Are you also confused between Windows and Linux and are wondering which is better? Then, this article is for you. Here, in this article, we will compare Linux and Windows. But before moving towards the differences let us first discuss each of these operating systems in a detailed manner.
What is Windows?
The Windows Operating System was released by Microsoft in the year 1985 and is still one of the largest used operating systems around the globe. It was released for both home computing and personal work. Therefore, it allows users to watch movies, play games, view and store files and provides a way to connect to the internet. It is straightforward and easy to use. The first version of Windows was introduced as 1.0 and the latest version as of October 2020 is Windows 10. Each version includes a graphical user interface that allows users to view files and folders in windows.
Features offered by Windows:
These are the following features offered by Windows:
- Client-Server Computing
- Virtual Memory
- Portability
- Extensibility
Disadvantages of Windows:
These are the following limitations of Windows:
- Windows offers poor security.
- There are high resource requirements for Windows.
- There is high virus susceptibility in the case of Windows.
- Backward incompatible file formats.
What is Linux?
Linux is an open-source operating system that directly manages the system's hardware and resources. It was first released in September 1991 by Linus Torvalds. It sits between applications and hardware and makes the connections between all of your software and the physical resources that do the work. It is free of cost. Not only that but it also contains many separately developed elements that are free from proprietary code.
Features offered by Linux:
These are the following features offered by Linux:
- Open-source
- Multiprogramming
- Multi-user
- Security
- Portability
Disadvantages of Linux:
These are the following limitations of Linux:
- Some of the hardware drivers are also not available for Linux.
- There are fewer software alternatives for Linux.
- In the case of Linux, the graphical interface is not good enough.
- There is no specific support vendor in the case of Linux.
Key Difference Between Linux and Windows:
These are the following differences between Linux and Windows:
- Linux is an open-source operating system whereas Windows is not an open-source operating system rather it is a commercial operating system.
- Linux is free of cost whereas Windows is costly.
- In Linux forward slash is used to separate directories whereas in Windows backward slash is used to separate directories.
- Linux is more efficient when compared to Windows.
- Linux runs faster even with older hardware when compared to Windows.
- File names in Linux are case sensitive whereas file names in Windows are case-insensitive.
- Linux provides more security than Windows. In Linux, it is easy to detect bugs and fix them whereas in Windows due to its large user base it becomes difficult.
- Monolithic Kernel is used in Linux whereas microkernel is used in Windows.
- In Linux, files are ordered in a tree structure starting with the root directory whereas in Windows files are stored in folders in different drives like C, D, E.
- In Linux, peripherals like hard drives, printers, etc are considered as files whereas in Windows hard drives, printers, etc are considered as devices.
- Linux has three types of user account i.e., Regular, Root, and Service Account whereas in Windows there are four types of user account i.e., Administrator, Standard, Child, and Guest.
- In Linux, every user /home/username directory is created which is called his home directory whereas in Windows MyDocuments is the default home directory.
Comparison Chart: Linux Vs Windows
Let us look at the comparison chart for our better understanding.
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Linux
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Windows
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It is an open-source operating system.
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It is a commercial operating system.
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It is free of cost.
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It is costly.
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It provides more security.
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It provides less security compared to Linux.
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It is more efficient compared to Windows.
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It is less efficient compared to Linux.
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It is faster than Windows.
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It is slower than Linux.
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It uses a Monolithic Kernel.
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It uses Microkernel.
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Files are ordered in a tree structure.
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Files are stored in folders in different drives.
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Peripherals like hard drives, printers, etc are considered as files.
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Peripherals like hard drives, printers, etc are considered as devices.
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There are three types of user account i.e., Regular, Root, and Service.
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There are four types of user account i.e., Administrator, Standard, Child, and Guest.
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For every user /home/username directory is created which is called his home directory.
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MyDocuments is the default home directory.
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The forward slash is used to separate directories.
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Backward slash is used to separate directories.
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File names in Linux are case-sensitive.
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File names in Windows are case insensitive.
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Conclusion:
Hence, we have discussed both the operating system in a detailed manner. I hope this article will help us decide which one to choose.
