Why Microsoft Windows Is Better Than Open Source Operating Systems

One of the biggest questions in the world of Operating Systems is, will Open Source Operating Systems ever be able to compete Microsoft Windows operating systems or even come reasonably close to it, in terms of popularity?

The debate is never-ending. While open source advocates talk endlessly and the Windows vs Linux discussion will go on for ever, about why Linux is superior to Windows, here are the reasons why I feel Microsoft Windows wins over Open Source operating systems.

Linux vs Windows Comparision

1. No operating system is as user-friendly as Microsoft Windows. No one wants to write numerous lines of code if he/she can get the same work done by a few clicks. The user interface of Microsoft Windows is much better and easy to adjust as compared to the Open Source Operating Systems. This is due to the fact that Microsoft Windows is designed in such a way that even the most basic users can adjust to its interface.

2. Windows commands a market share of around 90% while Linux is still languishing at around 1%, even today. Due to its large user base, Microsoft Windows has a wide ecosystem and supports a large number of software which provides its users an opportunity to select software programs as per their need – many of it being free software too. Open Source operating systems also have a huge collection of supported software but in comparison to Microsoft Windows, they lag behind; seeing that most of the software programs are built while taking Microsoft Windows into consideration.

3. Open Source operating systems like the server editions based on Linux Kernel are often called the most secure operating systems. If not better in this regard, Microsoft Windows Server Editions are equally secure and they are constantly being made better day by day. The fact is because Windows is used by most people around the world, malware writers find it more profitable to attack Windows, hence it is hammered at more often. After all, why would anyone want to target 2-3% of the operating system market?

Nevertheless Windows Servers are known to recover faster from Security attacks than Linux. If Linux or Open Source was completely secure, would it have been possible to hack the Linux website itself? One has to understand and accept that, as the popularity of any OS increases, it too tends to come under the radar of malware writers, as we have seen in the case of Apple Mac also in recent times.

4. Microsoft Windows supports a wide range of hardware and most of the hardware manufactures support their hardware in Microsoft Windows due to its larger user base. On the other side, Open Source operating systems have a comparatively smaller user base and hence only some manufacturers support their hardware in Open Source operating systems like Linux.

5. It is a hard task to find support for Open Source operating systems as they are not used by majority of the population though some resources are available on the Internet in the form of Discussion Forums, eBooks and Community driven websites. In comparison, Microsoft Windows includes its own help section and there is a vast amount of resources available on the Internet and many books are available in the market for reference.

6. Starting with Windows 7, final release of Microsoft Windows usually have a negligible amount of bugs as it is tested by highly trained professionals at the Microsoft Corporation, its Beta testers and MVPs, and it goes through various test stages before its release. Microsoft is also usually quick to releases fixes if any are required. Open Source operating systems are also tested by professionals and they have both alpha and beta releases before their final release, yet they do have some bugs which are fixed by the updates and upgrades.

7. Then there is the questions of costs. Now this is one area where Windows loses out! Almost all of the Linux flavors are either free of cost or are available at a much lower price. Whereas for Windows you have to pay! While for the desktop version it may not matter much to many, in the Enterprise segment this becomes important. Maintenance cost of Linux is said to be rather low as compared to Microsoft Windows. This is therefore one of the fields where Microsoft Windows is facing a tough competition from Linux Flavors, esp in the Server segment.

You may also want to check out this webpage from Microsoft on Windows Server vs Linux (UPDATE by Admin. 8th Nov: Thanks to a comment by Michael Carter, we now learn that this webpage/link has been taken down by Microsoft Canada, after posting this article) for further reading.

Please let us know your views also on this subject.

Popular Free Open Source Operating Systems

An Operating System remains the soul of any computer. We have seen many over time, but the one that has stood out strong is Microsoft Windows. Windows occupies around 90 % of the total operating system market. And why shouldn’t it? Windows is easy-to-use and comes equipped with all the services one would expect from any OS – and is considered to be better than an open-source operating system. But there are always some, who may be looking out for a free operating system for their computers.

Free Open Source Operating Systems

Today I will list down some of the most popular, open-source, and therefore free, operating systems available to computer users. Speaking about the open-source world, there are some quite impressive operating systems – that can be useful at times. Earlier I had talked about Open Source database – and today I will discuss some free and open-source operating systems and their features, in brief.

