The Pros and Cons of Linux, Windows,

and OSX
http://wi-phye.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-linux-windows-and-osx/

From time to time I am asked which operating system is the best in my opinion. This is a tough question to answer as
there is no definitive answer. All your choices have their technical merits but, you really shouldnt select an operating
system based solely on its technical merits. You should instead select one that best suits your usage case. To that end
I have done my best to summarize the pros and cons of each operating system from the point of view of the average
end user. This overview is intended to be part of a larger series of articles I am working on to help you determine
which is the best computer for you. A question I get asked a lot more often.
Lets address your operating system choices in order of market share, just to be objective.

First we have Windows XP Windows 7.

Its about everything and nothing.
Update: Since I originally wrote this article Microsoft has introduced Windows 7 to the world. What a difference a
few months makes. Windows 7 makes up for everything Vista did wrong and them some. It is certainly the best OS
Microsoft has produced since XP and some might say Windows 2000.
And its not a disappointment this time around like it was with Vista. Besides improving the interface they have
revamped most of the built in applications, simplified wi-fi networking management, gotten rid of the annoying
security prompts, gave it better battery life, and made major improvements to the task bar. It will even run on lower
powered hardware like netbooks.
Unlike the Vista launch most of the hardware compatibility problems have been resolved. Windows 7 is based on
Vista so all the work manufactures put into updating their drivers to Vista will still apply.So most of the problems
controlled by Microsoft that are outlined below have been resolved. The problems related to existing in the Windows
based eco-system are still there.
What about Windows Vista? Stay away from Vista. But isnt Vista the latest and greatest from Microsoft? Latest,
true. Greatest, no.
There are two major reason to stay away from Vista. One, corporate America has pretty much passed on this
operating systems due to software incompatibilities, cost, and lack of benefit. Second, a major lack off legacy
hardware support. What business wants to buy a new computer for everyone just for a fancier interface and find out

that they have to replace everything else, printers, digital cameras, scanners, just to make it all work together again?
For that matter, why would you? Unless you dont have any legacy hardware or software, just stay away.
If you need proof of all these problems, all you have to do is look at Microsofts support policy for Windows XP.
Windows XP was suppose to reach end of life in the middle of 2007. Since then, due to the backlash from vendors
and consumer problems, that support has been extend to June of 2008. Now the rumor is that support will be
extended, again, to 2010. Why 2010? Thats when Microsoft plans to release its next version of Windows.
So why use Windows XP? Well Windows XP is still the most widely supported operating system and dare I say it,
the most stable product in the Windows family. Youll never have a problem finding hardware, software, or support
for a Windows XP system. Windows XP also still has the most support for running your custom business
applications. The last reason to select XP over other alternatives is gaming. If gaming is a major consideration you
are practically locked into choosing Windows XP.
So, at this point, you are probably saying to yourself that Windows XP is for you but, hold on, being the biggest has
its dark side. For one, Windows is targeted for malware more than the other operating systems. Due to the
architecture of Windows, when that malware gets into your system, it can do more damage and be harder to remove
than other systems. Windows is general more unstable than its counterparts. Id love to lay the blame for this entirely
at Microsofts feet but, that would be unfair. The sheer magnitude of configurations options means that there really
cant be rigorous quality of assurance testing for every scenario that might come up and they cant be blamed for that.
What they can be blamed for is continuing an architecture that allows the failure of one system to affect the rest of the
system.
An example of Windows inherent instability might be when you accidentally unplug your camera, mouse, printer,
whatever, from you computer while it is in use. Instead of just the programs using that device locking up, your whole
computer locks up and needs to be rebooted. We have all had this experience. We also all blame Microsoft solely for
the problem. That isnt exactly fair. The root cause of the lockup was the device driver, written by the manufacturer,
being unable to handle this unexpected event. Where Microsoft shares the blame is not being able to keep this single,
poorly written, device driver from affecting the whole system.
If I made this same mistake in Linux, and I have, I would probably just lose the ability for the application I was using
to talk to the device I had disconnected. It is a very rare event that the whole system would lock up. In any case, to fix
it, all I would have to do is reconnect the device and restart the application. Dont get me wrong. This isnt an
example of better drivers being written for Linux. If, in this example, the driver was better than its Windows
counterpart then my application wouldnt need to be restarted. It is an example of the underlying architecture of
Linux being able to handle this unexpected event better than Windows.

