Windows has widgets, you just have to download them. I personally enjoy having both Windows XP and Ubuntu running, they come together as a great pair.

Linux is a lot better than windows if you like to do websites. It can act as a server and you don't have to worry about buying extra copies and CAL license for other computers in your network. You don't need to spend 1231234234 amount of dollars when you only need to buy a couple of hundred dollars worth of things.

Again some linux users are missing the point though, not all just some, the only reason linux is great as a operating system is that Windows is the bigger target for hackers, crackers, phreakers, and phrackers. The major flaw for linux operating system is the open source software, and every knows that open source software can lead into big problems if the bad guys spent some time with the operating system and a few of the big name open source software and create the damage that is possible. I am surprise the european core of hackers and crackers have not spent the time going after linux users there because of the major use of open source there. It will be a matter of time before they start turning their eyes on linux, but of course for that to happen microsoft would have to go out of business in order to do that.

I reckon you should get Fedora Redhat. Even though its costs money, and a friend of mine, really good at computers, recommends Kubuntu, Fedora just looks better. Kubuntu looks...Squarish while Fedora looks more modernish. But don't get windows. You should see my old windows computer *Will you stop that racket! Oops, its my computer*

On desktop and laptop machines, yes, Windows is a lot more popular. People always seem to forget all those servers running billions of websites, and the backend systems being used by major corporations. Apache on Linux is far more popular for web servers than Apache on Windows and IIS on Windows combined. Attempts are therefore often made to cause problems with Linux-based systems and they very rarely succeed. Most often, the problems are with the websites or Apache, so would appear on Windows and Linux.



Open source, if anything, is more secure. Before code is released to the public, everyone can read it. This means that bugs and problems are found way before the software is ever used on production machines. With closed source software, the public and hackers start equal, and quite often the software vendors make people pay for updates or the latest version to fix problems that they caused. Since when did that make sense?



Like I said earlier, they are already looking at Linux, and not getting very far. You can't assume Linux is ultimately secure on its own (firewalls, both hardware and software, are vital) but it is infinitely more secure than Windows. On Windows, everyone has access to every file - so a virus or even the growing number of malicious companies (Sony, EA, etc.) have control over every file. They can pt what they like where they like, and delete files too. On Linux, they can't. Simple as that. Linux has far better permissions and access control, and that is what makes the difference.

If security is what you want, you can't really choose anything other than Linux/UNIX.

I use Windows but I have Ubuntu dual boot.

I love Ubuntu but Windows is annoying and certain tools only work on there.
I'd totally go for ubuntu if you only want to do simple things such as surfing, webdesign and chat etc.

Although installing Java on your Ubuntu operating system can be a bother.
If you don't already know here's how.

DON'T download java from it's website!
You have to go into add/remove programs and get all of the necessary files by searching 'java'
Get the 'core' and the other files should automatically follow.
Then restart your browser and Java should work.

Only if you have 64-bit Ubuntu, the 32-bit version will work fine. However, all you have to do is install 32-bit Firefox on 64-bit Ubuntu and you're set.

well id say linux ill give ya a little info on it and where i got the info.

nice... I never thought that MacOS would ever have been easier to hack than windows. I guess it is because of all the experience that microsoft has gained from billions of vulnerabilities it has overcome. I bet the other operating systems dont count with that experience.

Im also a user that will be running both Operating Systems, such as Linux and windows, but windows will be xp, I dont really want to encounter problems with my music production software. I already have enough with it. Linux will be used as my regular office/web programming and internet browsing environment, while xp will not have internet so that the music production applications run smoothly.

I still use Pentium 4, I dont think that I will be upgrading to a multi core processor pc, since I dont really thing 2, 4 or 8 cores will be good enough for multicore applications. I hope this computer lasts long enough until I need a new one and there are pcs with 32+ cores. (which is about the amount of processes my pc currently has.

I'd say go for Linux... You can use WINE for those applications, though, I wonder why would you use Encarta, when you have a bunch of online encyclopedias, that are constantly updated...

My friend ran several Windows programs on WINE, and he actualy noticed some of the programs ran faster in WINE, than on Windows

So, my advice is, go for Linux...

Much safer, much more secure, and at least, you don't have to worry about ad-ware and other crap that Windows contracts...