1) Linux gives the user access to the source code. This allow a user the option of improving the source code by modify it, and then contributing the improvements back to the community. Also, giving users access to the source code tends to keep the OS honest and relatively bug free. Having access to the OS source code allows the user to configure and compile very specialized version of the Linux kernel.
2) Linux has a huge base of supporters that reaches around the globe. If this base of supporters formed a corporation, they would be a company with many more employees than Microsoft. 3) Linux is much more modular that Windows, and provides greater flexibility in allowing the user to build the OS that best suits his needs, as the user can pick and chose which items to include and which items to exclude. Windows is much less modular, so when you install Windows, you install the whole ball of wax. An example of this is the problems created when you try to separate IE from the OS, or if you tried to separated the Windows Desktop from the Windows OS. 4) Linux is free. 5) Linux/Unix allows the user to chose from a number of Desktop GUIs, or it can be run pretty easily from a command window. 6) Linux is not the target of hacker nearly as much as windows. 7) Linux and Unix were written to be multi-user and multi-tasking right from the start. Window has its roots in the one to a customer msdos based OS with msdos carried forward into the Windows OS even today. Therefore, Linux and Unix are much more stable and capable of performing multi-user/multi-tasking operations. 8) Linux and Unix were written from the very beginning to be an OS that shared information with other OS(s) based on international standards, so Linux has a very good email and web server module. Its was also written from the very start to support thin clients, which Microsoft labeled "dumb terminals", so Linux is very good in this area (e.g. terminal server). 9) Linux support 40 or 50 different types of files systems, so a file system from just about any other OS can be mounted onto a Unix/Linux OS. This allow Linux to network very easily with other computers regardless of what OS they are running. Windows only supports four or five file systems. Also, the native file system of Unix/Linux are much better than windows (eg ext3 with journaling), and the file system almost never has to be de-fragmented, as very little fragmentation occurs in a Linux ext2/ext3 file system. 10) Linux and Unix are much more supportive of international standards that allow interoperability between systems than is Microsoft that tends to monopolized through an embrace, extent, extinguish policy. Regards, LelandJ John Weller wrote: > I have agreed to give a session to our local U3A group on Linux. A question > I'm bound to be asked is - What are the advantages of Linux over Windows, > particularly in a home or small office environment? So - what are they? > > I know the biggest advantage is it is not M$, there are loads of free > utilities such as OO, also it is free - but what about the rest? Does it > need an anti-virus? Is it more secure when surfing the net? What about > spyware? > > For my own benefit - if AV and anti-spyware are needed which do you > recommend? > > John Weller > 01380 723235 > 07976 393631 > > > [excessive quoting removed by server] _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
