Thanks for the A2A.
First of all let me say something, that all the other writers missed: Linux isn’t even an operating system. It’s just a kernel. An operating system core, that does the basic stuff like managing running processes. So, there is a significant different between Linux and other operating systems.
What does that mean? You have to take other operating systems like Windows for what they are and adjust your working style to what you get. Since Linux-based operating systems are modular systems, they are very versatile and offer you a lot of freedom. It can be as big or as small as you want it to be. And it can be adjusted to your purpose, taste and working style.
The catch is, that modular systems like Linux-based systems are usually being picked up and adjusted by experienced users and they require the according knowledge to get the most out of them. The good thing is, that you can create something user- and beginner-friendly from it. It depends on the combination of tools though, or as it is called in the Linux world, the Linux distribution. This is also the reason, why there are so many of them out there. Because they cater to different purposes and taste.
The good news is, that Linux-based systems became a lot more beginner-friendly over the past two decades. I had senior switch from Windows to Linux within only a few minutes. After that they used it as if they always had before and they never looked back. Linux is being developed by humans. The switch is usually not as hard as most people would think. Given you know where to start (I come to that later). In daily use many of the average things are very similar or almost the same. It just looks slightly different. And yes, we are talking about stuff like Firefox, Thunderbird and VLC player, that are vastly known from Windows too.
Is it lighter and faster than other operating systems like Windows? Depends on what you are comparing, but usually yes. On average, a Linux system with all tools for daily use, like office suite, Internet browser, e-mail client, audio and video players and more usually takes up just as much space as a very basic Windows system with no extras. The average Linux distribution for desktop would put somewhere between 250 and 450MB of load on RAM. Heavy weights put somewhere between 700MB and 1100MB of load on RAM. In many years I haven’t seen ANY Windows setup, that hasn’t put at least 2 to 2.5GB of load on RAM in idle. So, Linux is usually A LOT lighter than Windows.
Meaning, Linux-based systems are usually clearly faster too. Linux is being used on servers, most of the super computers… and imagine an operating system that is being used inside minimalist devices like your Internet modem, firewalls, smartTVs and so forth. Can you imagine, that something like this is faster than a bloated one-fits-all system like Windows? In fact, Android is based on the Linux kernel and is the most used operating system in the world!
Based on the nature of the question, I have to assume, that you are a newbie and are asking yourself, if Linux could be for you, if it could be a viable alternative compared to the known stuff like Windows and if it is worth it for you to test it.
Let me answer all your questions with the following suggestion: read the (kindle) book Linux Start For Windows Users. It answers all your questions. It shows you how to get up and running with Linux without touching your current setup, it suggests an easy to use and beginner-friendly Linux distribution, it offers you a few valuable basics and it goes through the whole preparation and installation process. If you want to give Linux a try and see if it is for you, it’s a great starting point. Once you know how it works, you can be surfing the Internet inside Linux in less than half an hour.
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