david622 Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 last time i tried linux, i freaked out because i thought i lost my windows partition, and thanks to the guys at neowin i got everythign working again. long story short, i was so worried about getting all my stuff back that i spent no real time exploring linux and deleted it straightoff after i got my precious windows back :) anywho, i'm considering giving linux another go, but before i do, i need convincing. i know that linux is open-source and it's free, and apparently quite customizable, but i need some SPECIFICS about what Linux can do that Windows can't, or what Linux can do BETTER than windows, so maybe i'll give it another try. i don't plan on converting FULLY to linux, but i think it'd be fun to give it another go, but i don't want to go through the trouble of installing it again if i don't have any good reason, so that's where you guys come in. thanks, david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3xis Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 I don't mean to sound rude or anything but why should we convince you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nilsHaus Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 The answer is probably absolutely nothing buddy :). Its just for fun, why should we convince you to do anything with your time and hard drive space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david622 Posted July 27, 2007 Author Share Posted July 27, 2007 my point is, some ppl are die-hard linux fans, and i just want to know what it is that they love about linux, i mean, honestly, i'm completely naiive here, i'm not just a cynic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanManIt Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Why not just give it a try if you want to play with it and if you don't then don't. It's up to you to decide if you want to use it not us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david622 Posted July 27, 2007 Author Share Posted July 27, 2007 the main reason i asked here is because i did some quick googling and couldn't really find a good list of Linux's benefits over windows. i just figured you guys might know offhand some of Linux's best features that would make someone choose it as opposed to windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doolop Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Do you game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas-c Veteran Posted July 27, 2007 Veteran Share Posted July 27, 2007 its up to you entirely! some people dont like linux because it is more nerdy than windows and requires alot more knowledge and commands, thats the bad points... All i can say it try something nice and simply like "ubuntu" one of the more supported and active distros. The main thing you need to do is backup files on windows, incase you do something wrong... And read every instruction during installation of Linux Nicholas-c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david622 Posted July 27, 2007 Author Share Posted July 27, 2007 i game, but i'd only be installing linux as a dual-boot, so i wouldn't be shutting myself off from windows-only apps etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryonhowley Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 the main reason i asked here is because i did some quick googling and couldn't really find a good list of Linux's benefits over windows. i just figured you guys might know offhand some of Linux's best features that would make someone choose it as opposed to windows. It is all a matter of what you what and need from an OS. There is no definitive answer as each persons need are different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david622 Posted July 27, 2007 Author Share Posted July 27, 2007 so you're saying that linux doesn't have ANY features that stand out in particular as something that windows doesn't have, or something that windows doesn't perform as well as that of linux? let's just assume i'm referring to ubuntu here, because i know there's about a zillion different builds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3xis Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Well, you can update every application on your system with a single command. It depends who you ask. If you ask me, I use it because it's "free" in the sense that it's not restricted in how I want to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david622 Posted July 27, 2007 Author Share Posted July 27, 2007 can you elaborate please, h3xis? in what ways would you say Linux is unrestricted in a way that Windows is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impact Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 With Linux, you can take any application's source code and modify it the way you want it to make the application behave like you want it to. With Windows, most applications aren't open source, and you therefore cannot possibly/legally modify them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david622 Posted July 27, 2007 Author Share Posted July 27, 2007 in my case i suppose that's good in the sense that software is constanlty updating, but i don't know how to code, but yes, that is definitely a good feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichi Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 It's all up to what features you value/need. These are some of the reasons why I use linux: -Great customizability: not just themes and stuff, but also how the windows behave (focus, rising, shading...). -Advanced software install system: not only it's easy and secure, but also allows to keep out anything you don't need (specially fine grained control through USE flags here in gentoo). Packages are installed, updated and removed cleanly, so performance doesn't degrade over use. -A powerfull console. -Snappy desktop: you don't see windows redrawing all the time when dragging, and you can actually kill applications instantly instead of clicking "Terminate task" a thousand times. -Everything is a file. That alone makes the system a whole lot easier to administrate. -Symlinks. I know there's something similar on windows, but it's in no way as transparent an usefull. -Programs' output make sense. If something fails I know I will be able to spot the culprit. -No need to defrag. -No need to hog the system with crappy antivirus and anti-adware stuff. -User settings for every program are always stored in my home directory. -Shared libraries are actually shared, instead of being loaded multiple times in memory. -Seamless updates: no need to reboot nor to close any app. -It's free to use (free as in "no hideous EULAs"). I've been running gentoo for about 7-8 years without a single reinstall, not even when my previous mobo went fubar and I installed a new one along with a new cpu. I just don't see any reason why I would want to use windows over linux (YMMV). