Comparison of Windows and Linux table. Comparison of common operating systems. Linux developer independence

Security, freedom, free, open source, popularity, amount of software, all these are the main differences between Linux and Windows, which most often become the reason for users switching to this operating system. Everyone, or almost all users know about them. But what if we dig deeper into how exactly these systems differ? What are the fundamental technical differences?

In this article we will look at how Windows differs from Linux from a technical point of view, we will try to figure out why Linux is considered more secure, and also understand the essence of the differences.

The main component of every operating system is its kernel. Even so, there are huge differences between operating systems. The Linux kernel is monolithic, consisting of a single file, and modules can be used to extend its functionality.

All programs communicate with the kernel through system calls, they are standardized, so the same programs can run on different platforms running Linux, such as x86 and ARM.

All drivers are built into the kernel, but most programs are in user space, including graphical shell. The monolithic structure provides more security, because if you disable module support at the kernel build stage, you will not be able to run your code at the kernel level.

This is the main, but not obvious, difference between Linux and Windows. Windows has a completely different type of kernel. It uses a hybrid core, which consists of many small parts- dll libraries, each of which is responsible strictly for its own function.

But that’s not all, system calls are not used; instead, user programs are forced to access the documented libraries user32.dll, gdi32.dll, kenel32.dll, advapi32.dll. These libraries call functions from ntdll.dll, which is directly linked to the kernel.

The drivers are controlled by the hal.dll library and are connected to the kernel separately. Controls screen output graphics subsystem kernel, it includes all work with graphics, including the shell. The ability to use kernel user mode makes it easy to adapt the system to any type of program, such as win16 or POSIX. But this flexibility comes at the cost of performance.

2. File system structure and disks

You will immediately notice that the Linux operating system is very different from the Windows operating system in the structure of the file system. Linux presents the file system more realistically, as it actually is. The file system structure begins with the root, or, in other words, the main directory system partition, and all other drives in the required subdirectories are connected there.

Files are sorted into directories depending on their type, for example, executables are in /bin/, settings are in /etc/, and resources are in /usr/. It turns out that one program is divided across the entire file system, but this does not cause difficulties due to the package manager.

Storage devices in Linux are named alphabetically, and the partitions on them are named by numbers. For example, the first hard drive will be named sda, the second - sdb. And the sections on the first one will be numbered - sda1, sda2, sda3 and so on. Partitions can be freely mounted in any desired folder, for example, as the home directory or /var/.

Windows creates an additional abstraction. Although disks and partitions are named in a similar way as in Linux, all this is hidden by the operating system. The user is provided with such an abstraction as drive C:, D:, E:, F: and so on. Each of them is a partition on the hard drive, and the system hides more detailed information from the user. This is even better for beginners. As for file distribution, one program is located in one folder, with all executable files, settings and resources.

3. Configuration and data storage

On Linux, all settings are stored in regular files, which are located in the file system. Global settings files are located in the /etc/ folder. They apply to all users who use this computer. Settings for user programs are located in hidden subdirectories of the user's home directory.

Such storage is quite convenient, since configuration files can be easily transferred to another computer, and decentralization increases the reliability of the system. Each program creates its own configuration file, with their own syntax, and they are edited mainly manually. Almost all settings can be done through the GUI, but GUI utilities often create very confusing configurations. Handmade always looks better.

This is also an important difference between Linux and Windows. Windows stores all application, system, and driver settings in a special database called Windows registry. All settings are divided into branches and keys, and programs can access them very quickly.

This method of provision provides security of settings by default, the ability to change them remotely and easily change them using graphics programs. But there are also big disadvantages: the settings cannot be transferred to another computer, the centralized system of settings can be damaged and this will damage the entire system.

In addition, programs very quickly fill up the registry and it begins to take up too much, so it bootstrap it takes a lot of time. It is difficult to say which technology is better, but this is also the difference between Linux and Windows and only you can choose what to use.

4. User management and rights

Linux was originally designed as a multi-user system. Files have three access categories - owner user, user group, and everyone else. There are also three access options - read, write and execute. Using a combination of these simple parameters, access to all files in the system is controlled, and since in Linux everything is a file, that means everything.

Windows was designed to be run by only one user, which initially created a lot of security problems. But then the user system was modified into a multi-user system, which, in addition to the owner, group and others, includes detailed ACL access lists. We can say that here difference windows and linux is not that great.

5. Program management and updates

Let's continue comparing Windows and Linux. Managing programs and updating them is huge. difference windows and linux, everything is implemented so differently.

