Linux vs Windows

Aah! The million-dollar question: Linux vs Windows. Actually, it is much simpler than you think it is – Linux is the clear winner by a substantial margin, we all know that but why is it better? This is the question that most people don’t know the answer to, so let us reframe the question to “Why is Linux better than Windows”. In this article, I will answer exactly that and you will learn linux vs windows in detail.

Why compare Linux and Windows?

The majority of the world runs Windows operating systems on their desktops, which is true, but everyone knows that if you need reliability for the servers that run different things or store your data in the cloud, Linux is the only way to go. In Fact, even Microsoft (creator and owner of Windows) utilizes Linux to ensure the smooth running of Microsoft Azure!

That’s right, who the hell needs gates and windows in a world without walls, huh?!?

We all know that Linux is single-handedly the best operating system the world has seen; with its thousands of distributions, it is hard not to find a Linux-based operating system that suits your needs. What more proof that you need when the top 500 supercomputers in the world are running on Linux-based operating systems?!

If Linux is so superior, why are we even comparing it with Windows? Well, the only eligible reason for Windows to be compared with Linux is because the most used operating system in the world is Windows. Microsoft Windows is the second most operating system after Android. According to a study, 12.56% of the population uses Microsoft Windows, and a whopping 42.67% uses Android, but only a minuscule 0.98% uses Linux.

This is really depressing to hear, given how few people don’t understand the sheer prowess of Linux-based operating systems, in fact, this series of articles on the DataFlair website is to share the mighty hallmarks, qualities, traits, and chronicles of Linux. Ok, enough beating around the bush. Let’s get down to the point and discuss the differences between Linux and Windows.

Difference between Linux and Windows

It’s showtime; let us compare both operating systems by looking at different aspects:

1. File systems:

We know that everything in Linux is a file or a directory. The root directory is the mother of all the directories in the filesystem. We know that files in Windows are stored differently on different data drivers like C, D, E, F, and more.

However, files in Linux are beautifully stored in a very neatly organized tree structure that starts with the root directory. The root directory is further branched into multiple directories that are meant for specific purposes. There are mainly three file types in Linux: The General files, the Directory files and the Device files.

The specific purpose here means that each directory is devoted to files related to a specific topic or job. For example, the /etc. the directory contains configuration files, the /boot directory contains static boot files, the /lib file contains the shared library images and kernel modules, and more. The Linux operating system also keeps separate directories for different user accounts.

WINNER: So, who is the winner in this segment? Since everything in Linux is a file (directories, files, and external devices are all considered files) and all are connected due to the beautifully organized tree structure, Linux is the winner.

2. Security

Security is Linux’s cup of coffee! It is a well-known fact that Linux is the most secure operating system out there. I bet that every Microsoft Windows user has faced some or other problems regarding security at some point in time. Every Windows user must have seen the “BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH” (shown below) at least one point in their relationship with Windows.

Linux users, on the other hand, have no such nightmares, it asks for the authentication of a user in the form of a password before running any application or program. In fact, you either need to be the root user or have elevated privileges even to download something!

Remember that study shows that 12.56% use Windows? That is the exact point of vulnerability. Since it is so extensively used, hackers and spammers focus on Windows to get the attention of the masses. Well, as the saying goes, trying to prove that you are the best, is sometimes only an insult.

Linux is a multiuser architecture, yet it is more secure than a single-user OS like Windows. Linux is also community-driven, which means that with regular monitoring from every nook and cranny of the world, any problem will be solved within a fraction of the time.

WINNER: We can see that Linux is the clear winner in this section by an enormous margin. To sum it up, Linux is so secure that you don’t even need an antivirus!

3. Usability

I have absolutely no idea as to why people think Linux is not easy to use. Now don’t get me wrong, of course, windows are really easy to use, but people have built up a particular image of Linux, that the second you mention Linux, a terminal full of code comes to your mind.

To be honest, the terminal is the sole backbone of Linux-based operating systems, we will see why in the next section, but there are hundreds of distributions of Linux, and it is really hard not to find one that matches your needs.

Linux Mint is the most used Linux distro ever because its GIU is better than that of Windows and still comes with all the goodies of the Linux kernel. In fact, if you are still not satisfied with the MATE desktop interface, which is a highly refined version of GNOME2, you even have the option to replicate different operating systems, including Windows!

Linux provides phenomenal desktop interfaces like GNOME, KDE, MATE, Xfce, and so many more for different purposes, and some even have the configurability and be personalized way better than Windows with the unlimited possibilities they offer.

WINNER: In this section, I feel that Linus is slightly better, but with the new Windows 11, Microsoft refurbished the look of the operating system and they made it more refined and clean. Therefore I think this section is a tie!

4. The terminal

As I mentioned earlier, the mere name of Linux brings up the picture of the terminal, and most Windows users don’t even know a terminal exists in Windows too!

