Which is faster, linux or windows. Which is better Windows or Linux: strengths and weaknesses of operating systems

Readers of "Home PC" have repeatedly contacted the editors with a request to write more about alternative operating systems Oh. Many people were interested in the question: “Is there life without Windows?” In order to test how suitable Linux is for home use, I tried working at home on a computer with this OS for a month.

For field tests a Samsung R40 laptop and the Ubuntu distribution version 6.10 (later updated to 7.04) were taken. The R40 was chosen for its consumer qualities - it is an affordable and popular model in Ukraine. I also wanted to test the common myth that Linux runs worse on laptops than on desktop systems. And Ubuntu 6.10 was taken because of the accessibility declared by the creators of this version of Linux for untrained users. It’s just works - says the advertising slogan. Well, let's see.

Installation

Installing Ubuntu is easy for any user. It's even simpler Windows installations! All you need to do is specify a partition for the new OS (on top of Windows or create another one) and select language settings. The process is quick and painless - on the R40 it took about 15 minutes.

Another important advantage Ubuntu- full set the most necessary software, available immediately after installing the system. This includes a browser, an office suite, an email client, an Internet communicator, a media player, etc. Also, I did not need any drivers, since Ubuntu immediately recognized all the devices on the Samsung R40 and independently enabled their support. The only thing I had to change manually was native resolution laptop 1280x800, which was not supported by the driver by default. 1:0 in favor of Ubuntu.

Change version

At the time of writing this article came out a new version Ubuntu - 7.04 (I started the test with 6.10 six months ago). The system offered an upgrade after launch, and it was relatively slow - the installation took half an hour, however, all applications continued to function, so there was no need to interrupt the work.

However, problems could not be avoided - it stopped functioning sound card, which would be a serious drawback if not for one nice feature of Ubuntu - when the system boots, it allows you to choose to run with previous versions of the kernel. I used this function, and with the previous kernel everything fell into place. At the same time, the remaining packages remained from version 7.04, so the transition to it was not made in vain.

Installing programs

Many of the programs you need when working with Linux are installed in Kubuntu (the version of Ubuntu with KDE integrated) or Ubuntu. If something is missing, you can use the application Installation and removal of programms. This utility allows you not only to remove existing software, but also to install new one. We tick the required programs in the tree directory structure, and Ubuntu downloads the content from a DVD or from the Internet (you can view the estimated volume).

However, the set additional programs in this utility is quite small, so it is better to use another one - synaptic. Almost all the free software available for such an OS is presented here, including drivers, codecs, etc. It’s nice that the latest and most stable versions are downloaded right away.

Ubuntu also has a mechanism that tracks updates to both the operating system itself and installed programs, so you won't have any problems with patches. Moreover, restarting the computer is required only occasionally.

Appearance

Appearance

Ubuntu doesn't look very attractive, in my opinion. The thing is what comes with it GNOME shell, which, although famous for its functionality and speed, is, alas, not pretty. So the first thing I did was replace GNOME with KDE (although I could have just installed Kubuntu initially). Selected beautiful theme, and Linux began to look no worse Windows Vista. For fans of all kinds of decorations, there is a Beryl shell, which is much superior to Aero from Vista, but I did not experiment with it - after all, the laptop is not entirely suitable for such resource-intensive applications.

In general, working in Kubuntu/Ubuntu is reminiscent of working in XP - the same start menu, ubiquitous right button mouse, desktop with icons, support for drag’n’drop and copy/paste. Additional time I didn’t need to retrain.

Safety

As in Windows, all service file structure in Ubuntu it is hidden from the user by default. If you do not select the option Show hidden files, then it is visible only home folder(analogue My documents) and external drives - CD-ROM, DVD-ROM - and Windows partitions(If there are any). So inexperienced user cannot accidentally damage the operation of the OS.

To perform important actions (installing new programs or uninstalling them, changing some global settings, accessing system files) The OS asks for an administrator password. If there is only one user in the system (you) - this is not a problem, but in the case of several owners, you should either assign them administrator rights, or simply not allow them to delve into Ubuntu settings. The second option is probably more correct, especially when children use PCs. And even included with your account the computer will be safe - no one will be able to spoil anything, because if there is a potential threat of unauthorized actions, the OS will still ask for an administrator password.

