Clash of the OSes

On the blue corner... Windows!

On the red corner... give it up for Ubuntu!

"What more can you ask from Ubuntu? It is nice trying to use this OS for your computers. Don't worry. It has the almost the same basic functions like Windows which you are used to.

The Microsoft Office for Windows which is licensed and needs to be bought at a costly price is just like the OpenOffice in Ubuntu.

Microsoft Word => OpenOffice Word Processor
Microsoft Powerpoint => OpenOffice Presentation
Microsoft Excel => OpenOffice Spreadsheet
Windows Media Player => VLC Player
Microsoft Picture Manager => GIMP Photo Editor
and etc.

Moreover, Ubuntu is free! You can install it even in 10 computers without paying unlike in Windows, you need $50 multiplied by 10."

These are the things that I've been hearing eversince I've opened my horizons and learned that there are other Operating Systems aside from Windows. (You can't blame me though, I've been working with Windows from the time I learned what computers are. I am a Windows baby.)

I first heard and learned Ubuntu during my IT class. It seems fine to use for me. Especially when I heard that it's hardly attacked by viruses . I had asked details here and there, searched the WWW, and explored Ubuntu itself.

Then, which one is better to use? I started gathering facts.

PRICE

Ubuntu is free.
Windows is not. It roughly costs $50-$100 per license.
(Ubuntu wins! Ubuntu=1, Windows=0)

EASE

Ubuntu can be used after some time of analyzing and exploring while it is a fact that new users can handle Windows better.
(Windows wins! Ubuntu=1, Windows=1)

RELIABILTY 
Ubuntu can run for months and years without needing to be rebooted. Windows cannot match this reliabilty.
(Ubuntu wins! Ubuntu=2, Windows=1)

HARDWARE
Ubuntu has made improvements in hardware support but, most companies still do not offer drivers or support for their hardware in Ubuntu.
Unlike in Windows, because of many Windows users of today, good majority of hardware manufacturers will support their products in Microsoft Windows.
(Windows wins! Ubuntu=2, Windows=2)

SECURITY
Ubuntu is rarely attcaked by viruses although it can be.
Windows as it advances overtime, becomes more and more vulnerable to viruses and other attacks.

*As of 2009, over 2 million malware targets Windows. Only over 800 pieces attack Linux based OS.
(Ubuntu wins! Ubuntu=3, Windows=2)

RESPONSE SPEED
In Ubuntu, Bugs can be fixed and rolled out within a day of being reported (often within hours), though usually it takes a few weeks before the patch is available on all distributions.
In Windows, critical bug fixes are released only once a month after extensive programming and testing and certain bugs have been known to go unpatched for months or even years.
(Ubuntu wins! Ubuntu=4, Windows=2)

USER ACCOUNTS
Users in Ubuntu typically run as limited accounts, having created both administrator (named "root") and at least one user account during installation. In practice, this can be very dangerous, as any error can lead to severe damage to the system.
In Windows, all logged-in sessions (even for those of "administrator" users) run with standard user permissions, preventing malicious programs (and inexperienced users) from gaining total control of the system.
(Windows wins! Ubuntu=4, Windows=3)

USER FOCUS
The interface in Ubuntu is usually consistent but some inconsistencies may appear when using programs targeted for different desktop environments.
In Windows, it is mostly consistent and inconsistencies only appear through backports—software ported from newer operating systems to older ones.(example, from Vista to XP)
(Windows wins! Ubuntu=4, Windows=4)

Partial Score: 
Ubuntu = 4
Windows = 4
It's a tie! 


Let's leave it like that. Reasons are, there are much more areas to be critized and scrutinized before one can really tell whether which one is better.

Then again, the decision is still on us. Whether the scores say Ubuntu or Windows win, we are the ones who will use the OS. As long as we feel comfortable enough to use it, then so be it.

Ubuntu can never be like Windows. Windows is Windows already. What Ubuntu should do is to address the needs of the users by competing with itself.

Choose wisely! :)