Ubuntu Linux Vs. Windows Vista
Sunday, April 29th, 2007 |
With Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn released last week, bloggers, journalists, and users are asking the inevitable question: How does it compare with the other major OS update this year, Windows Vista.
Serdar Yegulalp at Information Week have written up a detailed comparison of the two operating systems. We have to agree with most of the points made. Here’s the bullet point version, with our two cents thrown in at the end:
- Installation is pretty easy with both operating systems. Insert a disc, answer a few questions, and wait up to an hour. The point may be moot for some users, since most new machines will come preloaded with Vista. Since Ubuntu is a LiveCD you can also just pop the disc in and try out the operating system before deciding whether to install it.
- While Ubuntu 7.04 does a better job than many Linux distributions at automatically recognizing hardware, Vista’s Device Manager is easier to use for computer novices who are attaching less common hardware to their PC.
- Adding and removing programs is pretty easy on both operating systems. One benefit to Ubuntu is that you can browse the add/remove program dialog to find Ubuntu-recommended software rather than surfing the web to find programs.
- Both operating systems make it easy to get online, browse the web, and use email.
- Ubuntu comes with OpenOffice preinstalled, which gives it an Office suite right out of the door. Of course, Windows users can download OpenOffice themselves for free.
- Both Ubuntu and Vista come with programs for ripping CDs and managing audio, video, and picture files.
- Neither system has a great backup solution. Or rather, Vista’s shadow copy function is nice, but it’s not available in all versions of the operating system. Of course, you can find plenty of 3rd party solutions for both backing up your data on both platforms.
In a nutshell, both operating systems come with a full set of features. What sets them apart now is primarily the ease with which you can customize your settings.
Vista still has a bit of an edge on the user-friendly front here. Too often, you need to open up a terminal in Ubuntu and type in some arcane commands or edit a configuration file in order to get things working the way you’d like.
Sure, the only reason some of these actions are more intuitive in Vista is because most of us have been using Windows for years. But that does mean there’s a learning curve for anyone switching to Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution.
If you handed a PC preloaded with either operating system to someone who’s never used a computer before, they’d probably find plenty to like in each one. And Ubuntu 7.04 is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to making Linux easier to use from the get go. If you’re not a power user, (Hi, welcome to DownloadSquad), you may never need to use the command line in Ubuntu, because the preinstalled software covers most of the basic functions you’ll ever need, including word processing, web browsing, email and music management.
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Chasing after software pirates in the US is one thing, but China’s a whole other ballgame. Pirated copies of Windows Vista are widely available throughout the country, for as little as $1.
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