Is Linux really faster than MS Windows ?

[Jeff Vian]

On Sun, 2005-03-06 at 23:42 -0800, Skunk Worx wrote:
> Gene Heskett wrote:
> > On Saturday 05 March 2005 19:20, Skunk Worx wrote:
> > 
> >>Parameshwara Bhat wrote:
> >>
> >>>Any comments ? Or am I missing something ?
> >>
> >>i've been working on a windows XP box, trying to figure out why it
> >>grinds the hard drive all day, on every mouse movement, while linux
> >>plugged into the same machine (same model model/size hard drive
> >>swapped in) does not.
> > 
> > 
> > My instant, gut reaction is that your XP box has a keylogger 
> > installed, and that it logging every keypress and mouse move.
> > Get yourself a good snooper utility and see what it says about that.  
> > It is un-natural, even for a windows box.
> > 
> 
> interesting replies (i've read all of them, only responding to one) but 
> this is not my box, belongs to an elderly person, not sure why they 
> should have to go through this.
> 
> windows is really kind of a poor solution in general if it is so easy to 
> hide keyloggers, etc. (as a casual google shows).
> 

I agree, and it IS easy to do.  Processes can be hidden from the task
manager so they are never seen.

> also not sure why i should have to "dig" for any swap settings, or why 
> they would be wrong in the first place.
> 

You should not have to dig. that was the comment made about the
difficulty with Windows.  All versions less than NT/2K use dynamic swap
file by default, and as a result cause fragmentation of the swap file
after a period of time as it dynamically grows.  Only those experienced
with the default and how to fix it can avoid the inevitable slowdown in
performance.

> if you people have some bone to pick with linux, or are pro-windows, 
> take it off list...it's not a fedora support issue.
>