Linux has repositories of software packages. It contains, if not all, then almost all the necessary programs, drivers and system components. You will almost never need to download programs from the Internet, although this is also possible.

Using centralized repositories provides greater security, reliability, and the ability to update. As soon as a new version of the program has appeared in the repository, you can update it. The update process is performed with one command for the entire system at once, when it is convenient for you.

There are no repositories in Windows; you will have to search for all the necessary programs on the Internet and install them manually. Each program will update itself when it sees fit, including the system. To update the system, you will need to reboot, and Windows can be very persistent when it comes to installing updates.

conclusions

In this article we tried to figure out how Windows differs from Linux. Moreover, we did not dwell on such well-known things as freedom and freeness, but tried to reveal precisely technical details, as far as possible in such a short article. If you are just about to choose an operating system, I hope this comparison of Windows and Linux was useful to you.

To completion short video about the eternal debate between Windows vs Linux, although it is already a little outdated, it is told quite interestingly and to the point:

Scientific and educational conference of students “Continuity of Generations, Shatura-2009” Field of knowledge: "Information technology" Topic: “Comparison of Windows and Linux OS”

Head of work: Voronin Igor Vadimovich, head of the department for information technology IPLITRAN

Introduction

A computer cannot work without an operating system (OS). OS is basic complex programs that control computer hardware, work with files, input and output of information, as well as the execution of application programs and utilities. The OS also includes programs and a user interface. There are many operating systems for PDAs, for computers, as well as special operating systems (for controlling units and mechanisms). The most popular operating systems for PCs are Linux, Windows, Unix, GNU, Mac OS, Amiga OS. This work compares Windows and Linux operating systems because they are the most popular in the world and in Russia.

Goals of work

The goals of the work are to compare the Windows and Linux operating systems and identify their advantages and disadvantages.

History of the creation of Windows and Linux OS

Objectives: To get acquainted with the history of the creation of OS data

Microsoft Windows was first introduced at Comdex on November 10, 1983, when it was positioned as a graphical extension for MS-DOS. Even the famous Microsoft Windows 3.x and Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.x were not operating systems in their pure form, but were add-ons or extensions to the MS-DOS operating system. The main innovations implemented in Microsoft Windows were the appearance of a graphical user interface and the use, along with the keyboard, of another device - a graphical manipulator "mouse", without which it is now difficult to imagine any modern personal computer. Windows 1.0 included its own drivers for video cards, mice, keyboards, printers, and serial ports.

By 1990, the GNU Project had developed and continuously developed free programs that constitute the main toolkit for developing programs in the C language: text editor Emacs, C language compiler gcc, program debugger gdb, command Bash shell, library essential functions for programs in C libc. All of these programs were written for operating systems, similar to UNIX. This means that they used the standard UNIX mechanism for requesting computer resources, necessary for the program - system calls, which are executed core operating system. Using system calls, programs gain access to RAM, the file system, and input and output devices. Due to the fact that system calls looked more or less standard across all UNIX implementations, GNU programs could run (with minimal or no changes) on any UNIX-like operating system.

Using existing GNU tools, it would be possible to write C programs using only free software products, however free UNIX-compatible kernels, on the basis of which all these tools could work, did not exist. In this situation, the GNU developers were forced to use one of the proprietary UNIX implementations, i.e., they were forced to follow the rules adopted in these operating systems architectural solutions and technologies and base their own developments. Stallman's ideal of scientific software development, free from decisions driven by commercial goals, was not possible as long as free development was based on proprietary UNIX-compatible core, source texts which remained a secret to the developers.

Linux-OC UNIX family. Linux does not have a geographical development center. There is no organization that owns this system; there isn't even one focal point. It is being developed by many companies in different countries. Two such development companies are located in Russia: ASP Linux and Alt Linux. Programs for Linux are the result of the work of thousands of projects.

OS differences

Windows is closed source. Sold pre-installed on computers or in a boxed version. The cost is approximately 3000 rubles. Linux is open source. Distributed freely i.e. free. GNU License The General Public License (GPL) establishes and protects these rights, but allows programs to be distributed and modified only under the same license.

Installing Windows OS takes at least 1 hour. At the same time, an administrator is constantly required to configure the OS during installation.

Linux first asks questions about settings (there are about 15 of them). No further presence of the administrator is required. Installs within 15 minutes.