The terminal is truly godsent, as it is a boon for many people. With the numerous commands and options, you can do so many things that you can’t do with the graphical user interface. The terminal is solely about efficiency, as there are no extra clicks or nicks. Who needs a mouse!!

WINNER: Linux, any day, has the best terminal in the world, with beautiful commands like ls. pwd, cd, rm, mkdir, find, and a hundred more help make our life so much easier and more efficient.

5. Stability

What more do I need to say than the phrase “98% of all supercomputers run Linux”? We all know that supercomputers need epic stability under high loads of processing data, and that is the exact reason they don’t run Windows!

There are many Linux servers on the internet that have been running for years without failure or even being restarted. Speaking of restarting, every Windows user does this at least once a week, see that blue screen with those haunted dots spinning away merrily, when you have a meeting in 5 mins, we have all been there!

WINNER: Again Linux single handedly wins this segment with a huge margin. Even the fastest supercomputer “Fugaku ” in Japan runs on Linux!

6. Distributions

Windows users be like: what on earth are distributions? Have you ever come across the term “distributions of Windows”? Of course not, but on the other hand everyone, even Windows user have heard the term “Linux distro” or “Linux distribution” at some point in time.

I said it already and am saying it again that with the thousands of Linux distros, it is really hard to not find the distro that will match all your needs. I know it’s hard to believe, that is why let’s look at some examples:

You want the allrounder, you go for Ubuntu, you want to game, you go for manjaro, you want the best GUI, go for mint, you want a sinister OS for network security and digital forensics, go for Kali, you want a lightweight operating system that uses your system’s resources efficiently, you go for Slax. I can talk abt these distros all day!

WINNER: Do I have to say the obvious, Linux is the clear winner here.

7. Privacy

Let me put this in simple terms, If you are using any Linux-based operating system, you have an operating system that does not spy on you. The operating system is truly yours and yours alone. Just to make the Windows users jealous, Linux comes with the option of built-in military-grade encryption.

We already saw that Linux is extremely secure, meaning that it gives you more privacy as device theft poses no real problem to your data. Windows on the other hand have gotten slightly advert-driven over the last few years.

Windows can watch what its users are doing. Don’t believe me, well here’s proof, when you sync your files to one drive, Microsoft collects the information from this data to improve their performance and personalize things for you. Microsoft tracks your behavior on the web and also off the web to improve their personal assistant “Cortana”.

Now, of course, Microsoft is not trying to sell your information and blackmail you, they are doing this to simply improve their OS to stay ahead of the competition. But imagine if some hacker gets all of this sensitive data from you, that is the exact scenario things will go haywire.

WINNER: Even though Microsoft is spying on you for a good reason, you still have that feeling of being watched, but Linux just does not care what you do in your personal little space. Linux is the winner.

8. Open-source

How do you think that there are so many distros of Linux? Well, the code is open source.

What exactly does that mean? Well, the source code of the Linux kernel is freely open to all, and anyone can obtain it, make changes and even publish the changed version! This is exactly how beautiful operating systems like Ubuntu, Debian, kali, and Xubuntu were born.

Many companies offer paid support for the distros of Linux, but the underlying software is completely free to use. Windows on the other hand is not open source. If at all you don’t find your specific distro, you even create one specifically tailored to you by modifying the source code according to your needs!

WINNER: it is clear that Linux is the winner here, Windows does not even compare with Linux in this section!

9. Free to use

Money, money, money, money, how do you think that the leader of Microsoft (Bill Gates) was the richest man in the world? Exactly, put a price tag on your best selling product! As we saw, everything in Linux is free, free to use, free license, freedom to publish the changed code, and more.

Even though many companies offer paid support for the distros of Linux, the underlying software is completely free to use. Windows on the other hand Windows is priced at $99 and $199 for each licensed copy.

Maybe we can forgive Windows slightly for giving a free upgrade of Windows 10 and 11 to the user of Windows 7/8/8.1. However, you will not forgive them when you have to spend 100 dollars out of your wallet when you are changing from another operating system to Windows.

WINNER: the sheer free-to-use, combined with the freedom Linux gives you by making its source code free makes Linux the winner.

10. Software updates

Aaaahh, the elephant in the room during this covid time, how many of us have joined late to a meeting or class due to the spooky blue screen! When we don’t install the updates on time on Microsoft Windows, the system gets laggy and slows down, thereby forcing us to install those updates and restart our systems.

The worst part is when you keep postponing the update and continue using the laggy software and one fine day you open your system to find it automatically updating! Always before a very important task, I have been there, you have been there, we have all experienced this crap.

Linux on the other hand is simply god sent! You get to choose when you want to update and you get to choose when to restart once the installation happens. In fact, you even get the options to simply “restart” or “restart and update”

Winner: Hands down Linux, no doubt in this!

