Linux Delhi India Linux Users Group – Delhi
| Linux | Windows | |
| Cost | Linux can be freely distributed, downloaded freely, distributed through magazines, Books etc. There are priced versions for Linux also, but they are normally cheaper than Windows. | $119 – $199.99, $69 for students, $99 to upgrade to pro |
| User | Everyone. From home users to developers and computer enthusiasts alike. | Everyone |
| Manufacturer | Linux kernel is developed by the community. Linus Torvalds oversees things. | Microsoft |
| Development and Distribution | Linux is developed by Open Source development i.e. through sharing and collaboration of code and features through forums etc and it is distributed by various vendors. | Developed and distributed by Microsoft. |
| Usage | Linux can be installed on a wide variety of computer hardware, ranging from mobile phones, tablet computers and video game consoles, to mainframes and supercomputers. | On PC’s desktops, laptops, servers and some phones. |
| File system support | Ext2, Ext3, Ext4, Jfs, ReiserFS, Xfs, Btrfs, FAT, FAT32, NTFS | FAT, FAT32, NTFS, exFAT |
| Text mode interface | BASH (Bourne Again SHell) is the Linux default shell. It can support multiple command interpreters. | Windows uses a command shell and each version of Windows has a single command interpreter with dos-like commands, recently there is the addition of the optional PowerShell that uses more Unix-like commands. |
| Company / developer | Linus Torvalds and the Linux community. | Microsoft |
| Introduction (from Wikipedia) | Linux is a Unix-like and POSIX-compliant computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of Linux is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released | Microsoft Windows is a series of graphical interface operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Microsoft. Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as a graphical operating system shell for MS-DOS. |
| License | GNU General Public License | Proprietary |
| Default user interface | Gnome or KDE | Graphical (Windows Aero) |
| Source model | Free Software | Closed / Shared source |
| Supported platforms | All | PowerPC: versions 1.0 – NT 4.0; DEC Alpha: versions 1.0 – NT 4.0; MIPS R4000: versions 1.0 – NT 4.0; IA-32: versions 1.0 – 8; IA-64: version XP; x86-64: versions XP – 8; ARM: version RT; |
| Update method | Many | Windows Update |