File system difference

Windows file systems are NTFS and FAT32. The disadvantage of Windows is that it does not distinguish between other file systems. FAT32 - latest version FAT file system and an improvement on the previous version known as FAT16. It was created to overcome the volume size limitations of FAT16 while allowing legacy MS-DOS program code to be used and maintaining the format. FAT32 uses 32-bit cluster addressing. FAT32 appeared with Windows 95 OSR2.

Linux has over a hundred different file systems. The most popular are EXT3, reiserfs and others. Recognizes Windows file systems. The reiserfs file system was developed by employees of Moscow State University. The files of all users in Linux are stored separately, each user has his own home directory, in which he can store his data. Other users' access to the user's home directory may be restricted. Home directory information must be present in account, because this is where the user who registers in the system begins to work. The file system not only organizes data, but is also the basis of the Linux "workplace" metaphor. Each executable program "runs" in a strictly defined directory of the file system. This directory is called current directory, you can imagine that the program “is” in this directory while running, this is its “ workplace". Depending on the current directory, the behavior of the program may change: often the program will by default work with files located in the current directory - it will “reach” them first. Any program has a current directory, including user's command shell. Since the user's interaction with the system is necessarily mediated by the command shell, we can say that the user "is" in the directory that is currently the current directory of his command shell.

Windows and Linux are similar in connecting to the Internet, the only difference is that initial versions Windows didn't have TCP IP. It connects to the Internet using the TCP IP protocol. Connecting to the Internet in both OSes usually occurs via DHCP by default. In this case, if in local network If a server is found that distributes DHCP addresses, then the configuration of the IP address and access to the Internet occurs automatically. At the same time, it is possible to manually configure the connection; for this you need to have knowledge of what an IP address is, DNS server, mask, gateway.

Custom software

Windows has a meager set of programs after installation: notepad, Paint, calculator, Internet Explorer And music player, which cannot play files without installing codecs. Other programs are the same as for DVD viewing, disc burning: they all need to be installed.

Linux has: Open Office, Gimp, Media players, recording programs DVD discs and more than 100 different programs.

Programming in Linux

After certain period a number of developments for Linux have already worked stably essential utilities GNU. The compiled Linux kernel with a small set of GNU utilities already compiled on Linux constituted a set of tools for a software developer who wanted to use a free operating system on his or her computer. personal computer. In such form of Linux was no longer only suitable for developing Linux, but also represented an operating system in which it was already possible to perform some applied problems. Of course, the first thing you could do on Linux was write programs in C. Despite the fact that with the advent of the first distributions Linux installation no longer requires independent compilation of all programs from source texts, using Linux remained the lot of developers: the user of this operating system at that period of its development could engage almost exclusively in programming. At the very least, in order to solve other everyday application tasks in it (for example, reading email, writing articles, etc.), he first had to spend some time programming and even developing the Linux system itself in order to create the corresponding application programs for himself or make them work on Linux.

Due to the prevalence of Windows OS, there are a lot of applications developed for this platform on today's market. However, the dependence of a commercial application on a specific platform (OS) may not always be convenient or beneficial. In this case, there are tools that allow programs developed for Windows to run on another operating system. One of the most developed among such tools is WINE.

WINE ( W ine I s N ot E mulator) is not operating system emulator: that is, it does not create an isolated execution environment and does not provide access to low-level system resources such as direct access to hardware. The function of WINE is, on the one hand, to provide the win application with the Win API - the standard system interface of Windows operating systems, and on the other hand, to translate the win application requests into the corresponding system calls (Unix API). WINE runs on a variety of Unix systems, including Linux. Thus, WINE is a kind of “layer” of compatibility between win applications and the host system.

Working with drivers and networks

Windows for optimal performance everyone external devices required additional installation drivers. What does it have to do with each device? separate driver. Linux comes pre-installed with drivers for popular devices. However, Linux allows you not only to use already installed drivers and programs, as well as download and connect new programs and new drivers. This is done by installing packages. Packages can be installed from graphical environment and from command line. From the graphical environment, packages are installed using the Synaptic program. From the command line using the apt-get command

Virus protection

Windows is partially protected from viruses and requires additional purchase and installation of antivirus software. But there is a built-in protection against malicious code “Virus Protection”, which is not very reliable and can be hacked even by a minor virus attack. To enhance Windows protection To prevent viruses, you need to buy and install additional software from other developers. These companies also need to pay regularly to purchase antivirus updates. Linux inherently provides security features in the operating system kernel. The kernel has the property of allowing only those commands that originate from the administrator (from roota) to be written. All ordinary users who go online and use Linux resources never have the same rights and capabilities as root. Therefore if Linux user If you never tell strangers the roota password on your machine, it is impossible to break it.

