Running head: Operating Systems
Comparison of two Operating Systems
Rakesh Kalidindi
Ferris State University
MISM 670
CONTENTS
1) Introduction 4
2) Operating System
2.1) Types of Operating System 5
3) Popular Operating Systems 6
3.1) Windows
3.2) Mac
3.3) Linux
4) Windows XP 7
5) Mac OS X
6) Comparisons
6.1) Installing/ Uninstalling
6.2) Web Browsing 8
6.3) Email
6.4) Encrypting Data and Files
6.5) Appearance &Theme, and Advanced
6.6) Speech and Voice 9
6.7) Remote Control Accessibility
6.8) Backup and Restore Files
6.9) Restoring and Recovering System Files 10
6.10) Legacy Application Support
6.11SystemSecurity 11
6.12) Cost
6.13) Implementation and Ease of Use
6.14) Feature Support 12
7) Conclusion
8) References 13
1.INTRODUCTION
In the fast moving world and rapidly growing technology the computer users always wish to buy the best product according to their needs. When they want to purchase a product like Computer Operating System, they do a lot of research on the product. What's best for one is may not be best for another. It depends on what the product usage will be and the user who uses it. One needs to test the Operating Systems compatibility, stability, reliability, security, cost and many factors to choose the best one. There are several Operating Systems in the market. Every Operating System has its own strengths and limitations. The strengths and limitations in one Operating System may not be found in the other. To do a research on Operating System first we need to know what an Operating System is and its uses and purpose of it.
2.OPERATING SYSTEM
An Operating System is a program that allows the user to interact with the computer hardware and software. It is the central program designed to run other programs on the computer. It stands as a backbone of the computer which controls and manages both hardware and software resources. It is a software component responsible for management and coordination of activities and sharing of resources.
It is responsible for
- allocation and control of memory
- recognizing the input from external devices
- transferring output to the display screen
- managing files and directories on the hard disk
- controlling peripherals like scanners, disk drives and printers.
The Operating system for large computer has more responsibilities. It is responsible to make sure that different programs and users running simultaneously don’t interface with each other. It also plays a vital role in security, responsible for preventing unauthorized access to the system.
2.1 TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEMS
Generally there are four types of Operating Systems based on the type of computers and sort of applications they support. They are classified as follows:
Multiuser Operating System:
It allows two or more users to run the programs simultaneously.
Multiprocessor Operating System:
It allows a program to run on more than one processor at a time.
Multitasking Operating System:
It allows two or more programs to run simultaneously.
Multi threading Operating System:
It allows different modules of a program to run simultaneously.
Real time Operating System:
It allows the system to process and respond to the input instantly.
http://www.webopedia.com/term/o/operating_system.html
Almost all computers starting from handheld computers to super computers use an Operating System of some type. Without an Operating System the computer is useless. It offers a number of services to application programs and its users. The applications access the services through API (Application User Interface). Users can also interact with the Operating System through GUI (Graphical User Interface).
Some of the most popular Operating Systems used are
3. Popular Operating Systems
3.1 Windows
Windows is a series of software Operating Systems and graphical user interfaces which allows users to run programs and manage files on the computers. It was developed and maintained by Microsoft Company. The first version was released in 1985. Since then it has grown-up appreciably and dominated the world’s computer market. It is the most popular one among all the Operating Systems. It created a user friendly environment through drop-down menus, dialog boxes, buttons, tabs, and icons instead of typing each command in command prompt. According to statistics 90% of personal computers use Windows.
3.2 Mac
Mac is a series of graphical user interface Operating Systems introduced by Apple on January 24, 1984. It stands as a trademark for introducing a personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface rather than a command line interface. Compared to Windows, Mac (Macintosh) is used by fewer people.
3.3 Linux
Linux is the third popular one among the available Operating Systems. Linus Torvolds developed Linux in 1991. It was released freely on the internet by him. It is based on Unix Operating System. Linux is an open source project that can be modified by anyone and is free to use and distribute. But it requires some technical knowledge and experience to install and use it.
http://windows.about.com/od/windowsforbeginners/a/differences.htm
I would like to compare Windows XP and Mac OS X Operating Systems.
