When comparing Windows 10 vs FreeBSD, the Slant community recommends FreeBSD for most people. In the question“What is the best operating system for a developer?” FreeBSD is ranked 5th while Windows 10 is ranked 9th. The most important reason people chose FreeBSD is:
Ports provide a wide collection of software which are easy to build, install and modify. They contain recipes and patches to build various software, so you can simply run "make && make install" to build and install the software. You may also keep local patches and it would be picked up automatically. It also allows you to use the latest software even if you are not using the latest version of the operating system.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Latest version of Windows.
Pro DirectX 12
The newest version of Microsoft’s DirectX application programming interface, which handles visual and other multimedia tasks on Windows-based systems.
Pro Good compatibility with Windows 7 software
Both applications and drivers created for Windows 7 work well on Windows 10.
Pro Better than all the other Windows versions
Iv'e tried Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, Xp and I'll choose Windows 10 every time. It's better than all the previous versions (yes even Windows 7, which is overrated in my opinion).
Pro Returns to a more familiar style start bar unlike Windows 8
Pro Built-in support for VPNs
A VPN connection can be established from the "Change Virtual Private Network" panel. Quickest way to access the panel is by searching for "VPN" in the start menu.
Pro Built-in way to play DVDs
No third-party software is required to play DVDs.
Pro Tablet mode is a pain to use
The tablet mode of Windows 10 has many issues compared to other major tablet operating systems like Android, for example:
- 1.) In the tablet mode the desktop is replaced by the Windows 10 start menu
- 1.1.) As there is no Desktop there is no proper launcher to start your apps so you always have to open that windows 10 start menu...
- 2.) Virtual keyboard often don't come up automatically(you need to click on the keybord icon near the systray to bring it up)
- 2.1.) If the keyboard is docked and comes up it will lay over the window and if(like here on slant) the entry box is on the bottom of the page it will lay over that box so you have to manually undock the keyboard and move it to any other border which of course breaks other options like scrolling a page etc.
- 2.2.) Virtual keyboard and virtual touchpad have no customization options so you can't make them bigger or smaller etc.
Pro Powerful ports collection
Ports provide a wide collection of software which are easy to build, install and modify. They contain recipes and patches to build various software, so you can simply run "make && make install" to build and install the software. You may also keep local patches and it would be picked up automatically. It also allows you to use the latest software even if you are not using the latest version of the operating system.
Pro Batteries included
Base system contains basic developer tools, including compiler, debugger and system utilities.
Pro Jails mechanism
Jails allow for partitioning a system into several independent "mini-systems", a feature not found in many of the popular OS choices.
Pro Stable updates
Pro Great philosophy
FreeBSD won't change everything from a version to another, it tries to keep and maintain old tools as long as possible, and won't replace half the system every two versions like GNU/Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Arch or Fedora does. everything is stable and also pretty minimal. FreeBSD is designed for performance.
Cons
Con Collects a lot of user data and sends it Microsoft by default
By default Windows 10 gathers information related to contacts, location, calendar and input (text and touch). The process for opting out of all data collection efforts is both time consuming and requires a reasonable amount of technical know-how.
Con Includes ads by default
Even in the Pro version.
Con Lacks polish
Many interface and functionality changes have not been finalized yet, creating an inconsistent user experience. For example, there are both simplified Windows 10 style settings menus as well as Windows 7 style settings menus that can easily create confusion.
Similarly, many of the bundled applications (People, Photos, Groove, Mail, Calendar, etc) lack functionality compared to their counterparts in previous Windows versions.
Con Forced updates to Home and Pro versions
Since Microsoft has a checkered past in regard to Windows updates, many people worry that a bad patch might break applications, drivers, peripherals or even brick their computers.
Con No guest accounts
Windows 10 lacks the ability to set up Guest accounts.
Con Installs bloatware
It installs many Windows Store apps by default. Moreover, it updates them automatically even after you uninstalled them, then they come back when you install a bigger update or service pack, eg: the creator's update.
Con Start menu lacks expected customization options
It's not possible to cascade menus, pin files, locations or apps to the list (it's possible to pin apps to the live tile section) or add custom menus.
Con Horrible stock performance on old hardware
Would recommend windows 7 (or even 8.1) on older (older than 5-6 years) hardware.
Con No built-in way to play DVDs
Third-party software is required to play DVDs.
Con Pathetic third-party application support
Need to run Photoshop? No luck. Even most software that's portable to Linux will have a hard time running on FreeBSD. You're stuck with ONLY running the free software.
Con Inferior driver support for workstations
Lack of drivers for some modern personal devices.
Con Not for beginners
If a user needs an easy way to navigate around the filesystem, a text only Unix-derivative is not his best choice.