Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Why Switch to Linux? Best Features


There are many reasons why I consider Linux {def} better than Windows. Some of the reasons are given below. I am also a learner like you. So this list would be updated as I discover more and more amazing features.
  1. Its free (from copyrights) : Yes, it is. You can copy the Linux disc you get and give it to anyone for free. And its completely legal to do so. Same applies for all the applications that run in it. Say it is the music player, the word processor or anything you can imagine of. No one would sue you of using a copied DVD of Linux in your home, office or anywhere you can use a computer.

  2. Its free (to customize according to your needs): Say you want your web browser to automatically embed with a PDF viewer or a music player or even a text editor. If you know programming, you are free to use and modify the source code. This thing is known as open-source {def}. Every one in has equal access to the source code and can modify it according to his her needs. So next time you want your computer to automatically prompt you about the arrival of new mail in your mailbox (and your browser doesn't has an extension to do it), go, grab the source code and modify according to your needs.

  3. Its mostly free (of price): The latest version of Windows costs around four thousand bucks. You can get the same features plus a server, a workstation, and a PC together (whatever you customize it) plus free from copyrights, free to customize and a lot more features given below for free (at completely no price). All the softwares, even the whole operating system is freely downloadable from the internet, and I mean legally. You don’t need to spend even a paisa to get your computer working. Please note that some Linux versions are also available at a reasonable price, which is infact lower than Windows.

  4. Drivers preinstalled: Imagine the pain of installing the drivers to get your computer working after a fresh Windows installed. Linux automatically comes with most drivers installed (including sound and graphic support) and the ones that are not installed can be downloaded at an instant from the internet. You don’t need to flip multiple CDs and DVDs to get it done.

  5. Portable: A single copy of operating system is released and all computers in the world run it. This means the Linux that run on your PC will behave the same in your friends'.

  6. Complete: Say suppose you install Windows XP. Now you want to set up a server in the same computer. The usual thing would be you have to format the whole hard-disk and install the server edition of Widows. All the data gone! In Linux this can be done by just installing a few softwares. Rest, you data, your apps and your loving connection with your PC remains the same.

  7. State of art and latest software: Most popular Linux operating systems are released every six months. This ensures that you have the latest thing already with you. In Windows, you have full operating system updates after long times, so you don’t have the latest with you.

  8. Indestructible updates: For updating from one version to another of your full operating system, you don’t need to format and lose all data in your hard-drive.

  9. No computer maintenance: In Windows, you need to check your hard-drive for errors, may be even format it, clear the old files, defragment it, scan it for viruses and so on and so forth. We waste a fraction of precious time in our lives doing the tasks of computer maintenance. This things are automated in Linux, or you may never need to do it. No fragmenation, bad sectors, virus checks and what not. Even updates can be automated and require little or no intervention from you.

  10. Simplicity: You don’t need to learn Linux, until and unless you do some special tasks. Normal home users would find it very simple to use the interface. Everything here has proper inbuilt help.

  11. Linux respects your hard work: Say you wrote something in your word processor for an hour or so, and there goes a power cut. In Windows, your hand would be right in your head as probably you lose everything. Here in Linux, its not so, even if your PC doesn’t shuts down properly. So next time you open you PC, you can work from the same place where you have left it. Everything is autosaved.

  12. Lots of choices: Say you don’t like the look of this version of Windows. So whats next? Switch to the previous one or two years hoping that it would be good. Say the version of Windows you are using doesn’t have the feature you need the most. Next? Here in Linux you have a lot of choices. Don’t like this one? Well there are thousands others to satisfy you. Different looks, different feel, different workability.

  13. Powerful, versatile and variety of applications: don’t like this browser? Dump it. There are more hundreds to choose from. Music player not impressing you? Cool, change it. You have hundred of free applications to try out, entirely waiting for you.

