If you are a Windows user and know someone who owns a Mac, you have probably heard the phrase ‘anything your computer can do, my Mac can do better’ . Obviously your friend is going to be partial to Mac since he owns one, but have you ever thought about which operating system is better for you? Everyone has different wants, needs, and uses when it comes to their operating system. Some people want an operating system that they are already accustomed to and familiar with because they are afraid to learn something new. Others want one that just works. They don’t want to worry about the blue screen of death, or viruses or any of that nonsense.
Below are some good and bad aspects of each operating system. Use these along with the links at the bottom of the post to decide what is right for you.
Windows:
Discover Windows Vista.
- Pros
- Most popular operating system- software and hardware is geared towards computers running Windows. This means that almost all hardware will have drivers and support for Windows.
- Games - Most games are written to run on Windows. If you are a gamer this is probably the operating system for you.
- Cons
- Viruses/Spy-ware - numbers released in 2005 stated there were approximately 103,000 viruses that could potentially infect your computer; and you don’t want that.
- Doesn’t run well on older hardware - I realize that as time goes on hardware will need to be upgraded. However, a good computer which currently runs Windows XP might not meet the minimum hardware requirements much less the recommended requirements to run Windows Vista.
- Pricey - No matter which version of Windows you decide to buy, it is expensive (compared to Linux)!
Mac OS X:
Reasons to run Mac OS X.
- Pros
- Great for media production - If you enjoy doing any kind of multimedia work (pictures, movies, podcasts, etc) this is probably the operating system for you. Not only does Mac have incredible programs like the iLife and iWork suites and Final Cut Pro, but it also has versions of Microsoft Office, and the Adobe suite designed to run on a Mac.
- Can also run Windows - The new Mac computers have the ability to run Windows and Mac, as well as Linux. This gives you the most flexibility and the best of all three worlds. If you happen to have software that only runs in Windows, you can run Windows on your Mac.
- Secure - While Mac OS X is not completely immune from viruses (yes there are a few), it is much more secure than Windows.
- It just works! - If you are looking for an operating system that you don’t have to constantly fight with to get it to do what you want, keep Mac OS X in mind.
- Cons
- Only designed for Apple hardware - Mac OS X is only designed to run on computers made by Apple, without having to do extensive hacking and breaking of copyright laws.
- Not as many programs - Mac has less programs than Windows, including games. This is mostly because Windows is the most used OS.
- Pricey - While each new version of Mac OS X is not that expensive, having to buy the new version every year can get expensive. Mac OS X is relatively inexpensive compared to Windows.
Linux:
Ubuntu Features
I realize there are a LOT of different distributions (flavors) of Linux, but I will focus on Ubuntu since it is one of the most popular distros. However, if you would like to see which distribution fits you best check out the following links:
Linux Distribution Chooser
What Linux distribution should you try?
- Pros
- Open Source - This means that it is FREE and that the code is available for download. So if you are a developer, or just someone who wants to see what makes their OS tick, Linux is the way to go.
- Secure - Linux is similar to Mac OS X in that there are a handful of viruses that can potentially inject a Linux computer, but this isn’t a drop in the bucket compared to Windows.
- Customizable - There are an infinite number of plug-ins, programs, and widgets available for Linux. One of my favorites is Beryl which is now known as Compiz-Fusion. If you don’t believe me, just search Youtube
for ‘beryl’ or ‘compiz-fusion.’ - Runs on all platforms - Linux is designed to run on all kinds of computers. Both PC’s and Mac’s can run Linux. Using programs like Wine, you can run many Windows programs on Linux. There are also versions of Linux specially designed to run on old computers. For example, it is common to turn an old computer into a server (using Linux) where you store files.
- Cons
- Can be difficult at times - Linux does require a little more knowhow than Windows or Mac. Whether or not Linux is difficult or not is dependent on which distribution you choose to install. The average computer user should have no problem using a distro like Ubuntu. Just because something is different, doesn’t mean that is it hard to use. Besides, who doesn’t want a challenge?
- Few games - There are far fewer games that run on Linux than on Windows. However, look at the comment about Wine for running games in Linux.
- Multiple monitor support - Using two monitors in Windows and Mac is usually pretty easy to setup. Some of the time it is more difficult in Linux. However, there are many tutorials on how to do this, and it is easy once you get the hang of it. Setting up multiple monitors is really dependent on what kind of video card you have (ie. if you have a cheap on board video card it will be harder to set up, if not impossible).
Here is a popular video that has aired on TV and is widely available on YouTube.
There isn’t an operating system that fits everyone. That being said, I would recommend doing a little research and playing around with each OS to find which works the best for you. And the best part is you don’t have to pick just one. You can always dual boot. In fact Mac can triple boot (Mac OS X, Windows, Linux). Look out for a later blog on how to dual boot the PC you already own!
