Ubuntu Beats Windows 7


Recommended Posts

In the mother of all grudge matches, Tom?s Hardware has pitched Windows 7 against Ubuntu 11.10 in a dizzying array of benchmarks ? and the winner might surprise you.

Out of six test categories ? Start and stop times, File copy times, Archiving, Multimedia, System, and Gaming ? Oneiric Ocelot came out on top in three, while Windows 7 won none. File copying, Multimedia (transcoding, image processing), and System (CPU/memory benchmarks) were all faster on Ubuntu. Even in gaming, often listed as one of the most compelling reasons to use Windows, Ubuntu and Windows are level pegged.

Source

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1058124-ubuntu-beats-windows-7/
Share on other sites

I'll give the Ubuntu team credit. It's come a long way since version 5.04, which was the first time I tried it. I think I've tried every version for at least a little while, but usually went back to Zenwalk mostly. Don't know what it is I like about that distro so much.

When all my hardware and software works on Ubuntu (or any other Linux flavour), it will beat Windows. And not a second before.

Just out of interest, what hardware are you running that doesn't work under Linux?

I'm not anti Linux or pro Microsoft, just to clarify. :)

No problem buddy. I think constructive criticism is healthy. Linux isn't perfect by any means.

Just out of interest, what hardware are you running that doesn't work under Linux?

No problem buddy. I think constructive criticism is healthy. Linux isn't perfect by any means.

I've had a lot of trouble in the past with printing, but more recently my tv tuner, sound card, wireless and a few legacy hardware devices don't play nice with Linux. Some of those things I can shrug off, but others are a requirement!

I don't mind Linux on the whole, I use it a lot at work (servers mainly) and it does it's job well.

I've had a lot of trouble in the past with printing, but more recently my tv tuner, sound card, wireless and a few legacy hardware devices don't play nice with Linux. Some of those things I can shrug off, but others are a requirement!

Fair enough. It's true that some printers manufacturers don't support Linux very well. I've found from experience that HP printers usually well out of the box.

I use an Audigy 2 sound card myself, which works out of the box like most creative sc's. Which sc do you have?

I've found most wireless, sound cards etc work out of the box these days with Linux. There's an odd manufacturer which is problematic, but they are getting fewer with every release. Maybe you will have better luck in the future :)

I don't mind Linux on the whole, I use it a lot at work (servers mainly) and it does it's job well.

Great to hear. It's nice to be able to try out different systems.

But can it run Crysis?

I believe so. You'd have to run it through Wine though.

http://appdb.winehq....rsion&iId=10107

Current Gentoo Linux AMD64 Jan 17 2012 1.3.37 N/A Yes Platinum

post-429662-0-06300600-1329278288_thumb.

But I think the gaming benchmark was Doom3, as both the Windows and Linux version use OpenGL. DirectX is proprietary, so it can't really be tested properly across platforms.

I believe so. You'd have to run it through Wine though.

Looks like Toms Hardware got that wrong then:
Put it this way: Ubuntu can't play Crysis. http://www.tomshardw...ew,3121-23.html

In any case it's not supported and likely to be buggy. Those benchmarks are purely academic. What does it matter if the only game that's supported on Linux runs slightly faster on certain drivers. Sorry for the negativity but winning a few performance benchmarks (and losing others) isn't going to do anything for Ubuntu. Until software that matters (other than browsers) is supported on the platform, and it gets a UI that makes sense, it's going to remain as insignificant as ever.

Looks like Toms Hardware got that wrong then:

In any case it's not supported and likely to be buggy. Those benchmarks are purely academic. What does it matter if the only game that's supported on Linux runs slightly faster on certain drivers. Sorry for the negativity but winning a few performance benchmarks (and losing others) isn't going to do anything for Ubuntu. Until software that matters (other than browsers) is supported on the platform, and it gets a UI that makes sense, it's going to remain as insignificant as ever.

The GUI isn't too bad given that the bigger problem is the lack of big name third party and hardware support - address those two issues and Linux would easily become an alternative to Windows tomorrow.

Looks like Toms Hardware got that wrong then:

In any case it's not supported and likely to be buggy. Those benchmarks are purely academic. What does it matter if the only game that's supported on Linux runs slightly faster on certain drivers. Sorry for the negativity but winning a few performance benchmarks (and losing others) isn't going to do anything for Ubuntu. Until software that matters (other than browsers) is supported on the platform, and it gets a UI that makes sense, it's going to remain as insignificant as ever.

ooooh. that smells of hate.. :D

Always be skeptical about these things.