Windows and Linux kernel

Windows has a MS DOS kernel, which consists of the BIOS—basic input/output system, Io.sys—command boot file, comand.com—information interpreter machine code and other components.

UNIX compatibility at this point meant that the operating system had to support the POSIX standard. POSIX is functional model a UNIX-compatible operating system that describes how the system should behave in a given situation, but does not provide any instructions on how it should be implemented software. POSIX described those features of UNIX-compatible systems that were common to different implementations of UNIX at the time the standard was created. In particular, POSIX describes the system calls that an operating system compatible with this standard must process. Linux, with each new version of the OS, a new kernel is released. The Linux kernel supports multitasking, dynamic libraries, lazy loading, efficient memory management and many network protocols. Linux also has its own kernel. In 1992 version Linux kernels reached 0.95, and version 1.0 was released in 1994, indicating that the developers finally felt that the kernel as a whole was complete and all the bugs were (theoretically) fixed. Nowadays, developing the Linux kernel is much more larger community, than in the days before version 0.1, the role of Linus Torvalds himself has changed, who is now not the main developer, but the main authority who traditionally evaluates the source code that should be included in the kernel and gives his approval for their inclusion. However, the general model of free development by the community remains. Currently, two versions of the kernel are always being developed in parallel. A stable version, considered sufficiently reliable and suitable for users, its number ends with an even number, for example, “2.4”. The number of the corresponding experimental version of the kernel ends in an odd number - “2.5”. The experimental version is aimed primarily at kernel developers testing new features.

Working on the Internet

To download and upload files to Windows networks requires installation FTP client programs, SSH, Samba. For HTTP protocol Windows is provided with IE, but according to popular opinion it is better to use another browser. Because IE has vulnerabilities through which viruses can penetrate.

In Linux everything is already pre-installed. It is most convenient to use the Konqueror program because... it has many programs for working in networks. Browser choice doesn't matter. The currently popular browser is Mozilla FireFox

Office

On Windows you need to buy and install Microsoft Office. Or Open Office. It can be downloaded for free from the manufacturer's website. Both offices operate approximately the same. Linux comes pre-installed with Open Office

Working in Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org

OpenOffice.org allows you to open and save documents in Microsoft Office file formats.

Opening Microsoft file Office

• Select a team File - Open. In OpenOffice.org, in the Open Files dialog box, select the Microsoft Office file.

Save as a Microsoft Office file

1. Select a team File - Save As.
2. In the field list File type select a Microsoft Office file format.

Saving documents to Microsoft formats Office by default

1. Select a menu item.
2. In area Standard format file first select the document type and then select the file type to save.

After this, when you save the document, the selected file type. Of course, it remains possible to select a different file type in the file save dialog box.

Convert many Microsoft Office files to OpenDocument format

Document Conversion Wizard will copy and convert all Microsoft Office files in a folder into OpenOffice.org documents with the OpenDocument file format. You can specify the folder to view and the folder where the converted files should be saved.

• Select the command to launch the wizard.

Working in Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org

Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org cannot run the same macro codes. Microsoft Office uses a variant of the VBA language ( Visual Basic for Applications), and OpenOffice.org uses Basic, based on the OpenOffice.org API framework ( software interface applications). Although the programming language is the same, the objects and methods are different.

If a macro is used in one application and you want to use the same functionality in another application, you need to edit the macro. To do this, you should download the macro contained in Microsoft Office files to OpenOffice.org, view and edit its code in the OpenOffice.org integrated development environment.

Open the Microsoft Office document that contains the code VBA macro. Change only the normal content (text, cells, graphic objects), but do not edit the macro. Save the document as a Microsoft Office file type. Open the file in Microsoft Office and the VBA macro will work as before.

You can also remove the VBA macro from a Microsoft Office file when loading or saving.

• Select the command to set options for processing VBA macros in OpenOffice.org.

On Windows executable files are with the extension file_name.exe. There is no extension on Linux. There is a file type. The file types are: r-read w-write x-executable. Their mask is as follows: User - can only be viewed by 1 user Group - the file can be viewed by a specific group of users All - all users

On Windows, software installation is carried out using setup.exe. On Linux, programs are installed using rpm packages. Uses the built-in Synaptik program which installs programs using the rpm package from the repository

CONCLUSIONS

Through these comparisons you have discovered that Linux is easier install, maintain, and require less time and effort to update and support the system than Windows. Firstly, this is due to the lack of need to install a diver for popular devices, it has more file systems than Windows, and is more protected from viruses. Every year the popularity of Linux grows, and Windows decreases. You can install Linux completely legally. Having purchased and installed Windows, you need to incur large financial costs for additional software.

