there are many other distros of linux. those two are resource hogs. yeah there are some tweaks but i can't really help you in that department. it would probably help if you got some more ram. you are also comparing current linux distros to an "obsolete" version of windows. depends on what you mean by better though. if you mean about as secure as a warehouse with an open door and a neon sign that says rob me sure windows is better. if you mean dodgy hardware detection, high software costs and a source code you won't get access to even for a billion dollars yeah. linux is superior to windows, windows is just convenient and user friendly
now that came out like a burn but its not, its just me trying to push my point