Was Windows 7 running in high performance mode?

Surely different OS handle power conservation differently.

Were there .NET libraries being compiled in the background?

Was the indexer running?

What about Intel GPUs?

Who cares?

etc..

Always be skeptical about these things.

Absolutely. Give it a try yourself, and see what results you get on your hardware.

Was Windows 7 running in high performance mode?

Surely different OS handle power conservation differently.

Were there .NET libraries being compiled in the background?

Was the indexer running?

The same can be done on Ubuntu. Services can be stopped, desktop effects turned off, drop down into a basic X session like TWM, or even run some of the tests using cli tools, but that wouldn't be the out of box performance and experience for most users would it?

What about Intel GPUs?

I doubt many of the 3D tests would fair well on either OS with Intel GPU's.

Who cares?

Many find such benchmarks helpful. It gives an idea of the general performance differences between platforms.

UBUNTU is one good OS. I love it but the only problem i had is with battery life... i believe it going to be fixed on the next release..

Unfortunately that's down to a PCIe power saving bug in the kernel I think.

its going to be awesome.

Looking forward to it myself too.

Looks like Toms Hardware got that wrong then

It doesn't run natively, so technically they are right.

In any case it's not supported and likely to be buggy.

It's an option if you're a die-hard Crysis fan, but yes it's likely to have some bugs perhaps, or may need some additional configuration to get it working 100%. The ratings I saw seemed to hover around gold/platinum, which indicates for some it'll probably work out of the box, for others it may need a little tweaking.

It's nice to have the option to run our favourite Windows apps if need be. I think Wine also runs on OS X, so apple people can try out crysis too if they have good hardware :)

Those benchmarks are purely academic. What does it matter if the only game that's supported on Linux runs slightly faster on certain drivers.

Academic suggests theoretical, yet this was a real world cross-platform benchmark of three games, two of which performed better on Ubuntu. I'm sure when Oil Rush is released, we can give that a test as well.

Sorry for the negativity but winning a few performance benchmarks (and losing others) isn't going to do anything for Ubuntu.

That's ok. I thought it might be interesting because I've never actually seen real world tests like these against competing OS's. It's all in good spirits. I'm not saying one OS is better than the other. I use XP and Windows 7 daily as well, and I have no complaints about either of them.

Until software that matters (other than browsers) is supported on the platform, and it gets a UI that makes sense, it's going to remain as insignificant as ever.

That's the nice thing about free open source software, there's almost always a drop in replacement that does the same job as proprietary software, sometimes it's even better. I can then compile/run it on both Linux and Windows :)

Regarding the UI, I think that's the fun part about Linux, there's so many different experiences to try. There's something for everyone, be it KDE, Gnome, Cinnamon, XFCE, Fluxbox, Enlightenment, or the many others available. Give a few a try, you might like them :)

When all my hardware and software works on Ubuntu (or any other Linux flavour), it will beat Windows. And not a second before.

I'm not anti Linux or pro Microsoft, just to clarify. :)

I would really like to run Ubuntu on my wife's computer, but can't for the life of me, get the stupid usb speakers to work!!