Personally, I use Linux (Ubuntu) on my desktop and laptop. I have found that it is much more stable than Windows, and I like that I don’t have to worry about scanning for viruses, spy-ware, and other harmful files. It is nice to be able to enjoy using my computer. I still have Windows installed to play a few games (America’s Army, Trackmania, etc) and just in case there is something that I have to have Windows for (opening an MS Office 2008 file). Don’t just take my word for it, or anyone else’s for that matter. Do some research and find out which operating system suits you best.
Keep in mind that not all companies use Windows. In fact more and more are moving away from Windows, so familiarizing yourself with more than one operating system could only help you.
For more information, check out these links.
- What is the best operating system and why?
- A comparison of Linux and Windows
- Alternative to Microsoft Windows
- Why Linux is better
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Written by Eric
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March 6th, 2008 at 2:22 am
I like your post on the differing operating systems. It is very informative and while biased at times very knowledgeable and covers several key elements of each OS. I too use Linux and am completely satisfied with my installation. I would personally like to see Windows lose hold on the majority of the market to further negate the effective monopoly they entertain on the world today.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:21 am
@Thomas
Do you also have Windows installed, or just Linux? Which distro? I too would like to see Windows loose some of its popularity. Who knows, maybe that would make MS release better operating systems. Linux and Mac are becoming more and more popular. I can’t wait to see what happens.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I disagree with some of the points you made, while it was very insightful. I have used all three OS and I have found that actually windows was the best buy and really had the least problems. The fact that you cant or at least couldn’t for the longest time use a mac OS without owning a mac computer really made up for that price difference. What I mean by that if you compare the performance of a mac to a pc and then compare the price you can notice a huge difference. I did a lot of research when I bought my HP laptop and I noticed to get what I have in that HP I would have to pay a little less than double on a mac.(I also ordered Vista Ultimate and it was still cheaper) Besides that an HP is the most reliable computer made. Now what you said about viruses and the operating system having many problems… I have had a computer with windows xp since it came it out so it has been quite a few years. Not one problem or virus zero crashes, also macs do crash more than windows computers and it is much more of a hassle when a mac crashes because usually it is an operating system error where as on windows it is a 3rd party software issue. While mac comes with editing software and such its really not that big of help when there most priced laptop only has a 2.5ghz processor it makes it hard to run real professional quality video editors such as Vegas 6.0 and Adobe After Effects. I mean if I were working on a website using Adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver while trying to save a new video project it would lagg up the ass. And I don’t know about you but a top of the line mac notebook starting at $2,799 i really cant afford to start upgrading it. When I can buy a nice reliable HP with windows and actually afford it.
March 9th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
@Fused
First off I want to thank you for your comment. All comments are welcome and appreciated.
I agree with you that Mac laptops are very expensive for what you get. This is the main reason I did not buy a Mac laptop. I am like you and did a lot of research on laptops before I bought mine. I too own an HP laptop (dv2000t) and believe that it was right in the sweet spot between performance and price.
About the operating system having viruses and problems, I was merely stating that Windows is more prone to having viruses since most viruses are written for Windows. However, this does not mean that Mac and Linux do not have hiccups of there own. I have used all three operating systems and at one point or another all three had their problems. Windows can be a stable OS if you take the proper precautions.
I believe the new Apple laptops now have the option of a 2.6GHz processor (of course you will pay A LOT for it). HP and Dell seem to offer about the same in their laptops (but for much less $$$).
Thanks again for your comment!
March 11th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Yeah also HP was named the most reliable computer making company of the year or something like that so imo it’s pretty much an amazing buy.
March 14th, 2008 at 12:09 am
[...] When I tell people I use Ubuntu as my operating system, usually the first thing they ask is, “What is Ubuntu?”. This is often followed by, “Why would you use Ubuntu instead of Windows?” and “Isn’t Linux only for experts?”. Today I want to answer these questions and explain the benefit of using Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution for that matter. This is similar to a recent post Which Operating System Is Right For You. [...]
April 20th, 2008 at 8:15 am
[...] [...]
June 30th, 2008 at 9:08 am
I’ve used all three operating systems relatively extensively, and I can say that I prefer Mac OS X over everything else.
Linux is great and if it were a little bit more polished I would choose it hands down. I’ve followed the last 3 or 4 releases of the Ubuntu distro and tried them out for a solid month or two. The problem I found with them was that the default OS was ugly as hell. Compiz Fusion is really cool, but add that on to a really crappy looking environment from the beginning and it doesn’t make up for much.
I found I had to spend a ton of time trying to make the OS look better. But cubed desktops are bad ass
I use windows for gaming. I don’t play nearly as many games as I used to, so my uses for Windows are wearing thin.
I’ve used my Macbook as my main computer for several months now and couldn’t be happier. Time machine works like a dream, and I recently threw 4 GB of ram and a 250 GB hard drive into it without issue.
Keep it up guys.
Sean @ http://www.thetechjuice.com