Ubuntu 12.10 Vs Windows 8. Which one? + BenchMarks [Ultimate Guide]

1. Kevin
   October 31, 2012 at 9:59 pm | Permalink

   Really useful comparison. I know many people who are unhappy with Windows 8 – so the Ubuntu alternative will give people more choice.

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2. Pilosopong Tasyo
   November 3, 2012 at 11:22 pm | Permalink

   Why is the screencap for the Ubuntu Software Center from an OLDER version of Ubuntu and not from the one that you are reviewing? The screencap is totally inaccurate. Kindly replace it with a proper one as seen from Ubuntu 12.10.

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   • Andre
     November 4, 2012 at 8:11 am | Permalink

     Thanks for the alert. I was going to add a couple of Ubuntu videos actually that guide people from installation further on but I don’t know if that would still be helpful to people. Would you still like me to do so?

     Reply
3. phly95
   November 4, 2012 at 12:31 pm | Permalink

   What about GPU speed and speed of the interface. Is there a benchmark for that?

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   • Andre
     November 4, 2012 at 1:13 pm | Permalink

     We will come out with a benchmark for that. Thanks for the suggestion. We might test rendering speeds and stuff like that.

     Reply
4. Moe
   November 14, 2012 at 10:01 pm | Permalink

   I think Ubuntu is a lot better because it has never failed me. Sure, some issues, but I dont experience random freezes and the flash has gotten better.. I think the better choice is Ubuntu in the long run.

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   • Carl Brown
     November 14, 2012 at 11:31 pm | Permalink

     Yeah totally agree with you. I mean believe it or not, it is way more stable than Windows 8. Plus it can run on very low resources. Cool benchmark. Nice work.

     Reply
     • Andre
       November 14, 2012 at 11:35 pm | Permalink

       Thanks. I might come out with a benchmark test soon for the Graphics. Anyways, the the only thing I would say Windows has got as of right now is the quickly pickup, use, and do what you gotta do to get done. I’m sure Ubuntu will start to pick this up more now since Dell is going to start shipping out way more computers with Ubuntu and the community support is increasing as well.

       Reply
5. Nikhil
   November 20, 2012 at 2:26 am | Permalink

   Ubuntu is till buggy. I have installed Ubuntu 12.10. And it frequently showing error messages like “Ubuntu System Failure Send Error Report”. But i prefer to continue using Ubuntu because i can’t afford a windows 8. And its much more secured than windows. When i was using windows xp there are some point of time where i have to format the drive and re-install everything to make OS faster. but i don’t have to do this with Ubuntu. It is always feels like a fresh instillation.

   I think Ubuntu should concentrate on fixing existing bugs rather than adding new features.

   I think LinxMint would be a much better option for a beginner as every thing works out of the box.

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   • Andre
     November 20, 2012 at 10:58 am | Permalink

     Same here. If Unity wan’t on Ubuntu I would probably like it more than where it is today. I’m kinda against the idea of using extra resources to make things look better. Steve Wozniak said with Windows 8, he is afraid that Microsoft might be more innovative than Apple. I don’t like these leaps in Desktop environments like what Windows 8 did. I used to be a die hard Linux/Windows guy, but now I might actually take Mac over Windows 8 (sorry to be harsh). I still love Linux though, it might not be all the way there but it’s on the right path.
     By the way, I think Ubuntu should focus on actually getting drivers for popular hardware. I know someone who has a wireless network card that will have no chance of working with Ubuntu unless he used something to port the Windows driver to Ubuntu, which probably still won’t work.

     Reply
6. michele
   November 21, 2012 at 5:55 pm | Permalink

   I think this is an article too much based on the stereotyps of those systems.
   I use ubuntu but, is good to be clear, I know is not the best for every kind of task.

   Then, how about the old PCs, why don’t say that the only way to continue to have innovation and performance for an old pc’s user is to use ubuntu?

   What if I have just to do internet browsing, e-mail, some video codec for porn and movies, other staff like msn-like chat and skype, a little bit of music and some basic text document editor?
   Yes, the 95% of people do only that with their computer and have the same machine for years, so, is good to say that ubuntu is (for security, performance and simplicity) the best choise for those people. Is good to say to those people that if they have an old pc they can continue to use it without the frustration of windows lags and security issues, that they don’t have to buy another pc for that.
   Complex video editing, 3D softwares and games request first of all a new pc, so a pc with windows already installed, but, even in this case, if is just about games I still prefer the dual boot option.

