Which one is better, Linux Mint or Ubuntu? This question has been there ever since Linux Mint came in picture. And this article does not answer to this question, well, not entirely. So, what is this about then?
I have been an Ubuntu user for a long time. I stray to other Linux distributions but I keep coming back to Ubuntu, sooner or later. I tried my hands on Linux Mint 16 recently and I must say it is quite pleasant experience. As an old Ubuntu user, it was natural for me to compare my experience with Linux Mint with Ubuntu.
Top seats for beginner friendly Linux desktop are acquired by Ubuntu and Linux Mint, there is no doubt about it. While Ubuntu is based on Debian, Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu. Question is why use an Ubuntu derivative or a Debian derivative instead of using the source itself. The answer to the question is derivative is better.
The comparison which I am doing here is from the point of view of a beginner Linux desktop user who has just switched from Windows. The comparison is between Linux Mint 16 Petra with Cinnamon and Ubuntu 13.10 Saucy Salamander with Unity. The comparison may or may not be applicable to other versions.
Things that make Mint a better Linux desktop for beginners than Ubuntu:
There are few features which one expects in a desktop but unfortunately, Ubuntu has not been serious about them. I have earlier wrote about things I hate in Ubuntu 13.04, and its pretty much the same story in Ubuntu 13.10.
Format a USB disk:
When was the last time you did a right click on a mounted USB disk and was actually able to do a format? Until Ubuntu 13.04 there was not even an option of USB format in right click menu context. You had to put a lot of extra effort to format a USB disk in Ubuntu. It exists in Ubuntu 13.10 but does not work as Files (default file manager) requires to be run as root to do such operation. Oh, but it won’t ask you for that. You click on format and nothing happens.
In Linux Mint, Nemo does a fine job on USB formatting. It is surprising that such a basic feature does not work in Ubuntu 13.10.
Start up disk creator:
When I downloaded the image of Linux Mint to try it via live USB, I tried to create a live USB using Start up disk creator program in Ubuntu. It was all well till the end when it gave error and live USB could not be created. A bug has been reported but it has not been resolved in past two months.
On the other hand Linux Mint 16 has introduced its own USB Image Writer that works like a charm. I created a live USB of Fedora and it did not raise any issue.
Themes, Applets and Desklets:
I am not saying its a rocket science to install themes in Ubuntu 13.10. But Linux Mint does it better than Ubuntu. One can have several themes from the community at its disposal in Themes System Settings under ‘Get more online’ tab, a feature similar to Windows 7. Ubuntu, on the other hand, does not have this ease in installing the themes. You’ll have to look at places to download the zipped themes file and then install it.
Similarly, Linux Mint has quick access to online collection of indicator applets and desklets (Windows like desktop widgets in Linux).
Codecs, Flash and plenty of applications by default:
You may have to struggle a bit to install Flash in Ubuntu but Linux Mint got it smoothly. And so is several other media codecs. Not that you cannot install it in Ubuntu. Ubuntu too gives the option to install codecs while installing OS itself. Its just that you don’t have to do this extra thing in Linux Mint. Mint also comes with plenty of applications such as GIMP, VLC etc that you need to install separately in Ubuntu.
The argument behind dropping several big programs like GIMP from Ubuntu disk image was to keep the size of ISO under 700 MB (standard CD size). But later on, they could not put all of it under 700 MB and increased the size of the ISO image. Which means Ubuntu cannot be installed in one CD any more. Ubuntu 13.10 image size is roughly 925 MB while Linux Mint 16 is 1.3 GB. In my opinion, since the main purpose of removing the default applications is no longer valid, Ubuntu should put it back in the bundle.
Software Manager: faster, sleeker, lighter:
Ubuntu Software Center takes ages to load, eats up resources heavily and it slow while interacting with it. This is why I was ecstatic when App Grid, a lighter alternative of Ubuntu Software Center was launched. Comparing to that, Linux Mint’s Software Manager is lighter and quicker. Applications are broken down in to categories and thus easier to navigate.