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DomZ Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Here's some of the reasons I love and use linux: - Updating software is a piece of ****, you can update ALL your programs at once, and even get prompted when new updates for anything are available. Installing most popular software for that matter is just as simple, either through command line or the package manager. "apt-get install gaim" , wait a few seconds and it's done. - The command line gives you much greater access to the computer, if you need it. When trying to fix something on a windows machine I sometimes wish I had commands like dmesg, lsusb, lspci etc - Customisation. You can customise pretty much anyything, from the actual window manager, to desktop background. - Beryl/Compiz Fusion. Yes it has alot of eye candy, which is nice. But it also has some features that will make you more productice, the scale plugin which does the same sort of thing that expose does on a mac is one example. Check out videos on youtube for other examples. - Free. I don't have to worry about licenses, if i want to change to a different distribution I can download it and install it. Again it's about choice. - Support. The ubuntu forums in particular are pretty good if you have a problem. You could argue that you need less support with windows etc. But I enjoy fixing little things anyways, it helps you learn about the OS. I've come a long way since I first started using linux. - Stability, linux is more stable, any security patches are released quicker as it's open source. Ok that's my lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazenga Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 If you don't want to dual boot or anything, you could download WUBI. It'll let you install UBUNTU on your windows, or you could simply download a virtual software like VirtualBox (Free, opensource) that will allow you to have multiple sub OSs. I strongly recommand that you start off with Ubuntu, as I think that it's the "easiest" distro to play with. You'll start noticing differences with time. No matter how much we tell you, it won't be the same as trying it out and actually working with Linux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted July 27, 2007 Veteran Share Posted July 27, 2007 I don't intend to convince anyone that they need to use Linux. I do hang out on Neowin and help those who have decided to do so on their own, and need a bit of help. Among the reasons I use Linux is that my install has been much more stable than Windows has been for me in the long run. Windows seems to start slowing down after a few months straight, requiring a reboot. Some people even find re-installing a solution to slowdown problems. I find that a system package manager is far better than individually-written installers that exist in the Windows world - updating my entire box is a breeze. I like to learn, and learning Linux has been fun and enriching for me. Also, since I have a lower-end PC (AMD 1200MHz CPU), I benefit from the ability to customize and cut out what I don't need (I use fluxbox as a WM, instead of using KDE or Gnome). Linux just fits me better than Windows ever did. That's why *I* use it. Should you? Try it to see if it fits you, if you like. If Windows fits you better, than there is no need for you to use Linux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antaris Veteran Posted July 27, 2007 Veteran Share Posted July 27, 2007 *waves magic wand*.... No, nothing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlibbyFlobby Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Windows seems to start slowing down after a few months straight, requiring a reboot. Some people even find re-installing a solution to slowdown problems. I thought people had stopped pulling this line. Provided you only enable the things you need to start on boot and keep your system clean from infections and bloated applications Windows runs superb (Yes, even Vista!). Regardless of OS you'll always have some housekeeping to do. The way people go on though you'd think Windows needed constant attention, and more-often-than-not its the farthest from the truth. Same Windows XP install here for over a year and it still runs fantastic. On topic. I'd recommend trying Ubuntu first if you decide to take the plunge. Its totally newbie friendly and you'll find plenty of guides and help on the official forums. Also, dual boot using the XP/Vista MBR, it'll save you a lot of hassle if you decide Linux isn't for you and you want to revert to Windows. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted July 27, 2007 Veteran Share Posted July 27, 2007 I thought people had stopped pulling this line. ... I hope you aren't saying that Windows never slows down over time. That certainly isn't my experience on the several different WinXP PCs in my house.But perhaps that is all boils down to that my wife doesn't admin her XP box right, and I don't have my kids' PCs configured and locked-down right, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran Posted July 27, 2007 Veteran Share Posted July 27, 2007 i have found xp always needs reinstalling to respeed it up, after a few months. i think vista is the same. i dont know that this is a lie or anything, its always been my own experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Because it helps to expands your knowledge of operating systems? It helps to educate yourself? It could be very useful if you plan on a career in IT, linux isn't going away anytime soon and Windows might not be the supreme OS for infinity.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeta_immersion Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 you know what man ... you are not worth convincing ... if you were to have an open mind and willing to actually learn and figure out stuf by yourself, you would have done it by now, and maybe tried freebsd / unix ... so ... if linux has no use to you in your daily life ... why bother anyway? ...... it makes no sence trying something if you have no use and don't seek any novel things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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