Ubuntu is a fantastic OS, but it's just not Windows (Ubuntu)

Member Name: HeIsSean

Product:	Ubuntu
Date:	14/07/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free! Secure. Stable. Easy to install. Works well out of the box. Loads of free software.

Disadvantages: Software compatibility. Lack of drivers. Not what people are used to

I'm going to look at pros and cons individually here.

I tried Ubuntu on a separate partition and the operating system is a fantastic idea. At no cost, you get an operating system that is as good as Windows in many respects and even more fully-featured out of the box. You get OpenOffice, a fantastic office suite, which compares well to that offered by Microsoft for over £100 and Firefox, arguably the best web browser instead of Internet Explorer. There's a convenient program to download various software packages to do any task and they're all free.

On the other hand, Ubuntu might never be a threat to Windows purely because of compatibility. People are conservative: Windows is what people are used to. So people spend years buying software that they grow to love, which is only compatible with Windows. Office is extremely popular despite its price and now features the Ribbon UI, something OpenOffice doesn't offer. Other popular software includes that from Adobe, which also isn't compatible with Ubuntu and many more, e.g. iTunes. Finally, while recent versions of Ubuntu have improved in terms of hardware recognition, I had a problem with video card drivers, preventing me from choosing the correct resolution for my monitor.

Ubuntu's probably more secure and more stable than Windows and offers more customisation, but it's not what people are used to and doesn't have the big names behind it, making unlikely to take off in mainstream technology. The Linux threat might only come with Google Chrome OS because the Google name has power and fame, but it will be a challenge even then. Look at the Google Chrome web browser: it is steadily stealing users from IE, but it is still miles behind because, for most people, the Internet is Internet Explorer. For most people, an operating system is Windows.

Summary: The disadvantages don't harm your experience; they're merely inconveniences. If you can cope, use it

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