Internet

Internet

The main advantage of Linux over Windows is working with the Internet. Built in by default in Ubuntu Firefox browser(which I also use on Windows), and as an email client - Thunderbird. This, firstly, gives us a normal display of all sites, and secondly, it guarantees that none of the viruses from the Internet will get onto the computer.

In general, viruses under Linux are a topic for jokes. As one joke says, “there are only five of them, two of them don’t work, and with three you need to fuss for half a day to somehow get them working.” So neither spyware, nor annoying dialers, nor Trojans, nor other Internet horror stories familiar to Windows users threaten you.

In Kubuntu, the standard browser is not Firefox, but Kon-queror - an analogue of Explorer from Windows, universal browser, which allows you not only to visit Internet sites, but also to view files on disks, navigate the local network and search for documents. It's quite convenient, but habit is second nature, so I still use Firefox for the Internet.

The system also comes with several types of Internet messengers and a Bittorent client. The check showed that everything was functioning without any problems.

Connecting to the Internet was painless, just like at work (where the the local network), and at home (“Volya-cable”) - I just turned on network cable into the laptop and everything worked. Moreover, in the office, Ubuntu was able to connect normally to network Windows resources(folders and printers), as well as organize access for other users to your files. It's special fun fact, if we take into account that with Windows integration Vista in work network Our system administrators are still suffering.

For the sake of experimentation (it’s a laptop after all), I connected the R40 to home Wi-Fi router. Although Ubuntu immediately discovered home network, refused to connect to it - probably because this network was not yet available when the laptop was started. After the reboot, everything worked automatically without my participation (the network parameters were entered during the first attempt). I checked the connection on several more devices (Pocket PC with Windows Mobile, the same laptop, but under Windows XP, Wii and PlayStation 3 consoles) - they all required a reboot. So the problem is most likely with the newly installed router.

Home Office

Home Office

As the main office suite Ubuntu comes with OpenOffice, which I also found familiar since I use it at home. It has everything you need for editing texts, tables, databases and presentations; it both reads and writes MS Office files, so Linux is in no way inferior to Windows. However, this article I'm dialing in Google Docs& Spreadsheets is a very convenient service.

Standard organizers Kontact or Thunderbird quite successfully replace Microsoft Outlook, however, according to the possibilities of synchronization with mobile devices noticeably inferior to him. Theoretically, there are programs for communicating with the PDA and cell phones, but in practice I was never able to synchronize either my Dell Axim x51v or Nokia N73 directly. But everything worked out via the Internet - I used the service SheduleWorld.com. Of course, the implementation of such a function in Windows is far from ideal (this is a topic for a separate article), but it is still better than in Linux.

Multimedia

A special feature of Ubuntu is the use of only open source software. That is, not just free, but not protected by patents. Unfortunately, this means that the media players built into the OS do not play DivX, QuickTime, or MP3. However, this does not pose any problem, since when a file of this format is detected, the player asks the user if he wants to download a module to support it. They are small in size, so installation takes less than a minute. If automatic detection for some reason it didn't work (it happened to me with a file in Apple format QuickTime, which the player perceived not as a video, but as an audio recording), the codec can be downloaded using the synaptic utility mentioned above.

Naturally, Ubuntu supports playing music and videos from CDs and DVDs. There is a conversion option if you don't want to bother with disks. CD/DVD recording is also available. To watch TV programs using a TV tuner, a number of utilities are offered, the most popular of which, Myth TV, is very convenient and free.

In general, support for multimedia functions in Linux turned out to be approximately at the same level as in Windows - some codecs are built-in (ogg vorbis, for example), some are downloaded additionally.

Graphic arts

Graphic arts

Built in Ubuntu GIMP editor is an order of magnitude superior to the scanty Paint from Windows. This is almost a full-fledged budget graphics package With necessary set tools for all occasions. It will satisfy the needs of the home user 100%. Kubuntu has Krita, which is more like Adobe Photoshop and supporting almost all of its popular functions: layers with different types overlays (including adjustment ones), masks, filters, control of levels, curves, etc. However, vector text, unfortunately, does not work - everything written is immediately converted to a raster. However, this is not the most important function for a free photo editor.

In that Windows plan is strong primarily due to the ability to install additional (albeit terribly expensive) software like Adobe Photoshop. Unfortunately, there is no version of Photoshop for Linux. But on the other hand, home PC owners using Photoshop features at least half, also does not exist.

