Information Week published a comparison of Ubuntu and Windows Vista (link to a print version, original is posted in a way forcing you to view ads on 8 pages). It covers several different issues - installation, hardware support, software installation, networking, word processing, local search, multimedia, photo management, and backup. The conclusion: a tie. The author, Serdar Yegulalp "is a former Senior Technology Editor with Windows Magazine (also Winmag.com), and has been writing about and working with NT and related technologies since its 3.51 release". Now's the time for our side of the story.
In general, it is a decent comparison. I found, however, a few deficiencies. I'll jump briefly through most of them and will write about the major one at the end. TFA doesn't even mention any topics that's been the strongest points of Linux:
- openness - free-as-in-speech issues aside (not everybody has to care about ideals), it has a major benefit for end user. Hasn't it ever bother you that you need to deal with magic while using Windows? You almost knew how things work, but you couldn't know for sure, as it was hidden behind EULAs, patents.
- ease of maintenance - remember taking care of antivirus and antispyware software, defragmenting your hard drives, cleaning up registry and manually removing those programs that for some reason (ehm...) didn't include an uninstall option? Not to mention those occasions when antivirus didn't manage to save you... . Under Linux I don't have to clean anything and apt-get takes care of security. I don't think I spend even half an hour per month on maintaining my system.
- command line - even if we'll ignore the power that it brings to those that are willing to learn it, there's a life-saving quality of CLI. Ever tried to explain how to do something in a GUI application that requires several clicks? It's time consuming and prone to error. Once you have an OS that allows you to do most of things in command line, all you need to tell to a newbie is "open a terminal and paste this:...".
- SSH. You can do pretty much anything with your computer remotely. Every time I connect to my computer while visiting a friend I get the same question - "You can do that?!?"
- performance - Ubuntu is generally better in comparison with XP, especially after few months of usage, when Windows gets slower and slower. On top of that, Vista requires really powerful hardware to begin with...
- security - I guess nobody wants to read about it for the 100th time, right?
- interoperability - TFA gives points to Vista for working with Vista better than Ubuntu does. I have yet to understand why people often claim it to be Linux'es fault. Microsoft deliberately does all it can to make it harder for any other operating system to work together with Windows. European Union has been pressuring MS to open up (for a price, unfortunately) its networking protocols, so things are likely to get smoother.
To be fair, the article doesn't mention some of traditional weak points of Linux, either. It doesn't have many games and is missing some proprietary programs that are a must-have for certain kinds of users. The day Autodesk releases Auto CAD is the day I'm moving my girlfriend's business to Linux.
In the beginning I mentioned that TFA has one serious flaw. The author decided that Vista's and Ubuntu's software installation utilities are equally good (or bad :P). If I had to choose one thing that's the strongest feature of Linux, I'd say package management without much thinking. Implications of the way apt-get handles software installation, upgrades and removal are endless.
Windows add/remove programs utility lets you... remove programs. Windows can also download and install updates, but only to Microsoft software, leaving the task of upgrading everything else to the user. Every time you need to get some functionality, you need to search for the software, go to the website, do anything they want you to do before downloading (it can be as quick as clicking on "download", or as bothering as registering and/or paying), scan the file with antivirus and finally run it and click "next" several times, paying attention not to agree to install some other crap that often comes bundled. If it doesn't sound unpleasant to you, that's just because you haven't experienced the simple way.
On Ubuntu, it's so much better that calling it "equal" seems really unfair:
- you have an instant access to ~20000 packages. Free, both as in beer and speech. That means whatever you need to do, there's a pretty good chance you'll find at least several programs that provide that functionality. No need to search, leave your e-mail to anyone, pay and pray. I'm a pretty heavy-duty user and I can count all software that didn't come from Ubuntu repositories on two hands. All Ubuntu packages are carefully selected and tested. On Windows you don't know what you're installing most of the time.
- you get security access to all of those packages.
- once you upgrade your system to a newer version (think XP->Vista), all of your packages are upgraded too. Yeah, dist-upgrade is wonderful. In Ubuntu it's simplified to the point that it's hardly any room for improvement. You open update-manager with a "-d" parameter (which tells the program to look for newer version of the whole system, not just packages), click on "upgrade" and watch as new versions of every package are downloaded and installed. AFAIR (don't quote me on that) after XP->Vista upgrade you need to install everything from scratch.
- Ubuntu users can assign rating to packages. Not sure which image viewer you want to try first? Just look at the ratings and choose the one that others like the most.
- On Linux, libraries are shared between applications. That means you don't download, store and run the same piece of code twice. Free RAM is not a bad thing.
- And finally, you can easily and quickly remove any application. Although I wish there were some statistics that would let me know which apps haven't been used in a long time. Or maybe there is such feature and i just don't know about it? On Linux, you never stop to learn. And you keep admiring it more and more.
