I am writing this post to refute an argument I’ve heard some people give why they’ve decided not to use Linux. The argument is that Linux does not come with many things (most times applications) that an average computer might need. But on a closer inspection this kind of thinking is unfounded and misplaced – – and I will show how.
I didn’t put up this comparison to spite Windows against anyone but to just prove that Linux is a feasible alternative that makes a computer productive and useful by default – for personal, small business, and organizational computing needs. Since you wont be needing additional cost for expensive applications to make your computer system useful, it is a cost-effective way that would never break your pocket.
So I have chosen a Linux distro, Ubuntu, to show that a basic but out-of-the-box installation can serve and be more valuable than that of any proprietary system like windows. I prefer to use Ubuntu because its a pretty common and my personal favorite. But the same can be achieved using any other mainstream Linux distro like fedora, mint, elementary and so on.
I want to focus on the functionalities that are present in Ubuntu out-of-the-box (i.e. the default state when newly installed) that would make a PC experience enjoyable.
OFFICE SUIT
Ubuntu comes pre-installed with a beautiful office suite, LibreOffice. It is an office suit that has different office applications: Writer (for writing documents), Base (for database deployment and administration), Calc (a spreadsheet), Draw (obviously for drawing), Impress (for presentations) and Math (for mathematical equations and formulas). Window’s equivalent is MS Office but it does not come Pre-installed in windows – so you have to do a personal installation. Maybe the folks at Microsoft didn’t think it necessary for you to have an office app right away.
PDF READER:
The Evince (document viewer) Portable Document Format (PDF) reader makes the viewing and management of PDF files easy. Though there are different PDF readers (like the ones from Foxit and Adobe) for Ubuntu that you can install in addition, but at least you can read PDF documents right away after installation.
IDE/TEXT-EDITOR:
If you write code (i.e. a programmer) you’d appreciate the importance of a fully functional Text-Editor. Some qualities that make a fully functional Text-Editor attractive include text-highlighting, line numbering, background themes, and can easily be used as an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Ubuntu is well-endowed in this area too, there ar two of such text-editors that are pre-installed: Gedit (a graphical utility/application) and Vim (that is used on the command line).
DRIVERS:
one thing every body that has done a windows installation knows is that immediately after installing the operating system (OS) the very next thing is to install the required drivers for every useful device like the speakers, Video graphics, Wi-Fi /Network cards, bluetooth and so on. But that is not the case with Ubuntu, you can use the Wi-Fi, bluetooth, sound devices right away and you don’t even need to drive your VGA. All without any stress.
EMAIL READER:
Ubuntu comes with a popular email reader, Thunderbird, that is cherished in the Linux/FOSS community. It is a native application that enables you to setup many email accounts – where you can write, send, delete emails at a go – without a web browser.
COMPILERS:
another one for the programming folks, Ubuntu (like many Linux distros) is bundled with a very important compiler suite, the Gnu Compiler Collection (gcc). It enables you to write and compile scripts written in programming languages like C, C++, Objective-C, Java, etc. And also Ubuntu comes with a python compiler which enables you to write and run python application codes/scripts.
All these are available to you IMMEDIATELY after installing Ubuntu, isn’t that wonderful. And you’re not limited to them though, you’d still extend your Linux Ubuntu system by installing additional apps – through the Ubuntu software centre. But at least you’d have a fully functional system before then.
YOU could add anything I have forgotten in the comments below.
Happy Linux’NG!
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