Here’s the Deal

Windows 8.1 vs Devuan GNU+Linux

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When comparing Windows 8.1 vs Devuan GNU+Linux, the Slant community recommends Devuan GNU+Linux for most people. In the question“What is the best laptop OS?” Devuan GNU+Linux is ranked 6th while Windows 8.1 is ranked 61st. The most important reason people chose Devuan GNU+Linux is:

It is stable like Debian.

Specs

No specs yet!

Based OnDebian

Default Desktop EnvironmentXFCE

Init-SystemSysVinit, runit or OpenRC

Initial Release2016

Main UsageServers, Industry(Stable/Oldstable) | Desktop, Multimedia(Testing/Unstable)

OS FamilyGNU/Linux

Official Supported Architecturesaarch64, armel, armhf, i386, ppc64le, amd64

OriginWorldwide

Package Managerdpkg with apt, aptitude or apt-build

Release ScheduleLong-term support (stable edition) and rolling release (testing and unstable editions)

Release TypeBinary

Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking

Common Questions

What is the best laptop OS?

Pros

Pro
Hardware Compatibility

Windows has excellent x86-based compatibility, and has recently announced ARM compatibility as well.

Pro
Familiar Windows Interface

As opposed to unfamiliar and purpose-built Linux distros, Windows still reigns supreme for sheer usability and ease of use.

Pro
Customizable UI

There are many that can be used to customize the MetroTile screen and add custom tiles. Then, by adding custom tiles you can configure them to open any application or web page that you need. For example: Netflix, HBOGo or Steam.

Pro
Stability

It is stable like Debian.

Pro
It's Debian

Devuan is Debian just without systemd, it just mirrors the the Debian archive and repacks packages that have hard dependencies on systemd.

Pro
Excellent for normal people

It is easy to use and is a good choice for beginners.

Pro
No Systemd

Pro
Most decent look amongst other XFCE distros

Default XFCE theme is unique of all the XFCE distos including MXLinux, Xubuntu etc.

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Cons

Con
Expensive

You will need to purchase a Windows license.

Con
Resource Intensive

In contrast to many dedicated solutions which can run on nearly anything, running a full Windows install requires decent hardware. This is not a lightweight solution.

Con
Difficult to install on non-free hardware

Unlike Debian, Devuan offers no unfree netinstall media, so if your system needs unfree drivers (e.g a laptop or a tablet), you'll have to download the Debian firmware on a separate USB.

Con
No systemd

Con
Fragmentation

Forked distributions like Devuan and Artix fragment the Linux community and hurt the original project. Debian users who do not want systemd should use Slackware or BSD instead.