Is Ubuntu better than Windows?

I read an interesting article titled “7 things are easier to do in Ubuntu than in Windows”. It was interesting and I agree to all his views. i wish to add few of my comments to this article.

1. Auto update is definitely better than Windows. Windows updates applications that are created by itself. Ubuntu updates all apps (including third party ones) that have been installed in the system through Synaptic Manager or Ubuntu Software Center. If someone has manually installed any application, then he/she needs to update manually. It is but natural. Only problem in Ubuntu update is the time lag between the availability of update from the vendor and availability in Ubuntu repository. It takes some times more than a month. Ubuntu needs to reduce this time lag.
2. Locating drivers and installing them properly is still not as easy as with Windows. Generic drivers do not work properly some time. Getting proper driver is painful in some cases. Hardware vendors need to focus on developing drivers for Linux too. Some good Samaritans in the role of freelance developer help develop suitable drivers for hardware. They do not cover all drivers. In some cases, there are work-arounds, but they are not as good as a original driver. Hardware vendors have to come forward to provide drivers for linux too to match Windows at least for the current models.
3. As far as themes are concerned, Ubuntu still lacks the varieties available for Windows.

But for these above comments, I fully agree that Ubuntu has a lot of functionality improvements and stability built in the system. They are superior to Windows. For a switcher from Windows to Linux, Ubuntu is the best bet.

Technorati Tags: Ubuntu,Windows,Repository,Updates,sortware center

Upgraded to Jaunty Jackalope

Though I have upgraded my Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex to Jaunty Jackalope by April 2008, I could write on this experience only now. It is better to be late than never.

Let me list out my experiences on the upgrade:

1. This time around, I did upgrade instead of installing anew.
2. The up-gradation was smooth without any unintended incidence.
3. My third-party repository sources got erased.
4. Unsupported applications got removed.
5. My network manager worked without any hitch this time, which was a source of pain during my early up-gradations.
6. As usual, my video card drivers did not work. However, the hardware drivers function under system/administration worked fine. It provided a suitable NVidia driver and installed without any hitch.
7. Alas! My PC sound was not working. After some reasearch in the net, I was informed that the new sound application "Pulse Audio" needs to be installed. This is a new application in Jaunty Jackalope. This application did not install automatically during installation. After installation of this application, my PC started sounding.
8. I had to reinstall Google Earth, since it was removed during my up-gradation.
9. As usual, my creative webcam stopped working after up-gradation. I tried reinstalling ov51x-jpeg driver. It does not work. I may have committed some mistakes while reinstalling. I may have to correct this problem later.
10. Now, Jaunty Jackalope is working fine, excepting for web cam glitch.

Overall, Ubuntu is becoming less and less painful while upgrading. Ubuntu still operates well in my, more than five year old, PC. It is almost friendly like Windows and as stable as Windows, if not more. I started loving Ubuntu more as I upgrade.

Technorati Tags: Jaunty Jackalope, Ubuntu, Ubuntu, upgrade, windows