The internet is full of articles like this: 13 Reasons Why Linux Is Better Than Windows and the older I get, the more those titles annoy me. I do think Linux is better in a lot of ways but I try not to talk about better but rather why it works for me.
So here’s my take. Linux is good, fast an cheap. The old joke goes good, fast and cheap now pick any two — but with Linux you do get all three. I started using Linux back in the early aughts when I learned you can install it on Windows and have it live as a dual boot alongside your windows install. I could see how much better it performed on the same computer and ever since that time Linux — specifically Ubuntu — has been my default OS and I use Windows when I have to. Here are a couple of examples.
Here are some screenshots from the same computer both taken 10 minutes after startup on the same computer using two different OSes.
Windows
Linux
As you can see, Linux uses about 10% of the system resources that Windows does and that’s just the start.
Linux is free but it’s also economical!
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Linux is free but it’s also economical in that you could put it on a computer that’s past it’s Windows prime and it will run like it did on it’s first day out of the box again. It works really well on Dell equipment so you could actually go someplace like the MSU Surplus Store and purchase and older one to run Linux and get quite a steal. Take this one for example: Dell Workstation for $112.50!
Like any new paradigm, it will take a little while to learn how to use Linux but all I can say is that in the almost 20 years I’ve been using it, it keeps getting more and more accessible. Choose a popular distribution like Ubuntu and you’ll always be able to google an answer when you need one. Please reach out in the comments or on social media if you’d like me to share more tips about getting started!
Todd Lohenry 