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CAAHP Windows vs. Linux| Category | | | Summary | | | Body | Windows vs. Linux
While this is far outside my normal purview, in this article I'm going
to be discussing the Windows (XP) and Linux (Gentoo in particular)
operating systems. I will go over their strengths and weaknesses, and
explain why I like what I do. Given the flame wars that have started
over this topic, I will try to keep it as objective as I can.
Let's start off with what is good about Windows:
- Well, lets face it, for most people Windows is extremely
easy to use. Its interface has been part of our lives for so long now
that everyone's used to it. Even when it was new, it was fairly simple
to figure out. Sure, not everything is easy. For the most part,
however, Windows is a snap to use.
- Pretty much any piece of software out there is compatible
with Windows (as it does have something like 90% of the desktop
market). This means that you can buy software without really worrying
if it will work. As long as your hardware can support it, so can
Windows (in all likelyhood).
- Windows also has support for all the newest hardware.
Granted, its not built in, but there are always windows drivers
available either with your hardware or on the web. Again, since Windows
has such a large share of the market, manufacturers make certain that
there are windows drivers available.
- Games! If you like to play games on your computer (and who
doesnt), then really you have no choice. Games run on Windows
computers. Sure, there are a few here and there that also run on other
systems, but not many - and there are VERY few that are just for those
other systems. If you want your game to just work, you need to be
playing it on Windows.
Now, the good things about Linux (remember, I'm talking about Gentoo
specifically here):
- Portage. Frankly, this is enough right here. This is the
best package management system I've ever used, and I've used most of
them. If I want to install something, I type in the appropriate
command, and it goes and finds it and downloads it and installs it for
me. Thats just fantastic. It even takes care of the dependencies!
- Customization. I can configure my computer to compile/run
all the programs on it in the most efficient way for my particular
hardware configuration. Ok, so the gains arent mind-blowing, but every
little bit helps.
- Security. It is very easy to build a very secure Linux box.
Plus, since the Linux community has a comparitively small marketshare,
there are fewer exploits/virus problems out there for it. This makes
for a very pleasant and worry-free computing experience.
- Flexibility. Lets face it, you can do pretty much anything
(well, except gaming) on a linux box. It can run on any piece of
hardware you can find and let it do SOMETHING useful (well, maybe not
useful for you, but useful for somebody). Want to control your toaster
via the network in your house? I'm sure someone's got a linux toaster
project going that can help you out!
- Difficulty. Now I know, you think I'm crazy for listing
this as a positive thing. Its WONDERFUL to have a computing environment
that isn't full of 13 year old script kiddies and AOL users. Its
somewhat elitist, but the fact of the matter is, its just very pleasant.
- Stability. The only reason my Gentoo file server ever goes
down is because we lost power, or because Pixie Luv accidentally hit
the switch and turned it off. For a simple box that gets heavy use,
that is incredible.
- Open-ness. Linux is largely Open Source. This is great and
wonderful, yay! Ok, so I dont contribute to the coding projects, and I
rarely, if ever, modify anything, but its nice to know that I could,
and I fully support the OSS ideal.
Ok, enough with all that "good" stuff. Now I get to complain about what
I hate!
Windows:
- Security. I mean, honestly. What were they thinking when
they designed this? I know, they wanted it to be easy to use, but come
on. I swear they put some of those exploits in on purpose just to
frustrate us.
- Ease of use. Same as my "difficulty" point above. This lets
people who have no business even trying to use a VCR access the
internet! Do you realize how crazy that is? Some things should be hard
- its for their own good. Remember folks, people are stupid.
- Stability. It has gotten better, I know. But things still
crash far too often, and act way too "weird" (unexpectedly). I shouldnt
have to guess how my computer will respond to what I'm doing. It should
be very cut and dry. I know some people like surprises, but this is not
a good place for them.
- Closed-ness. Windows is about as closed and proprietary as
it gets. It works for them, and thats great, but it would really be
nice to be able to get in there myself when things go bad.
Linux:
- 3D support. There is a serious lack of good 3D drivers out
there for linux. This is largely the fault of the companies (I'm
looking at you, ATI), but its still a problem regardless.
- Software. There is a LOT of great linux software out there.
Unfortunately, its not the same software as Windows. This makes for a
lot of incompatibility, and stops a lot of people from checking
out/trying linux. It would be great if this wasn't an issue, but it is.
- Games. There are very few games published with Linux
support. Yes, most games these days will run under Wine (or one of the
commercial variants), but this isnt a real solution. A large segment of
the market that would be willing to switch to linux is Gamers - its not
good to leave them out.
- Difficulty. Yep, this is a pro AND a con. Sometimes, I
really just dont want to edit a damn configuration file. Menus,
administrative tools in the GUI, SOMETHING. Help me out here.
So there you go. There's my list of the positives and negatives of
Windows and Linux. I know, you're upset because I didnt say anything
really flame-worthy, so here you go. I prefer Linux, hands down. Yes, I
have a Windows computer for games (like everyone else), but if they'd
all run under Linux I wouldnt have any Windows computers at all.
<span style="font-weight: bold;]Article by Ravn</span>
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This article was imported from the CyberArmy University site. (original author: Ravn)
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