
Linux: Grip, Gnome Toaster, Sound Juicer
CD Burning
Windows: Roxio Easy CD Creator, Nero
VS
Linux: K3b, Gnome Toaster, XCDRoast
Been using ubuntu 11 for a few months now tried ubuntu before but never did stick with it till this version .. Like it BETTER than windows 7 .. wish it was out before I bought 6 copies of windows 7. Right now only use windows 7 on 2 my desktop computer with beyond tv .. Wouldn’t even use windows if it wasn’t for that fact and a few games. Ubuntu 11 is much faster can encode video faster and this is for Lolrus I have 5 programs install for video encoding and they work great and faster than windows 7. On my laptop dual core 2.53 ghz encoding is faster than my i7 core desktop.
To each his own but for people that want to learn Ubuntu is the way..For lazy people that just want to click stick with windows or mac . Ubuntu 11 is much easier than previous version if you know how to read you can figure out how to install anything on ubuntu .. All you have to do is google it and the instructions are there. ubuntu forums have great support to.