The terms "operating system" and "software" are often used in the same context. What do they mean?

Software in a broad and narrow sense

First of all, it is worth saying that the term “software” or software is very capacious. What could it mean?

Firstly, any type of computer programs, starting from low-level BIOS firmware, which controls the computer even before any custom solutions are installed on it. Software may be considered a game, cloud application. This interpretation of software can be conventionally called broad.

Secondly, there is a narrow interpretation of the concept of software - as corresponding only to user applications. Such as, for example, Photoshop, browser, Word, Excel. Those programs whose operation is not visible to the computer owner, which are not used in practice, are called differently. For example, as “system software”.

Is an operating system, in turn, a type of software?

Facts about operating systems

The most interesting thing is that the operating system can include both “system software” and user applications. Therefore, it can quite rightly be considered software in all possible interpretations. But if you really want to discover the fundamental difference between the operating system and the software, then this is quite possible to do. How?

Comparison

The fact is that theoretically there may not be any custom solutions included in the OS. All that will be in the operating system is, relatively speaking, the Desktop and disks. In this case, the OS cannot be considered software (according to a narrow interpretation). But it can be called “system software”.

Another point that allows you to see the difference between the terms in question is the purpose of a specific program.

Everything is very simple. For example, it is completely incorrect to call Photoshop an “operating system” - since it is designed for editing graphic files. It will be a type of software, but not an OS.

In its turn, Windows distribution or Linux can hardly be called anything other than “operating system”. Because its main purpose is to control a computer.

Let's try to reflect the basic facts about the difference between the operating system and software in a small table.

Table

Vavilin Mikhail

Among all the computer programs that PC users work with, operating systems occupy a special place. The choice of OS depends on the performance of your work, the degree of data protection, the necessary hardware, etc. However, the choice of operating system also depends on technical characteristics(configuration) of the computer. The more modern the operating system, the more it not only provides more features and is more visual, but also the more requirements it places on the computer (processor clock speed, RAM and disk memory, availability and capacity additional cards and devices).

The OS loads all programs into RAM, transfers control to them at the beginning of their work, performs various actions at the request of executing programs, and frees RAM occupied by programs when they complete.

Thus, the choice of operating system is very important, since the entire further work PC: performance, degree of data security, etc.

But you can't just go to the store and buy what you like. In order to make this choice, you first need to familiarize yourself with the system requirements of this product, and then choose the one that suits you best.

Therefore, the goal of our work was

1. Consider the system requirements of common operating systems.
2. Get acquainted with the choice of most users.
3. Analyze modern operating systems and identify their disadvantages and advantages.

Object of work: operating systems.

Subject of study: comparative analysis some modern operating systems.

Download:

Preview:

Municipal educational institution "Gymnasium of Nadym"

Comparison of common operating systems

Completed by: Mikhail Vavilin,

10th grade student

Head: Vagner O.Yu.,

computer science and ICT teacher

Nadym 2011

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….2

2. Literature review………………………………………………………………………………..3

3. Practical data………………………………………………………………………………………6

4. Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………………….9

5. References………………………………………………………………………………10

Introduction.

Among all the computer programs that PC users work with, operating systems occupy a special place. The choice of OS depends on the performance of your work, the degree of data protection, the necessary hardware, etc. However, the choice of operating system also depends on the technical characteristics (configuration) of the computer. The more modern the operating system, the more it not only provides more features and is more visual, but also the more requirements it places on the computer (processor clock speed, RAM and disk memory, the presence and capacity of additional cards and devices).

The OS loads all programs into RAM, transfers control to them at the beginning of their work, performs various actions at the request of executing programs, and frees RAM occupied by programs when they complete.

Thus, the choice of operating system is very important, since all further operation of the PC will depend on this choice: performance, degree of data security, etc.

But you can't just go to the store and buy what you like. In order to make this choice, you first need to familiarize yourself with the system requirements of this product, and then choose the one that suits you best.

Therefore, the goal of our work waspresentation and comparison with different sides most common operating systems.

Tasks:

1. Consider the system requirements of common operating systems.
2. Get acquainted with the choice of most users.
3. Analyze modern operating systems and identify their disadvantages and advantages.

