In my previous article of Why Linux STILL runs faster than Windows a reader left a comment asking about processes, command line interaction and system setup between Linux and Windows. I think what he is really wanting is a comparison of usability between Linux and Windows.

I never liked Windows. My Apple II+, which didn't have a hard drive and had only 48 Kilobytes of RAM, was a dinosaur by comparison to my first Windows machine but the Apple was an old friend who I understood and spent hundreds of pleasurable hours learning how to use.

This is just a rant (hopefully it will be regarded as pertinent and non-'laming') on why Windows users try Linux and return frustrated to Windows after several hours or days. I won't praise Linux and the way it works, I won't even compare and say 'here Linux is easier because ...', instead I have a few questions for all of you who blame Linux for not being and behaving like Windows.

Linux is not a free version of Windows. The two systems differ not only visually, in the graphical user interface the user sees, but also functionally, as is frequently discussed, and legally to boot, which is constantly emphasized by the Free software community. The differences between them are so fundamental that drawing a comparison between them is nearly impossible.

No matter how hard you try, unless you've committed yourself to giving up any and all Windows based applications, you tend to find yourself stuck in a situation where you must emulate at least one of these applications inside of Linux. This is where emulators such as Virtual Box and Wine come in handy to help you bridge that divide.

What an odd thing it is to find so many people still questioning the merits of moving to a Linux Desktop. It’s almost as though those of us who have been extensively using Windows for years now have some sort of problematic memory issue.

Secunia have reported that more flaws were found in Redhat Linux (633) than in Windows (123), but even a blind man can see it is nowhere near a fair comparison.

It may be a brave opinion but I predict that Ubuntu Linux and Windows Vista are going to be the two operating systems that will take over the largest chunk of the desktop OS market during the next couple of years. This comparison is based on my experience with both systems during the last couple of weeks on two different computers.

Windows XP, oh how we hate to see you go. For many Windows users, this release provided an alternative to the endless frustrations seen with Windows 98 and Windows Me. Built with Windows 2000 Pro stability in mind, XP has won over more than just a few fans.