There are thousands of programs available for Linux, and many are available as easy-to-install software packages - all for free. Many of the sacrifices it makes in the name of user-friendliness can lead to security vulnerabilities and system instability. Users usually experience less issues in Linux.Īlthough Microsoft Windows has made great improvements in reliability in recent years, it's considered less reliable than Linux. It has a strong focus on process management, system security, and uptime. Linux is notoriously reliable and secure. However, more proficient users may be frustrated by oversimplification of system tasks at the expense of fine-grained control over the system itself. Its ease and lack of difficulty is considered a positive by users who want their system to work. One of its primary design characteristics is user friendliness and simplicity of basic system tasks.

Windows is one of the easiest desktop operating systems to use. Examples of easier to use distributions include Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Linux GUI distributions are more user-friendly and do not contain all the extra 'bloatware' that Windows is known to include. Some Linux distributions feature a GUI, much like Windows, allowing for ease of use for the average computer user. More recent distributions of Linux are easier to use than previous variants. Windows 10 was originally being offered as a free upgrade to current owners of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 if they upgraded before July 29, 2016, but that offer is no longer available. Microsoft Windows usually costs between $99.00 and $199.00 USD for each licensed copy. Some companies offer paid support for their Linux distributions, but the underlying software is still free to download and install. You can download and install GNU/Linux distributions without purchase.

The Linux kernel, and the GNU utilities and libraries which accompany it in most distributions, are entirely free and open source. Below is a chart to help illustrate the major advantages and disadvantages of each of these operating systems. 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 operating system.

Windows vs mac vs ubuntu