Ubuntu Vs Windows 10 – Which Is A Better OS

Read this insightful featurewise comparison – Ubuntu Vs Windows – a comparison of the two popular operating systems of the modern era to decide which is better for your computer:

In this vast ever-expanding world of computers, users are spoilt for choices. These choices can be for the hardware of the computer or something as basic as the Operating System.

While the scope of these choices for an Operating System is limited just to a few major players in the market, the impact of this choice can make or break the computing experience for us.

Ubuntu Vs Windows

In this tutorial, we will discuss two popular Operating Systems i.e. Windows and Ubuntu. We will also compare these two Operating Systems to understand the close competitive features and advantages that one has over the other.

Let’s now understand a little more about Windows and Ubuntu before we make a comparative study between these two operating systems.

What Is Windows

Windows is a popular Operating system owned and launched by Microsoft in the year 1985. There has been a lot of improvisation done on Windows as an Operating system and finally, its popularity can be ascertained from the fact that most of the computers for personal use have Windows as the Operating system.

This Operating system provides a smooth and compatible environment for running a variety of applications and software. It also has robust flexibility and high hardware versatility. The latest version of Windows is Windows 10 however, Windows 7 and Windows Pro have been the most successful versions.

There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages of the Windows Operating system as listed below.

Advantages

• Windows provides a smooth, easy, and user-friendly interface.
• Windows is known for its compatibility as an Operating System and is capable of supporting most applications.
• In case a user encounters an error on Windows, the error details are not completely seen to the user. If a user is not technically sound, the error will still be understood, unlike other Operating systems where the error details seem strange to the user if they are not well versed with those words and error codes.
• The installation process of the Windows Operating System is simple and easy to follow.

Disadvantages

• One of the major disadvantages of Windows is that it is not free to use. Users need to pay a price even if they want to upgrade to the latest version of Windows.
• Windows has a high consumption rate (almost double) of resources of computer machines like RAM when compared to Ubuntu. The user experience can be impacted if the computer has a low RAM and uses the Windows Operating system.
• The options of personalization in Windows are very few and are limited to wallpaper, background, notification sounds, icons, themes, etc.

Website: Microsoft 

What Is Ubuntu

Ubuntu belongs to the Linux family of Operating systems. It was developed by Canonical Ltd. and is available for free for personal and professional support. The first edition of Ubuntu was launched for Desktops. The later editions were meant for Server and Core which is used for the Internet of Things and Robots.

Ubuntu is known to provide an extremely user-friendly environment. The latest version of Ubuntu is Ubuntu 18.04. This version is a non-Long-Term Support (LTS) version.

Let’s also take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the Ubuntu Operating System.

Advantages

• It is available free of cost for both personal and professional use.
• The process of setting up in Ubuntu, especially for testing is easy.
• Ubuntu provides an easy user interface.
• Most of the time, the users can avoid the hassle of installation of drivers with this Operating System.
• When the Ubuntu Operating System needs to be updated, the users do not need to restart the machine as the updates can easily run in the background. This in turn makes Ubuntu a preferred choice for services like Server.

Disadvantages

• Users need to be tech-savvy to use Ubuntu. Users who are not familiar with the command line will find it difficult to use Ubuntu.
• The other drawback with Ubuntu is that the support for some of the hardware components and software applications does not match the standard provided by Windows.
• Ubuntu also does not support some of the popular software like Photoshop or MS Office. However, there are alternatives available for this software in Ubuntu but the experience for the user is not the same as that on Windows.

Website: Ubuntu   

Windows Vs Ubuntu- Which Is A Better Choice

Given below is a detailed comparison between Windows and Ubuntu with respect to some common parameters.

#1) Price

Windows is a paid Operating System and users need to pay when an old version needs to be updated or Windows Operating System has to be installed for the first time.

The latest version of Windows is Windows 10, the price paid by users is $119.99 for home or personal use and $199.99 for professional use. In comparison to Windows, Ubuntu is available for free.

It is also called an open-source operating system as users can also get its source code and understand the working mechanism of this Operating System.

#2) Resource Requirement (Hardware) And Resource Suitability

Windows has a huge consumer base and therefore the Operating System proves to be suitable for a variety of applications and software. The only challenge faced by users is that the latest version of Windows requires the drivers of the computer to also be updated.

The latest version of the Windows Operating System will not be suitable for the drivers installed on an old machine. This is contrary to how Ubuntu works. There is no need for upgrading the Linux-based Operating System if it has been installed on a device.

