Note: This is an article I wrote in 2017, so feel free to consider it a bit outdated. A lot of things have changed since then, e.g. most of us are using SSDs. I'm republishing this to push myself to write another article and explain why I'm using both Linux and Windows today.

For the past 3 years Linux has been my OS of choice. Once I left my previous job that required me to use Windows, I deleted it from my computer and never looked back. This was a huge step for me because I was gaming a lot at that time, but I realized that you can play games on Linux too :)

Here are the 5 reasons why I prefer Linux over Windows:

1. Linux is free

Beat that you nasty, greedy, opinionated, full-of-commercials Windows.

2. Updates

I choose when and how to update Linux. I can do it through GUI or the command line, and it won’t complain even if I don’t update it at all.

While I was working as an online teacher, my laptop crashed more than a few times because Windows decided that it needed to update. This was both an uncomfortable and a painful experience. There was nothing I could do to stop it from updating, and at the same time, somewhere in Japan, my student was probably angry and waiting for me. If you’ve ever worked with Japanese ppl, you know how much they value punctuality.

3. You don’t need an antivirus

There are hardly any viruses on Linux. All of the actions that perform system changes require a user to enter their root password. Take that you nasty Trojans.

Also, this is awesome in terms of performance of the computer itself, since antiviruses tend to use a lot of RAM. Not to mention that antiviruses aren’t so cheap.

4. Linux is customizable

Everything you see on Linux can be customized to suit your needs. You can customize your bootloader (the place where you can switch between different operating systems), GUI, I mean, you name it, you can customize it. I customized my desktop, icons, colors and window decorations.

5. File system

The file system used on Linux is ext4. It is way more efficient than NTFS system used on Windows. In plain words, you don’t need to defragment your hard drive from time to time, Linux arranges files automatically in the way that is the best for the hard drive. Also, ext4 has a better journaling process which marks unallocated blocks of data, and they are skipped during disk check operations. Your hard drive performance will definitely improve, and you’ll feel a huge difference if you decide to make a switch from Windows.

Conclusion

So, those are my 2 cents regarding Windows vs. Linux duel. Just so you know, I’m not saying that Linux is the best OS in the world for everyone. Try it out and figure if it’s a right fit for you and your needs.