basic - continued

[Rafiq Hajat]

I have found the following main differences between Windows & Linux.
Please note that this is strictly a layman's point of view:

1) Windows is very unstable compared to Linux (i.e. more periodic
crashes);
2) Windows is much more prone to viruses and constantly needs updated
antivirus protection, whilst LINUX does not;
3) Windows is more resource (memory, RAM etc) greedy and demands higher
specs to run efficiently. Linux, on the other hand, is much faster and
has a far more efficient file hierarchical system;
4) Windows XP costs approx $100 and MS Office Pro costs approx. $400.
This means that one would have to spend at least US$500 just to start
using a PC, whilst UBUNTU + Open office costs nothing except perhaps the
charges incurred for the internet access for downloads;
5) Windows always seems to needs huge Service Packs (SP1/SP2/SP3) to
patch up post release shortfalls which should not really have been
allowed in the first place. Linux updates tend to be much smaller and
bandwidth friendly.
6) Try opening a docx file with Word 2003 and you'll run into new levels
of frustration, but try doing the same with the OO Word processor and
you'll be pleasantly surprised. There is a marked lack of backward
compatibility in Microsoft products, which militates against parts of
the world who do not have ready access to latest releases.

There are many more differences but I thought that the above would be
worth mentioning in this forum.

Rafiq Hajat
Executive Director,
The Institute for Policy Interaction
P. O. Box E14, Post Dot Net ,
Blantyre - Malawi.
Cell: +265 999 968800
www.ipimalawi.org