1] Ubuntu

The most widely used open-source database is Ubuntu. It is a Linux based operating system and is distributed free along with the source code. Its desktop looks somewhat similar to that of Windows, with window controls and icons. There is reasonable large software support available on Ubuntu; the common applications include Mozilla Firefox web browser, LibreOffice office application suite, GIMP image editor, and so on.

Ubuntu is distributed under GNU and GPL license. It has a UNIX shell called Terminal that can be used to interact with the network and install third-party applications.

Ubuntu Features, Specifications, and Requirements

• Support for ARM and x86 boards1
• Local storage support for DVR functionality2
• Minimum disk space: 2GB
• Minimum memory: 512 MB
• HDMI
• CEC support
• Secure full-featured web
• Social networking services
• Gallery

One of the interesting features of Ubuntu is the integration of broadcast, online services, and applications. This gives you a real TV experience on a desktop since you can now get media on demand. Ubuntu needs very little effort for installation. You can download the Windows Installer here.

Check this if you are looking for more Linux alternatives to Windows.

2] FreeBSD

FreeBSD is an advanced operating system for x86 compatible (including Pentium and Athlon), AMD64 compatible. It is popular among network developers, as FreeBSD offers advanced networking, performance, security, and compatibility features. Most software that runs on Linux can run on FreeBSD without the need for any compatibility layer. FreeBSD nonetheless still provides a compatibility layer for several other Unix-like operating systems, including Linux. As a result, most Linux binaries can be run on FreeBSD.

FreeBSD is available under open source and can be installed from a variety of media including CD-ROM, DVD, or directly over the network using FTP or NFS.

FreeBSD Features

1) FreeBSD ships with advanced hardware specifications that now supports advanced file systems called ZFS file system (highly scalable multiprocessing performance.)

2) SMPng: The SMPng architecture allows concurrency in the kernel. This makes OS perform fast as it can scale to over 8 CPU cores for many workloads.

3) Wireless: enhances wireless support, including high-power Atheros-based cards, new drivers for Ralink, Intel, and ZyDAS cards, WPA, background scanning and roaming, and 802.11n.

FreeBSD also includes support for encryption software, secure shells, Kerberos authentication, “virtual servers”.

You can download FreeBSD here.

3] OpenSolaris

OpenSolaris is a computer operating system developed by Sun Microsystems. It runs well on desktops, laptops, servers and data centers. OpenSolaris is GUI based like Ubuntu and has rich graphical desktop and windows for easy navigation. It is now available in version 11 and can be downloaded without any cost from the Oracle website.

OpenSolaris Features

• ZFS (the file system)
• bootable clones
• checksums on data
• storage pools (zpools)
• snapshots (utilizing copy-on-write)
• Timeslider

In addition, Sun’s ZFS file system now has native solid-state drive (SSD) management technology, meant to allow system administrators to fine-tune SSD performance.

You can download OpenSolaris here.

4] ReactOS

It is a free Windows-compatible OS that offers the benefits of running Windows apps natively. Apart from being an open-source software (its main highlight), the tool has a one really cool feature that Windows failed to offer – An application manager very much similar to Linux package manager. To use the software, head over to React OS’s official website and after having downloaded the image, use a tool like Rufus to write it on a USB drive.

5] Haiku OS

What most users like about this OS is its uniformity and cohesiveness. To start up the operating system, one simply inserts the thumb drive into a USB port and reboot. This should not pose a problem as most modern computers these days can be set to boot from the USB key. The OS is fast and responsive. Moreover, it is equipped with a number of applications and demos pre-installed. So, getting started should not be a problem even for first-time users.

Fedora & Debian are the other distro’s which must definitely be mentioned here.

Have any observations or comment to make, please do so below.

Microsoft Windows

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Microsoft Windows, also called Windows and Windows OS, computer operating system (OS) developed by Microsoft Corporation to run personal computers (PCs). Featuring the first graphical user interface (GUI) for IBM-compatible PCs, the Windows OS soon dominated the PC market. Approximately 90 percent of PCs run some version of Windows.

The first version of Windows, released in 1985, was simply a GUI offered as an extension of Microsoft’s existing disk operating system, or MS-DOS. Based in part on licensed concepts that Apple Inc. had used for its Macintosh System Software, Windows for the first time allowed DOS users to visually navigate a virtual desktop, opening graphical “windows” displaying the contents of electronic folders and files with the click of a mouse button, rather than typing commands and directory paths at a text prompt.