As I've said in the beginning, it's a pretty decent comparison - definitely not biased on purpose. Rather, it's a review written by someone who comes from a Windows environment and doesn't have much knowledge on Linux besides having used it for a short time. Linux is not Windows - it has it's unique qualities and you discover them one by one. One thing I liked in particular is that no matter which logo (Ubuntu or Vista) you click, you're going to ubuntu.com :)
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 03:38
> On Linux, libraries are shared between applications.
So it is on windows :)
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 04:03
>> On Linux, libraries are shared between applications.
>So it is on windows :)
What about dll hell? Sure, its probably not so bad in recent years, but how often do various applications install their own version of some type of functionality? most *nix applications will use libraries from _other_ projects that have tried, test, and mature libraries.
Take ssl for example. How many web browsers are there that run on Linux? Probably at least a dozen varieties. How many re-invent their own ssl stack? I'd take a guess at none. They all use the very good OpenSSL libraries.
And one thing that this author didn't mention that can be one of my greatest pet peeves on Windows, is when you 'Uninstall' an application, is it really, truely, 100% gone? Or do you have to hunt for its install dir, and remove that and the couple of files it left over. Oh, and lets search the registry and find all of the keys. Oh, what about dll's it installed into the System32 dir? apt-get goodness will take care of that for you. Even better, when you tell it to purge the application, it won't leave behind very small, unobtrusive things like your personalized config file. It will remove _everything_.
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 10:34
...and don't forget (while uninstalling in windows):
"file blahblah.dll maybe used by another application.
are you sure you want to delete it?"
man, what kind of retard thought of installing/uninstalling
in windows? wtf is using this file? what _MAYBE_ means?
is someone else using it? _YES_ OR _NO_????
(well, it seems to be the same retard who invented the registry!!!)
...but this was mentioned in the dll hell previously...
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 10:36
Agreed.
The article did injustice to the package manager. It's not only "awesome" in Ubuntu - but they certainly keep updates (and dist-upgrades) smooth and very good.
Software installation/management in general is a lot more easier than in Windows (any version, be it Vista/XP). The software management in Windows is close to inexistent.
I didn't like seeing the author declare it's a tie.
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 10:56
When I read the article I thought the same thing: why did it mention adding software when comparing the add/remove software for gnome versus the remove/change software for windows? I'm wondering if software management was meant, in which linux kicks the pants off windows any day
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 11:53
I also wondered about the conclusion that with administering programs, the two systems were more or less the same. Apart from that, I thought the analysis was okay; he doesn't comment on the benefits of free software (in that case, he wouldn't be using Ubuntu), but since he describes functionality, that is acceptable.
One can only imagine the situation he would have been in, if he had dug a bit deeper and had to change to one of the resolutions not defined in xorg.conf. That is no mean feat for the uninitiated.
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 15:40
Windows hasn't suffered from DLL hell for some time; it can maintain concurrent versions of DLLs without conflict, unlike Linux. These days, it's Linux which suffer more from library version conflicts.
Windows doesn't have a package manager for 3rd party apps, only for its own system files, hence it's left up to the apps to clean up after themselves, which sometimes leaves files behind which may cause trouble later. Typically config files created by the program and the folder they're in aren't removed, which is annoying and might even be a security risk.
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 16:54
"Ubuntu users can assign rating to packages. Not sure which image viewer you want to try first? Just look at the ratings and choose the one that others like the most."
Well, no, not really. Users can tell if they would like to participate in the "popularity contest", and if they do, Ubuntu will track which packages are installed and used most, and will generate a rating out of that. Just as effective though ;)
Otherwise, good review :D
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 16:57
I must say. I've used Windows for 10 years. Ubuntu perhaps for a year and a half. The last major upgrade to Feisty, was shocking. I mean I literally upgraded the entire system in one shot, rebooted and Feisty was faster in overall performance than ever. I completely expected the opposite to be true. I expected the upgrade to break and the final result to feel bloated. Wow, from my Windows experience I was completely let down on this matter :(
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 21:09
His article was reasonably balanced in my view. Serdar did overlook the advantages of the package management system, as well as the security issues - but as this article points out, that's been hashed out enough anyway. Serdar's piece as mostly about direct comparisons of the main functions of the systems.
Serdar's article really doesn't need a "rebuttal" per se, just a clarification pointing out its limitations. It was about as balanced an article as you're like to find from someone who isn't a Linux enthusiast. Serdar is known for being partial to free/OSS utilities. He's not a Windows shill by any means.
