Microsoft Windows had been the un-disputed leader in the world of operating systems and GUI interfaces since 1991. They launched MS-DOS 5 in 1991 and subsequently Windows 3.1 in 1992. These products were innovations at that time and took the average user by storm as he found GUI interface too easy to use compared to native terminal interface. Microsoft kept on launching successful versions after versions of Windows but was those products e.g. Windows 97, Windows 98 or XP etc as innovative and technically path-breaking as Windows 3.1? Well, not really. As realized by technical experts and regular users all the subsequent versions of windows after 3.1 were simply incremental innovations which were successful not because they were technically brilliant but because Microsoft had started to flex its powerful business and financial muscle (famously known as Sumo Strategy).
This all resulted in the Geeks getting together and coming out with open source concept in 1998. The open source revolution amongst other shining examples has given to the world a constantly under development and highly customized Linux based operating system called Ubuntu (means ‘Humanity’ in African language). Ubuntu was developed by Mark Shuttleworth, a South African, in year 2004 with a vision that users can freely run, copy, distribute, study, change, develop and improve the software.
One of the article published in the New York Times on 10 Jan 2009, reported that Ubuntu user base has crossed the mark of ten million users. This is not a small achievement considering the fact that Ubuntu had been around for only 5 years in the monopolistic market of MS-Windows.
There are quite a few features which set Ubuntu apart from MS-Windows. The ones which come naturally to any Ubuntu user are as following -
1. Easier and more intuitive than windows: For an average user it’s difficult to find out in windows where are all programs stored, how does NT store documents in a default manner, how does and what level of security shared documents should be having and so on forth. These features are easy to use and understand in Ubuntu because of its intuitive features.
2. High degree of Customization – Any user with a little software knowledge (or installation knowledge, to be precise) can customize his OS. If the user is little experimental, he can see/modify the source code as well. This is something un-thinkable in Windows.
3. Cost factor – Ubuntu comes free of cost. You can download it free from Ubuntu homepage or you may order for physical CD which comes as postage paid. An equivalent Windows setup may cost you over a thousand U.S. dollars.
4. High Security – Many users prefer Ubuntu over Windows because of the high degree of security it provides from Virus attacks. All viruses need root access to the computer in order to spread out. In Ubuntu the root account is disabled by default and it does not hamper your day to day computer usage. Another aspect worth mentioning here is that as Ubuntu does not use Win32 executables (which is used by most of the malwares, spy wares to infect a computer), the Ubuntu OS is already immune to such attacks.
5. Cleaning a computer infected by Virus is easy in Ubuntu- Usually a user does not have any option but to re-install windows if their PC is infected by Virus or purchase a costly anti-virus product which needs continuous updates. This is because majority of viruses kick in as soon as the operating system boots in. But if you install Ubuntu, it becomes a cakewalk to find and delete virus from whether a flash drive or a hard disk
6. Stability of the operating System - The Ubuntu file system is more stable as it does not need time consuming disk de-fragmentation and overall it utilizes disk space much more efficiently. The comments from one of the users clearly under-scores the stability of Ubuntu OS - When I ran NT4, considered to be the most stable OS from MS, I had to contend with daily crashes and network lock-ups. On the contrary, I have been running Ubuntu for over two years without a single glitch.
7. User is the king – The user can choose what he wants to install. He need not take the entire package and out of which he may not even use 80% of the applications. Linux is different as users have variety in the broadest sense. User can choose which operating system (distro) he wants to install. In case of windows you have to live with what comes in the package.
8. Opportunity to participate in the development: Ubuntu offers you the brainstorm site where you can give your idea about what should be change or added in Ubuntu, and also vote for ideas which have been added from some other Ubuntu users. This reduces the gap between the market requirement and the availability of the product. This is a long duration (sometime may not happen as well!) in case of MS.
9. Development of the product is user oriented: The only reason for Ubuntu to change and evolve is to make it better for users as per the feedback received and not to raise the stock price or grab more market share. This is like following the ever successful strategy of ‘Market pull’ rather than ‘Market push’ where you try to shove your product down the throat of users simply because you have monopoly.
10. Ubuntu response is faster: MS-Windows applications usually have slow response time which means you have to wait for a while before a program starts and quite some time to end especially if you have been using the applications for a long time. This becomes even worse if you are operating on multiple applications at the same with your internet enabled. Ubuntu simply has faster response time that means it doesn’t slow down in performance when it has been on for a couple of hours, it just keeps on going and everything opens literally a second after you click the icon, and closes when you click the X.
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I never reed a story like all feature are organised and compared like this. Better Work dude. Thanks for your story