Which Operating System?

Microsoft Windows, the current reigning champion in the Operating System marketplace, why?

It is so fundamentally flawed, unreliable, prone to viruses, hackers and a bewildering array of other threats... and each new version is like a complete remake.

If Microsoft made cars they would change the shape, colour, label and position of every control for each new model. New, that is, except the bad things under the surface, the horror behind the scenes... the infamous "blue screen of death" for example, looks the same accross all versions of Windows...

Trust me, I'm not complaining. I have held lucrative positions and built successful businesses supporting and trouble-shooting computers running Windows with its many flaws. If everyone was using Linux or Mac OS-X, I would probably not have been able to retire at such a young age.

Some people are not even aware that there is any alternative, let alone a superior one. Let's face facts; Windows XP has as many lines of code as Microsoft's bank ledger. And don't even get me started about Vista! Guess what? Everything is different again. I mean what was wrong with "Add / Remove Programs"? "Network Connections"? or any other item in the "Control Panel"? They seem to change each successive incarnation of Windows. not what they actually DO just the label, location and appearence. Why make these vital controls difficult to find with each generation? God knows...

The hardware required to simply run Vista in a halfway decent manner, would make a corporate server from just a few years ago look like a pocket calculator. Oh! You want to do something useful with your computer? You're not content to just sit and stare at the pretty "Aero" interface? That'll need still more hardware upgrades...

"So what's the alternative, James?" *NIX... That's; UNIX, Linux or Mac OS-X. UNIX has been around longest and therefore had the most development. Linux is a UNIX-like OS and is available for free, the development of Linux began in 1991 and it's basically a copy of UNIX, so Linux enjoys the benefits of the 20+ years of development that went into UNIX before it. But the motive for the copying, in this case, is an honourable one. To bring the power, security and stability of the hideously expensive UNIX Operating System to anyone who wants it. For free!

Mac OS-X (don't say "X" say "ten") is based on BSD-Unix (Berkeley Software Distribution). Which is another 'branch' of the UNIX 'tree'. The major difference between OS-X and other flavours of *NIX is the GUI (Graphical User Interface), which is highly developed and designed for ease of use by non-technical people, it looks nice too... but under the flawless complexion and curvaceous rounded features the user can see, beats the heart of a worker, a labourer, a coal-miner with pick and shovel....
A UNIX heart!

Returning to my automobile analogy, the Microsoft car would have its bonnet welded shut and its wheels integrated with the axles. If you suffered so much as a punctured tyre in your Microsoft car you would just have to put-up-with-it until a Microsoft Certified Grease Monkey could get to you. You would probably have to shut it down and restart it every time you change CDs too... lol.

Linux is developed in small pieces by enthusiasts the world over, the code is 'open source', that means that if I find a problem with a part of it I can get into the code and fix it. If I want to add a function or feature, I can. I can then upload to the Linux community, and others can enjoy, modify and improve on my offering.
If I don't need a certain feature I can turn it off to allow the resources it was using to be utilised by other programs and features I do want/need.

If I update a portion of the software I can restart just that portion of the software, instead of the whole system.

Add to that, the fact that it is almost impossible to infect a Linux machine with a virus and you have to start wondering about Micro$oft's success...

If you use Windows, anti-virus software is necessary, but it's a bit like a mechanic saying "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I fitted more horns".