4. Windows XP
Windows XP is a family of 32 bit and 64 bit Operating Systems known for its improved stability and efficiency over the 9x versions of Windows products. It represents as a redesigned graphical user interface which Microsoft had promoted as more user-friendly than the previous versions of Windows. : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_xp
5. Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a Unix based Operating System. It introduced a number of new capabilities like pre-emptive multitasking and memory protection which increased the system's ability to run multiple applications simultaneously without corrupting each other. These capabilities made more stable and reliable platform than its predecessor, Mac OS 9. The architecture of Mac OS X was designed to be portable to and is based on Openstep technology. Mac OS X is totally is based on the Mach kernel and the BSD implementation of UNIX, which were incorporated into NeXTSTEP, the object-oriented operating system developed by Steve Jobs' NeXT company. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_os_x
6. COMPARISION
6.1 INSTALLING/UNINSTALLING
Every user installs/uninstalls applications on his desktop .Both Mac OS X and Windows XP has their own way of install/uninstall applications. Mac OS X applications use a “package” design to let users easily install applications.” Application packages are folders that contain all necessary files for the application to run.” A packaged application can simply be dragged and installed. To uninstall a user needs to drag the application package to the trash, and empty it. Windows XP has a suitable "Add/Remove Programs" option in the control panel, which lists all the applications installed on the users system. Through this control panel the user can modify existing installations, or uninstall applications those are not necessary. Though neither of the Operating System’s method of adding and removing programs is ideal, Mac OS X's has fewer opportunities for failure. “Windows XP relies more heavily on uninstallers than OS X does”.
6.2 WEB BROWSING
Browser is software that allows users to interact with the internet. Mac OS X uses Apple's Safari 2 while Windows XP uses Internet Explorer 7 for browsing the Internet. Both of these provide bookmark management, tabbed browsing, and viewing RSS feeds.
6.3 EMAIL (Junk Mail/ Spam)
Junk email also known as spam has become frustration for many users whose email inboxes are floated with useless messages. Mac OS X‘s Mail includes an excellent junk mail filter with a wide variety of options. Initially the filter is set in training mode. Once the filter is set in automatic mode all the junk mails are moved to mail junk box where the junk mails are blocked immediately. Outlook Express in Windows XP has no built-in junk mail filtering, though the users try to create their own mail rules to filter junk mail.
6.4 ENCRYPTING DATA AND FILES
Though Mac OS X and Windows XP take a different approach, both of them support data encryption of files. Windows XP allows encryption on an individual file/folder basis; where as Mac OS X encrypts the entire Home folder.
6.5 APPEARANCE &THEME, ADVANCED
Windows XP's offers an advanced customization options where the user has total control over the appearance of the system. It provides freedom to change fonts, text colors, sounds, cursors. The customization options provided by Mac OS X are limited compared to Windows XP. The users cannot even turn interface sounds on or off individually.
6.6 SPEECH AND VOICE RECOGNITION
Both Mac OS X and Windows XP include built-in speech and voice recognition technology. But the speech and voice recognition capabilities in Mac OS X are more advanced than Windows XP's. Mac OS X has systematic support for voice recognition, where as Windows XP lack the support entirely. Mac OS X gives the user much more control over narration,” letting one to specify what aspects of the interface they would like read aloud.” XP's Narrator has very less options and also lacks the ability to read
the selected text.
http://www.xvsxp.com/misc/speech.php
6.7 REMOTE CONTROL ACCESSIBILITY
Remote control connection allows user’s to control and access the desktop located at different location from the user’s desktop. Mac OS X offers multiple methods of remote access than Windows XP, but lacks an included viewer. Apple does not support a free viewer to connect to VNC servers and Remote Desktop clients. Mac users need to download a third party VNC client. Where as Windows XP Professional allows remote users to log into the local computer and take control of it. “Its remote interface is responsive.” Windows XP Home lacks Remote Desktop Connection. “Microsoft even supplies a free OS X client, so PC users can log into their machine from a Mac.”
http://www.xvsxp.com/power_user/remote_control.php
6.8 BACKING UP AND RESTORING FILES
For any system backup is mandatory. Both the operating systems provide a way to back up files. Mac OS X has no built-in backup software. Mac OS X offers Disk Utility restore, which is used to create a disk image of entire volume and restore it to a previous state. But it is not a complete backup solution. Windows XP offers an efficient backup or restore wizard to backup and restore user files. In this aspect Windows XP is significantly more user-friendly than Mac OS X.