Object of work: operating systems.

Subject of research: comparative analysis of some modern operating systems.

Literature review.

Operating system, OS (English) operating system) - a basic set of computer programs of a kind, a transmitter between computer hardware and other programs. The OS takes command signals sent by other programs and “translates” them into a language understandable to the machine. The OS manages all devices connected to the computer, providing access to them to other programs.

The OS allows you to abstract away from implementation details hardware, providing software developers with minimal required set functions. From the point of view of ordinary people, ordinary users computer equipment,The OS also includes user interface programs. Main functions (simple OS):

1. Loading applications into RAM and executing them;
2. Standardized access to peripheral devices(input/output devices);
3. RAM management (distribution between processes, virtual memory);
4. Controlling access to data on non-volatile media (such as HDD, CD, etc.), usually using a file system;
5. User interface;
6. Network operations, protocol stack support

Each OS consists of at least 3 required parts.

First – kernel, command interpreter, “translator” with program language into “iron”, machine code language.

Second – specialized programs for management various devices included in the computer. Such programs are called drivers. This also includes the so-called “ system libraries", used both by the operating system itself and the programs included in it.

Third part is a convenient shell with which the user communicates - the interface. This is a kind of beautiful wrapper in which a boring and uninteresting kernel is packed. The comparison with packaging is also apt because it is what people pay attention to when choosing an OS; the kernel, the main part of the OS, is remembered only later.

The most common operating systems today are all operating systems Microsoft, Linux and Mac OS.

I will not focus special attention on the Windows OS, since almost anyone who uses a computer probably uses Windows as their desktop operating system. Therefore, let’s immediately move on to the system requirements of this product.

1. Microsoft Windows XP

For fast and stable operation, your computer must have a Pentium-II processor, processor frequency of 500 MHz, free disk space of at least 2 GB and, accordingly, a disk reader.

1. Microsoft Windows Vista

If you have chosen Vista, then your computer system must be no weaker than these system requirements: a processor with clock frequency at least 800 MHz, 512 MB RAM, 32 MB video memory, graphics card with support for DirectX 9, device for DVD reader and at least 15 GB free space on your hard drive.

1. Microsoft Windows Seven

To run this system, you need a processor with at least a 1 GHz frequency, 1 GB of RAM or higher, more than 16 GB of free hard disk space, a DVD reader, and a DirectX 9 compatible graphics card.

7 September 1991 Finnish student Linus Torvalds posted online source what later developed into an operating room Linux system(“Linux”) The most fundamental difference between Linux and Mac OS X and Windows is that Linux is free software that is distributed under the GPL license. Unlike commercial systems such asMicrosoft Windows or MacOS, Linux does not have a geographical development center. There is no organization that owns this system; There is not even a single coordination center. Programs for Linux are the result of the work of thousands of projects. Some of these projects are centralized, some are concentrated in firms. Many projects combinehackersfrom all over the world who know each other only by correspondence. Anyone can create their own project or join an existing one and, if successful, the results of the work will become known to millions of users. Users take part V testingfree software, communicate with developers directly, which allows you to quickly find and fix errors and implement new features.

If you decide to install Linux on your computer, then you will need a 33 MHz processor, 8 MB of RAM and 120 MB of disk space.

Last on the list of the most common operating systems is Mac OS. The most important thing is that Mac OS X can only be installed on Macintosh computers made by Apple. In addition, unlike open Linux, Mac OS X is proprietary software, i.e. there is a ban on free distribution, making changes, etc. The first Mac OS appeared in 1984, which is much earlier emergence of Windows. Apple Company wanted the Macintosh to be presented as a computer "for everyone else." The term "Mac OS" itself didn't really exist until it was officially used in the mid-1990s. Since then the term has been applied to all versions of Macintosh operating systems as convenient way highlighting them in the context of other operating systems. Mac OS can only be installed on Macintosh computers manufactured by Apple. These computers, unlike the PCs we are used to, have a closed architecture, that is, the computers themselves are assembled only by Apple.

Practical data.

Comparing operating systems is a time-consuming process. The result of the work is reflected in the table (Table No. 1).

All operating systems (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Seven, Linux, Mac OS) were evaluated according to several parameters:

1. safety,
2. interface,
3. price.

