Can Ubuntu Linux replace Windows 10?

Ubuntu years ago may have not been able to easily replace Windows, but a lot has changed since then. Now, it’s actually a viable options for the everyday user, and in some areas, it’s a whole lot better than Windows 10, too. Follow along below and we’ll show you why you should consider making the switch!

Privacy and Security

The biggest reason why you should consider making the switch to Ubuntu over Windows 10 is because of privacy and security issues. Windows 10 has been a privacy nightmare ever since its launch two years ago. It still is, albeit it’s gotten a tad bit better. However, it still just siphons an egregious amount of data.

Ubuntu does have some of its own privacy concerns, but here’s the great thing about Ubuntu: you can go into the Settings and turn it all off. They’re not trying to hide these options from you like Microsoft is. And, if there was a huge privacy concern with Ubuntu and Linux distributions in general, there would be a large outcry from the community and contributing developers — any sort of privacy invasion wouldn’t last on Linux.

Security is another huge part of Ubuntu Linux. Windows 10 and Windows in general are a a pretty large target for malware invasions and huge security flaws are pretty frequent. Sure, Ubuntu Linux isn’t malware-proof, but it’s been built so that the system prevents infections like malware. In fact, if you stick to safe areas, such as the Software Center and trusted websites, you’re not going to have to worry about an anti-virus program (although it’s always good to have one since nothing is 100% secure).

Free forever

One of the benefits of Ubuntu is that you’ll never have to pay a dime for it. You’ll, of course, get free system updates, just like you do with Windows, but you’ll never have to worry about paying for a new major upgrade. For example, Windows 10 isn’t free to download anymore, so you have to pay for it. Ubuntu is free forever, including new major revisions. You’ll never have to open your wallet for it.

Updates aren’t mandatory

One disappointing factor about Windows 10 is that updates have gotten extremely aggressive, and even underhanded to a point. With Canonical’s Ubuntu, you won’t have to worry about that. Ubuntu can and will alert you of a new update, but it’ll never force it on you.

Another neat thing about Ubuntu is the Long Term Support (LTS) version. With the LTS variant, you’re guaranteed at least five years of support from that initial release. You’ll get timely updates as well as frequent security patches and fixes. You won’t have to worry about anyone dropping support for that initial version after just two years — you get full support for that five years, and after that support ends, you can upgrade, if you want. Or, you can continue using that same version, and won’t have to worry about any potential security issues.

It runs on anything

Got old hardware that Windows 10 isn’t playing nice with? No problem. Throw Ubuntu Linux on there instead and it’ll run like a dream. Or, if you have really old hardware, you can use Lubuntu, a Ubuntu-based project, but one designed for computers with lower system resources, including RAM, older chipsets and little disk space. It works extremely well on high-end machines, too!

What about application replacements?

Now, you might be ready to make the switch, but still worried about applications. Can you do everything on Ubuntu that you can do on Windows 10? Just about! There’s an application replacement for almost everything, whether that be on the Software Center (basically Ubuntu’s own App Store) or as a third-party download. In fact, these days, many companies are starting to offer a Linux version of their software, meaning you might even be able to continue using the same program you’ve been using on Windows 10.

But, still, even if you can’t find your same program for Ubuntu, there’s always a replacement out there. Used to using Microsoft Office? You can use LibreOffice instead, or, you can use the Microsoft Office Web apps, as well as the Google Doc suite. Do you do 3D design? There’s a plethora of CAD apps available for Linux, too. Whatever you use on Windows, there’s usually a high quality replacement to be found on Linux.

It’s one downside is gaming. So, if you’re a big PC gamer, you may either want to dual-boot or you could go to the trouble of running a Windows virtual machine. Some may even work with some tinkering with Wine (I, was personally able to get a handful of games working that way). Still, some of your favorite games may not work natively on Linux. It is getting better, though. There are some games that do support native Linux (Valve is spearheading this effort, in a way) and even some games that are only available on Linux. Support for PC games are getting better on Linux, though — there’s a growing community around it, finding more user friendly ways to get Windows games working on Ubuntu and Linux in general.

And, if you need to, you can get most any Windows application to work using the Wine tool in Linux, not just video games.

Closing

So, while Ubuntu may have not been a proper replacement for Windows in the past, you can easily use Ubuntu as a replacement now. Ubuntu is user-friendly, and you have a lot more control over it as far as customization goes as well — want to change the look of your icons and folders? With Ubuntu, you can!

All in all, Ubuntu can replace Windows 10, and very well. You may even find out that it’s better in many ways. Try it out for yourself below for free, and be sure to join the growing community, which is one of the best parts about Ubuntu and Linux in general.

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