I've spent hours trying to get it, but it just won't work!! :(

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Doogee and Ulefone regularly release phones with 10k-25k mAh batteries, but those are bricks. I don't understand how they could make it only weigh 220 grams with a battery that size.
    • Windows 10 quietly gets one more year of support and updates by Taras Buria Windows 10 reached its end of life at the end of 2025. Microsoft kicked off the Extended Security Updates program, aimed at giving regular consumers one more year of security-only updates. By doing so, Microsoft gave users more time and money to update their computers to a newer operating system or compatible hardware. Now, with the end of the Extended Security Updates program quickly approaching, Microsoft is making an important adjustment. Users discovered that the official support article for the program now lists a new end-of-support date: The Extended Security Updates program is not a new concept. It has been an official way for business consumers to continue receiving critical updates for unsupported Microsoft products for many years. However, all this time, it was a business-only, paid feature. With Windows 10, Microsoft brought ESU to regular consumers, allowing them to get security updates for Windows 10 past October 2025 essentially for free. When Windows 10 was approaching the end of support, many guessed that Microsoft might adjust its support timelines, and this is exactly what seems to be happening. Of course, Microsoft would love everyone to switch to new computers, such as its latest Surface devices, but in the days of ever-growing hardware prices, not everyone is lucky enough to have money for a new PC. Leaving hundreds of millions of customers with a Windows version that no longer receives security updates is a major risk that Microsoft is not willing to take. If you have a Windows 10 PC to enroll in the Extended Security Updates program, check out this guide to learn how to do so.
    • Sony announces Bungie layoffs that will affect "significant number of employees" by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Sony today announced that major layoffs are happening at its first-party studio Bungie, the developer that has spawned series like Halo, Destiny, and Marathon over the past decades. The news arrives just weeks after Bungie delivered the final update to Destiny 2, and it's that team being hit with the layoffs the most. CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Hermen Hulst revealed the staff reduction today, calling it "painful news." "Over the past several months, together with Bungie leadership, we reviewed the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy," said Hulst, explaining the decision. "We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals." The layoffs will be hitting "a significant number of employees" across most of the Destiny franchise development team. It doesn't look like Sony is planning to continue the series following Destiny 2's sunsetting update. The studio is said to be in early stages of looking at other projects to pivot to, but it's said that keeping the size of the team at current levels is no longer feasible. "We know this decision has a profound impact on the people affected, their families, friends, and teammates," said Bungie leadership in a separate message on social media. "While these changes are necessary to best position the studio now and for the future, that does not lessen the difficulty of this moment or the impact it has on those affected." At the same time, "some" of the Marathon development team are also affected by the layoffs. The recently released multiplayer-only extraction shooter title hasn't seen a big boom of players either, but the company is reportedly hoping that the live service experience will pick up players with future updates.
    • Microsoft adds reusable skills and finance data connectors to Copilot in Excel by Karthik Mudaliar Microsoft is giving Copilot in Excel a collection of new features aimed squarely at finance teams. The update introduces reusable instructions for common tasks, connections to services such as FactSet and Morningstar, and a better way to review what Copilot intends to do before it starts changing a workbook. The most interesting addition is 'Skills' finally coming to Copilot in Excel. Skills let companies teach Copilot how to handle a recurring process, so employees do not need to write the same detailed prompt every month. Users can create skills that can specify the steps Copilot should follow, along with the required layout, formulas, and formatting. Microsoft says users can create their own skills by saving a SKILL.md file in OneDrive. The file is written using Markdown and tells Copilot when and how to perform the task. Once it is available, a user can select the skill in the Copilot pane or mention it in a prompt using the @ symbol. There is also a library of prebuilt finance skills for customers who do not want to create their own. Microsoft plans to let developers distribute additional skills through the Microsoft Marketplace and the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, with LSEG, Ramp, Rogo, samaya.ai, Velixo, and Vena among the first partners involved. The company says that it is also expanding the external data that Copilot can access from inside Excel. New connectors are being added for CB Insights, Daloopa, FactSet, Morningstar, PitchBook, and S&P Global data through technology developed by Kensho. There is a catch, however. Accessing these services may require a separate subscription from the relevant data provider, so a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence will not necessarily unlock all of them. FactSet is also only available in preview for now, with general availability planned for July. Microsoft is also trying to make Copilot’s workbook edits easier to inspect. Users can switch to a planning mode that shows which sheets, cell ranges, formulas, and assumptions Copilot intends to work with before it begins making changes. Once the work is complete, the Show Changes pane can distinguish edits made by Copilot from those made by human collaborators. The update continues Microsoft’s push to turn Excel Copilot from a chatbot into an agent that can carry out longer tasks. The company previously added an Agent Mode capable of planning and completing multi-step Excel work. Microsoft also recently acquired financial AI startup Fintool, another indication that finance is becoming a key target for its Excel AI strategy. Prebuilt skills, personalization, workbook rules, external connectors, planning mode, and Copilot attribution in Show Changes are generally available to Microsoft 365 Copilot customers using Excel on the web, Windows, and macOS. Custom skills are initially available to Microsoft 365 Insiders on Windows and Mac starting today. Microsoft plans to make them generally available across Windows, Mac, and the web over the next month. Partner-built skills are expected during the third quarter of the year. Availability may still differ depending on region and licensing.
    • Exactly. They serve different (although related) purposes.
  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      kinowa earned a badge
      First Post
    • Rookie
      krychek57 went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Grand Master
      Jaybonaut went up a rank
      Grand Master
    • One Year In
      Philsl earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Dedicated
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Dedicated
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      438
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      169
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      134
    4. 4
      Xenon
      77
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      75
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!