Pros

More then 80% of the desktop computers in the world run some sort of Windows operating system.
You wont have any trouble finding hardware and drivers.
You wont have any problems finding support.
Most widely supported operating system for games.
Large shareware and freeware application library.

Cons

The most prone operating system for spyware and virus applications.
You are going to need support.
General instability due to the shear number of possible configurations.
Poor security.
Limited access to the library of free open source software.

Second, we have Apple and its OSX

operating system. Its about the content baby.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit, that I am a recent Apple convert. After using Microsoft Windows
since Windows 286, just over 20 years, both personally and professionally, Ive had enough. Maybe I should do one
of those switch commercials?
For most of Apples history there were two major reasons to stick with Windows over Apple. Hardware and software
choices. Since Apple moved to Intel based system a few years back both of those reasons have been negated.
From Wikipedia:
Since Mac OS X is based on UNIX, most software packages written for BSD or Linux can be recompiled to
run on it. Projects such as Fink, MacPorts and pkgsrc provide pre-compiled or pre-formatted packages.
Since version 10.3, Mac OS X has included X11.app, Apples version of the X Window System graphical
interface for Unix applications, as an optional component during installation.[13] Up to and
including Mac OS X v10.4 (Tiger), Apples implementation was based on the X11 Licensed XFree86 4.3 and
X11R6.6. All bundled versions of X11 feature a window manager which is similar to the Mac OS X lookand-feel and has fairly good integration with Mac OS X, also using the native Quartz rendering system.
Earlier versions of Mac OS X (in which X11 has not been bundled) can also run X11 applications
using XDarwin.
So with OSX you have the entire open source catalog of software open to you plus the native OSX software library.
Certainly, lack of software choice is no longer a problem.
The second reason, a lack of hardware support, has pretty much gone away with the introduction of common
hardware interfaces such as USB and firewire. It use to be that hardware, such as scanners and digital cameras, all
had different hardware interfaces, such as serial and SCSI connections, that required the manufacture to write a driver
specifically for for each operating system. Since the introduction of common standards, like USB, the operating
system vendor can now write a common driver for all these devices.
An example of this would be my first digital camera which had a serial interface and thus would only work in
Windows. My second digital camera connected to my computer using USB. The camera presented itself to the

computer as a USB hard drive, which every operating can use. Even though I have upgraded my camera several time
since then, that old camera still works with my new Apple Macbook Pro laptop.
Of course you can still find Windows only hardware but, it is getting harder. If you bought your scanner, camera,
camcorder, or printer in the last few years there is no technical reason not to consider Apple OSX.
So with the technical reason out of the way, why would you want to consider OSX over Microsoft Windows?
First, its just easier to use. Of course this is a subjective statement so I suggest you visit an Apple store and try it for
yourself.
Two, it is more stable. Again that is a subjective statement as well but, it has been my experience and the experience
of people who bought Apple systems based on my recommendations, that over all, they are having less support
issues. I can personally state that these individuals dont come to me with questions about how to fix their systems
anymore. If they do ask me a question, it is more likely to be related to how to do something new like, how do I
create a DVD of my kids using iMovie.
The reasons for this are probably two fold. One, Apple has a higher degree of control over the hardware design of its
systems leading to a generally more stable product. Two, OSXs UNIX base (which has been under development a
lot longer than Windows) and UNIX security model lead to a much more stable operating system. You wont have
the virus and spyware problems you are probably use to by now on Windows.
Third, Apples core strength is content creation. Mostly people use a computer to create something else not just to
play with the the computer itself. This is where Apple and OSX excel. In general, Apple systems come out of the box
with more features and programs for creating content than any other system. There is a reason why most bands use
Pro Tools on OSX to create their music, why every print application is created with Adobe Photoshop and Indesign
on OSX, and why a lot of video is produced with Final Cut on OSX. Apples OSX just does a better job of helping to
create and manage content.

Pros

Easier to use for the non technical.

Content creation is its strength.
More secure than Windows due to its UNIX base
More stable than Windows due to Apples tighter control over the configuration options and its UNIX base.
Almost no spyware or virus applications.
More powerful than Windows due to its UNIX base.
You have almost complete access to the enormous library of free open source applications.