In the last, again, it is not a hate post against Ubuntu. I am still a great fan of Ubuntu. Its just that Linux Mint seems to be a better option than Ubuntu for an absolute beginner to Linux. For users who have even little experience with Linux desktop, its more of a personal liking between Ubuntu and Linux Mint. But if you ever wonder why Linux Mint over Ubuntu, these reasons may help you to decide.
which is lighter lubuntu or Linux mint ?
I want a Debian based distro which is recent, can be strippable to the bare basics from where I/you can customized the installation. unfortunately, only the “real” Debian offers such flexibility. Any other? Ubuntu Gnome is in my list except it has blots.(I prefer Gnome)
I had that same issue befire installing U_14.04: I tested damned near every major Linux … and Scientific Linux (AKA RedHat server) proved the most clean, granite-solid version. But, it will not run Chrome-browser which my on-banking requires. So I run U_14.04 and likely U_16.04 + MATE.
I’ am a complete novice when it comes to Linux or Ubuntu and also not very tech savvy, meaning I can find my way around the computer and do a little bit of trouble shooting but nothing more than that. Lately i have begun to take an interest in Linux/ubuntu, but reading some of the comments makes my head ache. Does Linux/ubuntu support Ms office? I’ am a Research student and MS Office is an indispensable part of my life, I breathe and eat MS office…:P….and also do I have to be tech savvy to use either of these two OS. I have used XP, Vista, win 7 and using Win 8 right now and also MAC OSx leopard. And one last question, Can i use both windows 8 and Linux/Ubuntu in the same laptop? (SPECS: core i3 4th gen, 500 gb HDD, 8gb ssd, 4gb Ram)
Hey,
As you are a novice, I suggest you dual boot your laptop i.e. use Windows and Linux in the same machine:
https://itsfoss.com/guide-install-linux-mint-16-dual-boot-windows/
I always back at Ubuntu: there’s nothing to do.
Just stumbled onto this article, had no idea that derivatives of ubuntu were coming onto the scene (I still use 6.10 on my laptop and am only now looking to upgrade!). It seems that all the reasons you have raised seem to be short term (e.g. buggy USB formatter, slow software updating system etc), it just doesn’t seem like enough to justify Mint over the long term.
What seems like a great selling point for business and/or serious users is long term support, and knowing that the developers behind the project have some sort of commercial backing that ensures that they will be around in the long term and are being rewarded for the work they do.
Not much is mentioned about ease of use or any core characteristics that make Mint obviously better than the base it was written on. It just doesn’t seem that having a few features that are better (or working) are great long term reasons for one over the other.
Having said that, I think I will still give Mint a go and hope for the best. Thanks
@joelcass:disqus wow you are still using Ubuntu 6. I almost fainted reading that ;)
As I mentioned in the first few paragraphs, it is from the point of view of a beginner who is switching from Windows. Buggy USB formatter may not be an issue for an intermediate user but it will be a huge issue for a new user. Imagine if you cannot format USB by right clicking on it in Windows. The world will be upside down and people start running on the roads crazy, hypothetically :)
By the way, the USB format issue which you have called a bug has been matured in a feature after ruling Ubuntu for more than 1.5 years and 4 version (12.10, 13.04, 13.10 and now 14.04). I don’t understand why these basic feature is not given importance in Ubuntu. I mean if Mint can do it, so do Ubuntu.
I plan to write a comparison of Ubuntu 14.04 and Mint 17 soon. Will like your view there as well.
P.S. Ubuntu is still my fav.
I am about to compare LXLE 14.04 vs Mint KDE with LXDE installed. I just want to see if either is significantly faster, which is more friendly, if ant, and in terms of actual desktop which is more configurable to my taste. For clarification the KDE is just to get some Apps without additional download.