  14. One stop applications store: This one needs a bit explanation. Say you need to install a new video editor in Windows. You follow these steps. Go to Google. Search for it. Hunt a few sites. Waste an hour. Find one. If its free, well and good. If its not, there are a few more steps. Find your credit card. Have the tension of wasting your money. Download it, install it (along with malware and viruses). Now if you are not satisfied with it, go again to step one.


    In Linux, there is a single unified app store that holds most the apps and softwares you need. So instead of hunting and searching the internet, you have everything in one place, and can install anything, with just three magic words or a few clicks. And speaking of choice, you always have more than one application to choose from.

  15. Lighter applications: Linux applications are lighter in size and way smarter too!

  16. Schedule your tasks: It has inbuilt options for carrying out tasks such as backups, downloads, updates etc at a later time.

  17. One click and feature rich whole system updates: In Windows, all the applications that you install need separate updates. In Linux, you can update all your applications installed as well as the whole system in a single click! Also updates are way smarter. A sixty four megabytes update gets reduced to eight megabytes, how, we will come later.

  18. Security: Everything is secure here. Its impossibly hard to crack your system. You can also encrypt all your data so that no one can access it. Every important task in your computer requires administrator’s password. All apps are given limited privileges and are permission denied when things go suspicious.

  19. Speed: Switch to Linux, and experience the boosts in speed.

  20. Protection from viruses and other threats: You are completely safe. No one is going to see or steal your data. You don’t need to format you hard-drive and lose all your data in case of a virus attack. Viruses infact are harmless in Linux, they don’t run in it. I should had mentioned this point earlier, but everyone more or less knows this, so I mentioned it later.

  21. Stability: Linux systems are extremely stable. Your computer can be on twenty-four hours a day, three sixty five days a year and it would perform the same.

  22. Loads of inbuilt features: Want to unzip a file? You don’t need to download anything for it. Its already there. All basic installations include things such as an archive manager, PDF readers, email and chat clients, web browser, music and movie players etc. Some even give things such as office suites, games and micro-blogging client with them in the operating system installation.

  23. Power: Switch to Linux and unleash the real power from your computer. Linux rules 90% of worlds super computer market.

  24. Hackable: Well this doesn’t mean you are not safe. In this context, hackable means your operating system is completely tweakable, customizable and personable according to your needs. You don’t need to switch to another application if you need a new feature.

  25. Not boring: You always have the chance to learn new things here, as there are lot of things to do new. Never bore yourself in front of a computer.

  26. Nothing hidden: You are the owner of your PC. Nothing is hidden from you. You can see everything. From source code to configuration files.

  27. Its everywhere: Unknowingly you are attached to Linux everyday. Every person who uses Google, chats in Facebook, follows in Twitter, buys in Amazon, reads this blog, uses the Internet are attached with Linux. Servers of most popular online services are all Linux machines and the FTP and IRC you use are also Linux. Even the most popular languages such as C, Perl, PHP and others were developed in Linux like machines.

  28. Future Operating System: Linux is the future. From the above features it definitely would be.

  29. Good Support: We have forums, mailing lists and IRC channels that are dedicated to Linux operating systems. Some distributions also offer professional support at a nominal price. If you have a problem, you can post it in forums and chances are you would get your solution even within an hour.

  30. Worldwide Community: Millions of people are involved with Linux. They help keeping Linux living.

  31. Quick bug patches and updates: Got something wrong in any app? A bug? You can report it and it would be fixed soon and quick in form of patches and updates.

  32. Not a Operating System, a revolution: Linux is a religion, a revolution to redefine software of today. Its is going and would keep going on and on. Welcome to world's largest community of open-minded and helping people.

  33. Cool Looks: With Linux, you can have cool and amazing looks in your screen such as rotating windows, transparency and seeing all active windows. In fact the desktop look of Linux is more customizable than that of Windows.
Having written all this, I hope you are satisfied of why Linux is good. So lets start our journey and enter the exciting world of Linux.




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