PC Tweaking

Comparison: Linux vs Windows

linux I have and currently use Linux Ubuntu and Windows 7 on two different machines. I like Linux, and thinking about trying Linux Mint in the future (time willing). Although I prefer all the advantages that Linux offers, I still revert back to my Windows 7 machine when I do my web work. The main reason is the type software I use, such as; Rapid PHP IDE, Codelobster PHP Editon, Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator.

Now programming editors for Linux is not a problem. I have Netbeans, Apatana Studio, and Bluefish. It's the other support applications that I am not comfortable in using. Basically I don't have the extra time to stop work and learn how to use these programs (such as GIMP, Inkscape,etc.) When I have a project, time is of an essence, and I need to finish up what I have to do ASAP, no time to play around. But than again, maybe I should make the time.

The programers that I know, use all the diffferent platforms; MAC OS, Windows, or Linux.
All the the web builders I know use MAC OS or Windows. I don't know anyone personally that uses Linux for web development, although there are many Webmasters who do use Linux out there.

So I will present the pros and cons of using Windows and Linux. You make the decision, and try it out.

Feature	Linux	Windows
Cost	Open Source -FREE	Win 7 Home Premium: $119 Win 7 Professional: $199 Win 7 Ultimate: $219
General Public License	Open Source -promotes free redistribution with access to an end product's design. You can modify the code.	Proprietary software, to be installed on one computer. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as code modification, and further distribution.
Virus Attacks	Linux computer operating systems are generally regarded as very well-protected, but not immune, from computer viruses. Attackers are focusing on the more popular Windows OS. In reality, Linux has a very small community of users. In addition, being open source, there are many programmers available to find any leaks in the platform.	Antivirus, anti-malware protection is mandatory.
Stability	Very stable system, Linux can run for years without needing to be restarted.	Crashes often and needs to be restarted often.
Software	Linux does have a large number of Free software available.	Being the most popular OS used today, software developers focus there efforts on Windows first. Also has a much larger selection of programs. Cost: Free to expensive.
Ease of Use	Slight learnin curve if you are coming from a Windows enviroment. Some variants of Linux, like Linux Mint has the ability to customize your desktop appearance.	Basically, all the Windows versions work the same.
Drivers	Most of the drivers are already included in the Linux kernel.	Need to install or fetch the required drive for each new hardware you install.
Performance	Linux keeps running, it never slows down. It uses several tricks like: logrotate - It allows automatic rotation, compression, removal, and mailing of log files. No HD fragmentation - solves the problem up front by not even allowing fragmenting to happen at all. No leftover bloatfiles after uninstall - does not have the marketing probems of proprietary software that is the root cause of the bloatware being installed by software manufacturers.	Everyone knows, that Windows is fast when new, but eventually it slows down. Registry - as applications are added and removed the larger the registry becomes (leftover files). Fragmentation - Windows NTFS does not write data to the hard drive in a very efficient manner and creates a need to defragment the drive often. Temporary files - build up over time and slow down the system. Resource hog - Windows tends to keep many services running in the background (uses up memory). Security software - The firewall and anti virus software needed to try and keep the system secure eat up a lot of resources.
Support	Free and Unlimited, through the Open Source Community. Much documentation available on the internet.	Microsoft has it's own help section, and valuable online documentation.