   Just another little point, you say for the security :
   Because fewer people use it, there are fewer people targeting it.

   You probably know a little bit the history of IT, so you have to know that linux is an unix based system and is beceause of that and because of they use advanced secury techniques that ubuntu is secure, not because fewer people use it.
   saying that is insulting for the engineers who work hard on that.

   I understeand that this article is not for professionals but i think that there is not a good pretext to such kind od generalisations and approximations. If you think people are too stupid or ignorant to understeand you they never will.

   Reply
   • Andre
     November 23, 2012 at 12:42 am | Permalink

     I agree with you. This website is running on a Linux server. I mean each thing has its only conditions. For example, Windows doesn’t natively support the EXT file extension but Ubuntu does. This gives Ubuntu an advantage because I believe EXT4 is a much more secure and efficient than FAT or NTFS (I’m mentioning this because I just wrote an article on these and it was interesting to see the difference in this perspective). We might even see Btrfs come to Linux soon. Anyways, Linux is mostly for those people who actually are wanting to do something specific on it like run this site for example or do something specific easier and better than they would do in another operating system. I kinda did this article to show everyone, not only pros, that some distros like Ubuntu with a graphical interface (not the server edition) are changing this idea of Linux is only there for people who have a purpose. Thanks for the feedback!

     Reply
7. naithan
   January 10, 2013 at 8:23 am | Permalink

   i run ubuntu 12.10 and i personaly could tell the difference when changing from windows 7 to ubuntu and i run all the things i need to without needing to track down special programs.

   Reply
8. Magalaan
   January 28, 2013 at 9:56 pm | Permalink

   [quote]Windows still is easier to use than Ubuntu, especially in the long run.[/quote]
   Because it has big buttons? Many existing Window-users find W8 very hard to use, even pro’s give up on it after weeks of battling. So many things are hidden in Windows. Ubuntu is very straightforward.

   Compatibility? Windows is more compatible with Windows? Of course it is. You do not buy a system for compatibility with the another.

   Windows is the best allround system for everyone. But no person is everyone or needs everything. 80% of the people are no gamers nor do they need the highly specialised software like photoshop or MS Office.

   I simply look at my wife: What she does is, in this order:
   - chat
   - browse
   - mail
   - play music
   - look youtube
   - social sites
   - write texts for work
   - look photo’s

   And that is it. And what she wants is not the kind of feature rich applications pro’s like so much, but simple apps since she only uses a few buttons anyway. For her and most users Windows feature rich environment is daunting. Whenever I make a change she starts to scream because she never has the feeling she is in control of the system.

   Not only are common users not in control of the Windows system, they are actively attacked nowadays. ALL bank fraud is trough Windows systems. Even more dangerous and rapidly growing is identity theft. Linux is built on safety from the ground up. In Windows it is an added feature. Common users are not able to manage safety in Windows. It is far to technical for them. They are easy victims.

   Yes Windows might be the Rolls Royce among operating systems, but like companies you better have a chauffeur to drive you safely. It has all the features most common users will never use and make the environment complex. Common people have learned to find a path to their needs, but feel hopelessly at loss when leaving the path.

   For years Linux failed to provide well designed, coherent, graphical interfaces for common users. But that has drastically changed. The latest version of Ubuntus, KDE, Gnome3 serve common users extremely well. And Distro’s like are Elementary OS are a delight for common users.

   There is only one big barrier. Common users do not install an OS. They do not even grasp what an OS is. If I told my wife Windows Ubuntu is the new Windows and put the flag on the desktop, she would believe me. She has no clear idea what an OS is. But Windows makes her scared of something new. And contrary to what you might be thinking now, she is not a complete noob. She is a secretary that has been working with Windows and MS Office for the past ten years.

   So how is this possible? Well, like most women she does not have the slightest interest in the computer itself. All she wants from it is to do some basic stuff and she remembers how to do that. For this large category of people something like Ubuntu is a huge improvement. Why? Because it is simple and safe.