I used Ubuntu 6.06 for ages but never after that. Mandrake 7.0 then Suse 9.1-3. I have been using Mint since 9 but got fed up of MATE (bland) & Cinnamon
just keeps throwing a wobbler on something innocuous. I don’t really
like XFCE for some reason.
The problem with Ubuntu is they are driven by a different strategy “Money” & “World Domination”.
I’ve been an Ubuntu fan for quite a while, but disinfranchized by the login problems with Ubuntu since 12.04. Unless someone can give me something better than change “quiet splash” which doesn’t work, I’m switching to a different flavor of linux.
Thanks for the overview, this was useful as a Windows user considering the switch.
Welcome James…
I have been fooling around with Ubuntu for a while now. I am on 14.04 LTS. Is it possible to move from Trusty to Mint 16? Mint 16 is based on Ubuntu 13.10, I was inclined to switch from Ubuntu to Mint 16, but then Trusty just rolled out and I wanted to give it a try. Some perks like easy customization option, Cinnamon, and being lite, grid app store are tempting me to try my hands on Mint. Do you guys think I just have to follow the same steps to move to Mint 16 from 13.10, to actually move from 14.04 to Mint?
Thanks
so basically the 5 reasons was… worth nothing..
Why always Ubuntu, or Mint?? Why not Debian? Stop being so badass with these silly Live CDs for kids
Every time I see an “experienced” Linux user missing the point of a “for beginners” distro post and being a whiny elitist twat throwing insults around, I put off any serious Linux experimentation for another month.
I’ll be stuck on Windows for another 2 decades at this rate. :3
I don’t catch the point. You have the same amount of tutorials, it’s the same as Ubuntu, and, if you want to learn, you’ll never do it using scripts (which almost all of them are useless or out of date)
I’m not sure why Mint is so famous, just saying.
Yeah, sure, install Debian and then never have any packages released after 2010.
Using Debian Jessie (Testing branch) here. My packages are up to date, most of them are downloaded from experimental branches, or even Ubuntu PPAs. Damn, I’m using Steam too.
Simple question: Is Mint petra faster than ubuntu 13.10 on a old notebook (2007 dell XPS 1300) ??
simple answer: YES
another garbage article
My pc configuration are dual core processor 3.2Ghz , 1.2Gb of ram.
I installed Linux Mint olivia and i found that it used 100% of my cpu.
So using 100% of cpu can cause problem to my pc? Then i switched back to ubuntu which is using 10-15% of the cpu when idle whereas linux mint used 100% cpu usage.
Thats due to a bug. mint will use around the same unless there is something glitching out as in your case.
I tried to give Ubuntu so many chances, but since it became popular (and I’m talking of about three years ago) the decrease in quality has been evident. The last version, 13.10, is the worst I ever tried and the only one i’ve managed to crash completely even if I’ve been completely windows free since 2003. Linux Mint is better in every meaning, from a cleaner interface to a better hardware optimization.
Great article… helped me a lot to make a decision! Thx
Welcome Sebastian :)
I’ve used Ubuntu on and off for a couple of years in dual boot with Win XP or Win7. I recently got more serious due to the imminent demise of WinXP. I tried all the Ubuntu flavours and all the Mint flavours along with a few other distros. I don’t like Unity and have now installed Mint 16 Cinnamon on my Win7 desktop and laptop. It works a dream out of the box and I now mainly use Mint. I rarely ever log in to Win7 now except for some specialist software that only runs under Windows as I’ve not got to grips with Virtualbox yet. I installed Mint 16 xfce on my 6 older laptops and desktops. Fantastic. Again, works out of the box and runs much faster than XP did. For me Mint is simple to use, looks good and just works. With Ubuntu there always seemed to be something I had to tweak or add to get things running.
Just a point about codecs. All my machines were originally Windows so as far as I’m concerned I have already paid for codecs through the WIndows licence. However, it would be nice if there was a simple way to download paid for codecs for all those who need them.
