DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UBUNTU and WINDOWS By: Jezaniah Perez 32 comments

Windows is a closed-source operating system, the majority of which is based only on software developed by Microsoft. Ubuntu is an open-source Linux-based operating system that uses a significant portion of the Debian Linux-based operating system. In turn, both of these operating systems use the Linux kernel, which is developed outside of either project. Ubuntu uses the Linux Kernel which is monolithic, Windows uses a hybrid Kernel. Ubuntu is based around the company Canonical and is also community based, Windows is strictly company based.

UBUNTU vs. WINDOWS

1. Bundled software

Windows 7 by default has very minimal software set, the basic features that we need – word processor, spread sheet and a presentation software are not present. You’ll have to purchase and install the MS Office suite separately, this is something that should be bundled with the operating system. The question I ask is “What good is an operating system, if it doesn’t provide the basic features?”

On the other hand  Ubuntu comes with the LibreOffice suite (a Microsoft Office Equivalent) preinstalled. It also has F-spot, an image editing program that and an Instant messaging client called Empathy – that has chat provisioning for Facebook, G-Talk, Yahoo,MSN and VOIP capabilities all under a single application.

Drivers – One of the biggest advantages of Linux is its built-in driver set, or rather the ability of automatically downloading and installing them. This includes the drivers for your webcam, Wi-Fi, Ethernet Card, even your printer or scanner! We all know drivers is a big pain that comes when completing a fresh install of Windows 7. With Linux, there is rarely any need to download the drivers manually. Linux also has the ability to download proprietary drivers (The ones from Nvidia and ATI), unlike windows where we have to manually download and install a driver for everything.

2. Media 

Windows comes with Windows media player, which is pretty much useless without codecs, as majority of the videos/movies that we watch require codecs like Xvid. So there is a need to download a codec pack before Windows media player becomes fully functional.

Ubuntu is bundled with Movie Player, and also requires downloading codecs.

However, in both the operating systems, it is very easy to watch videos by simply installing VLC media player.

3. Installing third party software

When it comes to installing third party software, the steps requires to install a software in Ubuntu is considerably less. An illustration is shown here of installing software in Ubuntu.

Ubuntu has a utility called Ubuntu software centre. This is one of the most loved features by Ubuntu users. It is as simple as installing an app in your phone from iTunes store or Android Market (now rebranded to Google Play). Just select the software that you need, hit install, and the software is ready to use.

However, an argument can be made for computers that don’t have internet access, ease of installing software in Windows outmatches as that of Ubuntu, as it is viewed a very complicated process that includes the terminal (command line interface). Although, it is very unlikely that someone will be without internet access these days.

4. Security 

I have been using Windows since windows the days of Windows XP, and I can tell you that Windows 7 has some pretty good security features that, if implemented properly, can give you quite a secure system to work with. Its firewall has advanced features that you can configure. However, there are many who believe that Windows still remains a weak operating system from a security standpoint.

Linux on the other hand , has always been a secure operating system since the early days. It has often been the subject of debate that an open source operating system cannot be as secure as a proprietary one, but Linux has proved  that belief to be untrue. Overall, I believe that Linux offers much more security by default.

5. Availability of Software

Since Ubuntu/Linux has a relatively less market share, availability of popular software for Ubuntu is a major concern. Some users are forced to stay with windows since their favorite software is not available on the Linux platform.Though this has recently changed and many commonly used  programs have now been ported to Ubuntu.

However, some advanced commercial software like the Adobe suite (Dreamweaver,Photoshop etc.) is not available on Linux, due to which, thousands of web developers and designers choose Windows over Linux.

6. Gaming

Gaming support is another aspect of an operating system. While Linux does have many games, it certainly cannot match Windows 7 in this area. Most of the high-end games have been built for the Windows platform, that make extensive use of Microsoft DirectX.

So its not hard to say that Windows 7 should be definitely your choice if you are a gamer.

7. Ease of use

This is the part that worries most users who are used to the Windows 7 User interface.

In case you are not pleased with the Ubuntu user interface, there is another distribution of Ubuntu called Kubuntu, which has a marvellous user interface,its very easy to use and is similar to the look and feel of Windows 7 in many aspects.

8. Cost

Windows 7 ranges from $100 to $300 depending on the version you are buying.

On the other hand, Ubuntu is free of cost. You can download it from the official website.