linuxgeek: [LINUX_Newbies] Windows7 vs Ubuntu 9.10

Saturday, October 31, 2009

[LINUX_Newbies] Windows7 vs Ubuntu 9.10

Over the past few days I've been thinking quite a bit about the
differences between Microsoft's latest Windows 7 and Canonical's
Ubuntu 9.10. Specifically, I've been thinking about the strengths
and weaknesses of each of the operating systems. Is a free operating
system really as good as one that you pay for?
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Let's take a look at several aspects of using operating systems and
examine the various strengths and weaknesses of each OS.

Installation
Windows 7

* Pros
- Install is quick, easy and painless.
- After working through a few wizard screens at the beginning, the
install is automatic
* Cons
- None really
Ubuntu 9.10

* Pros
- Option to "try before you install" using the Live CD feature
- Can easily install as a dual boot or even inside Windows using the
Wubi installer
* Cons
- Unless you're luck to get a CD, you do have to mess about with
.ISO files and burn a disc. If you're happy doing that, it's not
really a problem.
Speed/Performance
Windows 7

* Pros
- Both are excellent
* Cons
- None really
Ubuntu 9.10

* Pros
- Both are excellent
* Cons
- None really
Usability
I've thought long and hard about this one and I've come to the
conclusion that while neither OS is perfect (far from it), both are also
just as usable once you devote the time to figuring things out. I have
years of Windows experience under my belt and a lot less with Ubuntu but
I can't say that's a problem.
Software
Windows 7

* Pros
- If you're willing to pay, there's a lot of software for the
Windows platform
- Equally, there's a LOT of free stuff if you look around
* Cons
- Bundled fayre is pretty poor
Ubuntu 9.10

* Pros
- Comes complete with an excellent array of software
- Access to, and installing, new software is a snap
* Cons
- None really … just don't expect to run Windows software (even
if you do resort to Wine)
Media Support
Windows 7

* Pros
- Excellent support for media formats, including DRMed media, out of the
box
* Cons
- Windows Media Player isn't the best bit of software around
Ubuntu 9.10

* Pros
- Good support for media formats
* Cons
- If you want to play DVDs then you need to resort to
"Restricted" codecs
- Many media formats that use proprietary DRM just won't work on
Ubuntu because of DRM restrictions
Hardware support
Windows 7

* Pros
- On the whole, Windows 7 offers excellent support for modern hardware
right out of the box
* Cons
- You might be out of luck with old hardware
Ubuntu 9.10

* Pros
- Overall, hardware support is good, and getting better
- On really low-end hardware you can substitute Ubuntu for Xubuntu
* Cons
- There are no guarantees
- There's no "Works with Linux" logo that buyers can look
for when buying new hardware
Final thoughts
There's no doubt that Windows is the default OS for many users. In
fact, for most users out there it's the only OS and many of those
aware that a different OS exists know about Mac OS rather than Linux.
That said though, Linux is a very good, robust and highly-usable
operating system. It's also fun to use and free. I understand how
for many people operating systems are akin to religions, but there are
huge advantages to being OS-agnostic. One advantage is that you can pick
and choose the right OS for the job.

source:http://linuxtree.blogspot.com/2009/10/windows-7-vs-ubuntu-910.htm\
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