Linux
For those of you who don't know, there actually exists other operating systems that don't come from Microsoft or Apple! One of these popular operating system's is known as "Linux", created by Linus Torvalds. Linux has been around for a long time, as it comes from UNIX and is popular among many. Although most desktop PC's and laptops come installed with either Microsoft's Windows or Apple's Mac, Linux is a great alternative. Most anything you can do with a Windows or a Mac you can do with Linux.
As a computer scientist I often have the opportunity to create software, and my OS (operating system) of choice is Linux because I can customize it any way I want to. A lot of developers will usually develop software that will run on Linux, then they will port it to some other operating system. While Linux is great for developing and programming, I am going to list just a few pros and cons with Linux.
Pros
- It's free!
- No Licensing or registration required
- It's fast
- Stable
- Usually smaller than other OS's such as Windows or Mac
- Works well on older computers (depending on which distribution you use)
- Runs well on virtual machines
- It runs popular software such as Firefox, Chrome, word processors, etc.
- If needs be, one can run Microsoft Windows applications from within Linux
Cons
- The latest and greatest software usually reaches Linux last
- Popular games aren't usually supported
- There are hundreds of different Linux distributions (that's right, there isn't just one Linux operating system). May be difficult to choose one that fits all your needs
- A lot of functions and operations can only be performed via the command line
- Steep learning curve, especially if you aren't technical
- A lot of "junk" programs included that one may never use
- Not always easy to find the right program to do the right task
All in all, I would say that Linux is a great operating system for those who have technical experience and for those who want to learn more about how computers work. Because Linux is so easy to download, research which Linux would be best for you and try it out!
Yes it has a lot of cool features like the app installation in the form of packages from the console manager using the "get -apt sudo commands its very geeky its why I like it also the integration of Compiz Fusion has a vast range of GUI features to add into the ubuntu theme shell. as for the graphical driver optimization there is a package from Nvidia to support Ubuntu distros I cannot remember what it's called since i stop using it long ago but it has to be enabled within Ubuntu as a "enable proprietary drivers tab" and then installing it from the terminal. shame on me I have stop using Ubuntu long ago but its popularity is getting noticed. I remember using Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope when I first used linux
The best option is probably dual booting linux and windows. I use linux when I want to be productive and Windows for games/other windows only programs. One other con people should consider is that there is something a lack of driver support for devices. Also, there seems to be a lack of optimization for certain hardware. For example, I've seen quite a bit of screen tearing on certain distributions.