Subsequent versions introduced greater functionality, including native Windows File Manager, Program Manager, and Print Manager programs, and a more dynamic interface. Microsoft also developed specialized Windows packages, including the networkable Windows for Workgroups and the high-powered Windows NT, aimed at businesses. The 1995 consumer release Windows 95 fully integrated Windows and DOS and offered built-in Internet support, including the World Wide Web browser Internet Explorer.

With the 2001 release of Windows XP, Microsoft united its various Windows packages under a single banner, offering multiple editions for consumers, businesses, multimedia developers, and others. Windows XP abandoned the long-used Windows 95 kernel (core software code) for a more powerful code base and offered a more practical interface and improved application and memory management. The highly successful XP standard was succeeded in late 2006 by Windows Vista, which experienced a troubled rollout and met with considerable marketplace resistance, quickly acquiring a reputation for being a large, slow, and resource-consuming system. Responding to Vista’s disappointing adoption rate, Microsoft in 2009 released Windows 7, an OS whose interface was similar to that of Vista but was met with enthusiasm for its noticeable speed improvement and its modest system requirements.

Windows 8 in 2012 offered a start screen with applications appearing as tiles on a grid and the ability to synchronize settings so users could log on to another Windows 8 machine and use their preferred settings. In 2015 Microsoft released Windows 10, which came with Cortana, a digital personal assistant like Apple’s Siri, and the Web browser Microsoft Edge, which replaced Internet Explorer. Microsoft also announced that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows, meaning that users would receive regular updates to the OS but that no more large-scale revisions would be done.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager.

5 Best Linux Distros looks like Windows 7/10/XP Interface

Why is the Windows operating system popular among us? It is because of ease of usage, availability of software and tools, and graphical user interface to perform any task. But everything comes at some price, no doubt the Windows is really an easy to use OS but lag somewhere behind in terms of security and customization. On the other hand, the Linux is open source, free to use, can customize highly, and very secure too. If you are new in the Linux world and confused with lots of Linux distributions, that which one you have to choose and which not. Then this article would help you. Because users those are moving from Windows operating system are much familiar with its interface and definitely want something like in Linux too. There are a couple of Windows alternative in Linux those almost looks similar to Windows and help the users a lot to get familiar with Linux’s strange world. So today, I will introduce several such Linux distributions those desktop environment is very similar to the Windows systems, let’s get started!

Note: If you think you know any better Linux OS than those mentioned in the article, please let us know…

Here is the list of best Windows like Linux distributions with a similar interface for beginners

Linux Mint

The first very popular Windows like Linux distribution I would like to introduce to you is the ” Linux Mint Operating System“. When you decide to use a Linux system instead of a Windows system, you should have heard of the Linux Mint distribution in some places. Most of the websites recommend the Linux Mint as Windows the best WIndows look like an alternative operating system to beginners. It is Ubuntu based and like the Ubuntu system, Linux Mint is recognized as one of the best Linux distributions. They also provide LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) which is based on Debian. The Linux Mint system is known for its simple, easy-to-use, powerful Cinnamon desktop environment. Cinnamon is very easy to use, and you can use a variety of desktop themes, icon libraries, desktop widgets, and application components to configure the Linux Mint system to be the same as the Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 system. Cinnamon is also one of the most popular desktop environments in Linux. You will love this easy-to-use, most stable and powerful desktop environment.

• License: Free & Opensource
• Linux Mint latest version download Link
• Linux mint minimum system 19 requirements
  • 1GB RAM (2GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
  • 15GB of disk space (20GB recommended).
  • 1024×768 resolution (on lower resolutions, press ALT to drag windows with the mouse if they don’t fit in the screen).

Zorin OS

The Zorin OS operating system is also a very popular Linux distribution that can be used to replace Windows 7 systems. Its start menu and taskbar are very beautiful, the overall interface is beautiful and vibrant, and it is also very good in terms of speed and stability. If you like Windows 7 instead of Windows 10, then Zorin OS will be your best choice. Zorin OS also pre-installs a lot of software including Wine to run Windows software on Linux, so it means this is the Linux that runs windows programs, without the hotchpotch of Wine installation.

