THE PROS AND CONS OF CURRENT COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEMS

An operating system (OS for brevity) is responsible for the coordination, management of activities, and resource sharing in a computer.  Without the OS, it is impossible to operate these devices.

The three most dominant computer operating systems found in the market today are Windows (manufactured by Microsoft), MAC (by Macintosh/Apple Computers), and Linux (by Linus Torvalds and his partners).

Current Windows OS has the best Graphical User Interface with upgraded menu bar, start menu, button, and taskbar appearance.  These user-friendly features allow clients to conveniently use computers with just simple instructions.  This OS is known to be very stable and is protected with high level of security measures.  These have phishing filters that alarm its users when unauthorized people are attempting to access their sites.  It also has spam protection, Windows Defender which blocks suspicious programs, advanced firewall, automatic back-up during programs crashes, and data encryption/decryption.  This software allows fast interconnectivity in local area networks and the internet. High-speed data downloading and uploading can be achieved.  Multimedia functions such as video and audio are richly provided in Windows OS.

The main disadvantage of Window OS is that this has high computer system requirements.  You should have a computer that has very high memory capacity, graphics card requirement ranging from 128 to 256 megabytes, minimum hard disk space of at least 20 gigabytes, and Random Access Memory (RAM) with 2 gigabyte capacity.  Windows OS is usually expensive.  You may need to upgrade your current software or purchase a new operating system to keep abreast with technological advances.

Macintosh provides its own operating system which is called MAC OS.  It is less prone to infiltration and damage from harmful software such as malware and spyware compared to Microsoft Windows. However, this system is not sold solely in computer stores because it is exclusively used in Apple Computers.  Because of this, MAC OS equipped units are typically pricey.

The Linux operating system is known for its stability and durability in withstanding long use.  This system rarely crashes.  If this indeed happens, it will not usually harm its computer programs.  It can run even on old computer hardware such as Pentium 100 with 16 megabyte of memory and just 1 gigabyte disk drive.  You can still use your outdated computer since several program applications are compatible with Linux.  Its security features are very impressive because its developers can immediately fix any weak spots that the operating system may have.

However, Linux has many disadvantages.  First of all, many people are not familiar with this computer software.  Thus, it will take some time to learn on how to operate it.  Secondly, there are a lot of office suite programs that do not run on Linux.  Thirdly, you need specialized personnel to service your computer that uses the said operating system.  Lastly, there are computer programs that are incompatible with the Linux software.  Therefore, these may not run and function properly.

In choosing an operating system, consider its affordability and the full availability of support services.

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