On October 10, 2010, Canonical released the latest version of it’s Ubuntu Linux Operating System, 10.10 “Maverick Meerkat”. Being the 12 release of this operating system, they have a short, but reliable history of being a top notch Linux Operating System provider.
This comparison will take a look at 5 different aspects of Ubuntu 10.10, and compare them to Windows 7 to determine how it compares on a parity level to what is available. I will not be looking at comparing specific Applications, like office suites, Media Players, Games or Web Browsers. This is a User Experience review only, based on the default settings from each operating system and Data s Collected from Different Forums and Websites.
Each Operating System will be given a grade (out of 20) for each of these areas, which will help set out a useful score.
The 5 areas being compared here are:
- Boot time. Maybe not a make or break variable in normal tests, but the faster you can use the system the better the experience will be.
This test will be conducted on a virtual machine, and will be timed from the moment the virtual machine is powered on, until a fully useable desktop is loaded. For the purpose of this test, all Virtualized Operating systems will be set to have automatic logins. - Installation Experience. How easy is it to install the Operating System on your platform? The Windows and Ubuntu Tests will be performed as a native install, using an Acer 5740 laptop, and will measure how easy it is to boot from install media, install the base system and boot to a usable desktop. This is not a test for how long it takes, but how easy it is.
- Default desktop experience. Once the Operating system is installed, how functional is the desktop? How easy is it to connect to a wireless network, and explore the systems default applications.
- Application Installation. How easy is it to add software to the default system? This will test the availability and steps involved in getting the VLC Media Player, Googles Chromium (Open Source) web browser and searching for additional software. The reason VLC and Chromium were selected is because neither are installed by default in any of these Operating Systems, which puts them on equal footing.
- System and Security Updates. How easy are updates applied to the system? How is the user alerted to updating (if at all). Security a major portion of any modern Operating System, but only if they are installed. This test will measure how the updating system functions and whether it is done annoyingly or informatively.
1. Boot Time
Ubuntu 10.10 Boot Time to usable desktop: 18.7 seconds. Ubuntu has made leaps and bounds in boot times over the last few releases, and this is no different. Very speedy, and good boot design implemented here.
Score: 16/20
Windows 7 Home Premium Boot Time to usable desktop: 34.7 seconds. Windows 7 is still taking a long time to load. Even after 3 boots, the lack of a decent boot cache slows down startup considerably.
Score: 9/20
2. Installation Experience
Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop Edition: Booting from the CD/DVD drive works like a charm and presents and attractive selection to either try Ubuntu, or simply Install Ubuntu. The added advantage to “Trying” Ubuntu is that you get to have a useful, operational Operating System while you are installing it to your hard drive. Gone are the days of starting an installation and not being able to browse the internet!
The installer itself can be very basic, with a “click next” wizard to install it, or gets more advanced with file system selections, partitioning, and adding additional mount points. Adding additional partitions can limit how much space is used for Music, Videos, or by Users home directories. Very good for a resource constrained system.
The Installer also allows you to download the latest updates for system software if you are connected to the internet while running the installer. This is a long overdue feature for any operating system, and is a welcome addition.
A Downfall of the Ubuntu Installer is that it presents options for adding the Adobe Flash player and MP3 music playback as installable options, instead of defaulted options. This is a downside for most of us, is if we do not select to install this software at the begining, it can leave us wondering why our Music isn’t playing or Youtube isn’t working.
Overall, a newbie can install a working system with minimal fuss, as long as you pay attention to the options your given.
Score: 14/20
Windows 7 Home Premium: Booting from the installation disc works exactly like expected, and loads the Windows 7 installer. From this installer, you simply walk through the Wizard and let the system go! The down side compared to the Ubuntu Installer is that until the system is installed, you cannot actually use the computer as a computer. Score one for Ubuntu here.
The Windows 7 Installer is extermely easy to use for a basic installation, but more advanced options, like partition sizes, are harder to come by. While it is possible to setup a Windows 7 system with different partitions, there seems to be no added benefit in do so, as it will still use the C: for everything, and won’t help you live in your limited computing resources.