Wow.. you have 5 laptops and desktops :)
I cannot suggest anything for paid codecs. I have no experience with them, unfortunately.
I counted 8: a Win7 desktop and laptop; 6 older laptops and desktops.
I have been using Cinnamon for about 3 weeks, I don’t see myself going back to Ubuntu until they get rid of or make Unity better(?).
Yeah Matt, too many of us have had similar “you need to replace this
with windows” exchanges. I don’t even buy licenses myself, much less
give them away. Back to points of the column and another who commented,
I too have found Xubuntu far smoother than the Gnome and Unity versions
of Ubuntu. Configuration is very intuitive, and the single task bar is
familiar to those coming in from other operating systems. I use Mint
16 too but for most of my systems I stick with Xubuntu. I will say,
Ubuntu 13.04 and 13.10 had rather notorious problems setting up the
Geforce 6600 I have. I was able to fix things from the repair menu, but
Ubuntu initially left me with a black screen whereas Mint brought me to the
desktop.
What I don’t warm up to is the RPM-based distributions
like Fedora. I’m able to run them fine, just the Debian-Ubuntu side
seems to handle dependencies better etc. This is personal bias and not
necessarily fact, however I started with Fedora and didn’t get won over
until Ubuntu 10.04.
So, have you tried Mint Xfce? How does that compare to Xubuntu? I leave an old laptop at my in-laws’ house out of town, and need a lightweight distro for it. I have Bodhi on it now, but I’m not satisfied, so I’m going to install either Xubuntu or Mint Xfce next time I’m there.
Regarding your comment about RPM-based distros… that’s what chased me from Fedora. Trying to install anything back in the day (early 00’s) was painful as it didn’t handle dependencies well. But I persevered, trying different distros. After Fedora, I tried Gentoo. An update killed my USB functionality after a year or so, so that was the end of that. Tried Debian next. Then decided I’ve had enough of all the manual installing, and wanted something that just worked out of the box, so Ubuntu it was starting with 7.10. Stuck with 10.10 for a while until I decided to switch again (I wasn’t interested in Unity or Gnome 3), and I’ve had Mint 14 since it came out. I’ll be upgrade to 16 shortly.
All that to say I’ve been a constant Linux user for a long time. Windows 98 was my last full-time version. :P
Andrew, I have just dipped my toe in the water with Linux because of the pending demise of Windows XP. I have an old HP laptop from 2005, with a Celeron processor running at 1.3 GHZ, a 512MB cache, one GB of DDR2 RAM and a 40 GB hard drive. I just installed 32-bit Linux Mint 13 (Xfce) and it runs very well so far. (I chose Maya (13) because it is supported through 2017 – so I won’t have to keep reinstalling Linux Mint every six months.) I did run into one problem; I chose to erase my hard drive at installation and thereby lost my Broadcom wireless LAN driver. Thus, I was initially forced to use a wired connection to reach the Internet. However, I had a leftover Netgear USB wireless b/g adapter, so I plugged that into the computer. It was recognized and installed, with no further action on my part, in about 30 seconds. 30 seconds later, I was connected to my Wi-Fi network. Since my built-in Broadcom adapter is also only b/g, I have lost very little with this work-around.
i have used linux mint for about one nd half month but soon realized no matter how sleek,stylish mint may be,ubuntu is better than mint.
How legal is it to include all these codecs out of the box?
I’m currently a Xubuntu user myself, but I do love Mint better. The only reason I’m not using it now is because it performs terribly on my old desktop for some reason. I run the OS from an external hard drive because my internal one died on me, and I haven’t been able to get another yet. I think it may have something to do with that…..
Hmm.. may be because Xubuntu is lighter than Mint with Cinnamon. Lighter OS perform better on old desktops.
