Why do you choose Ubuntu over Windows

[barbedsaber]

Why did I chose linux over windows, where do I start. Oh wait, my docter told me not to type pages and pages so I can't answer that question.

new answer

Why did I chose linux over windows, where do I start... oh wait, whats this written on my brand new keyboard, good for 10 million key presse only.

[KD6TZF]

This is why I now only use linux:
I was tired of the one hour/week devoted to keeping my windows free from viruses, spyware, and running quickly.
I was tired of having to reinstall windows every month to keep it running as quick as it does when it is new.
I was tired of having to reboot daily to keep my computer quick.
I was tired of the boring interface.
I was tired of trying to find a program to do X, Y, or Z.
Honestly the list goes on and on.

There has not been a problem which I could not fix in Ubuntu or get help fixing. Let's look at some of the things that Ubuntu can do that Windows cannot:
Stay free from viruses and spyware with minimal effort.
Stay at the same speed whether the install is days or years old.
Stay on for months at a time without slowing down.
Tweak the interface to look however I would like.
Updates and upgrades are forever free.
Package management is Ubuntu is vastly superior. Whenever I need a program, Google does not need to be your first stop, Synaptic is.
Rather than tracking down updates to every program you ever have installed, 90% of them are taken care of by Ubuntu and if you can find repositories for your other programs, even more can be.

To me these things are enough. Not to say things have not gone wrong in Ubuntu, but I have worked these things out, with the help of this community and Google. I am pretty handy with computers so perhaps this is why I like Ubuntu more, but it is not for everyone. Good luck and I hope you to give Ubuntu and Linux another try sometime.

You hit the nail squarely on the head as far as I'm concerned.

I switched to Ubuntu about 4 years ago when my XP ware died on my laptop. Unable to find Boot Loader. A friend helped me recover my data and installed Ubuntu at my request. I was sick of virus issues and wanted to get away from having to constantly pay for upgrades and other software.

My only knowledge of other flavors of Linux is second hand but seems to indicate that Ubuntu is probably the best flavor available - at least for me. I don't have time to experiment. I have a farm to operate and can only work on the computer after all the animals are taken care of.

I do remember the stress I used to feel with Windows and that is part of the reason I bought a farm - to reduce stress. That is also why I use Ubuntu - it reduces stress.

[tomjennings]

There is a community of users (like this one) and of developers (like this one and while linux is often "messier" to adjust tweak and install, you CAN tweak and adjust. "Commercial" stuff for Windows sometimes does appear simpler -- because there are usually fewer choices. When things go wrong, you're often screwed.

I've used linux and unix on "PCs" since the early 90's. It's much more transparent -- you can,if you care, know what's going on inside the box, and get rid of crap you don't want, and add what you do.

It can make some people a bit insecure, since there isn't "one best way" do do a thing, or a mandatory option, or comes-with-one-browser, so you kinda have to make choices in places where you don't with microsoft or apple.

iTunes sucks too; it's really bolted to an economic model, rather than just helping you with your music collection. It's terrible at ripping CDs (eg. naming problems) and it puts things in seeminlgy random places.

On linux, there's all sorts of choices. Most of my music is DJ'd compilations at which iTunes is TERRIBLE. I use amarok, but rip using very old fashioned GRIP, which lets me not only control where and how things get named, but lets me... CONTRIBUTE! names to the freeDB of some names unlike iTunes and the horrible Gracenote.

(here's unix/linux vs commercial for you: long long ago in a galaxy far far away (around 1998) there was a thing called the CDDB, CD Data Base, whichdid what gracenote does; it was build ENTIRELY out of usor mac.er (you! me!) supported data. Programs like GRIP rip a disk, try to ID it in CDDB, if so, names your music for you. If not (new disc!) you would type the data in yourself, cick SEND, it you'd update the CDDB for others to benefit.

CDDB was "open". Long story short, the data got swiped by the Gracenote people and made commercial!

But freeDB itself spun off from the same data, and now has more explicit control (CC I think) over the data.

That pretty much sums up the philospohical and practical differences. I

[yaknowwat]

better processing power quite nice neat things that you can do what to learn more than one OS its also nice I don't really need an antivirus...

Ubuntu can easily be made so that the entire family can use it easily.

[software pimp]

Ubuntu has done what Napoleon could not do - bring people together -
I'm not completely done with Windows (shame on me ) - but the more i get to use Ubuntu - the more i get through the pains of adapting - the more i luv it -

LINUX helps you free your mind - a la Matrix -

[baxterdog]

My main reson is that the system makes more sense. Ports closed untill opened...etc. The file sysem makes more sense... c'mon, it's just better (than what I am not going to name names\

[eXcentra]

For me, it's more quick and efficient and, similar to baxterdog's response, it makes a lot of sense. It also just works.
But also because it's just more darn fun to use. It makes for a great user experience.

[thecure]

I've pretty much had it up to here with Ubuntu. So I wanna see why other people choose this OS over the functional OS that is Windows. To me it seems if you want Ubuntu to work correctly, you have to tweak a bunch of errors. It's like having a good looking son who doesn't know how to do ****.

So Please. Tell me why you choose Ubuntu. And you can't say compiz or beryl.

I don't want to call you a troll but are you serious? Try the whole phlosophy of open source including Ubuntu. Windows- pay for it; have to upgrade your hardware with each upgrade; how many licenses do you want for that server - pay for each user; device drivers - have always had more problems with windows; oops you need to pay for every piece of software unless you want some spyware/malware; reregister your copy of Vista - call them each time because you updated your hardware; visit a webpage and bring home nasties of all kind; workig with sharing printers and files is actually easier with linux; ubuntu is much more functional then windows out of the box... open office installed; every piece of software is updated automatically; less down time; faster boots; run servers on machines that won't run xp. Never defrag your drive - how much time do you spend with that?

[Ocxic]

don't forget if your change your OEM motherboard that came with your computer you need to buy a new copy / license of / for windows.

[maestrobwh1]

It's free, and loads 3 times faster, and if you need a program to do something, its free and someone made it.

New version? It's free too. No need to buy SP1, SP2, etc

I was so annoyed the last time I used XP on my system. It looks cool and all the way I have it configured, but it had to download virus updates, the firewall HAS be be on so that slows things down.

What an odd question. I have been using Kubuntu for so long, I really can't imagine using another OS, especially something I would have to buy.

The ONLY thing I miss is the iTunes interface with my iPod. Linux stuff hasn't pulled off that level of seamless.