The interface style of its gorgeous imitation Windows 7 system is even more impressive. Try it out boldly. Zorin OS is translated into over 50 languages. This Windows like Linux includes multiple themes full office suite to professional photo editing software.

• License: Free & Open source
• Zorin OS download link.
• Zorin os minimum system requirements
  • Zorin OS 12 standard
    • CPU 1 GHz Single Core
    • RAM 1.5 GB
    • Storage 10 GB (Core) or 20 GB (Ultimate)
    • Display 800 × 600 resolution
  • Zorin OS Lite
    • CPU 700 MHz Single Core
    • RAM 512 MB
    • Storage 8 GB
    • Display 640 × 480 resolution

Robolinux

The Robolinux operating system is another Linux distribution with a Windows operating environment (Wine) embedded. It allows users to run Windows applications on a Linux system, so you no longer have to worry about your favorite Windows applications being unusable on Linux systems. In the Robolinux system, this feature is called “Stealth VM” that easily let you run Windows within the OS virtually. It has one-click installer for Window 10, 7 & XP. At the same time, the Robolinux system also includes several other desktop environments, you can choose a desktop environment according to your preferences. There is also a tool in this system for a full backup of the C drive that won’t let you lose any files. Very unique, right?

• License: Free & Open source
• Robolinux download link.
• System Requirements
  • 2GB RAM and 20 GB or more storage if you are planning to use Windows VM

ChaletOS

Has anyone used the ChaletOS operating system? This is one of the Linux distributions that are closest in appearance to the look and feel of the Windows’ interface, same icons, and style. The screenshot above is the result of the Windows 10 icon and theme package. After using this theme package, the desktop of ChaletOS can be made the same as the Windows 10 interface. Some pre-installed applications can also help you better use the ChaletOS system. In the process of using it, you seem to be back in the familiar Windows world. The screenshot above actually made my friends believe that it was true. Give a try to this Windows-like Linux distro, you will definitely like this release.

• License: Free & Open source
• ChaletOS download link.
• ChaletOS minimum system requirements
  • CPU: 1GHz+
  • RAM: 512MiB+ for Desktop / LiveCD – 768MiB recommended
  • Hard drive space: 8GB
  • Graphics card and monitor capable of 1024×768 resolution

Kubuntu

When we talk about the Linux distribution for a beginner that also look like Windows then how we can we forget the Kubuntu. The clean and sleek interface of the Kubuntu is really adorable. It developed by a worldwide community of developers and can be a best free and open-source alternative to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Kubuntu is an Ubuntu-based Linux operating system that combined with beautiful looking Plasma desktop environment. It comes with pre-installed applications to full fill most of our daily requirements. It includes productivity, office, email, graphics, photography, and music applications. For example, Firefox, Kmail, LibreOffice, Gwenview and more, the best part is it has the Discover software center to install the software with one click.

The benefit of the Kubuntu is it built using the Qt toolkit that gives it a sleek look and mobile-ready. Anyone can easily access this Linux desktop from Phone or Tablet just by installing the KDE connect from Google play store.

• License: Free & Open source
• Kubuntu download link.
• Kubuntu minimum system requirements
  • Processor 2 GHz dual-core (x86)
  • Memory: 2 GB RAM
  • Hard drive capacity 25 GB
  • Video card VGA @ 1024×768

Windows look like Linux distribution or operating system: Verdict

To neutralize the perplexion of Linux beginners, I tried to make this Windows-like Linux distribution list as comprised as with only the best available options from my point of view. However, if you have some proficiency in Linux you can customize any Linux distro to look exactly like Windows 10/7/XP. There are also some Linux distributions with the great user interface or desktop environment that are not mentioned in this article. If you want to know about them here it is 10 Top Most Beautiful Linux Distros or Operating systems. I hope that you will come up with the comments below to help our new friends make the right choices in the process of choosing a Linux distribution.

These five operating systems are the most widely used Linux distributions for new users from Windows to Linux, and of course, Elementary OS systems but that not look like a Windows that’s why it is not in the list. Which version you want to install is entirely up to you. In most cases, the Linux Mint operating system has always been the leader for Windows like Linux category. If you are just entering the world of Linux, I suggest you start with the Linux Mint system. Take action, install a Linux system of your choice, and move forward to become a member of the Linux open source world.

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