P.S. I like your articles :)
Thanks :)
Newbie help please. I would like to download Mint but don’t understand which version to pick due to the editions and mirrors. With XP no longer being supported, I really would like to have it replaced (on my still working, after swapping a hard drive , 9 yr old laptop)
This thread might help. http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=140561
I think mainly you would choose 64-bit if you have 4GB or more RAM. Otherwise, 32-bit will due. As far as Desktop Environments, that is really up to you. You will need to try each one out and see which you like best. Or you can look up videos and see each one in action. If you need lightweight, go with XFCE or MATE. If that doesn’t matter, KDE and Cinnamon are a better choice. I personally like XFCE and MATE best (and MATE out of the two).
Good luck!
Try Mint XFCE, it’s the same desktop as Xubuntu (the ‘X’ in Xubuntu comes from XFCE). Probably faster than Xubuntu. At least on my new laptop Mint XFCE boots in about 3 seconds.
Thanks @tomphillpotts:disqus, I’ll try it!
Somehow I still like Ubuntu (and Kubuntu) better than Linux Mint – installed Nadia – and my ( and my son) feeling is Ubuntu is much better than Linux Mint ‘Nadia’ – since it is much easier with Ubuntu & Kubuntu. This is my feeling. (Using from Jaunty onwards)
Yes! Once you are a bit experienced with Linux, its more of personal choice to chose one Linux distro or other. I too keep coming back to Ubuntu. Probably because its my first ‘love’ as a Linux distribution :P
As you, I have tried other distributions and always end up back at Ubuntu. They always seem to lack something, Does Mint play DVD movies right out of the box? I had one friend (no money like many of us) using Ubuntu for a couple months, she called up and asked what was on her computer after I had extensivley explained to her what I was doing when I fixed it. “I need Windows XP” Why? Well one of my friends came over and said this is “No Good.” Me, “Have you had any problems?” Her, “No.”
” Did he know what it was?” She says, “No, but he said it was junk.” Me. “Ahh. OK Bring you’re box and 175 bucks, I’ll buy the operating system you don’t own, and install it.” Her, “Oh don’t you have one fer free?” Me,”No, That’s not legal, Mr. Gates frowns upon this, Matt doesn’t do bootleg installs.” She said, “well my friend…..”
Me.” why doesn’t your friend fix your computer if he’s so talented? She,” well he’s going to computer school and says he doesn’t know how to do it yet…..”
Yes, Mint DOES everything out of the box. You may customize it, but all codecs are already there, moreover updates don’t do a mess with your installed packages as Ubuntu does. I used Ubuntu for years, now Im happy with Mint and don’t look back! :-)
I did not try playing DVDs in Linux Mint but as Alexander confirmed, it works out of box. Even without Medibuntu, you can play commercial DVDs in Ubuntu by installing libdvdcss2 with VLC.
For your ‘XP fan’ friend, I just feel pity for her.
that story sounds extremely fake.
In reality, it is more like this.
she: What the hell did you install on my computer?
you: a system that is so much better than M$ windows.
she; I want windows xp/7.
You: why? but Linux is so much better…
She: I need office and I want to play games
You: but Linux is free…… fine, bring some money.
She: screw it, I’ll ask my other friend to install it for me for free. (ps. I’ll probably sleep with him too.. JK).
Ok, jokes aside, it is just irresponsible to install linux for someone who doesn’t know anything about operating system…
My girlfriend knows I am using Linux and sometimes Mac but she never had any complain… she usually would just use any OS currently running on the computer…
Same situation in my home. My GF work with Seven. And she don’t have problem with my pc on Ubuntu.
The only one difference for her is the different shortcut for manipulate the clipboard.
If I asked her if she was ready to buy Windows 8 :
“Why the fuck want you pay for that? It’s not better because windows cost more cash!”
However it’s necessary to be present if there is needed to enter two command lines because Linux don’t boot.
