Differences in Windows and Ubuntu
Though there are lots of differences and dissimilarities in Microsoft Windows and Ubuntu and we have discussed them in our earlier articles, here are five such more things that you won’t find working in Ubuntu but are used to do in Windows.
1. If you use a mouse that has scrolling button on it, you won’t be able to press the middle button and start automatic scrolling just like you can do in Windows for slowly scrolling on a lengthy page. This feature works quite wonderfully in Windows.
2. If you want to shut-down your system working in Ubuntu, you can’t just press Alt+F4 and get the options. In Windows, this is a simple option.
3. When you right click your mouse on the desktop, you won’t get the option of setting a screen-saver. This is present and you can set any type of screen-saver on your desktop. This particular features works well when you want to leave your machine and want to display a custom message to visitors who might come there to meet you between the interval of your return.
4. There is no option of changing the dpi also. However, there is an option where you can change the fonts of your choice and set the size of these fonts.
5. If you want to get some icons on desktop from your “start menu” by right clicking on it and “send it to desktop”, you can’t do it in Ubuntu. If you right click, it will just open the place and won’t give you the options.
2. It is alt+F4
3. But you can change the theme very easily with right-click. In Windows most themes I downloaded in the past did not work…
5. The Menu being called “Start Menu” is just retarted. In order to Shut Down you must go to Start??? Anyway, you can drag & drop. Also the Windows “Start Menu” is totally unintuitive and cluttered. Why do I need to have a separate folder for each application in “Start Menu” instead of only its launcher entry? Linux menus are far superior as they divide programs into categories.
Let me see:
1) I hate this feature. I don’t mind.
If I want to scroll, that’s what the wheel on my mouse is for.
2) It takes ONE CLICK to shutdown my Ubuntu system.
**One single click**
And I do get the options to reboot or hibernate with an additional click.
Screenshot: http://imgur.com/HjA.png
3) Screensaver settings are in the settings menu. WTF ?
4) Wrong. You *can* change the DPI.
Screenshot: http://imgur.com/Hj0.png
5) Wrong. Just right-clic on any menu item, and choose “Add this launcher to desktop”. Tadaaa ! You have the icon on the desktop.
Screenshot: http://imgur.com/HjK.png
What a tragic list of problems (most fake, as other people pointed out)!
Much better to get used to Blue Screen Of Death, Viruses, Spyware, End-User-License-Agreement, etc etc !
I will immediately BUY a Windows license !
Whether these points are valid is discussed above, however why do you expect Linux to work just like Windows? Does Mac work in the same way?
this list is stupid.
and ubuntu isn’t ALL you have in Linux
It’s like – don’t be a human because he/she do not know how to swim.
grow up and get a life.
“I was just relating what does not work in Ubuntu just like Windows.”
If you want something that works exactly as Windows, use Windows.
I first decided to not comment but the above response was just too hilarious to not trigger some action. You have to understand the nuances of a language otherwise it all ends miserably. Title says “don’t work in Ubuntu” which automatically will deliver the message that Ubuntu is flawed. If you actually want to inform about differences then the title should tell readers about “differences” and even better explain how task X in Windows is done in Ubuntu. Otherwise what’s the point?
…
PS. A click on the scroll wheel in Linux is by standard used as paste. Very convenient especially since some applications in Linux automatically copy a marked section. Save you a lot of unnecessary clicking. By the way, for fast scrolling in a browser why not use the “Page Up” and “Page Down” buttons on the keyboard? DS.
Ad 1) You can enable middle-click triggered scrolling in Firefox on Ubuntu (Edit->Preferences->Advanced->check autoscrolling & smooth scrolling under Browsing).
Ad 2) You can launch shutdown dialog via keyboard shortcuts in Ubuntu by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete (following options available: Shut Down, Restart, Suspend, Hibernate)
Ad 3) Screensaver settings are in System->Preferences->Screensaver. But I have to admit that leaving message for others is a bit cumbersome – it craves exchanging gnome-screensaver with xscreensaver. On the other hand – others can leave messages for you if the screen will be locked.
Ad 4) & ad 5) Good advices by @sebsauvage.
And, of course, Vivek – you are right. Ubuntu is not working the same as Windows because after all it is not Windows… We do not expect that Mac will work as Windows neither, do we?
Shortly speaking, changing OS requires a bit of adjustment.
Wishing you a very good day.
Hanna 🙂
Dear Sir, Keep in mind:-
That Linux is not and can never be a windows substitute.
As has been explained above, the functionality you seek are available in one form or another.
Do not be put off by the strong rebuff, instead keep using Ubuntu + try out other distributions as well.
Use Linux where it add value, and likewise use Windows where it does.
Oh, and take time to get the know the system without thinking of Windows.
Cheers !!
However, my main intention is to inform and educate new users of Ubuntu about what to expect while they try their hands on Ubuntu.
