Damn Small Linux crushes Windows Vista’s min requirements
By Matt Jansen
In contrast with most of its competition, Damn Small Linux (DSL) is an operating system where megabytes are still meaningful. Compare that to Windows Vista’s minimum 20 gigabyte footprint and the line in the sand becomes obvious.
Specifically, Damn Small Linux is committed to keeping its iso download size under 50 megabytes. The organization writes “the whole idea behind DSL is trying to fit a complete, fully functional desktop into a small footprint. If we were to raise the size, we would become just another distro. And the fun of working more and more functionality out of 50mb would be gone. DSL will NEVER go over 50mb for the base iso,” in its FAQ.
Here is a comparison of the minimum requirements:
| Damn Small Linux | Windows Vista | Percent Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | i386 (25 MHz) | 800 MHz | 97% |
| RAM | 8 megabytes | 512 megabytes | 98.5% |
| Hard drive space | not required (can run entirely in RAM), optionally 50 megabytes | 20 gigabytes | 99.75% |
| Optical drive | not required | CD-ROM | 100% |
| Source | Source | Average: 98.81% |
The question for me then became: does Windows Vista provide 98.81% more functionality than Damn Small Linux? Enough to justify its sky high minimum requirements?
Inherently that’s a subjective question because everyone assigns value differently in an operating system depending on what they’re trying to accomplish. Still, comparing a list of features can provide some insight. See below.
| Feature | Damn Small Linux | Windows Vista Home Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Audio and Video Playback | yes (for MPEG) | yes |
| Web Browser | yes | yes |
| Spreadsheet Software | yes | yes |
| Word Processing | yes | yes |
| Graphics Editing | yes | yes |
| PDF Viewing | yes | yes (typically bundled) |
| Instant Messaging | yes (AIM support) | yes (MSN Messenger bundled) |
| Calculator | yes | yes |
| GUI | yes | yes |
| USB Support | yes | yes |
| Wireless Support | yes (some) | yes |
| Simple Gaming | yes | yes |
| Hardcore Gaming | no | yes |
| Complete Portability (via USB stick etc.) | yes | no |
| Advanced File Search | no | yes |
| Significant Expandability | no | yes |
| Total “yes” Count | 13 | 15 |
There are a multitude of additional features not included in the above table, but for most people interested in web browsing, e-mailing, blogging, and basic graphics editing Damn Small Linux meets the need. It may also serve as a testament to software bloating unnecessarily to fill hardware capacity.
Other factors in favor of Windows Vista is Microsoft’s ubiquitous presence in the marketplace which attracts additional software packages like a magnet, and Vista’s advanced multimedia capabilities.
Overall though for the footprint, and for the price, Damn Small Linux offers a compelling value proposition.
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Stumble It!
February 7th, 2008
This was a very good article…and it sure makes ya WTF at Vista a bit, but it’s not a fair comparison. This comparison is like saying a Ferrari is faster than a Toyota Corolla. DSL is NOT a desktop replacement distro, it’s meant to be on machines that normally would be able to only run like Windows 95 (so basically bricks). What would be better is to compare the Debian or Ubuntu system requirements to Vista.
February 7th, 2008
Don’t forget that putting Vista on a PC that just meets the minium spec gives you a PC that only a masochistic would want to use.
February 8th, 2008
Actually you would need performance increase of 84.0336 times (not even taking into consideration the cash outlays involved) rather than 98.81% improvement (slightly less than 2x) to get the comparable….
Or from a footprint point of view, 20GM/50MB = 400 time the size, and Vista doesnt even come with a word processor!
And if you look at it from a cash POV then Vista (at any over inflated price) is infinitely more expensive than DSL - which is free. For rather less than an infinite improvement.
Hmmmm
February 9th, 2008
I’ve used DSL from a USB flash drive a far amount over the last year or so. It will run as a desktop replacement, if you want to do the mundane tasks of browsing the web, email, light multimedia playback. It is far from a brick OS. And Vista a Ferrari??? A better analogy would be if you gave everyone on one side of town a high end sport car, and the other side the Toyota. Let them grocery shop, take the kids to soccer practice and school. Gamers and folks doing video editing and the like, would quickly hate the Toyota, the rest would not be real happy with the higher operating expenses, complexity and touchiness of the sports car.
February 22nd, 2008
Wow… owned.
September 1st, 2008
DSL works on a HUGE variety of machines. I use it as the main OS on a 863 MHz Pentium III processor with 128 MB RAM. I can do anything I want on it, with no danger. Still, I’m careful anyway.
The thing I don’t like about Vista, is that it forces people to go out and buy new computers that they can’t afford. and the price of Vista is insane. The computers necessary for Vista are ridiculously overpowered, over-eye-candied, and its not a secure OS. Windows should have been overhauling their OS so its more secure. They don’t need to keep doing things the same way, continuing to be prone to viruses, malware, badware, craplets, you name it. It needs to be secure, self-contained, and cheap. I won’t say free, because Windows isn’t Open Source.
Seriously, your average computer person just wants functionality and security and everyday stuff. Not heavy stuff like high-notch games, commandlines, missing drivers, missing plugins, error messages that can’t be read without a degree in computerese, nor constant upgrading. They want things to be easy to learn, easy to use, easy to understand, and a bit fast. If its blazing fast, that’s a bonus.