Is ubuntu/linux worth it?

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by jkrmnj, Jul 5, 2014.

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Is ubuntu/linux worth it?

Better than windows 3 vote(s) 75.0%
Not better than windows. 1 vote(s) 25.0%
  1. I have a windows 8.1.1 laptop and it is great, but Ubuntu/linux has caught my eye recently. Research on the web for windows 8 vs ubuntu features hasn't helped to learn any more about it. My plan is to dual boot linux, but I don't have any flash drives with me and it seems like I would need 2 of them for a backup and ubuntu.
    My question is what does Ubuntu/ other linux things do better than windows 8.
    First off,
    • The interface is not a reason to switch. I find the metro style to be great.
    • Don't respond with "it is open source" Although I think that is a bonus, it isn't something I care too much about.
    With that out of the way, what features can I get on these other operating systems that can't be found on Windows 8?
  2. simplicity.
    also windows 8 is terrible so theres no reason not to use anything other then that
    jkjkjk182 likes this.
  3. I actually think windows 8 is great, as I mentioned in the op, so that isn't a reason for me.
    PenguinDJ, Monster_ and kyle12cu1 like this.
  4. I use Linux at work and I can't think off the top of my head one thing that Linux (Ubuntu or other distros) offer that you couldn't get with Windows so I'd want to know why exactly you're wanting to install Ubuntu. If you just want to learn Linux then that's reason enough right there.

    Scripting things is certainly easier for me in Linux using bash, I also use aliases a lot. Ultimately though I can't say that there is something that Ubuntu does that Windows doesn't that's a real crucial thing to have or anything.
    607 likes this.
  5. Thanks for the reply. With some research I also didn't see any features Linux had that windows didn't. The learning thing is one of the main reasons I started considering Linux. I heard that Linux is a good way to learn about computers and how they work. Would you recommend it for that?
  6. linux does pretty much everything windows does from the terminal (cmd line)
  7. lol

    I've never used either of those, and i know nothing about them. I have Windows 8, and i like it.
  8. As far as support goes, windows definitely beats anything else. Windows supports the most formats. I use both Mac OSX Mavericks and windows 8, and I see no issues with either of them (other than Mac's poor support for games). If this was before windows 8.1, I would say to go for it, but it is probably not worth the trouble at this point.

    Also, bitemenow, I see nothing wrong with windows 8 as opposed to windows 7... >.>
  9. If you're looking into the IT job field - getting a running start in Linux would be great. There are a few Linux cert's you can acquire that can boost your employability depending on what you want to do (thinking like Sys. Admin, Server Admin, Net. Admin, type jobs). Using the actual Open Source OS is probably the best way to study for these certifications and it would probably be to your benefit.

    Not to mention, a flash drive is like $20 - you only need one if you're dual booting. Just unplug your main drive or partition it and install into the new drive/partition. EZ-PZ.
  10. if your willing to put effort into it then ubuntu is awesome, but if your not willing to try to solve problems you run into, then it will frustrate you.

    a lot of things don't work out of the box and requires effort to get things to work, but once you learn it, things flow nicely and you can figure things out pretty easy.

    basic windows apps usually works under WINE, and some popular games do too, but again: requires you to put effort into research and installation.

    Ubuntu is not simple, but it def has its advantages for programming, and is more secure for basic computer usage such as web browsing (which most peoples services are online now) and stuff like word processing (you can use open/libre office for free)

    and its much faster.

    and options... ubuntu is all about options to customize your OS to your liking.

    My Ubuntu doesn't look anything like stock, and most peoples looks very different.
    Monster_ likes this.
  11. I do plan on getting a career in computer programming (most likely in game programming) and as a high school student, I am trying to learn what I can and get ahead a little bit.
    I will probably end up dual booting ubuntu and testing it out. I tried running it in a virtual machine but my laptop is bad and it lagged a ton.
    Ubuntu seems cool and the problem solving type thing is sort of what I am looking forward to.