Games

Games

The most weakness Linux. Kit free games, created or adapted for this OS, is incredibly small. There are enough office “time killers” included with Ubuntu, but here are the full-fledged ones big projects there is practically none here.

But this does not mean that you cannot play on Linux. I quite successfully launched both the old WarCraft III and the fresh Guild Wars: Nightfall using emulation. True, the latter worked very slowly on the laptop’s integrated video both under Windows and Linux.

There are two main Windows game emulators for Linux: the free Wine and the paid Cedega. The second, in fact, is an add-on to Wine, so there is no point in spending money on it. Wine creates a mimic Windows environment, in which all games are launched. It is easy to set up and supports quite a lot of both old and new products.

Cedega has more customization options, contains ready-made profiles for the most popular games(including Battlefield 2142, Oblivion and NFS: Carbon) and for each of them creates its own virtual Windows. This means that the libraries of one game will not affect the libraries of another (unless, of course, you yourself want to install them on the same virtual OS).

Games run under this emulation as quickly as under Windows XP on the same computer. They say on the Internet that some projects run even faster under Linux due to the fact that free memory and more processing power, but there are serious studies confirming this fact, I didn't. Moreover, in practice things are not as good as in theory.

Firstly, in order to play, I had to replace the Ubuntu video drivers with similar boards from the developer (in in this case ATI). This is easy to do (via synaptic), but not very convenient. Secondly, if old games function perfectly, then support for new ones does not appear immediately after their release. Third, copy protection systems “hate” Linux. Modern security mechanisms (like Starforce) install their own drivers low level, and while there is no emulation in Wine/Cedega, you have to use NO-CD. But old legal games with their protection work just fine. And one more little thing - support for the Russian language (and Russian fonts) in Windows windows appeared after I specified Russian as the main language in Cedega. It sounds trivial, but until I did this, I had to install Warcraft III (and other localized games) blindly, because in the installer windows there were unreadable characters instead of Cyrillic. This, however, did not affect the game itself; everything was in perfect order.

As for consoles, most emulators available for Windows also have versions for Linux. There will be no problems launching any projects for old consoles. I tried running games on SNES (with the MESS emulator, it supports a number of consoles) and on PSOne (PCSX) - it works. Both emulators were installed via synaptic.

Windows programs

If you really need some programs that only run on Windows, there is a way to run them on Linux. Alas, unlike games, it is not free. Codeweavers produces a series of CrossOver packages for various operating systems, including Linux. WITH using CrossOver you can work with Photoshop, MS Office, and iTunes - about 500 items in total. But it costs money (like the Windows programs themselves): $40-70 depending on the version.

Miscellaneous iron

While working, I connected several devices to the laptop - a Bluetooth adapter, a USB mouse and keyboard, and a gamepad. All were recognized automatically, no driver installation was required.

Bottom line

The conclusion after a month with Linux is quite obvious - you can use this OS at home. Moreover, it turned out to be simpler and more convenient than I initially expected. If you are not an active gamer, but use your computer mainly for surfing the Internet, listening to music, watching movies and editing texts, then Linux (in this case we're talking about about Kubuntu/Ubuntu) will suit you even better than Windows and will save you a lot of money on buying expensive software. If you actively play or use some specific commercial software, then there is no point in changing Windows to Linux.

Switching to Linux

Migrating from Windows to Linux is not as difficult as it seems. Firstly, Ubuntu 7.04 has a wizard that will help you transfer documents, music, pictures, bookmarks and desktop settings to the new OS. Secondly, Ubuntu can both read and write to Windows disks (FAT, NTFS), so the necessary files can be copied later.

The situation is a little more complicated with other settings: Internet settings, network drives, printers, etc. By default, this information is not migrated, so you will either have to enter it manually or use one of the paid migration utilities (for example, Move Over, which costs $10). However, in my case, the system automatically recognized the network, so I didn’t have to configure anything additional.

Myths about Linux

There are few programs for Linux

In fact, Linux is not inferior to Windows in terms of the range of free software. Paid programs really less.

Linux is ugly and inconvenient

Kubuntu includes the KDE shell - it is more beautiful than Windows XP and no worse in terms of ease of use. And Beryl, which can be activated through the synaptic mentioned above, looks better than Aero from Vista.

To work on Linux, you need to know the console of this OS

Not true. I did not master a single console command while working with this operating system - there was no need.