Shouldn’t your tone be neutral then and your information accurate? The way its written, it reads like windows is the gold standard and Ubuntu doesn’t live up to that standard. Plus your info is outdated, as demonstrated by sebsauvage.
You said: “here are five such more things that you won’t find working in Ubuntu”
You are basically saying that these thing don’t work in Ubuntu, which is plain wrong.
They *DO* work, but differently.
Your title is also misleading.
Don’t be put off by the harsh comments Vivek.
I thought there was no ‘autoscrolling’ in Linux Firefox until I read this column – So thanks, I’ve learnt another thing today…
Stay away from Linux.
You’re not ready for it.
I can appreciate what you are trying to acomplish here and if people had seen any of your other articles they may have been less critical.
What you have provided here is indeed a list of things that are different about ubuntu and windows, but the title of this post says these are things that ubuntu can’t do. As has been pointed out this is clearly not the case. In future you may want to do a little more research and provide more detail about how things CAN be achived under ubuntu/linux, I’m sure your readership would be most appriciative.
To those commenters who felt the need to attack the author I would say that the content and tone of YOUR remarks is far more damaging to ubuntu/linux than that of the post itself please try to remember that we are a community. Instead of ridiculing those who may be un/missinformed why not try to help like sebsauvage and Hanna.
I think, what you have done here, is shot yourself in the foot. and for all there are several learning options here.
the first, is that Gnome is not Windows, i say gnome, because the Ubuntu points you raised, are actually gnome differences.
The second is, the flame.. you are going to get some nit picker out there, flaming you with thier opinion, in the manner above, when you type anything like the post you have above. Good greif, Linux writes a blog entry, and people tell him he is wrong. What i’d suggest is not trying to defend your article, or the way you have written it. Its an opinion, if they can’t see it, then so be it (just as i’m sure some smart bugger is going to nit pick this response, even if they don’t post it here)
Finally, when you do a comparison, i would concur, if you want to educate, tell people how to shutdown in Ubuntu, and why its different.
Good attitude Vivek! I’m sorry if my first response seems harsh, but there are so many articles published these days that intentionally are designed to give a wrong impression about Linux and hence your article, even though unintentionally, triggers a harder response than necessary.
Anyway make a follow up article about it and how you achieve the same features, if that’s what the user wants. therealdavidfield also made a valid point about it being Gnome and not Ubuntu specific. The Internet is full of “tips & tricks” for Windows so it’s a good thing you’ve got the will and energy to contribute in a likewise manner regarding Linux.
The most moronic article I have ever read.
this is not the first article where you were corrected. maybe you should think about doing some (more) investigation in these simple things before assuming they just don’t work.
the only valid points in your post are the screensaver thingy, which doesn’t bother me at all, since i don’t use a screensaver. instead, the option to leave messages is very handy IMO. the second point is by definition the alt+f4 shortcut, which you can easily simulate with various methods, gnome has its own keyboard-shortcut feature where you can define custom shortcuts besides the predefined.
and after it has being pointed out to you, don’t you think you should correct or at least comment your post?
5 Things that Don’t Work in Ubuntu
is still the title of your post, and this just IS NOT TRUE. we have identified that at least 3 of your 5 things work in ubuntu, it was just your ignorance that let you believe that these wouldn’t work. what you write is just wrong, if you don’t have the claim to “not write bullshit” on your homepage then don’t correct it. IMO the learning effect for linux newbies could be better if they were able to recognize your mistakes, and maybe even see how you solved your problems (reading documentation or whatever). not everybody reads the comments all the way down.
if you want to point out the difference then do it, but do not title your post “things that don’t work in ubuntu”, because they DO WORK. call it “5 things i am too dumb to do in ubuntu”, then it is true again.
as soon as i find out how to register on tuxmachines.org (where this article was linked) i will ask them not to link your articles anymore, your work is not good for the linux community in any way.
and this is not about opinion, there are 3 statements that are just wrong, no but and no except. it has been proven to you with screenshots, and you still refuse to correct what you wrote, and this is just plain ignorance.
“You even do not know what language you should write while posting a comment.”
i have no idea what you mean by that. i am writing english, since i’m not a native speaker it might be a little rough, but i think everybody gets it.
i am for sure no expert, and i don’t want every old post to be edited, don’t start bullshitting me. but this is not every and not an old post, your errors have been pointed out to you short after you wrote that post (no time on the post so can’t tell exactly), and still you insist on propagating those false pretences. that is weak, and i can not see an intention in your behaviour. you say you want to help newbies, this is doing the opposite.
do whatever you want dude, this blog is done for me.
I’m confused… also a newbie, so pardon my ignorance. So tell me again why you say there are 5 things that don’t work in Ubuntu, but they actually do work. The title is confusing for newbies I think… my opinion. Please explain…