11. Reliability

We know that Windows becomes sluggish day by day and you have to reinstall windows after a while, especially when you encounter crashes and slowdowns. I bet that as Windows users, we all have a habit to reboot for every single reason!

For any damn reason: installed a software – reboot!
Uninstalled software – reboot, Got a Windows update – reboot, System seems to slow down, that’s right – reboot.

But with Linux it is a different story, you will not have to re-install it just to experience a faster version of it, because it is as spick and span as the day you installed it. As we saw Linux is also extremely stable, combine it with the reliability to offer, and you have one hell of an operating system already!

The OS of Linux will not bother you in any way, you choose what happens in your private little world. This is exactly why giant companies like Facebook and Google run on Linux, not to mention the top 500 supercomputers.

Winner: Linux

12. Compatibility

Well, this is where windows shines, despite decent improvements in the Linux software being ported, Windows is still the king of portability. It is not that Linux is not compatible, you get a decent amount of applications for different tasks at hand, but if you want to download a new application it must first be compatible with Linux, which is very rare to find.

Winner: Since most of the applications in the market want to be used by the masses, they are compatible with windows. It is hard to say it but the truth always hits hard: Windows is the winner in the compatibility section.

13. Speed

Generally speaking, Linux is considered to be faster than Windows. This is because Linux is a more lightweight operating system, meaning that it takes up less space on your hard drive and uses fewer resources. This can lead to faster performance, especially on older or less powerful computers.

Nonethless, Windows has made significant improvements in speed in recent years. With the release of Windows 10, Microsoft has made a number of changes to the operating system that have made it faster and more efficient. As a result, the performance difference between Windows and Linux is not as significant as it once was.

WINNER: LINUX. Ultimately, the speed of an operating system depends on a number of factors, including the hardware of the computer, the version of the operating system, and the applications that are being used. In general, Linux is considered to be faster than Windows, but Windows has made significant improvements in recent years.

14. Users

Linux has four types of user accounts: superuser, regular, system, and service. The superuser account is the default system administrator, also known as the root account. All users who are added to a Linux system after the initial installation are referred to as regular accounts. By default, regular user accounts have their home directory in the /home directory.

System accounts are used to run operating system components but do not have superuser privileges. They do not have a dedicated home directory or a shell because they do not need to be logged in. Service accounts are similar to system accounts in that they are created when a service is installed on a system. Service accounts typically have a three-digit UID, ranging from 100 to 999.

Windows has four types of users: Administrator, standard, child, and guest. The main account on your PC is the Administrator account. The Administrator account has full access to the PC and can make any changes to Settings and customize the PC. An Administrator can also add or remove multiple user accounts from a computer system.

Standard users can install and run programs, but they cannot make changes to system settings or install software that affects other users. A Child account is a type of Standard account that has parental control settings enabled. These settings help users keep their children safe online while they are using their computers.

Guest accounts are created when you want to give someone temporary access to your computer. A guest account is a temporary account that does not have permission to make changes to your computer settings or access your personal files.

WINNER: Windows is the clear winner in this section, as it has versatile user types and each has amazing benefits. The fact that Windows allows parents to create child accounts, or educational systems to create work/school accounts, is the cherry on top.

The verdict: Linux vs Windows

So, we have seen that Linux has dominated Windows in every field as an ideal operating system. By the comparison we have done, we found out that Linux is hands down the best operating system in the world.

But to be completely honest, one of the best-known fields Windows is used in is gaming, even though Linux has distros like Manjaro and Pop! OS, they are not as good as Windows.

So if and only if you are a gamer, you can choose Windows, but for any other profession or purpose, Linux has the upper hand. So what are you waiting for? Switch now!

Moreover, Linux is the go-to operating system for programmers as Linux supports all programming languages. You just have to install the respective packages and compilers.

For example, to execute c programs you have to install the “GCC” compiler and then use the command “a./.out”. The best part of Linux is that we can execute the programs from the terminal itself instead of using 3rd party apps or websites

Should you switch to Linux?

YES! simply yes. You must switch now because you are missing a lot in life! Firstly, when you begin, there will be a learning curve, but eventually, you will get the hang of it, and who knows, you may even prefer the terminal over the GUI!

However, on a serious note, beginners usually quit using Linux and give out excuses saying that it is very technical and not so user-friendly. But, in the past few years, Linux distributions have gotten better in terms of their GUI and they are better than Windows, mac, Solaris, and so many more. There are so many distros you can choose from which are all based on the same Linux kernel and share the exact same features.

If you don’t want such a sudden shift in your life, I suggest you download a Virtual box and then download any distro of Linux you prefer on the virtual box. With this setup, you can switch between your current operating system and also get the hang of Linux. After using it for a bit, if you really like Linux, you can always install it directly to your PC, and if you think that Linux is not for you, you can continue using your current operating system – your loss!

Summary

As you have seen, Linux is single-handedly the best operating system in the world. We have compared Windows and Linux on many bases. Hope you enjoyed it.