There is no shortage of reasons to choose desktop Linux over Windows or even Mac. The choice of Windows or Linux as host operating system in both server and desktop spaces gets very confusing. Linux was used mainly for servers until a few years ago, and was not considered appropriate for desktops. But over the past few years the user interface and user-friendliness had been slowly improving. Today Linux is becoming user friendly enough to replace Windows on desktops.
Below are 5 arguments for switching to Linux OS.
1. It’s Free
Linux OS, is completely free. Linux OS whether it is desktop or server, distro comes with no cost. Not only the OS itself, even the related applications are absolutely free and open source. You can't modify the OS in Windows OS, because its source code is not open source. The same applies to proprietary applications which run on it. However, in the case of Linux, even the source code of a Linux OS can be downloaded by a user, modified, and used for no money. While some Linux distros charge for the support, they are cheaper compared to the price of a license for Windows.
2. More Secure
You can't stay safe in Windows without an antivirus. Even with an antivirus product, your system continually runs a risk of malware infection. In Linux, you don’t require an antivirus. Malware are alien to Linux operated machines. Linux is renowned for its security features. Linux definitely isn't invulnerable but it’s security is much better. When designing Linux, the security factor was kept in mind, so it is much less vulnerable to malware than Windows. Malicious codes or programs are unable to make changes to system settings and configuration, as long as the user is not logged in as ‘root’ user (equivalent to the administrator user in Windows). Additionally, Linux respects privacy. It does not create logs and upload data from your computer, as compared to windows. The reason for this higher level of security is that the source code is available for review by a huge number of developers all over the world, which means most of the bugs (flaws or vulnerabilities) have already been discovered.
3. Hardware Compatibility
We all know that a great number of hardware systems become outdated with every new release of Windows OS, because their technical specifications are no longer sufficient to run the current Windows OS. Linux allows very effective use of system resources. The installation of Linux can be customized for users and for specific hardware requirements. The installation process is extremely versatile, allowing users to choose the modules they want to use. It allows for installation of Linux even on old hardware, thus helping to optimize the use of all hardware resources. Linux runs on a variety of hardware, from supercomputers to watches. Installing a lightweight Linux system will give your old and sluggish Windows system new life. Hardware, in other words, is no constraint to Linux OS.
4. High Stability
The Linux system is very stable, and is unlikely to malfunction or crash. The Linux OS operates just as fast and smooth as it did when first installed, even after many years. The system uptime is very high for Linux servers and the efficiency is about 99.9 per cent. Unlike Windows, after every upgrade or patch, you do not need to reboot a Linux server. Because of this, Linux has the most servers running on the Internet.
5. Community Support
Perhaps the best thing about Linux is the Linux community. In the world of Linux, you’ll never be alone. Apart from various blogs on Linux how -to, just drop by any Linux forum for some kind of difficulties you face with your program, somebody will always try to help. Such huge and active is the community support for Linux.
There are over 600 different Linux distros available to choose from. Each distro is distinct on its own and intended for a specific purpose. Compared with Windows, Linux distros are extremely customizable. The above listed explanations are just the tip of a huge iceberg. With Linux there is so much more you can do. Now comes the question which distro should you choose to start with, that would be the topic of another blog post. Stay tuned!
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