When it comes to desktop oriented operating systems, Windows has been essentially monopolizing the market by being sold on every popular brand of computer. This in turn brought more popularity to the Windows operating system and created a standard for operating system software. The idea that every computer comes with Windows on it is not far-fetched, as most computer manufacturers include the operating system with their pre-built systems. However, anyone who had ever had spyware on their computer, anyone who had ever had a system crash, and anyone who had to spend hours trying to get tech support to get their computer back up and running was most likely one of the victims of Windows, not knowing that there were any other alternatives for their PC.

So here comes in Linux, the operating system that was originally built by Linus Torvalds, a Finnish hacker, to enhance the original UNIX systems that were currently in place at the time (Petreley). While it originally served a purpose for servers, Linux has been developed into a desktop platform as well, taking on the look and feel of any current Windows environment. Not many people have heard about Linux, unfortunately, and those who have are under the misconception that Linux is something for “geeks” to use, meaning it takes a lot of time to adapt and learn it. However, this misconception along with many others, are the reason why this operating system isn’t heard about or used more today. So why should Linux be used instead of Windows?

Linux is easier to use.

One of the main driving forces behind Linux is the implementation of many distributions of Linux – different looks, different functionality, and different computing purposes for each version. This may not seem easy at first; with many choices of Linux spread around on the internet, choosing a version that best fits your computer can be daunting. There are distributions of Linux suited to be a media center, a server, a graphics developing desktop, or just a plain and simple Windows look alike. “Ease of use in Linux is typically custom created by the user, to the user’s specifications” (Short). Not sure which one is best? Try them out. Most Linux distributions actually have a live version of their software for you to experiment with; plug the CD into your computer, play around with the distribution of Linux, and if you don’t like it, simply take the CD out and try another – without harming any data you currently have on your computer in any way. To compare, there is no trying out with Windows – you either have it installed on your computer or you don’t, so you never really know for sure exactly how well it would run on your computer before you take time to install it. Using Linux is just as easy, and if not easier than Windows. Most Linux distributions have a graphical environment similar to that of Windows – there are folders you can open up, there are applications you can open up, etc (Petreley). Anybody who has been able to use the basic functions of Windows could easily use Linux.

Linux is more secure than Windows.

The initial argument made behind Windows security is the fact that because there are more installations of Windows worldwide, it is therefore the prime target of attacks by hackers (Petreley). That being said, if Linux was to undergo the same amount of scrutiny in numbers, the operating system would show many inherent flaws that would have been otherwise unseen. This type of thinking is, of course, somewhat faulty. The Apache webserver, a native application of the Linux environment, is used by over 70% of all internet hosts, including Yahoo and Google because of its stability (Petreley). Yet, being the most popular webserver on the market, it doesn’t have a lot of security issues – while the issues it has are fixed almost immediately. This same sort of security applies to all of the Linux distributions, where a security issue is brought up and then fixed usually within a day (Petreley). Compare this to Windows which will fix a security issue the same day only if it is critical, otherwise updates and patches to the operating system are only released every second Tuesday of the month (a.k.a. “Patch Tuesday”). Furthermore, this also proves that Linux was built right the first time around, since it was built by security experts who knew exactly what they were doing. “Linux is security oriented and Linux users enjoy that inherent security” (Short). On a related note, the words anti-virus and Linux are rarely used in the same sentence – there just isn’t a need for Linux to have those kinds of programs when the security on it is already implemented well.

Linux is free and will always be free.

This compared to the current prices of the latest version of Windows, which ranges anywhere from $100 to $220, is quite an incentive for people who are looking to save money or who are on a budget, especially schools or organizations which have a lot of computers to maintain (Horowitz). An average computer lab which uses Linux instead of Windows ends up saving about $7,000. Linux is free to download, free to copy, and free to share with your friends, unlike Windows which forbids any of those actions. Ubuntu, an independent Linux distribution, steps the idea of “free-ness” up a notch and actually offers premade CD’s of their software shipped to your house at absolutely no cost to you (Ubuntu). Along with that, the company behind Ubuntu, Canonical, also provides full commercial support for the operating system, so you’re not left to fend for yourself if you do decide to switch from Windows (Ubuntu). Sure, you may get what you pay for, but you get so much more when you don’t have to pay anything at all.

Linux is not only free, it is open source.

This allows the person who is using Linux to take the source code of the operating system, change whatever they want to change in terms of functionality and features, compile those changes, and then redistribute the new operating system however they want to. The idea behind this is to customize a system based on the type of computer you have. For example, if a person has a five year old computer, they will have to buy a new computer to be able to run the latest version of Windows on it. However, they can also choose to save money and have the latest and greatest by switching to a custom designed version of Linux that runs on little resources to the computer itself – distributions of Linux such as Xubuntu (a lightweight version of Ubuntu) and DSL (Darn* Small Linux) which run with a simpler interface to save memory but still have the latest programs and features needed in a common operating system.

Linux is simply a better alternative.

Microsoft most certainly does not enjoy the idea that there is competition for their operating system, mainly that the competition is literally giving away their product. Or that the product given away is easier to use, more secure, and more customizable than their product. So why isn’t everyone switching to Linux now? As mentioned before, the standard for the operating system lies heavily with Windows at the moment. However, the standard can always change.

Works Cited

Horowitz, Michael. “Linux vs. Windows (a comparison).” 22 September 2002. MichaelHorowitz.com. 21 May 2008. <http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html>

Petreley, Nicholas. “Security Report: Windows vs. Linux.” 22 October 2004. The Register. 21 May 2008. <http://www.theregister.co.uk/security/security_report_windows_vs_linux/>

Short, Chris. “Linux and Ease of Use.” 10 June 2003. Lockergnome. 21 May 2008. <http://www.lockergnome.com/chrisshort/2005/01/04/linux-and-ease-of-use/>

Ubuntu. 20 May 2008. Canonical Ltd. 21 May 2008.
<http://www.ubuntu.com/>