Computer users who are considering making a change from Windows to Linux or Linux to Windows commonly want to know the advantages and disadvantages of each of the operating systems mentioned.

Windows is an operating environment created by Microsoft that provides a graphical interface known as Graphical User Interface (GUI) for IBM compatible computers. Windows eliminates the need for a user to have to type each command at a command line, like MS-DOS, by using a mouse to navigate through drop-down menus, dialog boxes, buttons, tabs, and icons.

Linux is a free and open-source operating system developed by Linus Torvalds and some of his friends and was first introduced in 1991.
It is a freely available multitasking and multi-user operating system. From the start, Linux was placed under General Public License (GPL). The system can be distributed, used and expanded free of charge. In this way, developers have access to all the source codes, and are being able to integrate new functions easily or to find and eliminate programming bugs quickly.
In the thousands of meetings that Microsoft employees have with customers around the world every day, many of the same questions consistently surface: ”Does an open source platform really provide a long-term cost advantage compared with Windows?”, ”Which platform offers the most secure computing environment?” , ”What operating system is the most stable?”

There is a growing interest in using Linux on the desktop computer. Some people want to get more power from their computer, some are fed up with viruses, spyware, and some simply wish to avoid the high cost of Microsoft Windows licensing.

Because of its speed, stability and low cost, Linux became the fastest growing operating system for servers. Today, over 25% of all servers run on Linux! For all the same reasons Linux has become so popular on servers, it's now finding its way to desktop computers. There are now versions of Linux created specifically for desktop use, such as Linspire, which give you the stability and cost savings of Linux, but with the ease of a windows environment.

Cost.
The majority of Linux variants are available for free or at a fraction of the price of MS Windows which can cost up to hundreds of dollars per each license copy.
Regarding the applications, here is where the savings really start to add-up. To get the basic Office Suite from Microsoft (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software), you'll spend around $500 per computer. You can find comparable Linux applications for under $100, even at no cost.
Many of the available software programs, utilities, and games available on Linux are freeware and/or open source. Even such complex programs such as Gimp, OpenOffice, StarOffice, are available for free or at a low cost.
Windows does have software programs, utilities, and games for free, but the majority of the programs will cost.

Ease.
Although the majority of Linux variants have improved dramatically in ease of use, Windows is still much easier to use especially for new computer users.

Hardware.
Linux companies and hardware manufacturers have made great advancements in hardware support for Linux and today Linux will support most hardware devices. However, many companies still do not offer drivers or support for their hardware in Linux.
Because of the amount of Microsoft Windows users, Windows has a much larger support for hardware devices and a good majority of hardware manufacturers will support their products in Microsoft Windows.

File compatibility.
Linux will work with pretty much all the file types that are used by MS Windows.

Stability.
Linux is well known for its amazing reliability. Users often report going months without ever having rebooted their computer. Although Microsoft Windows has made great improvements in reliability over the last few versions of Windows, it still cannot match the stability of Linux.

Security.
Linux is and has always been a very secure operating system. Although it still can be attacked, when compared to Windows, it is much more secure. Linux was designed with security in mind. Some versions of Linux even come with anti-virus integrated right into the operating system for even additional protection.
Although Microsoft has made great improvements over the years with security on their operating system, it continues to be the most vulnerable to viruses and other attacks.

Open Source.
Many of the Linux variants and many Linux programs are open source and enable users to customize or modify the code however they wish to, unlike MS Windows, which has many proprietary parts that only Microsoft has access to.

Conclusion.
Is Microsoft finally about to face real competition in desktop-computer software? The next version of Windows, the one that will replace XP, is not going to be delivered for a long time, opening up a window of opportunity for Linux. In addition, the upcoming version of Windows is likely to be expensive and require new hardware, two other areas where Linux competes well. It may also involve too many changes. By the time it's delivered, more and more Linux distributions will look more like Windows.

We predict a bright future for Linux. His main points are: it's free, the applications are getting more mainstream, Open Office is a quality product, the GUI is pretty much like Windows, it's high quality, and resistant to the thousands of Windows viruses and worms. That’s why we choose Linux.

written by Cristian L.