Skip to main content

What are the types of operating system and their advantages and disadvantages?

There are actually thousands of different operating systems for personal computers, but in terms of common use, there are three main categories: Microsoft Windows, Apple iOS, and Linux, each having their advantages and disadvantages. 

Windows


For compatibility, Windows is probably the best operating system, since so many people use it around the world. Windows is a popular system among businesses and there is a lot of software written for Windows machines. Also, Windows runs on many different brands of hardware, so the user has a lot of choice in this area. Microsoft is prompt about updating the system. Finally, because of the popularity, many open source software programs are available for a donation to Windows users. 


One problem with this kind of popularity is that people who write computer viruses are more likely to write them for Windows systems than for other systems. Another disadvantage to Windows is that the operating system tends to take a lot of resources on the machines, leaving less room in RAM and also on disk for programs. Finally, some computer users dislike what they feel is paternalism on Microsoft's part, especially when system updates prevent a user from shutting down the machine at will. 


iOS


Apple creates both the operating system and the hardware on which the software is installed; it had a brief encounter with the Microsoft model (one operating system for many different computer brands) about twenty years ago, and that didn't work out for them, financially speaking. 


Many people who use iOS computers and other Apple products such as the iPhone, absolutely would not use any other system. Apple inspires brand loyalty because of the aesthetics of the machines and the software associated with them. iOS machines are particularly popular among artists of various sorts as well as educators because of the high quality software available. 


A main disadvantage of Apple products is the expense. The hardware costs a lot more for less computing power than a Windows machine. Software tends to be proprietary and expensive. A second disadvantage is compatibility; while some programs run on both Windows and iOS, others are not available for iOS. Some iOS programs yield files that cannot be opened by non-iOS programs. 


Linux


Linux is a huge category of operating systems, as there are thousands of versions of Linux available to address many different types of users. Linux distributions ("distros" or operating systems) are generally open source, sometimes with corporate support, which means that many programmers volunteer their time to develop and maintain the various distros. 


Advantages of Linux include that these operating systems often take fewer resources, so a Windows machine that runs slowly with a full disk drive might run much faster and have a significant amount of room using a Linux distro. Also, there are, for some popular distros, 50-60,000 open source programs available. Admittedly, some of these programs might not be great, but others are professional quality. Linux also allows for maximum control by the user through the terminal, which is easily accessible. Finally, even if you have an old machine without many resources, there may be a lightweight distro that will run on it and make it usable. 


Linux tends to be a little more challenging to install and use, although ease of use has increased phenomenally over the last twenty years. Ubuntu, one of the most popular distros, has become relatively easy to install and use and there are others that are fast upon its heels. There are some programs that are not available for Linux, so compatibility issues may occur, and serious gamers find Linux frustrating for this reason. 


Future


Technology is changing incredibly fast. Because of the popularity of tablets, since they are lightweight and their functions continue to increase, Android may also become a more prominent operating system for people's primary computing needs as laptops begin to fade into the background. It is likely that Linux distros will begin to run on tablets; Microsoft and Apple are already working in this area. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more