    Thanks everyone for helping me with this. One last question, if I plan on dualbooting, should I backup windows first or will I be fine without that. If I do make a backup of windows, would I need a second usb?
  12. You can partition one USB to hold both OS if it's big enough. Basically splitting the drive into two parts so it's like two separate drives but it's physically one drive.

    Some people use partitioning to speed up their hard drive. Totally off topic, but since the outside of a disk spins faster than the middle of a disk (obviously) it's possible to run tests on your disk and partition it so that you can put your OS and main apps on the outside of the drive and secondary programs towards the center of your drive. You could sometime get like 100% performance boost from physically changing where on the drive programs go so yeah, partitioning can also work like that for hard drives but it can happen on usbs and basically anything that holds data.
  13. Ubuntu is not going to teach you how a computer works. It'll teach you how an operating system works though. Like others mentioned, you need to learn how to use terminal (the command line) to unlock the benefits of Linux.

    If you want to learn how a computer works I would just recommend building one, tearing it apart, building it again and just actively troubleshooting your computer. What O/S you choose there probably doesn't matter much.
  14. Windows is nice, because everything is prepackaged, plug and play, ready to go right out of the gate. Windows has the compatibility with virtually every single thing that is software related. Technically, there is never a reason to need to wander off the Windows path, as a casual computer user. Same can be similarly said about Mac, though I hate everything Apple lol.

    That being said, I was once like you and was curious about Linux. I've always been a computer geek, but was kinda scared to go into the uncharted territory known as Linux. (Kinda showing my age, as when I was younger, Linux was nothing like it is today) Linux was strictly CLI (Command Line Interface). There was no "desktop". Everything had to be typed. EVERYTHING. It was a big turn off for me, because I was/am prone to typo's, and that could screw up a lot of things.

    Now Linux has several distro's with GUI desktops (GNOME). So I hopped on an early Ubuntu distro as it was slated to be a great starter distro to the world of Linux. Easier to work with, large community, etc. I played around on there and learned a lot and got over my fear of the CLI/Terminal. I also found that I liked it a lot more than Windows, with the only draw back being the lack of support for most games. Minecraft works, and a growing bucket full of other games work, but it's still quite a ways away from getting the full support from game developers. But with the speed in which Linux is growing today, it shouldn't be but a few more years before Linux gets it's time to shine with Windows and Mac in those annoying commercials.

    Once you learn the basics of OS's, you'll see that Linux is truly the best, as you are only limited by your imagination (and game support and some programs, but that is all growing larger every day). You have more freedom with Linux. Any distro of Linux you get, you can tailor it to exactly how you want it to operate.

    If you're a stickler about space on your hard drives, you'll love Linux even more, as it's typically 1/4 the size of Windows.

    And the frosting on the cake, Windows DOS is a single task command line, while Linux is a multiple task command line. You can get a loooot more done with Linux.

    Jump in and learn to swim. You'll love it. :)
  15. The last Windows (7) I installed, took about 20GB on the harddisc. A full openSUSE installation takes only 10% of that. I think that tells a lot.
    g00tch likes this.
  16. When I said computer, I really meant operating system. I was tired :p

    Thanks everyone for your helpful advice. I will find or buy a USB and give dual booting a try.
  17. why do you need a USB?

    You can repartition your HDD and install ubuntu along side windows.
    And the ubuntu installer will give you simple sliders to do all the repartitioning for you, itll be like "How much space do you want to give to Windows, and how much to Ubuntu?"

    For installation, you can use a DVD-RW disk to burn the installer.
    Monster_ likes this.
  18. also a key thing to learn about dual booting before you run into it and have no idea how to fix it:

    Reinstalling windows or even repairing startup will wipe out the ubuntu bootloader and remove your access to ubuntu.

    Windows aggressively tries to lock you to windows, where as ubuntu gladly lets you still access windows.

    If you ever have to reinstall windows, have a ubuntu live cd/usb ready, and you can repair grub from the livecd (you'll need to google it if you run into this and find the instructions for current ubuntu live cd/grub, but there is a simple app called startup-repair that makes it even easier)
    Kaizimir likes this.