Sat, 28/04/2007 - 21:51
Do such programs exist nowadays? Hum, I actually have a counter-example: The trouble with major Linux distributions is that if you need a high-profile application (like OpenOffice) it is easily available from the central repository but if you need a less-known application you are back to the incantations lile: download source, extarct it, read the manual, oh my god it's using cmake, what the hell is cmake and where to get it, try to compile, resolve the dependencies etc etc. Example – back in days of Ubuntu 6.04 the repository lacks Lua 5.1 although it was released months ago! In the Windows land every program comes with an installer no matter if it's a major one of a 0.3 release of an hobbyist.
Sun, 29/04/2007 - 05:10
performance - Ubuntu is generally better in comparison with XP
Resizing is a poor hit at gnome. Try Alt+Middle mouse button.... better?
Sun, 29/04/2007 - 20:50
Turbotax is a critical software that millions use (in the US) and is not supported on linux.
Mon, 30/04/2007 - 02:45
www.turbotax.com?
That's how I submitted my taxes on ubuntu.
Wed, 02/05/2007 - 01:09
Ever heard of FREE tax preparation from IRS? Who the hell needs TurboTax?
Tue, 01/05/2007 - 04:08
When it comes to antivirus software, it is possible to realize that the problem are not just viruses but the impact of this software in the system performance.
I've seen a computer with a significant disk and network activity degraded by the antivirus software using about 50% of CPU to check every access because i could be a possible virus attack. This was real life. You don't need antivirus software in linux.
Tue, 01/05/2007 - 04:10
"my friends are using Windows 2000 since 2001. .... And we don't feel the decline in the performance."
Wonderful!! But I imagine most users do feel the performance drain. I've felt it with every machine I had. A desktop that ran Win2000 Pro, a laptop that ran both W2kPro and XP, and another laptop that ran XP home. That last laptop, a low end, got to the point that it couldn't play a dvd without it getting unbearable choppy. (A clean install, checked it, added updates, and checked it again to prove it.) Earlier Ubuntu couldn't quite get it there but once I installed Edgy. Voila!! Working DVD playback!!! When could you ever say that a Windows version actually got faster than the previous?!?!?! I also upgraded the old desktop (that once had W2kPro) from xubuntu Dapper to Ubuntu Edgy. Guess what??? It got faster too. So noticable that my wife noticed it and thanked me!
And for you guys that try to defend windows on install/uninstall capabilities. sorry but nothing annoys me more than having to install or uninstall software from windows. (Dontcha love it when it makes you do a restart too??) As one guy noted before, what's this crap about some other program that *might* need this dll??? You have a bloated Registry and Windows can't even figure this out for you???
I was sooo freakin tired of keeping Anti-Virus programs and other Anti-Malware stuff updated and having them slow my machines down. God, i'm so glad I got rid of my windows stuff.
Speaking of which. I used to maintain my sister's machine a few years ago (she was running W2kPro). Something went wrong and it wouldn't boot. Couldn't do much but do a new install. However, I wasn't expecting to have to do this and she lived out in the middle of nowhere and could only use dialup. By the time I was able to download an anti-virus package, she was already infected with 10 pieces of trojans/malware. I later had to take that machine home and I installed Ubuntu (one of my early ubuntu installs). I got the modem working (damn winmodems) and never had to install *any* ant-virus package and she didn't have to worry about any type of infection.
For the guy who mentioned RDC... Yeah, that's wonderful if have a decent connection. My aformentioned sister wanted something checked out on her system. did it all with ssh. try RDC over dialup and tell me if it's pleasant. I will admit it's nice but I use both VNC and FreeNX on my home machine and wouldn't trade it for RDC. Try restarting your computer with RDC; I've yet to figure out how. Try running RDC while someone else is using your computer.
Had to rant; just get tired of people singing Windows praises. True, Linux might not every little nitpicking thing right but at least i have some freakin clue what's running under the hood and don't have MS checking that i'm some kind of thief. and oh yeah, didn't have to pay $$$ for my OS *AND* it's major version updates for a given machine.
KMFMS
Tue, 01/05/2007 - 04:45
for the RDC guy. just so you know. I did find a workaround to restarting a RDC connection. try cygwin. but funny that it still took OSS to do it. And yeah, it's not part of RDC itself.
Tue, 01/05/2007 - 05:16
I've recently started to get to know the Linux again (last experiences from... 1995 or 1996) and I must say that the leap has been a great one. Still, I cannot see Ubuntu competing with Windows until it actually works with graphics cards (no way to get Ubuntu to like my ATI Mobility Radeon 9000, or my ATI Mobility Radeon x1600).
Also, the building of sources that are not in the repositories should be possible in a graphical UI. How do I download the sources for, for example, latest Oolite source and compile it in Ubuntu if I'm a newbie, but love the game?