To install new software on Linux, you need to compile it yourself

No need. Software for popular Linux flavors comes in special packages a la installation files Windows (in Ubuntu they have a .deb extension), so you just need to click to install them. This, of course, is only necessary if you have not found the program you need through the synaptic manager built into the OS. But intermediate versions (beta) are often released in source code. Compiling them is not difficult - the process is usually described in the readme and, as a rule, consists of doing two console commands. Is this necessary? In my opinion, it is better to work with proven versions of the software.

Linux is much faster than Windows

Maybe console Linux version and much faster than Windows, but using KDE this OS takes about 30% less CPU time than Windows. At the same time, however, physical memory it uses the same 30% more, and does not take up virtual space at all (Windows XP constantly keeps something in the swap file). So I agree that Linux is indeed faster, but not by much.

Linux is not buggy

In my practice, there was a case when, after intensive play under Cedega, the operating system reported that a serious error had occurred. To her credit, she kept all my documents and open windows, and after a reboot, it returned to its previous state (even the program windows were located in their places). This was the only case in a month emergency shutdown computer.

Can't play on Linux

WITH using Wine and Cedega is possible, although not as convenient as in Windows.

The cost of operating Linux is higher than the cost of operating Windows

At an enterprise - maybe. At home - definitely not. Free Linux at home is one hundred percent cheaper than paid Windows.

It's no secret that most people use "windows" from Microsoft on their computers. The question arises: why do individuals continue to claim the existence of a certain miracle in the form of Linux - convenient, reliable and without viruses? Which system is better: Linux or Windows?

What we liked about Linux: complete absence of viruses (they say that Linux Trojans are still hiding in the bottomless expanses of the Internet, but personally I haven’t come across such “surprises”), high system stability, free and accessible any software, which, by the way, is open source. Don't like the program? Improve it, polish it source and enjoy the updated creation! It's great that Linux doesn't need separate drivers for video cards, modems, COM ports and other hardware. All drivers come with Linux kernel, any device connected to such a PC immediately starts working.

What I didn't like about Linux: The first hours of working with Linux will seem like sheer torture. People who have been accustomed to working with Uncle Bill's windows for years will find it difficult to navigate open Linux. The variety of distributions, ranging from Debian to Ubuntu and Xubuntu, discourages users who decide to try the free axis. After the first installation, an Internet connection is required (install the codec, download the program), which, despite active development Not everyone has technology. There are no familiar programs on Linux, and the poor games are reminiscent of the Soviet Elektronika.

What we liked about Windows 7: Familiarity of work, wonderful GUI, comfortable and comfortable programs. The system will download any missing driver from the Internet, and avid gamers are unlikely to want to play snake or chess on Linux.

What I didn't like about Windows 7: First of all, new system does not support some peripherals. In my case, the “seven” installed all the drivers, but flatly refused to see the webcam. It seems that the lack of drivers is only a temporary problem and in the future Microsoft will think about improving compatibility. Oh yes, many programs, despite the declared compatibility function, do not even start (AutoCAD, for example, or my favorite movie cataloger).

Each of the above systems has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some people use Linux and Windows, others are fed up with one OS. Try new things, strive for the best (and we’re not just talking about technology here)!

So, if you have landed on this page, then you are probably now wondering what is better to install on your PC - Windows or Linux. Of course, it would be best to install both operating systems in parallel or in turn and decide for yourself what suits you best, but if you don’t have time for this or you want to listen to other people’s thoughts on this matter, then this article should help you make a choice .

We will try to describe all the pros and cons of these operating systems, and you can draw your own conclusions.

Of course, for a large number of people, Windows is the more familiar, if not the only, operating system. Linux is less popular, although Lately its popularity is gaining momentum, not least thanks to the Ubuntu distribution and Valve.

Myths about Linux

If with Windows everything is more or less clear to everyone, then a wide variety of rumors and speculations are floating around Linux. This is not a system exclusively for hackers, programmers, system administrators etc., this is exactly the same operating system as Windows, endowed with its pros and cons. Of course, many things here are arranged completely differently from the “windows”, but this does not mean that it is wrong or difficult, just something is not arranged here correctly.

