Which Operating System is the Greenest?
Both Microsoft and Apple make sure it’s know to the general public about their efforts to make their operating system as green as possible. Linux on the other hand is far less known to many because many of its distributions are available free with little marketing geared towards them. Some believe that Linux is a green operating system and far more energy efficient than it’s counterparts, while others feel that Mac and Windows are either just as efficient if not more. I never realized how much of a debate this has become, leaving many people still unsure of which OS to choose for their computer.
Why Choose Linux
There are many that feel that Linux is all-around the best operating system on the market, especially in terms of how green it is. One writer feels that Linux is a much more eco-friendly option for computers.
Less Packaging
A good reason to choose Linux is the overall less packaging involved with it’s distribution. Most distributions of Linux are open source, meaning that they are free to use. This translates into no large boxes for a single OS disc as well as being able to be run on more outdated computers. Linux distributions usually have much less hardware requirements than bulky Windows or Macs.
PowerTop
The PowerTop applications is a really powerful application for Linux machines that can drastically reduce the amount of energy your computer is using. It will tell you particular services to stop running to reduce the load on your hardware. This application even goes to the level how many watts you can save by performing one of their recommendations. To get this application, you have to be running Linux. Even though Mac’s OSX uses Unix as the base for its operating system, it will not run on Macs.
Longer Lasting Hardware
The “refresh” period for buying a new computer with Window can sometimes be almost twice as soon as with Linux. This means that computers with Windows will end up as trash twice as quickly. Electronics have a huge impact on the environment because of how dangerous they can be if not properly disposed of. Many countries have a huge e-waste problems that have major impacts on third world countries in which we often dump electronics.
Cheaper
This point doesn’t really have anything to do with being more eco-friendly, but more about saving you money. As I already state, since the Linux OS is open source, many distributions including Ubuntu and Gentoo are absolutely free of charge. On top of just being free, many applications that run on Linux machines are also open source and require no purchasing. Even though some of these open source applications are available on Windows and Macs, many are not. Imagine the money you could save not having to many of those expensive applications.
Hardware More Important
Don’t get me wrong, all distributions of Linux may not be as energy efficient as some Windows or Mac machines. In reality, the amount of energy that your computer uses is based more off of the type of hardware you are using rather than the type of OS you are running. Just because you have Linux running on a high-powered gaming computer, doesn’t mean that it will use less energy that a standard Windows machine and it usually won’t. Apple even touts it’s “green” mac airs, but most of that is based off of the hardware they are using for their laptops. The biggest point to take from this is to buy a computer that meets your needs. Don’t buy a heavy duty gaming computer with high-powered fans and a massive CPU if all you do is browse the web and use a writing application. If you want a minimal machine with a light-weight operating system, Linux may be the way to go. There are also other methods you can take to reduce computer energy beyond that actual OS you are using.
I do agree with you that Linux is definitely more green with less user manuals ect. The problem I have with Linux is I hear it can’t play most games or run all applications. I have used Windows all my life, with many headaches over the years, but I would still have to stick with Windows. Anyhow thanks for the article, I enjoyed reading.
That is very true that many games do not operate on a Linux machine, but you could always run a virtual machine on your machine with windows on it.I disagree with the application part. Linux has many open source applications that are free. This might be more true for me since I have a software developer, but there are applications like Open Office that is just as good as Microsoft Office.
Well David… you can say the same thing about Mac Applications not working on Windows… and Linux specific applications not working on Windows, etc, etc.
In the end, you can pretty much do the same things you want on a Linux machine, as you would on a Windows based machine. The only thing though, as of right now Linux more of an “advanced” Operating System, so for the average user, it really wouldn’t be for them. But in the future.. Linux just may make an impact on the industry outside of computer experts.
Till then,
Jean
I have been thinking of switching to Linux for many years now, but as Jean said it may be too “advanced” for me to figure out.
Once I had to use Linux, and I enjoyed this operating system. However, it has many disadvantages, for example, can not install the game, as they are made for Windows.
Forgot to tell about the one big plus of this program. Linux Almost is not vulnerable to computer viruses! But if, in general, I still prefer Windows.