Computer purchasing: Operating system…
Let’s do a little analogy and compare the make up of a computer to the make up of a person. Thus far, we’ve covered the form factor (aka body type), the hardware, hardware, and hardware (aka body parts), so now we need to talk about the operating system (aka the personality).
Some people have hard-working personalities, but they know how to cut loose and have a good time. Others would prefer to be secluded and do their own thing. Still others just want to be social, share ideas, and have a good time. Just as these barely scratch the surface of the variety of personalities in the world, we are going to cover a very limited scope of the types of operating systems available.
What won’t we cover?
Well, at its very basic core, an operating system issues commands to the hardware. You could write some programming for a little robotic arm with wheels to go fetch you a soda from the fridge when you push a button. It’s programming is the operating system. A large, multi-national corporation might hire a software firm to create a package tracking system for its international shipments. That software is the shipping system’s operating system. However, these are very limited in scope and not nearly flexible enough for day to day use. We need something more practical.
Open source
You might remember me talking about open source software a couple of weeks ago. In that post, I alluded to Ubuntu. Ubuntu, is a custom version of a more generic operating system called Linux. Linux is based on an even more generic operating system called Unix. Unix is extremely stable and safe, but unfortunately it is not very user friendly. All commands are typed in to a prompt and there is no mouse to found. Linux added some window-type elements, but was still pretty raw in its basic form. Ubuntu is based on Linux, but it is refined and “prettied up”. It has most of the functions that we expect out of a computer: listening to music, editing photos, playing games, and browsing the internet.
A couple of great things about Ubuntu:
- It is free! Anyone can download it and put it on their computer and begin using it. It is very robust and will work on almost any computer out there.
- Try it out! If you download the Ubuntu file, you can burn it to a CD and load it up on your computer without installing it. This means you can play around with it, see if you like it, and THEN install it if you feel like it is something you want to use.
- Virus free! Virus free might be an exaggeration, but because of the way it’s security is set up, it is very difficult to get a virus that will slow down your computer or destroy your files. This is especially helpful when visiting new sites or searching for information on various websites. No matter where you go, you are protected.
A couple of not so great things about Ubuntu:
- Compatibility is sometimes an issue since you can’t use programs that were made for Windows. Fortunately, many programs that you use on Windows have an alternative version that is made for Ubuntu.
- Program installation on Ubuntu is not the same as on Windows. You can’t simply double click an installation file. Fortunately, Ubuntu maintains a software repository so you can simply check a box to install a program assuming it is in the repository.
Neither of these are a show stopper really, but can be a turn off, especially for those who have used Windows for their entire computing lives.
Open a Window
Windows is ubiquitous in our society, so I’m not going to spend much time going through it.
Windows’ biggest strength is the fact that it is everywhere. Everyone makes programs for Windows, Windows experts are a dime a dozen, and it changed the game of personal computers. Unfortunately, Microsoft has gotten so large and entrenched in what it does that some say it is too slow to react and can’t keep up with current trends.
This has caused many business and home users to maintain Microsoft’s older offering – Windows XP, instead of moving on to it’s more recent offering – Windows Vista, which was plagued by hardware incompatibility, high system requirements, and an annoying level of pseudo-security features.
However, for most of my readers, Windows is going to come preloaded on the computer you purchase and will work just fine.
The Apple of your eye
Apple’s Mac OS X is going to be a nice blend between the security of Ubuntu and the usability of Windows. You are going to be virtually virus free as you surf the web and Apple loves to tout that it’s software “just works”.
The downside? While Ubuntu is open source and runs on almost any hardware, Apple’s Mac computers ONLY run on Mac hardware. You can’t buy a Dell computer and load OS X on it. You can only buy an Apple computer if you want the OS X software. And while that hardware is high quality and very aesthetically pleasing, it is generally quite expensive which can turn out to be an insurmountable barrier for some people. However, if you can surmount it, you will most likely go on to be one of the raving fans that Apple is constantly recruiting, with good cause.
<Insert funny cliched phrase here>
Out of all the subjects we’ve covered in this series, the operating system is probably the most important part, but often the most overlooked.
It is easy to try out Ubuntu. You have probably used Windows a thousand of times before. A Mac just looks so cool. These are good starting places in your search for an operating system, however, they barely scratch the surface of the qualities that you need to evaluate.
You can contact The Digitante if you want help going through your options, trying different operating systems, and making an informed decision. To do so, you can just head over the the About page and find The Digitante’s phone number and a link to his email address.
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