Unlike Windows, the Linux world is not limited to one distribution - there are a huge number of them, and some of them are radically different from the majority. There is also Gentoo - a system that you need to assemble yourself for your own hardware and Arch Linux - a rather convenient and simple OS, but only if you are already familiar with Linux family, otherwise, even installing it is unlikely to be within your power. But this is all in the wrong direction; what we are interested in is a user-friendly and easy-to-learn OS. Perhaps one of these is Ubuntu (there is also OpenSUSE, in which, thanks to the built-in YaST administration system, you have a powerful configuration tool, thanks to which you don’t even have to launch the console, but for the purposes of this article we will still focus on Ubuntu).

That is, getting to know the new OS should be completely painless for you - everything here is intuitive and accessible, sometimes even more logical than in Windows. In addition, now, thanks to Valve, you can play a large number of games that were previously available only under , it is also worth noting that most of the games ported to this OS work much better, showing higher performance.

Benefits of Linux

The most important advantage of this OS is that it is completely free, moreover, the LTS versions are supported for five years, and you don’t have to pay for updates. Also, the lion's share of programs is also completely free.

All applications and games are available in their own application “store”, just as it is done in, that is, you do not need to search on the Internet - everything is done in a few clicks or in one command when using the terminal.

This operating system has a huge community of experienced users, who, if you have problems mastering them, will always answer any question on specialized forums.

There are practically no viruses for this OS, so you simply don’t need various antiviruses that will “eat up” PC resources.

Windows benefits

Although there are no significant problems with Linux games now, they are all initially developed specifically for Windows, and there are practically no old games for Linux at all.

Still, Windows is more familiar to the user, and habit, as we know, is a “terrible force.” A lot of professional and specific software exists only for Windows.

conclusions

Comparison of windows vs linux (video)

With the release of Windows 10, many Microsoft fans realized that they could no longer tolerate the antics of their favorite company. Either surveillance, or crooked updates, or advertising, or some other misfortune. And it will only get worse. Legendary and favorite Windows it didn’t and that’s a fact. And the thought began to arise more and more often in the minds of people who had begun to see the light: shouldn’t we switch to Ubuntu? Let's listen to the experts: is the game worth the candle?

To be among the majority or to be in the minority?

There are many orders of magnitude fewer computers with Ubuntu than computers with Windows. Switching from Windows to Ubuntu is leaving you in the minority. This is not always a bad thing, but for many people it is psychologically difficult to be in the minority. "The majority cannot be wrong."

Stop paying America

In terms of wallet benefits, Ubuntu unconditionally outperforms Windows 10. It’s not even that Windows 10 now costs a lot of money. Many people buy an operating system along with a computer and the extra $100 is invisible to them. total amount. But more and more advertising is appearing in Windows 10, and Microsoft is hinting that you will have to pay extra to turn it off. And some familiar applications suddenly became paid. And the squeezing of money from hamsters will only intensify.

Program Availability

One of Windows features is complete absence pre-installed software required for operation. For example, an office suite. In Ubuntu, LibreOffice can be found immediately after installation, while the Windows 10 buyer is left with a bare operating system. Ubuntu user from the first minutes after installation it is fully equipped.

Quality preinstalled programs Windows 10 also leaves much to be desired. This is not even the second grade, but the third! If earlier built-in programs simply caused laughter with their pathetic functionality (for example, the infamous Paint), now these programs also show advertising.

Graphical interface

Despite the inherent ugliness of Unity, this shell is getting better and attracting more and more users. Windows interface 10 is less ugly, more intuitive and simple. It’s a draw, but with the caveat that the Unity developers will still work on the stability and convenience of their brainchild.

App Store

Specialists from Microsoft spent much more effort and money on creating quality store applications, but have achieved less impressive success than Canonical developers. Through the Center Ubuntu applications You can install any program that exists for Ubuntu. You can install something through the Windows application store, you will have to search for something yourself, and buy something from the program manufacturer’s website. Inconvenient.

Surveillance

It's also in Ubuntu. But in Windows, user surveillance is present on some comical scale - even keystrokes are stolen. Shuttleworth also hoped to make money by spying on the private lives of Linux users - but he attacked the wrong ones. In Ubuntu 16.04 local search queries are no longer sent to Canonical servers by default. After a little tuning, described in the article, we get a system that does not crawl third-party sites without the user’s knowledge. Nowadays this is worth a lot.

It just so happens that the vast majority of beginners usually choose Windows as their first operating system. Apple products, unfortunately, is not available to everyone, and free Linux systems seem so harsh to many that they don’t even look in their direction.

