| GENERAL COMPARISON:
The primary difference between the two is that in the Linux command line, tasks have to be performed using specific command and their proper parameters, whereas Windows 2000 sometimes provides a more logical task hierarchy, so it is easy for the user to perform a task even though the user has never done it before. Lets discuss some of the aspects in which these two operating systems can be compared:
EASE OF USE:
As we all know, the major reason for the success story of Windows is its ease of use and its logically understandable GUI. Though Linux also tries to compete with windows GUI, the vote is for the well-established Windows due to the ease of use even for the first time user.
For example, let’s assume that both systems have a web server installed. In order for a user to manually start the web daemon on a system running Linux, they would have to type in a command similar to the following: “httpd –f /www/conf/httpd.conf”. This command would tell the program httpd (which is the web server) to start and use the file “/www/conf/httpd.conf” as its configuration. In Windows 2000, however, the user would just have to click the “Internet Information Services” node in the Computer Management program and then select the “Default Web” and click the “Start service” button. As you can see, the steps required in performing the task in Windows 2000 were greater, but the graphical “Computer Management” program allows the user to visualize his entire system in a tree. Therefore if the user wanted to do something similar in the future, he would remember to use this program; and the chances of him finding the right information is great. However, in the command-line interface of Linux, if the user wanted to know where the root web directory was, he has no immediate way of finding it just because he remembered that he started the web server with the “httpd” command.
USER ASSISTANCE:
Some amount of help is available to both systems. In Linux however, help is command specific, whereas in Windows 2000 help is application specific.
HISTORY:
The Linux command-line provides a well-defined history that can be easily manipulated by the user. Windows 2000, however, does not have a history of any sort so it is really hard for the user to repeat tasks or retrace his steps. To view the history of commands that a user has typed, the user has to just type in a history command and he can get a list of all the previous few hundred commands. The history list is a saved file in the user’s home directory, so the user can also perform searches and compile statistics using this history file.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT:
Though Linux has the strong supporting arms of OSS, it still lacks the vendor depth or enterprise experience of Windows.
SYSTEM MANAGEMENT:
Windows has the necessary breadth of system management while Linux cant handle the variety of functions of a managed distributed environment.
PRICING:
As Linux is free software, it has a low and mid-ranged pricing depending on the distribution but this is not the case with Windows.
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