Crash-Free
A primary benefit of Linux is that it doesn’t crash. In years and years of using Linux, you will never experience your mouse cursor freezing on screen. A strange error box won’t appear and not go away until you reboot. It’s possible to leave a Linux system running for years without ever needing to reboot (although most desktop Ubuntu users shut down their PC when they won’t be using it for a while, just like the rest of us).
Security
The next benefit is that Linux is far, far more secure than Windows. Linux is based on years of proven computer science research. It works on the principle of users who have permissions to undertake various tasks on the system. If you don’t have the correct permission, then you cannot, for example, access a particular piece of hardware. Additionally, privacy can be ensured because the files on the PC are “owned” by individual users, who can permit or deny others access to those files.
Free and Shareable
Another big benefit is that Linux can be obtained free of charge. Once it’s installed, the latest updates for all your programs are also free of charge. Not only that, but if you want any new software, it will also usually be free of charge (and normally just a download away). Is this starting to sound attractive yet?
Compatible with Older Hardware
Another benefit of Linux is that it works very well on older hardware and doesn’t require a cutting-edge PC system. The latest version of Windows XP requires high-powered hardware, to the extent that upgrading to that operating system usually means buying a new PC, even if your old one still works fine! In contrast, Linux works on computers dating back as far as the early 1990s. This book was largely written on a five-year-old Pentium II 450 MHz notebook running Ubuntu. Although it would be an exaggeration to claim that the computer is lightning-fast, there’s little waiting around for programs to start. On the same machine, Windows 2000 (which came installed on the computer) grinds and churns, and using it can be a frustrating experience. Linux encourages an attitude of both recycling and making the most of what you have, ather than constantly pgrading and buying new hardware. You can pull out that “old” PC and ring it back to life installing Linux. You might even be able to give it away to a family member or riend who does not have a PC. Perhaps it’s time for grandma to get online, or perhaps you can live the kids their own PC so they will stop using yours.
Alternatively, you might consider turning old hardware into a server. Linux is capable of
just about any task. As well as running desktop computers, it also runs around 60% of the
computers that make the Internet work. Linux is extremely flexible. You could turn an old PC into a web server, e-mail server, or firewall that you can attach to a broadband Internet connection. If you were to do this with Microsoft software, it would cost hundreds of dollars, not to mention requiring an advanced computer. It’s free with Linux.
