The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Ubuntu

I read this article today by someone called Hoo-Ann and I was very disappointed by how short the article was. I have been using Ubuntu off and on since it was Breezy Badger and I can come up with a lot more to say about the advantages and disadvantages of using Ubuntu. So, as someone that believes if someone else can't do it "right" then you should it yourself, I'm going to list the (much longer) advantages and disadvantages I've personally found with using Ubuntu.

10 Reasons Why You Should Use Ubuntu

The amount of support for Ubuntu is nothing short of phenomenal. There are countless websites about Ubuntu, Wiki articles on Ubuntu, forums for Ubuntu, etc. It is almost impossible to find an issue someone hasn't had before and written about. Ubuntu is arguably the most supported operating system when it comes to software. Maybe it's just me, but I have noticed there are often Ubuntu packages available even if there are not any packages for other Linux distributions. The reason why I say this is arguable is because there also is a large amount of software available for Slackware, but Slackware isn't as easy to use as Ubuntu. Which brings us to the third reason... Ubuntu is easy to use. I would even go so far as to argue that it's easier to use than Windows. This wasn't always the case but now days Ubuntu has so many resources and is so patronizing in its design that it has really became the easiest Linux distribution. Ubuntu loves Windows. Ubuntu has became an operating system that will easily and gladly co-exist with a Windows install. Dual booting requires minimal effort with the standard installation but it gets even easier when you factor in Wubi, which will install Ubuntu from inside Windows like its just another Windows program. Ubuntu has long-lasting support. Their LTS release has just been expanded to 5 years. You can very easily burn a Ubuntu CD and (if it's an LTS version) trust that it will be supported for the lifetime of your computer. Ubuntu is easy to upgrade. Their upgrades are very well tested, so there are minimal issues when upgrading. Additionally, upgrading is as simple as clicking a button. Ubuntu provides a good mix of stability and cutting edge software. They're pretty well unmatched in this category. There are other distributions that have release schedules similar to Ubuntu's, but rarely do I find them as stable as Ubuntu. Ubuntu makes package management a breeze. Their Software Center has a really good search component and it also includes reviews and ratings to make the experience of picking software to install a lot easier. Ubuntu is faster than Windows. If you need something faster than Windows but you don't have the experience required to install a "normal" Linux distribution, Ubuntu is your perfect match. Unity. This is Ubuntu's new default desktop environment, and it makes matching your wallpaper to your desktop absolutely brainless with it's chameleon-like behavior.

10 Reasons Why Not to Use Ubuntu

There are too many new users trying to provide support. This seriously downgrades the quality of support. If I ask a question in the Ubuntu forums or AskUbuntu, I better question the answers given or else I could really mess up my system. Ubuntu may have a lot of software, but it's still not Windows. There is still a lot of Windows exclusive software out there, so much that it makes Ubuntu's collection of software look puny. Ubuntu patronizes the user a little too much, and there's no option to disable the extra support. This means that once you get your feet wet with Linux, you're probably going to eventually end up changing distributions just because Ubuntu treats you like you're not that smart about computers. Ubuntu loves Windows. For some users, that's enough said. Ubuntu colors don't match. Whoever came up with purple, brown, orange, and black as a good color combination for Ubuntu should be shown some art textbooks on the use of complimentary colors. Purple and orange do not mix well at all, mostly because orange is a little too close to yellow, and yellow is the exact opposite of purple. Updates can still break your computer, and then what? The Linux newbie does not know how to recover from such an episode, and Ubuntu does very little to warn them. Ubuntu isn't that stable, and it's not that cutting edge, either. This kind of places it in a nowhere land. Someone that wants the newest software has to go with a more complicated distribution, and those that want more stability have to go with a more complicated distribution as well. The Software Center is going to displease more technical users. There's no list of installed files for each individual application, and more "technical" packages are hidden by default. Ubuntu is slower than most Linux distributions. This is probably due to all the support the operating system is designed to provide. Unity. A lot of people hate this desktop environment. It's easy to see why when you take in to consideration Unity doesn't let you customize it very much at all. There you have it. My top ten reasons to use Ubuntu, and my top ten reasons why not to use Ubuntu. If you noticed that most of the reasons matches up with another reason on the opposite side, know that it was intentional. I wanted to show both sides of the coin on each point. There was one I couldn't counter though, consider that an Easter egg. ;)

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