I would have to disagree with it being irresponsible. This might have been the case years ago when Linux was not a very userfriendly os when used as a desktop. Today however the open source community has made great strides in making Linux desktops user friendly, infact I installed linux mint 17 for my mother a few days back, she does not know how to do much other than check email, surf the web, download pictures and chat with friends on facebook and when I asked her how things are going she said, no problems everything is good. She has not called me for help since I installed it three days ago and on windows she was asking for help every hour or so, litteraly.
While I do agree linux has come a long way in the past decade, I think your example is exaggerated. If surfing the web and checking emails are the only concerns, then honestly any OS would work. Linux got firefox and thunderbird, Windows got firefox and thunderbird, and I’m pretty sure OSX got a pretty decent mail client and firefox.
But what about if other things are involved? Take office for example, maybe it wouldn’t make too much difference for your mother whether she uses MS office or Libreoffice, but to the typical students, MS office is not replaceable (at least not yet).
In addition, although linux is much better in terms of user friendliness. There are still a lot of bugs and glitches when you first install the system. I always need to do some tweaking to get everything working correctly. Sometimes it’s a icon that wouldn’t work, othertimes the wifi would drop. There is always something.
I love it, but I wouldn’t replace windows with it yet.
I agree that threre is not yet a decent office replacement for Ms office. And you are correct all the aformentioned OS are capable of doing those simple tasks. I would have to say though that I have installed 5 linux distros in the past week or so and have experienced no bugs with any of the installers, some of these were archbang, crunchbang, ubuntu, debian and linux mint 17. No problems experienced during instalation. Also the Linux kernel is very stable and reliable, thats why it is used so much for server environments. What extra stuff a distro packages, weather its a rolling release, providing most current and possibly buggy software/ testing. Or it only releses well known stable versions of both software and the kernel.
I always need to tweak also, but when I used windows I always had to tweak as well. I have not had any problems with icons not working or my internet, though I cannot speak about wifi as I always am connected wired through ethernet.
I respect your views and agree to disagree, for me Linux is a fantastic replacement, though I can definately side with you on the front of ms office, and even some other software such as sony vegas and movie studio. Things are better enough for me and my mother.
Maybe its not for everyone but I would have to say, I just setup a brand new $1000 laptop running an i7 processor with windows 8 and was very disapointed at the infinte repair loop introduced with the 8.1 update. I had to literaly redo hours of work, because while some people have been able to overcome the loop, others are not, and it seems that not all hardware agrees with it yet. Sorry but im very disapointed in microsoft, they got xp right, messed up vista, got windows 7 right, messed up windows 8, and now are releaseing a windows 9. Hope its better for the rest of the world.
My experience is somewhat opposite to yours. I have not had any problems with windows since 7 came out. the system just works when I install it. There maybe some small things I need to change in the control panel, but overall I don’t really need to worry about drivers and so on.
The same cannot be said for ubuntu. I have tried 4 different distros, and for each of them there are some problems. I first installed ubuntu, and dual-screen setup won’t work propserly. Then I tried one that looks like OSx, and the reboot/shut down button stopped working. Mint didn’t work out for me since the system didn’t feel fast enough for some reason, and what I am using right now, xubuntu, had a couple problems I need to fix before I can use it. For example, the numlock was off by default, even though my bios had it on. Wifi became extremely slow and I had to look it up online to fix it with some codes. screen off time doesn’t work, and I had to install some third party screen saver app to get it to work. Oh, also, install Chinese input is a lot of work too.
I actually install xubuntu on my parents’ computer and had it set up in a way that it looks like windows’ interface. My parents always manage to get some kind of malware/adware on their windows OS. They mostly use their computer for web-surfing so xubuntu works for them.
But if I was there to make sure everything will work, there is just no way my parents can figure out how to set everything up properly. That’s what I meant when I said ” it is just irresponsible to install linux for someone who doesn’t know anything about operating system”
I am sorry to hear that you are having to deal with these issues. Maybe linux needs to work on better wifi integration / support. Fortunately Im on a ethernet. And I could not imagine how frustrating it would be if I could not install a language pack.