Table 1

conclusions

1. Microsoft Windows XP

Most likely, you are very familiar with this system. If you are satisfied with everything, then there is no need to change your habits. Five years of updates have made Windows XP as secure as it can be, but still inferior in this regard to both Vista andSeven and Linux and Mac OS X. Low resource requirements make this system most suitable for computer games until DirectX 10 takes over the world. It is not demanding and satisfies all the basic needs of the user, but Microsoft is gradually pushing it out of the market, making room for its later products.

1. Microsoft Windows Vista

You will have to get Windows Vista if you buy new computer. Windows Vista's interface is more lively than that of XP, which will allow you to communicate more comfortably with the system during daily routines. Windows Vista includes some useful new tools and is safer for networking. However, it's not worth the price of a software update and the loss in performance.

Windows Vista, I’ll be honest, it was not a success; now it is even considered an “inferior” operating system, but a kind of by-product, the transition from XP to Seven.

1. Windows Seven

At the moment Windows release 7, the most popular operating system was Windows XP. However, more than eight years have passed since its release, and during this time many new devices and technologies have appeared that require operating system support. After the advent of Windows Seven and equipment upgrades for users, this system became quite good replacement for Windows XP, leapfrogging Windows Vista.Windows Seven is a very successful product that will appeal to many users, but it is demanding on your computer's system resources.

1. Linux

If you are tired of worrying about the safety of your data on your computer and dealing with countless malware, you can easily try Linux. Suddenly he will satisfy your requests. Just find your boot disk. Rich customization options make Linux distributions ideal for users... with knowledge of Linux (programmers). For ordinary users who just want to work at the computer, the system is still not friendly enough.

1. Apple Mac OS X

Mac OS can be called the best operating system, but it has one huge drawback - to become its proud owner, you will have to buy an Apple laptop, and this is not a cheap pleasure. If Apple computers fits your budget, then Macintosh is a great choice. You'll get powerful tool with the most functional and user-friendly OS to date

Thus, today, the Windows XP operating system remains the best option.

Bibliography.

1. Computer science. Basic course/Simonovich S.V. and others - St. Petersburg: Peter Publishing House, 2000.
2. Borisov M.V. Fundamentals of computer science and computer technology./M.V. Borisova – Rostov n/a: Phoenix, 2006
3. Computer Science: “Encyclopedic Dictionary for Beginners” / Comp. D.A. Pospelov. – M.: Pedagogy-Press, 1994
4. http://aleksandrservis.ucoz.ru/

Choosing an operating system is an issue that you have to understand thoroughly. A few years ago this problem did not exist. But now all PC users can choose which OS to install on their computer. A lot depends on this. "Linux" or "Windows" - which is better? This question will be answered further. What should users pay attention to? Which operating system should be preferred in this or that case? What do users say about them? Understanding all this is not as difficult as it seems. The main thing is to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of each operating system from all sides.

Operating speed

It's no secret that the first parameter of any operating system is its performance. I don’t want to use slow software; it causes a lot of problems for users.

"Linux" or "Windows" - which is better? If we evaluate operating systems by performance, then it is Linux that allows you not to worry about the speed of processing commands and operations. Even Microsoft says that Windows is a very slow OS. Yes, you can make it work quite quickly, but Windows still cannot compare with the previously mentioned system. It is significantly slower in terms of speed. Especially some builds like Vista.

PC requirements

"Linux" or "Windows" - which is better to choose? It's hard to decide. You should pay attention to such a feature as the computer hardware requirements. This parameter is available for all operating systems and software.

Windows is a fairly demanding product. Some versions of systems will not run on older computers. To ensure minimum performance, you will have to make sure that the PC is very powerful by modern standards. But there are exceptions. For example, Windows 10 should now run on weak computers. It was for such purposes that it was created.

Linux is an operating system that is suitable for any computer. The distribution, compared to Windows, cannot be called demanding. It will run on both weak and powerful PCs. With all this, as already mentioned, the user will receive OS performance.

Settings

Which is better - Linux or Windows 10? Many PC users ask a similar question. In particular, if they do not have very powerful computers. You have to pay attention to many nuances and features.

A distinctive feature of Linux is that all the settings in this operating system are located in one place. The interface is clear; you don’t need to search for this or that item all over your computer. No numerous windows, utilities or drop-down menus. Everything is extremely simple and clear. A few mouse clicks - and all the operating system settings are at your fingertips.

Windows 10, like all other versions of the Microsoft OS, has a confusing settings menu. Each point is located in a separate place. To find this or that setting, you always have to wade through numerous dialog boxes, submenus and lists. The settings in Windows cannot be called clear. Therefore, it will be easier for novice users to set certain OS parameters in Linux.

