Rewind to four/five years back, I did not use Linux as my daily driver. Yes, in a virtual machine or dual-boot, sure.
I stuck with Windows saying – “Linux isn’t user-friendly, and it’s all about the commands/terminal.”
In my defense, I did not know a lot of things back then. But, when I finally took the leap of faith and started using Linux as a daily driver, I began to explore how things work and was blown away by many things.
Including some of the compelling reasons why Linux is better than Windows.
It took me a couple of days to understand the fundamentals and learn about the software utilities not available for Linux.
But, surprisingly, I did not need to use Windows for most of my tasks, except multiplayer gaming. And, thanks to Valve, that’s about to change with the support for BattleEye, and Easy-Anti Cheat added to Linux.
Fret not; I’m not one of those who recommends ditching other operating systems. You should always use what you are comfortable with.
But, in this article, I want to highlight a few things why you may want to switch to Linux as a content creator like myself.
Efficient System Resource Usage
I’m not exaggerating here, but if you are going to use one of the best Linux distributions, your system resources will thank you for choosing Linux.
Considering my scenario, I have an i5-7400 processor coupled with 16 GB of RAM.
When I boot into Windows, the startup programs like the antivirus, software tools for peripherals, and others already eat up about 30-40% of my RAM.
And, when I start using the browser or any other resource-intensive application, I barely get to multi-task freely.
When it comes to Linux, unless I open many tabs in the browser or multiple programs, it does not consume a lot of memory out-of-the-box.
Windows has a lot of services/processes running in the background, and you need to put in some effort to “de-bloat” your experience. But, Linux does not require such tweaks to manage the resources; it already does it well.
I know it isn’t exactly an “Apples to Apples” comparison. Still, I would consider myself somewhat a power user with a lot of browser tabs active to research and multiple applications (communication, productivity, virtual machine program, etc.) while constantly monitoring system performance.
Hence, in my experience, I feel I can do more with Linux using the same resources compared to Windows.
And, as a content creator, you probably know how important it is to have an efficient system that maximizes your productivity without being a strain on your life.
Is It All About the Web Browsers?
Let’s face it—most of the tools are being available as web services. While some programs/utilities may stick to native offerings, everything else is increasingly relying on cloud computing to help you get things done via the web browser.
So, you should evaluate the tools you use and whether they are platform-dependent or not.
If not, all you need to use is the web browser.
To give you an example, I utilize a lot of tools right from the web browser like:
- Canva
- Microsoft Office 365
- Web-based feed readers like Feedly, Inoreader
- Todist
- CryptPad
And, if that’s the case, do you think there’s any reason to consider Windows? I’ll leave that up to you.
Linux supports all the major web browsers, including Microsoft Edge.
Hassle-free Experience
As a content creator, the less you worry about troubleshooting issues on your computer, the more time you save.
I’m sure you know how Microsoft’s Windows fairs when it comes to buggy updates. Now and then, I will have to re-configure my audio settings or update the graphics driver, re-install programs, and clean junk files after an update.
And, there have been a few instances where I just get stuck looking at the welcome screen after an update, annoyed by a feature added by Microsoft, and some more.
Regarding my Linux experience, other than some NVIDIA graphics drivers issues (for some distributions like Fedora), I never had to troubleshoot for anything else. It has been a hassle-free journey so far!
So, I focus on my work without even worrying about an update screwing up my system.
The only inconvenience I found with Linux was developing the habit of – “Distro hopping,” meaning trying new Linux distributions. Considering there are a lot of choices for your desktop OS, you may be encouraged to try another distribution looking at its features.
Here, let me point you to Zorin OS 16 and elementary OS 6 if you aren’t already using them (good luck!).
Applications for Audio, Video, and Digital Art/Photo
While some users may warn you that Linux does not offer good application support, the answer isn’t that straightforward.
Yes, you do not have the support for the Adobe suite and some commercial applications. But you do have alternatives.
Of course, if you swear by a specific software tool, Linux is a big no for you. But, if you do not have specific requirements, you can always choose to explore the exciting alternatives available.
You can find capable video editors like Kdenlive, tools like GIMP, and several other applications used by professionals.
To get a better idea, you might want to check:
There are also some decent, social media-specific, browser-based video editors available, which you should have no issues using on a web browser in Linux.
Wrapping Up
Overall, I believe that Linux can be a perfectly suitable choice for content creators and creative professionals.
Linux as a desktop platform has improved a lot. And, with several Linux distributions pushing forward to enhance user experience, security, and reliability, it is an uncommon but beneficial choice.
What do you think about Linux as a choice for content creators? Let me know what you think in the comments!
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