When you say if I was not there to make sure everything works, I can see where you are coming from and have a better understanding of your view. As I had done the updating and installation of her Nvidia drivers, from terminal for her where she would not have known how. Though on my own machine after liking her mint 17 so much I installed it for my desktop and found that I could have avoided the terminal method of installing the drivers by using system settings/device drivers and ticking the radio button for my driver.
I will stay in linux forever now, as we are both tech savvy, I can fix my problems as they arise or get help. I remember how many problems plagued windows besides viruses / malware. Today however malware is everywhere including being bundled now with the AVG Free, thats right they include an installer for Conduit which will render your system useless, it takes me around 8 hours to manualy remove conduit infections. Allot of software which used to be great, free and did not have malware, such as utorrent and imgburn are now being bundled with conduit. This is what made me most fusterated, sure I was making money off it with the increased phonecalls for support but It bothers me that my clients have to deal with these things. Though im not saying Linux is free of viruses, its just less targeted so simply visiting a bad site is not likely to infect you, and to spread you need root access.
Its been fun having a civilized conversation with you, and I respect your views. I wish you all the best
thumb up. I have both windows and xubuntu on my computers. Web surfing on xubuntu, and working/gaming on windows.
It is definitely a great system for those who are tech savy enough to use it.
not true…..i installed it on alot of ppls computers that r retarded with all pcs….ant they actualy prefer it cuz they cant get viruses and they dont gotta fix the computer every 6 months like windows
Mint looks awesome. Its faster, beautiful and works out of the box. Thats what wins over most beginners. I wouldn’t have managed to convince my friends to switch to Linux had it not been for Mint. The only person I got to use Ubuntu switched back to Windows immediately. I however prefer Ubuntu because its easier for me to mess with. I only hope the unity dash is made optional or abandoned. Its so slow I hardly use it.
Unity scopes could be more useful on mobile device, on desktop, like you, I seldom use them.
It’s pretty easy to get all the features we have on linux mint become live on ubuntu.
Isn’t it?
Debian is better than ubuntu, Ubuntu is better than Linux mint, I think because parent is always parent, kid is always a kid.
It depends on how we like it.
If
Kid likes Mint,
Young likes Ubuntu,
Parent likes Debian…
I think we geek’s don’t stay too much on kids version. I hope you roll back to Ubuntu or debian soon ;)
Hi Amar,
Of course one can do all these things in Ubuntu and Debian. My point is here that Linux Mint could be a better choice for an absolute beginner to Linux who is coming from Windows.
I guess you agreed by saying Kids like Mint, Young likes Ubuntu and Parent likes Debian. Nice way of putting it :)
I’ll switch back to Ubuntu soon. Just experimenting with other Linux distros :)
Ya kidz like linux mint…..:)
Observe it bro, linux mint lags after 1-2 weeks of usage. I don’t know if it happens to all, but i felt that.
You might also replace “kid” with “inexperience” in your analogy – a less offputting term, esp. when we’re trying to encourage migration to open source.
Consider: the day will come when the younger generation’s understanding of the new technology exceeds yours. And you won’t care because you have different priorities (career/kids). Will you take kindly to being referred to as a kid as you try to learn and adapt?
This is the typical linux-thinking, also the one that made linux a curiosity for geeks. We are in 2014, an OS needs to be efficient and easy, even if this comes at cost of stability: 99% of users are in need of an OS capable of doing everything out of the box, not a server-grade performance. I love Debian philosophy, but it is completely out of time: a rolling release, always up to date, modern in graphics and easy to use is the future; hail to Mint.
I’m a CS grad student and I love mint. I’m fine using other flavors of Linux, but I don’t have time to waste tweaking things. All I really need is a clean interface that works out of the box and that has access to aptitude.