Which netbook OS is right for you?

David M Williams
Wednesday, 19 August 2009 05:54

Opinion and Analysis

Windows 7 is here, and unlike Windows Vista, it will probably run on your diminutive netbook PC. However, there is an alternative. Here is why you ought to give Linux a shot.

One of the major reasons people buy netbooks over conventional laptops is because they come with a more attractive price tag. Linux has absolutely no licensing fees and consequently is cheaper than Microsoft Windows to begin with.

Microsoft slashed the price of its aging Windows XP when shipped with a netbook to try and compete but even so Windows still has a price.

The operating system in the initial purchase price isn’t the only financial consideration. If you’re running Windows you will need an anti-virus product. Plus, what good is a computer without applications? Typically, you’ll want Microsoft Office, maybe some Adobe products, plus other suites and tools.

With Linux you don’t just get the operating system. You get a rich set of free and open source software which is in genuine production use on computers and servers around the world.

Now, sure, when I spruik the virtues of open source software a lot of readers will point out you can run Open Office under Microsoft Windows too, and that’s true.

The difference is Linux lends itself more naturally to open source software via its brilliant and unrivalled package management system. Consider the Apple iPhone app store but on steroids, without costs, with far better searchability, and without the arbitrary inclusion and exclusion policies.

Under Linux you can easily find and install new products. You don’t need to go searching for them yourself. Similarly, you can update every application as well as Linux itself from the one software update menu. Linux has no need for the multitude of “program x is going to check for updates now” run-on-startup memory wasters that plagues Microsoft Windows.

Another reason you ought to consider Linux is its greater security. There is absolutely no need to run anti-virus software on Linux. It’s far more resistant to Internet nasties. Some Windows advocates will defend Microsoft’s vulnerabilities as a result of mass popularity making it a bigger target.