But now we have witnessed interesting processes that can greatly change established ideas. Apple computers have become even more expensive in light of recent economic disasters. Microsoft started global update, resulting in Windows 10, a labyrinth of old systems and new ideas. Meanwhile, Linux got rid of past shortcomings and improved user interface and acquired a solid set of software.

Let's compare some aspects using Windows 10 and popular free distribution Linux Mint.

Settings

After the release of Windows 10, only the lazy did not write about the intricacies of the settings of this operating system. Most of the necessary options are concentrated in the new control panel, others remained in the old one, and some could not be found at all. Yes, in subsequent ones Microsoft updates I continued to finalize the settings system, but it still couldn’t be called easy and understandable.

In Linux Mint, all settings are concentrated in one place - in a special utility called “System Settings”. Here you can change literally any system parameter without having to wade through a series of additional utilities, dialog boxes and drop-down menus.

Installing programs

The operating system itself is only an environment for running software. Therefore everyone New user First of all, he must install the programs he needs. In Windows, to do this you have to search for developer sites, then look for a download link, then deal with the intricacies of installing each utility. Yes, now there is Windows Store, which is designed to simplify this procedure. But its content is so meager that not all users use its services, preferring to install programs the old fashioned way.

Linux Mint, like most other free distributions, has a built-in catalog of available software. You just need to type the name of the required program in the search bar and click on just one button - “Install”. It couldn't be simpler.

Interface

The epic story of how Microsoft company first removed the “Start” button, then returned the “Start” button back, will excite the minds of the indignant for a long time Windows users. This is really of great importance for them, since such changes in the interface can only be made by system developers. It’s good that users were given at least the opportunity to change the color of the panels and set their own wallpaper on the desktop.

Things are completely different in Linux. Here you are your own boss and can customize your work environment exactly the way it suits you. The location and appearance of panels, buttons, applets, menus, and tooltips are completely under your control. And if you feel that the established environment is not suitable for you, then you can do it in no time. Linux users Mint can optionally transform the operating system interface so that it resembles Windows or Mac OS. Or they may not change anything, since by default everything here is already beautiful and thought out to the smallest detail.

Security and privacy

About the situation with viruses several times already. In this section, I want to draw your attention to the problem of Windows tracking users. This problem really exists, and it worries you, judging by the popularity of those dedicated to it. Yes, Windows 10 constantly collects user information and sends it to Microsoft. It is quite difficult to wean her from this activity, and this will require computer knowledge, especially since with each update new loopholes appear for the leakage of collected information.

On operating systems Linux based This problem is completely absent. That is, you can install almost any popular distribution for yourself and forget forever that someone can spy on you and eavesdrop on you. If privacy issues are important to you, and it’s a pity to waste time and energy fighting spyware in Windows, then the choice is obvious.

No forced software

Almost all novice users love games. They love free or hacked games even more. If this passion is not combined with at least minimal computer literacy, then very quickly their operating system ends up filled to capacity with junk software that is installed along with toys and some free programs. All these additional panels in browsers, fake antiviruses, Internet boosters and other rubbish very quickly render Windows completely unusable.

Linux users are generally not familiar with this phenomenon. To install programs and games, there is, as I wrote above, a special software store in which all programs are tested. In addition, you can use Steam to install games, the security of which no one doubts.

Updates

Windows and installed software updates are another problem that users face. System updates often very cumbersome, take a long time to install and require a reboot. This is so annoying that many people simply turn off the system automatic update, although this should not be done under any circumstances. As for the centralized updating system for installed programs, it is simply absent in Windows. The developer took care to integrate the “update” into his program - well, if you are lazy, then you will continue to use the old version.

Linux Mint makes installing updates easy and enjoyable. Once a day special utility will automatically check for new packages for the operating system and all programs installed on you. If they are detected, you will see a small icon in the system tray. You just need to click on it, and then in the window that appears, click on the “Install updates” button to bring your software to the most current state. No reboots, no waiting, no problems.

As you can see for yourself, the modern appearance of free operating systems based on Linux, at least the most popular distributions, has nothing to do with the myths that often frighten novice users. They are simple, convenient, beautiful and so friendly that even those users who have minimum level computer literacy. In addition, Linux offers highest level reliability and safety, which is especially important for beginners.

Personally, I have already experimented many times with Linux installation Mint on novice computers and invariably heard only positive reviews. What do you think about this?