When I tell people I use Ubuntu as my operating system, usually the first thing they ask is, “What is Ubuntu?”. This is often followed by, “Why would you use Ubuntu instead of Windows?” and “Isn’t Linux only for experts?”. Today I want to answer these questions and explain the benefit of using Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution for that matter. This is similar to a recent post Which Operating System Is Right For You.

First off, Ubuntu is a Linux distribution. Think of this as a version or flavor of Linux. However, Ubuntu and Linux are not the same, there is more to Linux than Ubuntu. Linux is the core that Ubuntu runs on. This is the same for all Linux distributions.

Why would I want to switch from Windows to Ubuntu (or Linux in general)?

It’s FREE! – Who doesn’t like free? Why would you want to go out and spend a few hundred dollars to purchase the newest version of Windows when you can download Ubuntu, and nearly all Linux distributions for free? Now, I know for some of you Windows was pre-installed when you bought your new computer. This doesn’t mean you can’t use both Windows and Linux. Some of you are probably worried about using something that is free because that must mean that it isn’t any good. After all, if something were so good, why wouldn’t somebody be making money off of it? Truth be known, there is no “owner” or “CEO” of Linux. This brings me to my next point.

It’s open source- What does it even mean to be open source. This is one of the main reasons Linux is free. Open source means that the “source” code is available for anyone to download and examine. This is the main benefit Linux has over Windows. Microsoft does not allow anyone other than the MS developers to see its code so these developers are the only ones who can fix any errors or threats. If there is something wrong with part of the Linux operating system, there are thousands of people who are able to take a look at the Linux source code and fix it. This relates to problems being fixed faster.

It’s easy to install and setup- Ubuntu, and most Linux distributions, install in the same amount of time as Windows, if not faster. In the old days, the only way to install Linux was by the command line. Nowadays, most distributions come with a graphical installation. In fact, most of the time these are easier to use than the one that comes with Windows. Once installed, chances are you are already up and running. Unlike Windows, with Ubuntu common hardware is supported by default. Therefore, you wont need to waste time trying to find your drivers CD or going to each site and downloading the correct driver for your system.

It’s “faster”- One of my biggest complaints about Windows is that even after your computer boots and you log-in, you still have to wait for all the programs to start in the background. This can take up to couple minutes and becomes a real pain every time you turn on your computer. With Ubuntu you don’t have to worry about startup programs. Seconds after you log in, you are ready to go. The other thing I have noticed about Windows is over time it becomes slower and slower no matter what performance tweaks you perform. It seems like every year or so I have to reinstall Windows in order to restore its “speed.” If you use Linux you wont have to worry about this. Linux is much more efficient which allows it to always run as if it were just installed.

It’s easy to update- Are you tired of Windows and all your other programs constantly reminding you that they are out of date? Well with Linux you wont have to worry about that. Since most of your programs are installed through the operating system, it will automatically update those individual programs for you. This way you always have the most up to date version. Another one of my annoyances with Windows is that after I install, uninstall, or update anything, I am always prompted to restart my computer. With Linux you only have to restart your computer if the update is a critical system update. Therefore, you can install and uninstall just about any program without having to stop what you are doing and restart your computer.

It runs on older hardware- Are you tired of having upgrade your system with each new release of Windows. Well with Linux you can say goodbye to not meeting the minimum system requirements. In fact, there distributions that are specifically designed to run on really old hardware, aka pre-Pentium 1 hardware. In other words, no matter what kind of computer you have, there is a Linux distribution for you!

It’s secure- The Windows system you are currently using is susceptible to all kinds of security threats including viruses, spyware, and malware. Now I know if you have a good anti-virus and anti-spyware program you probably don’t have to deal with this on a regular basis. But don’t you hate it when it is time to scan your computer and it takes several hours and causes your computer to be slower than usual? After a while it becomes a hassle to keep your security programs up to date. With Ubuntu, or any Linux distribution, you don’t need to worry yourself with viruses because they are few and far between. If you want to play it safe there are some good programs you can install to make sure your Linux operating system stays virus free. Since Linux is open source, if there is a virus released, thousands of Linux users are working on the problem before you even know. Once a fix is created, everyone using Linux is prompted to update and the flaw is fixed.

It’s customizable – Yeah I know that Windows is “customizable” too, but if you want to be able to completely customize every single aspect of your operating system, you should look into Linux. With distributions such as Ubuntu each user can make the operating system look and feel just the way they want it to. In fact there are a few different versions of Ubuntu to choose from, depending on how you want it to look like. There is Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and a few others which were designed for special needs. Now with programs like beryl and compiz-fusion becoming easier and easier to install and configure, there is no reason why you can’t WOW your Vista friends with cool effects. To get an idea what I’m talking about, check this out.

Free applications – With distributions like Ubuntu you have A LOT of software available to you from the start. The first place I go to when looking for software is the “Synaptic Package Manager.” For those of you new to Ubuntu, it is located under “System” and then under “Administration.” All of the software found here is completely free and installation is literally just a click away. This sure beats having to compile the software from souce. Those of you who have had to do this know what I’m talking about. Of course there are plenty of third party programs that are not available in the Package Manager. Who ever said Linux doesn’t support enough software?

Support – Last but certainly not least is the amount of support that is available for Linux. Distributions such as Gentoo and Ubuntu are very well documented. One of the things I love the most about Ubuntu is the huge community of users. Anytime I can’t figure out how to do something in Ubuntu, the first place I look is the Ubuntu forums. This is where I have gained the majority of my knowledge about Ubuntu.

What if I’m afraid I will mess up my computer while trying Linux?

This is probably one of the coolest things about Linux, it is completely risk free. Before you install Linux, you can run it from a Live-CD. This allows you to book from a disc and test out the operating system without changing your computer one bit. There is also a project called Wubi. This allows you to download and install Ubuntu all while running Windows. Wubi actually installs Ubuntu in a folder in Windows. Wubi guides you in the installation of Ubuntu without altering Windows. This is a great way for someone who wants to try Linux and see how it performs on their machine. Everything runs the same way with the Wubi, the only difference is that it’s installed in a folder in Windows instead of a separate hard drive partition. If you don’t like Ubuntu, all you have to do is uninstall it like you would any other program in Windows.

What makes Ubuntu better than other distributions?

Currently Ubuntu is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) Linux distribution. Of course this is merely a personal preference. I have tried other distributions and have liked each of them. However, to me none of them can compare to Ubuntu. With Ubuntu everything just seems to work like it is supposed to. For me, Ubuntu ranks #1 because of its ease of use, hardware support, program packages and support forums.

What if I don’t like Ubuntu? What are some other distributions I should try?

Here are two online distribution choosers that will help you narrow down the choices based on your preferences.

Linux Distribution Chooser

What Linux Distro Should You Try?

Some of my other personal favorites include:

• Linux Mint (based on Ubuntu but has some extras installed by default)
• PCLinuxOS
• OpenSUSE
• Mandriva

So if after all of my rambling you still aren’t convinced to at least give Linux a try, check out these links for some more information.

7 reasons why you should consider Ubuntu

Have you tried Ubuntu yet?

10 reasons you need to download Ubuntu right now

13 reasons Linux should be on your desktop

As usual, these are just my opinions and I would like to hear from you guys. What is your favorite distribution and why? Even if its Windows, let us know which version and why?

Images were taken from the following places respectively:

http://www.madman2k.net/images/69/ubuntu-liberated.png

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_(window_manager)

http://stemp.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/logocompizfusion.png

http://hughsung.com/images/wubi.jpg

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Written by Eric

 

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