Android vs Linux Mint

There are about 18000 released devices that run on Android. This means that a user familiar with Android can have a large variety of devices from which they can choose.

Android gives users the ability to define which apps perform which action. For example, if an Android device has several browsers installed, the user can choose a default one which will start every time a link is for example opened from another app.

The AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is the software stack for the Android OS. It is led by the open handset alliance which includes firms like Google, Acer, NXP, Motorola and many others.

The fact that Android is an open source software has led to many custom Android variants. It also is a big assurance of Android's safety in terms of privacy.

For those that already use Google's services, like Google Maps and GMail, Android offers tighter integration with those services than any of the alternatives, and saves users the need to create extra accounts.

One of the massive benefits of Android being open-sourced are all the modifications you can make to the phone to customise pretty much anything. Some of the cooler things you can do are:

• Replace the entire operating system with a custom ROM.
• Replace the keyboard.
• Change the home screen launcher.
• Change the lock screen.

Android phones can cost little as $100.

Desktop widgets provide quick access to the information you need quickly and access the most. These are available out of the box, and can be developed by anyone. Widgets on the lockscreen have been removed since the Lollipop update, but is available on 3rd party lockscreens such as AC Display and KK Locker.

Google Now is an intelligent personal assistant available within the Google Search mobile application for the Android and iOS operating systems. It's software that makes your life more convenient by giving you all the information you need at any moment.

Built in text to speech is provided by TalkBack for people with low or no vision. Enhancements for people with hearing disabilities are available as are other aids.

Android 5.0.+ supports screen recording via a new api.
Android 4.4 KitKat supports screen recording accessible via an ADB command on unrooted devices.

Can customize the home screens with widgets (not just a grid of apps like iOS).

Since Android is written by a worldwide community of developers it is very unlikly that backdoorss exist for any local governments.

Android does frequent updates to keep users secure.

You can root your phone to get full access.

You can sideload apps.

It is fully working without the play store or the Google play services.

Since Android is open source and developed worldwide, anyone can read the code and there are no government forced backdoors.

You can use external displays with MHL, HDMI, DP or miracast. It supports external storage devices like microSD cards or USB OTG devices. You can also use almost any kind of USB or Bluetooth input devices like keyboards, mice or game controllers.

Since Android 10 you can use gestures to control the OS.

There are major versions of android however the most important components are modular and get frequently updated.

You can do anything you want with YOUR phone.

Mint is highly recommended for both users coming from Windows, as well as users coming from Ubuntu, but unhappy with Ubuntu's recent, rather dramatic interface changes. Mint provides an updated interface with a look and feel similar to Gnome 2, with an application menu reminiscent of the Windows 7 Start Menu, with categorization and search.

Mint comes bundled with software for browsing the web, editing pictures, browsing files, watching videos and even a full office suite (LibreOffice). An average user can use Mint right away after a fresh install, using all the software that comes with the distribution to complete most of their daily tasks.

Mint gains a very strong package ecosystem and software manager of Debian, including more than 30,000 packages available from the Debian repositories.

It's based upon Ubuntu LTS or Debian.
It depends on which one you select - Linux Mint or Linux Mint Debian Edition.
The Debian Edition is even more stable.

Linux Mint uses the same installer as Ubuntu. It is very easy to use for beginners, and also allows more advanced users to choose their own partitions. Linux Mint's Cinnamon desktop is highly customizable and can be made to look however preferred.

Long Term Support versions are versions of software that are continuously updated for an extended period of time, even after newer versions are launched. LTS versions will typically get feature additions and enhancements for an extended period of time, then security updates up until its End of Life. An LTS release should typically be considered good for at least 5 years.

There are several different ways to get support for this distribution, including the forums, their IRC channel, or their github repositories if you think their software isn't behaving as it should.

The Linux Mint team is very dedicated to upgrading and improving Mint, to the point where the releases are fairly predictable. They are also dedicated to their users, meaning that they are responsive to critiques, suggestions, etc.

The OS has different update settings for different users and has easy manual within the OS.

Linux Mint does maintain a free software environment, however, it does offer full support to proprietary software (Chrome, Skype, Teamviewer).

Linux Mint is not Canonical, while based upon Ubuntu.

Linux Mint is currently the most hit page on DistroWatch. Because of its popularity, long-term support is pretty guaranteed.

The distro is the easiest operating system to run ever.

This tool backs up the core OS files to an external drive with an option for full encryption.

You can choose between Cinnamon, MATE and XFCE.

Linux Mint has a quite pretty default desktop. Cinnamon is adopted by other distros also.

Mint is extremely easy to install, and with community support, easy to move onto adjusting the OS to meet your specific needs. The vast majority of instructions for undertaking configuration work and are easy to understand.

MATE is a classic desktop as opposed to the newer "Unity" desktop. For people who prefer the classic style this is one of only few modern distributions with still active MATE desktop development.