Windows vs Linux

Microsoft Windows is a proprietary OS for desktops and servers. Linux is an open source OS for desktops, servers, and more. But it isn't just proprietary vs open source, there is much more to discuss!




#garyexplains

[abhishekulayil]

As a software developer who works with open souce, Linux provides a richer experience and with certain distributions being light on resources as well .
Another interesting use of a Linux bootable pen drive is recovering data from partially corrupted windows installations which won't boot or show the blue screen.

[shaigluskin]

I switched to Desktop Linux in 2014 from MacOS. I love it. I used Ubuntu 2014 to 2019. KDE Plasma from 2019 - 2021. Linux Mint Cinnamon since April 2021.

[jesse]

I think one of the biggest barriers to folks switching to Linux has to do with where people get their OS from. Most people get it on the computer they purchase. What do most OEMs install on their PCs? Windows, of course. If more hardware manufacturers released their computers with certain Linux distributions (like ZorinOS, or other very easy-to-use distros), I think more people would get exposed to how easy it is to use. People use their computers for browsing the web, checking mail, viewing pictures, and maybe playing some games. Most of what people use their computer for could easily be done in Linux, with a minimal learning curve.

[eliasdetrois]

I found that the barriers of switching to Linux honestly dissolved quickly once I finally made the jump. It takes some time and adjusting your workflow for sure but it’s well worth it and there is so much great software available to fill in the gaps

[meliodas.]

the only trouble will be getting into linux for the fist time . if you use it and get used to it, theres no going back, unless you need that specific software thats not there in linux and is really important

[tiltedbybox]

Linux has been getting quite a lot of games (even AAA) in recent years, which surprises me given the fact it has few times less market share than macOS, which was weird before apple silicon became a thing.

[JamesJones-mgts]

One thing I think is 'lost' is where Linux was 'fitting' into peoples lives. Back in the 90's, we used to do 'Install fests' with older hardware where we helped people replace Windows and install Linux.

Who were these people? Often you had your 'hobby' types but a lot of that was from people who just couldn't afford buying new hardware every time a new version of Windows came out. Folks that didn't want to 'throw away' that investment and still make some use of it. Sometimes it was just somebody who didn't even have a computer and had something 'old' given/donated. Aka: the rest of us we don't think about.

So a lot of this was 'recycling' and getting something in the hands of folks that were 'left behind' in the "Intel givith, Microsoft taketh away" (aka: Intel would release better processors and Microsoft would release a new version of Windows that would 'kill' that performance gain... forcing you to buy new hardware.... if you could afford that... and end up right where you were... with a sluggish OS). Not everybody can just keep buying computers every few years and will keep what they have and know it won't support the 'next' version of Windows (hardware is fine, just not supported or will run awful on the next version of Windows).

Back in those days, I used to have a side business and I'd go out to more affluent people business and homes and service their 'new' computers. I would ask folks if they had anything to recycle and often had a perfectly good, but older, system sitting in their garage and would be happy for me to take it off their hands. I worked with a recycler and if I that system was 'missing' parts and it was worth it, I'd put Linux with XWindows on it and give it away to people that had nothing and were left behind (would never be able to afford a computer). AKA: addressing the technology 'gap'.

Generally, when a 'new' version of Windows came out, it meant that the 'last' generation of systems got really cheap. That's when I would pick up systems for myself 'cheap'. Even where I worked, those old systems were considered 'trash' and I could just 'ask' and fill out a form to just 'get it for free'. Fast forward, I was really excited when Windows 11 came out. Why? Because it didn't support systems without TPM and such and those system run on Linux 'perfectly' and much faster _but_ the demand wasn't there for them for 'Windows people'. So I've been picking up those systems cheap and helping folks that can't keep up with the Windows system 'churn'.

A lot of desktop linux is in the 'after market'. I just helped 2 people spec out new systems that supported Windows 11 and they 'gave me' their old laptops after I got their files transferred over. I put Fedora Linux on the old laptops... runs better than it ever did on Windows.. and gave them away to 2 people who don't even have computer already or 'anymore' who can't afford to buy a computer.

Generally, that 'focus' on Ubuntu is really no 'milestone' in the desktop beyond two things: One, it was a much improved desktop and two, it supported a lot of older hardware better so it quickly became a 'first choice' in the recycling distribution, usually the 'Mint' spin (because it was the distribution that 'worked' on an older system... I'd often try a few different ones on 'stubborn' systems to find one that would work).

Talking about the 'after market' with linux isn't as 'sexy' as the 'latest and greatest' but that's really where a lot of desktop linux systems live (on recycled systems in the 'disposable' computer market place dominated with that proprietary OS... same with Mac's.... I've put linux on several PowerPC systems bringing them 'back to life' as well for people in 'need').

[pinkorcyanbutlong]

"I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional ..."

*proceeds to make one of the most important software of modern times*

chad

[fuseteam]

12:30 wayland is not a display server, it's a protocol.
mir is a display server that speaks wayland, typically desktops have their own wayland display server.
So really it's just a desktop on either x11 or their own wayland display server

[ernestuz]

Basically Linux has been successful in every place that is not the desktop, and anything related to the desktop. Anyway I think it's slowly changing since 10 years ago, and now it's not hard to find people using Linux in the office or at home. It has helped some excellent apps also available natively for Linux.

[logandoe]

"MacOS is only available on Apple hardware."
-sent via Hackintosh

[Mythologos]

*Nix System: No key-logging, no data collection, no pay-for-play subscription services, no ads in the file browser, no watermark on your desktop, complete freedom and privacy, powerful utils installed already, thousands of free programs of every kind etc...

[ccroy]

I've always used Windows at work so I'm most familiar with it. I've used several Ubuntu based distros, have a Chromebook, and had a Mac for awhile. If I had to pick 1, Windows simply b/c it is everywhere and has drivers for most anything. Linux is the most fun and can work as well as Windows once you learn it, Chrome OS has very limited driver support compared to a Linux Distro, and Apple always gets a low grade from me as it doesn't play well with others. That was a great video! Thanks

[MrBlackHawk]

Thank you for such thorought and unbiased (as possible) description and explanation. You even mentioned topics that are not covered in the video, but at least named them so curious viewers can search for them.

[chazoak]

I am very interested in watching more about Linux and hearing about the technical differences.

[ObsidianMercian]

Fantastic video as always, thanks Gary. I would be very interested to watch a video on security and malware and the differences between MacOS, Windows and Linux.

[bantymech]

Using Arch + Gnome best decision in my life, great video sir... :)
I love linux

[orestisfraSPDR]

I have a different experience with printers, especially when windows ages. a lot of old (e.g. industrial) printers don't have drivers for newest versions of windows and the old ones do not work. I have found that linux supports them out of the box and they work fantastic. that said, it's true that someone needs to do research before buying a piece of hardware to make sure it works well on linux, although nowadays things are much better than it was a few years ago. most stuff work out of the box and that's the beauty of it. there is still incompatibility with rgb on peripherals and some streaming equipment.

[norc]

It would definitely interest me to dive deeper as with more and more cross plattform applications and better UI support and so on the deeper technical differences might end up the major thing that will set Linux and Windows apart in the future

[fuseteam]

Fragmentation is only a problem if you call Linux *an* operating system, in reality Linux is *a family of* operating systems
You can start to see this with the direction elementaryOS took it, linux "distros" are really separate Linux operating systems. It just so happens that a lot of linux operating systems are interoperable to a certain degree