Based on it’s simplicity, the Windows 7 Installer is the best for first timers.
Score: 16/20
3. Default Desktop Experience
Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop Edition: One word can describe this desktop when it loads for the first time. Beautiful. The Ubuntu team has put a lot of effort into making sure this is the best looking version they have so far, and it pays off. With the new Ubuntu font, defaulting to the highest available display settings, and use of nice, if not extravagant, eye-candy pays off.
Ubuntu’s look is one of streamlined productivity with keeping the mouse at the top left of the screen as much as possible. This is a great design choice, as it gives easy access to application menus, quick buttons (close, maximize, minimize) and the Application launchers themselves. It just makes sense, and gives you the quick mouse application launching you get from Windows, with the elegance and ease of use of OSX.
Score: 17/20
Windows 7 Home Premium: It looks great, and functions well. The new taskbar in Windows 7 is one of my favorite additions. Pinning applications (like in OSX’s dock) to the bar makes for quick launching, and easy task management. The Aero desktop effects, like the transparancy and shadows, work very well, and looks great!
Overall, Windows 7 looks great, but leaves your mouse dragging from the bottom left, to the top right far to often. There isn’t much streamlining involved in application use.
Score: 15/20
4. Application Installation
Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop Edition: This one is, hands down, Ubuntu’s strong point. Almost all the software you’ll ever need is accesible from Ubuntu’s included Software Center. Think of Software Center like Apples App Store, only on a larger scale. You can install, remove and search for applications to install. Having that single point of access for applications means just looking through the category of application you want, and installing what is there. Anybody can install and remove software with this thing.
Score: 19/20
Windows 7 Home Premium: With the most software available for Windows, you’ll be hard pressed to not find software. The downside, you need to find it yourself. The Windows marketplace (accessible through your internet browser) is easy enough to use, but provides no alternatives. Just the stuff that Microsoft will get a cut of for selling it to you.
Most Windows software is easy to install. Physical media is usually insert the disc, and click next a bunch of times. Otherwise, you need to find and download the installation file yourself, which is less convient.
Uninstalling applications is easy enough. Open your start menu. start typing remove and you’ll find the option to remove software.
Score: 13/20
5. Software and Security Updates
Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop Edition: The benefit of the Software Center means that when your application has a security or general update, you get it! You don’t need to search through the internet for updates, or launch each application and then install the update after it tells you it’s available. Cleanest, easiest update system around, hands down.
Security Updates aren’t released on a regular schedule, like Windows or Apple. They are made available as they become available to the rest of the world. In the open source world of Ubuntu, that could mean a Security patch is provided within a few hours of being discovered.
Ubuntu will also notify you when Security updates become available, and even let you setup automatic updating for security updates alone.
Score: 18/20
Windows 7 Home Premium: Long one of Microsoft's sore points, Windows 7 is one of the most secure Operating Systems they have released. The problem is less that Windows isn’t secure, and more that there is so many Windows Users out there, the bad guys target those systems.
Security Updates, for the most part, are released one a schedule every month, unless a major security flaw is found. When such a flaw is found, it may still take a few days for Microsoft to fix, leaving your system open to attack.
Windows currently does not offer a way to update all of the software on your system, just the system itself. It’s up to each application to inform you of an update, or you to find one yourself.
Score: 14/20
Conclusions and Final Scores:
Ubuntu 10.10 Desktop Edition: 84/100
Windows 7 Home Premium: 67/100
While these scores may seem completely objective, but i have read forums and myself conducted few of the above mentioned tests. I have tried to remain objective throughout this comparison, and was surprised myself to find the Windows 7 was not as good on a User Experience Comparison with Ubuntu.
Just to remind you of what this is not: This is not a rating of technical achievement, or single applications. This was based on my experiences, and even based on data i collected and discussion forums i read. I don’t expect everyone to agree with what I have said, as it is quite subjective.
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