Mac vs. PC vs. Linux

The penguin, apple and the Windows. The latter two are two of the most known emblems worldwide, synonymous with the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems. The penguin emblem, however lesser known, represents Linux operating systems, meaning that Linux is not one, but a plethora of open source, and free operating systems.

Skipping to the hard-talk, the functionality of each operating system. All three do the same thing; they can print, copy and paste, surf the Internet, and play games. It isn't the matter of what they can do, but rather how well they do it.

The ease of use for the operating systems differ slightly. Naturally, Windows operating systems are slightly more complex to understand than its competitors. This is because the advanced features for Windows is aimed for the educated public, or those who seek to understand. Otherwise, each operating system has the same graphical user interface. Mac's and Linux systems are slightly easier to use, as they don't have advanced functions hidden under menus and sub-menu. Mac's also seem to have an advantage with the artistic kind, as it handles heavy duty film and pohotgraphy software much more easily than Windows.

Unfortunately, one of the weak points of Windows is it's stability, and this has been subject of torment from its competitors. One of the most glamorous examples was the demo of Windows 98. The demo backfired onto Bill Gates and alike, with the Windows operating system crashing, and displaying the infamous “blue screen of death”. Bill Gates shrugged it off, saying that “this must be why we aren't shipping it yet.” . Close to ten years later, Windows Vista arrived, and was waterlogged with failures: crashes, dubbed as a CPU and Memory hog, and file transfer failures. All Windows releases have some failures, as Microsoft tries to rush it, as it capitalizes on it's unbelievable market share.

We have, on the other hand, the UNIX based operating systems; Mac OSX and Linux. Both built on the same core (Kernel), they share the amazing stability record, It is known that Mac's don't crash, likewise Linux Operating systems do not crash. The only minor scare is to come; the year 2038 seems to do wonders and confuses the operating system to reset it's internal timer, which may cause software to crash. Other wise UNIX systems are nearly bulletproof.

Each of us have had Viruses in the past, assuming you are using a Windows machine. Mac's and Linux systems don't have viruses, and equally no anti-virus software, meaning that your system wont slow down. Personally, I don't think that the average user has ever seen a Mac crash.

In terms of hardware, only macs and Windows machines are applicable, because Linux is open-source and free. Linux operating systems are not yet bundled with consumer computers, but are easily installed on old and new machines.

Mac's on the other hand are bundled with the hardware, as unfortunately you can not but the operating system stand alone. Until recently, Mac's were using Power PC processors, which were dated and sluggish. The new Intel based Mac's are up to par with it's competition, however, the range of options and cost are still very limited. Be prepared to hand over extra cash for a Mac, identical in hardware as it's competitor.

The availability of programs are far superior on a Windows and Linux machine. Linux programs by majority, are all free. Windows has a software library that can triple any of it's competitors, although you'll find it eating through your memory and CPU usage. Mac's are bundled with everything the average person needs; an Internet browser, media player and a production suite.

Every person will have their opinion, the geeks will love Linux, the businessman will like Windows, and the artistic kind will surely have a mac. Each one has it's positives and negatives, however it's p to the user's opinion. My personal opinion sees Windows with the top spot, typically because it does what I need. Linux and Mac's would come second equal, the first because it's free, and the latter because of it's ease of use.