Ubuntu vs. Mac. Which operating system is better?

What is the best operating system? As a user of the three most used operating systems, I believe there is no definitive answer. Windows will be the best system in terms of compatibility (where video games have a lot to say), but, although it has improved a lot in Windows 10, I think it is still somewhat slower than Linux and Mac. In any case, in Ubunlog We wanted to focus on Unix-based operating systems, so we thought of making a comparison to find out which operating system is better, the one that gives its name to this blog or the desktop operating system developed by Apple, Ubuntu vs. Mac OSX. Who will win the match?

Integrated

In terms of design and in my humble opinion, the Apple operating systems are much more attractive visually than Ubuntu. Admittedly, the Ubuntu image has improved since they changed the graphical environment from GNOME to Unity, but, for example, the file explorer still looks a bit dull, while on Mac it's all cleaner.

On the other hand, we must also mention a good point of the "dictatorship" of Apple: although it is true that there are many developers who go on their own, to be able to create an application and upload it to the Mac App Store you have to do it as Apple says, so the system is all in harmony. However, in Ubuntu we can install a program from a graphical environment in a very different one, so we can have a window next to the other and they do not seem almost at all.

Winner: Mac.

Customization

As for customization, there is no debate possible. Although I have to confess that everything seemed simpler to me before Unity came along, changing the Ubuntu image may be a command away. Without going any further, we can install the Ubuntu 10 graphical environment and access it by closing the session and starting it from the other environment. In the same way we can change many aspects of Ubuntu. And if we install the MATE graphical environment and we want, we can add shortcuts to the top (or bottom) bar, such as xkill how much I like it.

On Mac there are also programs that change the image of the system, but they are usually paid. By default, we can change a couple of colors and put the dark mode, as well as change the icon of a folder just by using Ctrl + C and Ctrl + v, but we can never change the image and other aspects as much as in Linux distributions , where we can modify practically everything.

Winner: Ubuntu.

Ease of use

At this point I have to try to think about where I could work better at the user level if I had never touched either of the two operating systems. So which one would be easier to use? I think both have their pros and cons:

• Mac can be more difficult than Ubuntu if we have never touched any operating system. It may be more difficult because default apps are more unknown than many of those that Ubuntu brings by default. For example, if we want to write a text or start a spreadsheet, on the left we have the launcher with some icons that make it very clear what they are for. If we have used at least Windows, it is easy for us to know what Firefox is for and the file explorer drawing is much clearer. On Mac, if we have never touched it, we will not know what the Safari or the Finder is, an explorer that has a blue square face divided by a line.

• Ubuntu can be more difficult than Mac if we want do something that is not included in Ubuntu by default or in the Software Center. If we want to do anything that the system does not allow us as soon as we start it, the first thing we will do (or what I do) is search the internet. What we will find will be many applications for Windows, some for Mac and less for Ubuntu. Luckily we will find a way to add a repository and a small tutorial, but that will not prevent us from sometimes finding any software for which we have to do something that we will simply let go of.

For everything else, both systems have their application stores where we will find practically everything, both have their way of accessing the applications, their file explorer or their web browser and I believe that there are no differences in ease of use. .

Winner: Draw.

Features

In both systems we can do everything, whatever goes ahead. Of course, as soon as we start a Mac we will have a video editing app, an application for editing audio and an application for photos. But it doesn't stop there: by default, by selecting a text we can export it to audio, which is perfect for making our own audibles. The application Preview It allows us to edit images in a super simple way, being able to change the size, add texts or paste one image on top of another. All that, and more, just after starting the computer.

Then we have the Apple services, where, for example, we will have our passwords stored in the cloud and we will be able to access all the web pages in which we are registered without having to remember the password. And even more so, the trackpad gestures that I like so much.

In Ubuntu you could say that the functions are the same, but not just start the system. To edit video we will have to install an application like OpenShot and for audio we may have to install Ardor (and something else). To edit images we will have to use GIMP, for example, which is a program that if they tried to make it less intuitive I think they would not have succeeded.

On the other hand, we can use other services, such as Google's, but since it is software from different developers, it is not as integrated as in Apple operating systems.

Winner: Mac.

Performance

I think that at this point things are quite even, but with important nuances. I have a 2009 iMac with 8GB of RAM and the system performs perfectly. But I also have an Ubuntu laptop with 4GB of RAM that works perfectly for me too. The iMac's processor is also superior to that of the laptop, so the thing seems clear: a similar performance with fewer resources gives Ubuntu the winner, but by a lot.

Winner: Ubuntu.

Stability

Maybe the most even point of all, at least in everything that I have tried. It is true that my iMac is more powerful than my laptop, but it is also true that in the laptop with Ubuntu I see more errors (little, but I see them) than in Mac. Sometimes, and it is something that I hope they will solve in the version that It will be released in just over two months, I see some warning that "something" had to be closed in Ubuntu. On Mac I can see that, but with specific third-party applications that are known to cause problems.

Winner: Draw.

Common application compatibility

This is one of my complaints regarding Linux based operating systems. As I mentioned before, in Ubuntu you can do everything, but sometimes we have to search too much. When I am on Ubuntu, it is usual for me to visit the page alternativeto.net for find similar apps that work on Canonical's operating system. It is something I have done recently to find an alternative to Photoshop that convinces me or one for a Twitter client in conditions.

Although it is true that Mac is not the most compatible operating system, it is that the most important applications are for Mac, like a Microsoft Office (official and offline), something very important for my work (yes, yes, it has to be the official one). Game developers are also releasing more and more titles for Mac, so I think there is no debate at this point either.

Winner: Mac.

Compatible devices

At this point I could summarize by saying that Mac can only be used on Apple computers and Ubuntu on practically all computers in the world, but it would not be telling the whole truth.

• Officially, Mac will only be available and installed by default in Apple computers, but there are also Hackintosh o cutomac. A Hackintosh is a non-Apple computer on which we installed OS X. I made one myself on an Acer Aspire One D250 with Snow Leopard, as far as I know you can. A CustoMac is a custom computer made with the components that work best on OS X. For this to be possible, the computer will need to have Intel processor, but it is not an easy task. Installing the system is a breeze, but it will take the equivalent of the drivers, the .kext, to make components such as the Wi-Fi card work.

• Ubuntu can be installed on any computer (and the same system also on mobiles and tablets) with a minimum of resources. As it has a 32-bit version, it can be installed on any laptop and it will work practically without problems. And, as always, we will not need to install any drivers; everything will work as soon as you start the system.

Winner: Ubuntu.

Bonus: Price

This point must also be discussed, but there is no debate. I have run Ubuntu on my Acer Aspire One D250 which was priced below € 200 and now I use it on a laptop (shared with a brother) which is priced below € 400. To be able to use Mac officially, we would have to buy the most basic and oldest model of the MacBook Air which is priced at € 999. The numbers speak for themselves.

Winner: Ubuntu.

If the accounts do not fail me, the winner of this match is Ubuntu by a tight score of 6-5. I have to admit that I feel more comfortable on Mac, but to make this comparison I have put aside my personal preferences and I have tried to be objective. What in the end has tipped the balance in favor of Ubuntu has been the price, something that I have decided to add to break the tie and where Apple products will always have the upper hand. What do you think? Which system do you think is better: Ubuntu or Mac?