Q4OS Forum

wildfins

Member

Registered: 2016-03-11

Posts: 2

feedback request: Q4OS vs. ElementaryOS vs. LXLE vs. Ubuntu-MATE vs...

Q4OS vs. ElementaryOS vs. LXLE vs. Ubuntu-MATE vs...

Noob to the Linux world here as I am really tired of all these Windozes bugs, auto-update patches, malwares, viruses and security breaches... 

Started reading a bit then some more, then a lot more... and got lost because of too many Linux flavors that are like stars on the sky (unlike Mac/Windozes), so dunno which Linux distros to shoot for and don't have much time to try and play either. 

In the end, I think that it might come down to the following selections for my personal needs but would like to receive feedback from the vets with regards to the pros/cons for each of these distros.

Your feedback is much appreciated, thanks a bunch...

lite-weight selection:
> Q4OS (Debian-based, DE Trinity, fast, stable, Windozes UI like so wife will like...)
> ElementaryOS (Ubuntu-based, DE Unity)
> LXLE (Lubuntu-based, DE LXDE)
> Ubuntu-MATE (Ubuntu-based, DE MATE)

workstation selection:
> Q4OS? (Debian-based)
> CentOS (Debian-based)
> Mint 17.3 (Ubuntu-based, DE Cinnamon/MATE/KDE/XFCE)
> LMDE 2 (Mint Debian-based, DE Cinnamon/MATE)
> Ubuntu Studio

Dai_trying

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2015-12-14

Posts: 2,989

Re: feedback request: Q4OS vs. ElementaryOS vs. LXLE vs. Ubuntu-MATE vs...

I guess I'll chip in here, I would go for q4os as a lite system to use, and hmmmm.... q4os for a workstation too. Not too much of a shock for a q4os forum reply eh?
In all seriousness though each offering is a good alternative to windows, and depending upon your personal tastes and uses each of them would run ok, I think most of them offer live-cd's for you to try without installing so that would probably be the best route to go down. try a few and see which one you like best or which one fits your needs best.

NobleSerf

Member

Registered: 2016-03-03

Posts: 9

Re: feedback request: Q4OS vs. ElementaryOS vs. LXLE vs. Ubuntu-MATE vs...

lite-weight selection:
> Q4OS (Debian-based, DE Trinity, fast, stable, Windozes UI like so wife will like...)
> ElementaryOS (Ubuntu-based, DE Unity)
> LXLE (Lubuntu-based, DE LXDE)
> Ubuntu-MATE (Ubuntu-based, DE MATE)

Out of these, I'd say Q4OS is your best bet. I tried elementary OS a while back, and it's very mac-like (the DE is actually Pantheon, not Unity). While this does make it easy to use, it's a bit heavier on RAM iirc and it uses the Ubuntu Software Center, something I find a bit clunky and buggy. I haven't tried LXLE, but in general I don't recommend LXDE Desktops to new arrivals to Linux. It's not that it's hard to use, but it can feel a bit bare-bones. Ubuntu-MATE I haven't tried, but MATE is a great desktop environment and very easy to use. However, I would still pick Q4OS over it because of the Ubuntu Software Center. I also just have a personal dislike of Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu), but you may like it. I'd say give both of them a try and see which one you like better.

workstation selection:
> Q4OS? (Debian-based)
> CentOS (Debian-based)
> Mint 17.3 (Ubuntu-based, DE Cinnamon/MATE/KDE/XFCE)
> LMDE 2 (Mint Debian-based, DE Cinnamon/MATE)
> Ubuntu Studio

CentOS is probably out all the way. It's based on Red Hat, not Debian, just so you know. CentOS is a great operating system for servers, but it does mean your software will be ancient and not a lot is built with a desktop focus. Ubuntu Studio seems to be for media production, so I'm not sure why you would pick that unless you have a job or hobby in that area. Mint and LMDE are both great choices for a person new to Linux. As far as Desktop, I personally don't care for cinnamon (I remember having trouble adding quicklaunchers to the taskbar for some reason and some crashes), so stick to MATE, KDE, or XFCE. KDE is the heaviest but also generally the prettiest DE, so it all depends on your hardware and tastes. Q4OS again though has to be leading the pack for me. Trinity is just so easy to learn, and the effort the Q4OS team has put into things like the desktop profiler other conveniences just really put it on top for me.

In the end, it's up to you. Grab a few iso's and give them a try. The great thing about all of these choices is that there's free, so there's no harm in giving them a spin in Virtualbox or VMware.

---

Distro-hopper and classical music enthusiast.
Favorite Distros: BunsenLabs, Manjaro, Slackware, and Q4OS

ylluminate

Member

Registered: 2016-03-31

Posts: 28

Re: feedback request: Q4OS vs. ElementaryOS vs. LXLE vs. Ubuntu-MATE vs...

This is a very interesting topic at the moment due to my own business and how I end up with a lot of lighter and older machines that are donated for use that I then in turn give out to nursing homes, non-profits, and other such entities.

The two main competitors for me at the moment are Q4OS and LXLE.  So far LXLE seems a good bit lighter on memory utilization and the overall customization is much more professional at present.  LXLE feels a lot like Ubuntu MATE, but has a lot more polish and default apps.  Overall it's a much better option from what I've seen. 

I do have to admit, I've been a KDE fan since circa 1999.  This certainly causes me some bias towards Q4OS, but in the end I recognize that if Q4OS followed the path of LXLE with regards to the design and perhaps optimization goals that it would benefit enormously.  Frankly I don't think much could compete with Q4OS as far as a tight elegant system if the KDE theming could be attacked from the proper vector.  It could also certainly compete with Elementary OS in that KDE offers some options that make it quick work to become Mac-like in the UI.

Anyway, just a few impressions and thoughts from my present and very brief evaluations of these platforms.

orion

Member

Registered: 2016-07-22

Posts: 12

Re: feedback request: Q4OS vs. ElementaryOS vs. LXLE vs. Ubuntu-MATE vs...

Interesting debate, there is another interface graphic that is developing LXQT, surprisingly has some similarities with TDE. For me both are very light and usefull.

Dai_trying

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2015-12-14

Posts: 2,989

Re: feedback request: Q4OS vs. ElementaryOS vs. LXLE vs. Ubuntu-MATE vs...

I for one will be happy when LXQT comes to debian properly (without having to add siduction repository) as I too like it a lot.