For users who don’t want to switch to Windows 11 from Windows 10 and want to adopt Linux Mint; here is a quick comparison between the two operating systems. I hope this helps in making the decision.
Why is it important to compare different OS before choosing one?
Comparing different operating systems increases our knowledge, and our decision becomes more based on information rather than a whim. Because as you go after open-source or closed-source operating systems, they all have different features, capabilities, and user interfaces. Comparing them will help us determine which is best to complete our requirements.
For example, some computer OSs are well-designed to cater to gaming requirements, while others are best for productivity.
Windows 10 and Linux Mint are meant to target a specific type of user base because of their features and capabilities; let’s see what those are…
Windows 10
Microsoft developed a proprietary popular operating system that has been widely used worldwide. It is designed to work seamlessly with old and existing Microsoft products such as Office, OneDrive, Xbox, Teams, and more…
Windows 10 is known for its user-friendly interface and compatibility with various hardware and third-party software applications. That’s why most peripherals, such as printers, scanners, and cameras, can easily be used with Win 10. Further, users can experience the Linux command line using the WSL feature of the OS without installing VirtualBox.
It includes many helpful apps, such as Edge web browser, Cortana virtual assistant, and the Xbox app for gaming. For security, the OS offers inbuilt Windows Defender Antivirus and firewall to provide real-time protection against malware and other security threats.
Linux Mint
Linux Mint is a free and open-source operating system or distro based on the popular Ubuntu Linux. Because of its user-friendly and Windows-like interface known as Cinnamon Desktop (GUI), Mint is more easy-to-use and beginner-friendly than Ubuntu. It is based on an open-source Linux kernel and uses the Ubuntu repository. Mint is now also available with Debian Repos and is known as LMDE.
Being an open-source OS doesn’t mean it deprives you of built-in apps. Out of the box, Mint offers a variety of software to accomplish day-to-day tasks, such as the Firefox web browser, the Thunderbird email client, and the LibreOffice suite of productivity tools. It also has a Software Manager feature that allows Linux users to easily search and install free and open-source applications, including updates.
To offer security, Linux Mint uses Linux kernel advanced security features such as AppArmor and SELinux. Hence, users will have a secure and stable platform.
Because of the large community of Debian, Ubuntu, and Linux Mint, users will have support for a wide range of hardware. Including compatibility with most peripherals such as printers, scanners, and cameras and support for a wide range of software and programming languages. It is also the best choice for those who don’t want to purchase software and remove the limitations of proprietary operating systems such as Windows.
Difference between Windows 10 and Linux Mint
Know which operating system is better between Windows and Linux Mint to suit your gaming and productivity needs.
| S.no | Windows 10 | Linux Mint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Windows 10 is a proprietary OS, and a user must purchase a license. | Linux Mint is a free and open source. One can use it for personal or commercial use without paying a penny. |
| 2 | Windows uses Microkernel | It uses a monolithic kernel |
| 3 | Beginners friendly | Beginners friendly |
| 4 | Almost all third-party software, free and paid, are available for Windows 10. | Fewer applications, as compared to Windows 10, are available for Linux. For example, Adobe Photoshop cannot be used on Mint. |
| 5 | Provides all necessary software out of the box, including browser | Linux Mint also offers all essential software, including Office Suite. |
| 6 | No Office suite out of the box | Linux Mint will have Libre Office out of the box |
| 7 | Software installation is relatively easy | Users need a little knowledge of the Command terminal to install the software (s) not available via GUI Software Manager. |
| 8 | Wide range of hardware drivers support | Linux Mint also has support for a large number of drivers, including the old one. |
| 9 | Perfect for playing all commercial games | Linux Mint is unsuitable for gamers because most commercial games are unavailable for Linux distros. |
| 10 | Windows 10 needs modern hardware, at least with 4GB RAM, to work well | It is designed to work well on modern and older or less powerful computers. |
| 11 | Windows 10 is not fast as the Mint | Linux Mint is faster than Windows because of low system requirements. |
| 12 | Slow boot | Fast boot |
| 13 | Customization can be done but not as Linux Mint | Highly customization is possible |
| 14 | Windows 10 has a traditional desktop interface | Linux Mint offers a more customizable interface with a choice of different desktops such as KDE, Mate, and Xfce. |
| 15 | A wider range of hardware support, including proprietary ones such as printers and gaming devices. | Like Windows 10, Linux Mint is also compatible with most hardware, but some proprietary hardware may not be supported. |
| 16 | Although Windows 10 offers a wide range of security features including Antivirus, it is more vulnerable to malware and viruses as compared to Linux. | Due to open source license, OS receives patch updates easily hence, Linux Mint is considered to be more secure than Windows 10. It is also less susceptible to viruses. |
| 17 | Because of paid OS, Microsoft offers extensive free and paid support along with community forums. | Linux Mint is free, hence it depends upon its large community to provide solutions through forums or online resources, if a user-facing any problem |
| 18 | Windows 10 offers GUI and powerful command line tools such as PowerShell but is less used as compared to Linux because of the complexity of commands. | Linux Mint also comes with an advanced command line interface and package manager for flexibility and control to manage the system. The commands are easier to operate and remember than Windows. |
| 20 | Windows 10 uses NTFS as its default file system. | Linux Mint uses by default ext4 File system |
| 21 | With 1809+ version release of Windows 10 offers an inbuilt package manager to install applications but is not robust as Linux and also doesn’t have a wide range of packages to offer. | Linux Mint uses an APT package manager, a well-tested and stable one that offers hundreds of packages to install. |
| 22 | On Windows 10 transfer files to other devices and over the network seamlessly without much knowledge | Linux Mint may face some compatibility issues or users may face difficulty in configuring it to transfer files over other devices. Hence, some Linux knowledge would require in some cases. |
| 23 | Privacy can be a big concern for some users | Privacy is not an issue, because the developers are not going to track you. |
Conclusion
Linux Mint is a great choice for those who don’t want to spend money on operating systems and care about their privacy and security. It is also a good choice for those who are using some old hardware and don’t want to upgrade for their day-to-day tasks. Whereas users who want a system to not feel left out when it comes to using popular software such as Adobe Premier, Office 365, Apple’s iTunes, etc. should opt for Windows 10. Even gamers and video editors should prefer Windows because of the wide range of options available to install and use so that they could meet their requirements.
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