Ever since its inception, the Windows family of Operating Systems has dominated computers across the world, and continues to do so till this day. Although other Operating Systems (eg Mac OS X, Linux) are no-doubt used, their user base pales in comparison to the number of users (ranging from individuals to enterprises) that use Windows based PCs as part of their daily workflow.
If we specifically talk about Linux, it’s still considered to be the OS that generally "geeks" use. In addition, Linux is also the dominant Operating System when it comes to servers and mainframe computers. Essentially, people refrain from using Linux because they think it’s too complicated to work with.
While that's somewhat true, the fact is that Linux has come a long away, and is no longer as convoluted as it used to be. In fact, there are quite a few reasons why you should be using Linux.
- Free and open-source
Unlike Windows, which is proprietary and needs to be legally purchased in order for you to use it, Linux is completely free and open-source. This means that you can download it and install it on as many computers as you like. And the open-source nature of Linux means that anyone can tweak with its source code and distribute it.
- Runs well on older computers
Linux is known to be extremely resource efficient and runs great even on older computers with moderate hardware specifications. So if you’ve got an aging PC that struggles to work with the latest Windows version, try installing a Linux distro on it. You’ll be amazed at the difference.
- Lots of distributions available
hanks to its open-source nature and wide community support, there are now tons of varied distributions (often called distros or flavors) available for Linux.
You can download and use anyone that meets your usage requirements. Some of the most popular Linux distros are Ubuntu and Linux Mint.
- Availability of all popular software applications
If you’re worried about your favorite software program not being available for Linux, there’s no need to be concerned.
- Less prone to viruses and other malware
Although modern Antivirus programs and the inherent security features of the latest Windows versions help in reducing the data loss that viruses and other types of malware cause, they still exist. The simple reason for the majority of viruses and other malicious programs being written for Windows is its popularity.
On the other hand, malware is all but non-existent for Linux. So if you use Linux, your data is going to be much more secure. That being said, any Operating System is only as secure as its users.
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