And, last but not least, if OpenOffice gets a new release, how do I upgrade to it? Wait until the next Ubuntu release and hope that it will be included?
Tue, 29/05/2007 - 13:51
Ubuntu does work with a Radeon X1600 I know I've got one. No its not the easiest install and Ubuntu lacks maturity there but hang on do graphics cards work properly with all games under Vista - I think not my friend...
Tue, 01/05/2007 - 06:36
I just read an article about how Safari was exploited to hack into a Mac. I'm nowhere near trying to defend Windows but what would all the tech newbies do when viruses are made for Ubuntu? It would be hell for the ones who believed that Linux is 100% virus free. Oh, FYI, in some parts of the world, almost all software is free and Linux is just not developed enough to support all the fully fledged software. Vista sucks, period.
Tue, 01/05/2007 - 06:40
Dont know about the 7.04, but second last one did not have in CD installation set even csh and tcsh shells. A -NIX based OS without csh and tcsh - give me a break. Ubuntu is a joke, no real make neither. A Desktop system like Windows. And nothing more. Cant really see why one would choose Ubuntu over Win?
If one need o real system - and does not have enough money - take Fedora, Debian or what ever you prefer, just please no Ubuntu, thats not a OS, then better keep at Win.
Computers are used to do some work. Installing packages and upgrading is even not the second or third most importatant activity.
Tue, 01/05/2007 - 08:01
HaHaHa...I'd almost say you're being astroturfed by MS employees, except these guys have the mentality of 8 year olds...
Wed, 02/05/2007 - 04:21
"Can't really see why one would choose Ubuntu over Win?"
Go back and read the article. :)
Wed, 02/05/2007 - 12:30
I'm fairly impartial in this whole thing. You chose the OS that will do the job you need and run the software that you will want to use.
However, to go down to "Fan-boy" tactics, similar to the arguments of school kids (My Console is better than your console) are silly.
Case in point:
"Have you tried to restart a Windows machine using RDC?"
- The General consensus is "NO!" with howls of derisive laughter. 1-0 to SSH.
Wait a sec, what about the "shutdown /r" command in Windows? It looks like it did the same thing.
1-1, I think.
Like I said - I'm open to either Operating System and use both regularly, but to mindlessly try to score points over trifles doesn't bring anything to the discussion. The other party will always come back with a "I am rubber you are glue ..." retort, and it sprials on and on and on.
Stick to the major differences, as the article tried to with a fair degree of impartiality and overall did a reasonable job.
Wed, 02/05/2007 - 15:04
I'm a pro-linux guy but actually, on the command line issue, I'd say Windows is getting really good in the 2000/3-XP-Vista incarnation. You can really do lots of stuff in cmd nowadays.
Thu, 21/06/2007 - 02:30
What could you have asked for more of a free operating system like Ubuntu or other distro offers. For Window, when I think about softwares that I have to buy to complete my system for daily use I could not chill down. It's really biased when comparing two OS's like this article. But I notice one thing, those who adore Window, what they do is nothing much rather than surfing the webs, sending email, burning mp3 or one click copy DVD and that's it.
Fri, 22/06/2007 - 02:37
i am just about to try ubuntu and you all made me seriously confused. plz somebody tell me who won!!!!!!!
Sat, 14/07/2007 - 19:55
i am just about to try ubuntu and you all made me seriously confused. plz somebody tell me who won!!!!!!!
I won!
Happy now? :o)
Seriously, just try it! You should not choose something just because someone else says that "it wins". Test it for some time and decide yourself. What do you have to lose? If it's not for you, you're always in time to get back.
I used Windows for years, then tried linux (Slackware!) in days when the learning curve was really steep (I remember spitting blood just to make the soundcard work), and never turned back.
I think most linux users have a similar story, while I wonder how many Windows advocates have used linux for years (not just a quick tour) and then decided they prefer Windows.
Sat, 08/09/2007 - 01:29
I'd just like to add my comment after working with XP and Windows for 12 years and just recently completing a 1000 pc install of XP on various different machines using ghost....I rely on Microsoft users for my business and would hate for people to change because I love solving problems...if users switched to Linux (currently ubuntu) or OS X I would spend my time teaching people how to use it and not doing what I love....I would just like to put the final word on the vista xp versus linux os x saga.....windows is shite, and anyone who disagrees is a numpty who only users the front end and has never tried to image a machine using xp or tried to configure dat files to install printers automatically or had the displeasure of having to ring up Microsoft every time your legitimate copy of windows is flagged otherwise....it's a lack of knowledge and a lack of products that is Mac and Linux’s floor....but really that is not their fault. If either of the programmers behind my favoured two OS’s decides to write a program they make sure it works to the user’s advantage (in fact they just make sure it works).
I hate Microsoft but they pay my mortgage!