Introduction
Why is Linux Slower Than Windows? The operating system wars are a longstanding issue. The two predominant OSs are Microsoft’s Windows and Linux, and many people deploy the same applications on both of these platforms. But there’s been a glaring discrepancy between the performance of both systems. Fans of Linux have been puzzled why their OS hasn’t kept up with Windows and why their applications haven’t performed as well. So why does Linux lag so far behind Windows when it comes to performance?
Uncovering the Delays – Analyzing Why Linux Is Lagging Behind Windows
One of the reasons why Linux isn’t running as fast as Windows is the lack of optimization for certain hardware. Since many different hardware vendors adopt Linux, the OS is not as well-optimized for any single architecture. This creates bottlenecks in terms of performance that limit the speed of Linux-run applications. The second reason Linux runs slower than Windows relates to driver support. While Windows comes with most of the drivers one needs pre-installed, Linux relies on users and vendors to provide the necessary drivers, and in many cases, it’s not supported. To make matters worse, the drivers that are available can be buggy and inefficient, leading to further dips in Linux’s speed. Finally, as Linux becomes more popular, the demand for better-performing applications rises too. But the developers, who contribute to the open-source software offered by the Linux community, often do so as volunteers. This means development cycles can be slow, leading to apps running significantly slower than their Windows equivalents.
Read More: Why does Linux run faster than Windows?
Finding a Solution – Why is Linux Slower Than Windows?
Why Linux might be slow, depends on several factors:
- Did you compile it from source code?
- Do you have adequate and up-to-date drivers? This is very important and directly related to Linux’s performance.
- Did you install too many packages?
- What kind of Linux are you running? If your system was running Windows 7 and you installed the latest Ubuntu, it may be slower than before because your hardware is old.
- Is your system up-to-date?
- Do you have unresolved errors in your logs?
- What kind of applications are you trying to run? Some apps run better under Windows.
- Do you have to run a virtual machine to use your apps?
- Are you using Wine? It may be buggy.
Conclusion
Linux lags behind Windows in terms of performance, but the good news is that it doesn’t have to. By optimizing the OS for hardware, improving driver support, and speeding up development, Linux performance can match Windows speeds. Optimizing Linux will also ensure that its fans no longer have to worry about a performance gap between the two OSs.
Aleksandar Paunovski is a Computer Science student at New Bulgarian University. He has more than 20 years of experience with computer systems. Aleksandar knows PHP, JavaScript, C++, CSS, and HTML and is an expert on WordPress, computer security, Linux, Mac OS, Chrome OS, and Windows. When not busy making sites, Aleksandar loves to listen to 90’s music, walk in the park, and post on his blog.
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