   Wine? If you frequently need Windows apps, you are better of using Windows, why settle for a second rate experience? But 80% of people do not need that. I am a MS Office professional myself and I can tell you that 95% of the people use less than 5% of MS Office at work and even less at home. And they use so little formatting most could do with Wordpad. Free Libre Office has almost all the functionality as MS Office and its interface is the standard interface people have grown used to.

   I am a pro-user and I waste endless time downloading apps in Windows always looking for something better. Why? Because I love tinkering. Linux apps are generally less feature rich, but simply give you what you need. It actually makes you much more productive, not less. You are much less time busy fiddling with the settings and features. You simply use them. After some time even a pro starts to like this.

   MS windows over the years has grown into a incredibly sophisticated, all round, but complex product. It is no longer the best choice for the simple needs common people have. And it fails where it counts most, it is not safe. The virus scanner may recognize 10 million virusses, it still fails to recognize the latest ones. Like most burglars are not caught on their first break-in, so it is with viruses.

   What is saving MS ass is that they pressure manufacturers and resellers in not pre-installing Linux. Common user have no choice. They do not choose Windows, they choose from computers that all have Windows. Now Bell did a pilot with Ubuntu computers in Germany. They made half a million Ubuntu PC’s. Not only did they manage to sell them, the return rates where no higher than with Windows PC’s. (That was very different in the past)

   That is why MS now offered Bell billions to privatize again. For you may not be able to see the attraction of Linux to the consumer, Microsoft can. They do not trust their product to be victorious if people really get a choice and the word gets around that there is a simpler much safer system.

   People are looking for that more and more. Acer today announced that Chromebooks are selling above expectations (5-10%), better than Windows8. They say these buyers are looking for something that is cheap, safe and carefree. As rich as Windows8 may be, it is also expensive, not safe enough for common users, and complex. There is reason that people so easily left the PC for the iPad and never looked back. And Windows8 only complicates things further with her dual system.

   I put my parents on elementary OS and the love it. So simple, so straightforward, it simply does what they want it to do. I don’t blame them, I myself hate devices that come with a thick manual as I only use the few that I need. I bought the simplest computer for my house warming and I still need a manual to change simple settings.

   You say Windows8 is simple, my wife would never find the shutdown option. She would simply flip the electricity switch. Yes everything seem simple when you get used to it, but most people hate to make the investment Windows8 demands of the them, again. As it turns out, 80% of the people that buy configurable computers want Windows7 above Windows8. They do not want a mayor change, for even more features. I scares the hell out of them.

   Reply
9. otingocni
   April 11, 2013 at 12:04 pm | Permalink

   Just wanted to add. My father used a Windows XP system for years with few problems. Living so far away it was hard to help him when he would tell me over the phone that the computer was slow. I switched him to Ubuntu 12.04 last year and he used it without any difficulities until his passing this last Feb and he was 75 years old. By switching to Ubuntu his computer was faster and kept him happy by not having to spend money for a new one. He had a older HP printer that installed with no problem and the Unity bar was actually easier for him to pick out what programs he wanted to run. I never had to worry about keeping his Nortons updated etc etc etc. For every program he used on windows I found him a free one for Linux. I have yet to find a reason to load 7 back onto my Alienware M11x. I am able to play all the games I was before I made the switch and Libreoffice never lets me down when it comes to my work.

   Reply
10. servidor linux
    April 19, 2013 at 12:14 am | Permalink

    Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to a few buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you to your effort!

    Reply
11. TDR
    April 19, 2013 at 8:08 am | Permalink

    Ubuntu is more secure with less flaws!? In which universe is this?

    http://secunia.com/advisories/product/40762/ – Ubuntu 12.04 – 866 vulnerabilities

    http://secunia.com/advisories/product/42951/ – Windows 8 – 96 Vulnerabilities

    Reply
    • Andre
      April 29, 2013 at 8:19 pm | Permalink

      I understand your point however I would like to address that you can’t really compare those tests that you saw to the real world. Theoretically speaking, Ubuntu should have less threats online because less people have it so people would most likely build threats targeting the OS with the greatest market share. In addition, Ubuntu runs doesn’t run always as root so its going to be harder to exploit the system.

      Reply

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