Software installation

But that's not all. "Linux" or "Windows" - which is better? To understand the answer to this question, the user must pay attention to the numerous pros and cons of each operating system.

The OS itself is an environment for installing utilities and programs. Accordingly, it is important for each user to initialize the software necessary for work. In Windows, doing this is not as easy as it seems. This is despite the fact that the process of searching and installing applications is familiar to many users. Initially, you need to go through the following steps:

• search for the creator/developer’s website (or another place where you can download the installation file);
• checking the utility for viruses;
• analysis of the nuances of installing the program (each software may have its own characteristics).

In fact modern users They don’t see anything special in this process. Yes, Windows 10 has a specialized application called Windows Store, which makes searching for certain programs somewhat easier. But at the same time, the utility has a meager selection of software. For now there is no hope for it.

With Linux, the process of installing programs is simplified. In this operating system, you can find almost all the software in a specialized application. It's built into the system. Just 2 clicks - and required program will be installed. None additional search, downloads and security checks!

Interface

"Linux" or "Windows" - which is better to choose? It all depends on the user's preferences. The operating system interface plays an important role. After all, people, both advanced and novice users, should be comfortable working with the software.

In Windows, as already mentioned, it is not easy to find certain settings. In particular, because of the interface. One day, the developers removed the only menu item that “saved” users and allowed them to work normally with the OS. We are talking about "Startup". Fortunately, this component was returned.

If we talk about Windows interface in general, users are already accustomed to it. But in the “top ten” there are a lot of restrictions and incomprehensible elements. Some people are ironically happy that in Windows 10 they are allowed to change the color of window panels and the Start menu, as well as set wallpaper on the desktop. Unfortunately, there are more and more restrictions in Windows.

But Linux has a simpler and more understandable interface. Here, according to users, you are your own boss. You can instantly change the interface the way you want. For example, in Linux Mint It is proposed to bring the environment closer to Windows or MacOS using special settings. Very comfortably. And this despite the fact that, accustomed to Windows user notices for himself that Linux is not the most convenient “appearance”. But you can get used to everything.

About security

Which is better - Linux or Windows 7? An important point is to ensure data privacy, as well as the security of the operating system. What can you say about the OS data?

A lot can be said about the situation with Windows of any version. In short, Windows is constantly under threat of infection by some kind of virus. It could be a harmless browser hijacker or a serious Trojan. Also in Windows 10, for example, the operating system collects user data and sends it to Microsoft, thereby putting the information at risk and violating privacy. It is difficult to “wean” the operating system from such actions. Among other things, official Windows updates sometimes cause a lot of problems for users. This is no secret to anyone.

There are no such problems in Linux. Some people say that very few viruses are written for Linux. Therefore, we can call the OS as safe as possible. In addition, the distribution does not collect any user data. Confidentiality is fully ensured here. Even antivirus programs may not be needed!

Availability and choice

"Linux" or "Windows" - which is better? The availability of a particular product plays an important role. After all, the user must purchase this or that software before use.

Windows is inferior to Linux in this area. There are not many versions of Windows known in the world, some of them are not in demand (like Vista), some have already gone out of fashion and are not used at all (for example, Windows 98). Accordingly, most often users choose between XP, Windows 7, 8, 10. And even then support for the first OS has been discontinued.

Windows can be called affordable - the operating system can be found in any store, on almost every computer. Both in the form of already installed software and separate installation disks. Just to use it you will have to purchase the system for money. You can download pirated copy, but that's not the most The best decision. So "Linux" or "Windows"? Comparing these systems will help you decide on the answer. What can you say about each of them?

"Linux" is free distribution basically. The operating system has many different versions that are freely available. Installation discs or the system is also sold as software already installed on the computer. But most often Linux is positioned as a free OS with a wide selection of versions.

conclusions

"Linux" or "Windows" - which is better for games and other purposes? Based on all of the above, we can come to the conclusion that it is the first operating system that is in the lead. And indeed it is. Many people say that it is best to give preference to Linux. However, gamers should take into account that most games still run primarily on Windows. But developers are struggling with this problem.

"Linux" or "Windows" - which is better? User reviews are divided. This is an eternal debate in which it is impossible to come to a common opinion. According to statistics, about 90% of users work with the usual Windows, despite the numerous shortcomings of the system. But Linux is also being adopted with great success.

What to choose? It all depends on the personal preferences of users. Can work on any operating system. But Linux has a number of advantages that are unlikely to be realized in Windows. This should always be remembered.