Some of the resource requirement comparisons for the latest versions of Ubuntu and Windows have been shown in the table below. Windows has a higher consumption of resources when compared to Ubuntu.

Resource Requirement: Ubuntu Vs Windows 10

#3) Software Requirements

Windows provides a far wider scope for suitability or compatibility with various software. Some programs like MS Office do not run on Ubuntu. Even if we look at the Games, the percentage availability for Ubuntu is very low.

It is however true that the users can find other options in terms of applications in Ubuntu that are similar to MS Office. The only limitation for Ubuntu is in terms of Games, as Games run faster in Windows. Ubuntu does not support some of the most popular games these days.

#4) Personalization

The options for personalization in Windows are limited to the color theme, wallpapers, and icon theme whereas Ubuntu offers personalization of every element of the user interface. Windows provided limited modes for the users to choose from while personalizing but with Ubuntu, there is no such limitation.

#5) Security

Ubuntu is known to be more secure when compared to Windows. This is primarily because the number of users using Ubuntu is far lesser as compared to that of Windows. This ensures that the damage in terms of viruses or damaging software is less as the main motive of attackers is to affect a maximum number of computers.

To make any changes to Ubuntu, a password is needed which thereby makes the execution of any virus nearly impossible. This is the same for most operating systems that are Linux-based where root privilege is required by the attackers for any damaging activity.

Safety tools like Antivirus are built in Ubuntu and timely updates and patches are released to bridge any security gaps.

#6) Privacy

As compared to Windows, Ubuntu is way ahead in terms of being centered on privacy. The sensitive data of the users is not collected by most Linux-based distributions and the users have the option to disable any such feature with any degree of risk whatsoever. Windows, on the other hand, is not as privacy-centered.

Most of the features which can be taken as violating the privacy of users, cannot be disabled. However, there are many other options that can be enabled or disabled at the discretion of the user.

#7) Ease Of Operation

In Windows, the users are dependent on hardware resources like a mouse and keyboard to accomplish operations. This is because Windows users operate in a graphical interface and it is a simple process for the user to begin operating in Windows.

Windows OS is mainly used by regular users. However, Ubuntu allows users to carry out operations with just the keyboard. This is possible because Ubuntu has both a graphical interface as well as command-line operations.

This makes the process of usage slightly complicated and the users may need some assistance to begin operations. But the great benefit of Ubuntu is that, unlike Windows, the users do not see any pop-up message for updates. Ubuntu uses the latest version of applications.

When Ubuntu Operating System needs to be updated, the users do not need to restart the machine as the update can easily run in the background. This makes Ubuntu a preferred choice for services like Servers.

#8) Support

Whenever a user faces problems with Windows, Microsoft has dedicated service teams who provide support, over the phone or in person. Apart from this, the users also have the option to get online support and sometimes also choose local computer repair shops as an option.

In case of a problem or support needed with Ubuntu, online support is always recommended. Users have the option to log onto a number of chat rooms or websites which provide support and also educate users about Linux.

Ubuntu also has a Live CD that can be used for the installation of the operating system either from the CD or a USB drive.

The below table consolidates all the major differences between Windows 10 and Ubuntu and thereby would help you to read at a glance.

Ubuntu Vs Windows – Tabular Comparison

In the above table on Windows 10 vs Ubuntu, we looked at the differences between Ubuntu and Windows 10, and it is completely a user’s choice as to which Operating System they must choose. Below are some tricks that users can follow to maximize their computing experience.

• Some users may want to use both Ubuntu and Windows. In this case, it is recommended for them to use the WSL- Windows Subsystem for Linux. It is also called a dual boot. This allows the users to use Ubuntu as an application on Windows. This requires a computer with a higher performance else the running of all Linux software can be hindered.
• The other important trick to follow for users to enhance their computing experience is to take a backup of their computer frequently without fail in order to avoid any crash or loss of data due to WSL or dual boot.
• A tool named Mini Tool Partition Wizard is also highly recommended to manage partitions that enhance the speed of the computer if the user chooses dual boot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we explored the two Operating systems – Windows and Ubuntu. We saw a detailed comparison between Ubuntu and Windows that will help readers to make a smart choice.

While Windows enjoys popularity among ordinary users because of its user-friendly features, Ubuntu remains a preferred choice for developers and programmers.

It is recommended that before making a choice, one must analyze the requirements and factors like Price, Usage, and security.

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We hope this tutorial would help our readers take a wise decision.