6.9 RESTORING AND RECOVERIN G SYSTEM FILES
In some cases the operating system and its applications can become uneven and may not function properly. A virus attack may also cause some problems in the Operating Systems. The user can restore and recover his files of particular date. Both Mac OS X and Windows XP have capability to setback to previous versions of their system configuration. XP offers a utility named System Restore which automatically creates a restore point when any modifications to system files or configuration is detected. XP Users can also create restore points manually. All the restore points are reversible in XP. Archive and Install option in Mac OS X offers the ability to reinstall the entire operating system while preserving personal files and settings, but cannot manually create restore points to setback system files and configuration in case of problems.
6.10 LEGACY APPLICATION SUPPORT
When a user upgrades his own operating system or buys a new computer, he often needs to continue running the applications which are already in hold under the new one. Such applications are known as "legacy" applications. In any computer, Operating System’s legacy support is very essential. Both the Operating Systems allow users to run the applications that are originally written for the older versions of the operating system. Though Mac OS X is not an incremental upgrade to Mac OS 9 it offers options to run the older Mac OS 9 applications under Mac OS X. Windows XP's legacy support is more advanced compared to Mac OS X. Windows XP is an incremental upgrade from its former Windows versions. The only problem with XP is the older applications don’t respect XP's rules for sharing DLL files.
6.11 SYSTEM SECURITY
When connected to the Internet or different network, hackers or malicious software try to exploit and attack on unprotected systems. A firewall acts as a security guard between the users system and external preventing unauthorized access. Both Mac OS X and Windows XP include their own built-in firewall software, but cannot block the outgoing traffic. “Windows XP includes a new Windows Firewall with Service Pack 2 which is turned ON by default.” The firewall in OS X by default is disabled. Windows XP's built-in firewall provides more options and control over the traffic entering in to the computer. It gives the user flexibility to allow/block the traffic compared to Mac OS X. The only advantage Mac OS X has over the Windows firewall is that the user can lock down the firewall and prevent editing of settings unless an administrators’s password is entered.
6.12 COST COMPARISION
Windows XP comes preinstalled on every computer manufacturers' products except on Apple. Mac Operating Systems are installed only on Apple computers and one needs to buy Apple computers to use it. Though the price of Mac OS X is high it is worth full as it looks attractive.
6.13 IMPLEMENTATION AND EASE OF USE
Both Mac OS X and Windows XP offers a menu bar option which displays recently accessed items. To clear the menu Mac OS X's uses a single step process to clear the menu while Windows XP's method uses multiple steps.
6.14 FEATURE SUPPORT
Both the Operating Systems support compressing and decompressing .zip files. Windows XP offers features like Password-protect .zip files, Open password-protected .zip files, browse the contents of a .zip file before decompressing it. But Mac OS X does not support any of the features.
7. CONCLUSION
Different users have different requirements and tastes and the questions like which one is the best one can never be answered easily. The differences cannot be made by the features each Operating System posses, it depends on different factors like flexibility to use, implementation, feature support, etc. The ease of use depends on how the Operating System implements the feature to satisfy the user. One Operating System may perform the task easily while other makes it complex; it depends up on the performance of the feature which executes the task. All the Operating System supports their own features but the finest one will be the one which supports with its maximum capabilities. After doing a research on both the Operating Systems I found that Windows XP is best for users looking for cheap computers, and gamers. It provides huge collection of programs and applications. Mac OS X is an outstanding and advanced featured Operating System for those who can purchase Mac. It is best for graphic designers and scientists.
References
Best Operating System. (n.d). October 18, 2008 Retrieved from the website: Retrieved from the website: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_best_operating_system_and_why
How do computers compare. (n.d). October 18, 2008 Retrieved from the website: http://windows.about.com/od/windowsforbeginners/a/differences.htm
Mac OS X. (n.d). October 18, 2008 Retrieved from the website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_os_x
Operating System. (n.d). October 18, 2008 Retrieved from the website: http://www.webopedia.com/term/o/operating_system.html
Windows XP. (n.d). October 18, 2008 Retrieved from the website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_xp
XvsXP. (n.d). October 18, 2008 Retrieved from the website: http://www.xvsxp.com
