Linux VS Windows 10 - An Honest Comparison
Tags: windows, linux, opensource
Published: 2020-08-19 21:22:01

So I work on a lot of open-source software, I do a lot of video editing, and I do a lot of work in general trying to build the best things I can. I love writing, and am planning a book. Now, trust me when I say, since I have been having to use the proprietary software known as Windows 10, I cannot understand why people use this OS platform for ANY reason. So, I want to compare Windows 10 to Linux, and I will be focusing on FerenOS. Why FerenOS? Because I dual boot on my new PC and I chose FerenOS as the Linux OS I boot alongside my Windows 10 install, at least until I get Arisblu working. I want to talk gaming, general note taking, audio and video creation, file management, and not the least of which writing. 

# Gaming on Windows is AWFUL
Y'know, I was skeptical when LTT said gaming on Linux is easier than Windows 10. Now, as I game every so often on Windows 10, by goodness can I agree with Linus from Linus Tech Tips when he said gaming on Linux is easier and better than on Windows. Go hunt down their video on Linux gaming being easier than Windows, trust me it is so nice. To get access to all the games that matter on Linux you either:
A - Do nothing because many of the biggest games right now, like Minecraft as one example, already exist natively on Linux.
B - Go to Steam and change ONE thing in the settings
C - Run a single command on the CLI, which there you go you have a game.
While there are some games that won't work on Linux, these are ALWAYS multiplayer games. Not kidding, it is 100% just multiplayer games with some awful anti-cheat that will either support Linux in the next 5 years or stop existing by the next 10. So gaming on Linux is much MUCH better for gamers, unless you have to play online.

# Note taking
Hey... hey, apple, hey. Guess what. ***NOTEPAD IS GONE!!*** WHO AT MICROSOFT HIT THEIR HEAD HARD ENOUGH TO REMOVE **NOTEPAD** FROM WINDOWS 10!?? This is such a lapse in judgement, imagine if a Linux distro didn't have a terminal emulator? OH WAIT! THAT HAPPENED IN AN EARLY UBUNTUDDE ISO BUILT FOR TESTING! The lack of terminal emulator was a short mistake, one that got fixed quickly because a terminal emulator is a basic feature. When I was being featured on BigDaddyLinux for their live distro chat thingy where they tested a distro for a week and the week was Ubuntu Lumina. Guess what? I WAS RIDICULED FOR THE LACK OF NANO, A ***BASIC INCLUSION OF SOFTWARE***! Even then, the lack of nano was unexpected, and will be added in Arisblu. But WHERE IS NOTEPAD? I am seriously baffled by the lack of Notepad. I use Sticky notes but only if I have to take notes. I would install notepad, but Sticky Notes do... the bare bare minimum.

# Video / Audio Creation
This is where Windows and Linux tie. All the half-decent free video editors are on both platforms. I use DaVinci Resolve. If you love Adobe then maybe Windows is a winner here, but I feel like Adobe is best done on a Mac. That's just me personally though.

# File Management
File Explorer? More like Denver International Airport because the waits are long, everything is slow, and I am 90% sure it is controlled by lizard people. I hate Windows file management. Sure many things are comparable to Linux but sadly the CLI on Windows is either useless garbage or PowerShell with the word "power" in the name being used loosely. I honestly hate both, so I will not use them for file management. I care about my sanity. But doing it graphically... now this is where we have problems. Sure Linux users are fighting about file managers on their systems but we can all agree Windows File Explorer makes us all want to cry.

# Writing.
Now. While this is a similar situation to Audio/Video creation, where the decent apps exist on both platforms... let me make something clear. Writing a basic document on Windows, using the same applications I use on Linux, is a ***NIGHTMARE***. First the fonts. Awful. Except Arial, all the fonts on Windows 10 by default are just awful. On Linux I have OpenSans and FreeSans 99.999% of the time, and if I don't, adding new fonts on Linux is easy and simple. On Windows? No. While it is easy, something ALWAYS BREAKS. I am seriously getting exhausted from the font installer having an aneurysm trying to know the difference between OTF and TTF. Not to mention trying to theme everything on Windows 10 is a nightmare. While many have given Windows credit for theme options, I can't. You can change the bare bones basics, but everything else is just not worth your time. For instance, trying to theme Windows to look/act like Gnome is a nightmare and a half, darn near impossible. To make Gnome act like Windows? 10 settings, 4 apps, an icon theme, and maybe an extension or two. Done. That is actually easy to turn a MacOS-looking desktop environment to Windows 10, not to mention that counted the menu changes.

# Conclusion
Don't use Windows if you respect your time and money. It is $100 for limiting you from what many free and open-source options give you. Here is the entire list of why you have any reason to use Windows 10 over Linux:

1. Adobe (unless you own a mac).
2. Online gaming, maybe a few rare instances of offline games.
3. You like wasting time and money.

I use Windows because I want to develop more open-source software for the Windows ecosystem. Oh and devloping on Windows 10 is a nightmare. You think I was scathing Windows on all the other fronts in this list? I could make a much larger article explaining why Windows 10 is the worst OS for developing software, PERIOD. At least MacOS gives you tools to build MacOS specific applications. Windows? Oh boy, I will think on that article. Who knows, I might just make it a book.