Cons

More expensive upfront than other choices. Some would say this is offset by less maintenance required
over the life of the system.

Less support. You have to goto Apple for all your hardware problems.
Less hardware choices than Windows. For your average user this isnt much of a problem. All the common
hardware types will work.

More complex than Windows due to its UNIX base. This really isnt a major con because OSX does a great
job of hiding this complexity from the end user.

Third we have Linux. Its all about choice

man.
I know what you are thinking. Isnt Linux that command line operating system my 15 year old and the technical
support people at work rave about? Thats way too much of a learning curve for me. Well, that is true but, Linux also
is that user friendly cable box under your T.V., that kiosk in the mall that tells you where the GAP is, and the
operating system that runs your TomTom GPS navigation system in your car. Odds are you are already using Linux
and dont even know it.
For a long time Linux has had a two faced image problem. At one end you have the appliance like consumer gadget
market that is using Linux to make extremely easy to use consumer electronics like your Tivo or TomTom. On the
other end you have the majority of the worlds top ten super computers that also run Linux. It is this end that has
gotten most of the main stream media attention over the years.
Linux still has room in the middle of these two extremes for you. Even here there are two ends of spectrum. At the
low end, you have systems like the Asus Eee PC which, by default, runs a restricted version of Linux that even your
grandmother can use. At the other end you have the web server that served you this page. You also have every option
in between.
Typically you are going to want a Linux distribution (of which there are many) that approximates the ease of use of
Windows and OSX. For the last couple of years the most popular choice has been Ubuntu. Ubuntus main focus,
since its inception, has been to make Linux easier to use for the masses and Id have to say, they have done a great
job. If you have ever used a computer before then it wont take you very long to get up to speed in Ubuntu. One of
the great advantages of Linux over Windows or OSX has been its lower hardware requirements. If your current
computer is less then five years old then I can pretty much guarantee that it will run Linux. Maybe not with all the
fancy graphic options but, it will be usable.
Another great advantage of Linux is that you can try it on any hardware without actually installing it by using a live
CD. With a live CD, you can run Linux on your current computer just by booting off the CD. The operating system is
loaded into memory and run off the CD and it wont affect anything else on your system. When you are done testing,
you simply take the CD out of your drive and reboot. Go get the Ubuntu Live CD here and check it out. Of course,
Ubuntu isnt your only choice. Google Linux Live CD and check out the other options.

Pros

Runs on just about any hardware. It is a misnomer that Linux lacks the driver support of Windows and
OSX. Linux actually has the broadest driver support of any system. I dont see Windows running on your
TomTom. What is true, is that the latest and greatest hardware doesnt come to Linux first if the manufacture
choose not write Linux drivers. For most things this isnt a problem for the same reason it isnt a problem for
OSX. Just be aware of the issue before running out to buy the latest add on.

More options than any other system. This is a pro and a con. If you want to change anything in Linux you
can. The only limiting factor is your desire to figure out how.

Way more secure than Windows XP and even OSX.

Everything is free. Although please donate a little something to your favorite projects.
If you choose to, you can always be on the cutting edge of computer science. All the new ideas in
development on college campuses across the world are tried on Linux first and then the best of those filter
down to Apple and Windows but, whats best is subjective so Linux leaves you with a choice, while Apple and
Windows limit you.

Full access to the free open source library of software. Great full featured, compatible, and free
replacements for your proprietary software.

Linux management, for example patch management, is much easier. Typical one command or wizard has to
be invoked in order to update everything vs. Windows where you have to get OS patches from Microsoft and
third party patches from each individual vendor.

Cons

The latest and greatest hardware is typically slower to reach Linux.

The shear number of options can be daunting to a non-technical user. Although, like OSX, the distribution
you select will determine the level of complexity presented or hidden from the end user. For instance, my mom
would have no problem using Ubuntu but, only the uber techies among us would opt for the Gentoo Linux
distribution.

Limited support for proprietary applications. Although you can use Microsoft Office for Windows on Linux
by using an open source version of the Windows application programing interface called WINE, I wouldnt
recommend it for the non-technical user. Instead use Open Office, which comes with the Ubuntu distribution,
for creating documents compatible with Microsoft Office.

Limited vendor support. This is getting better. Dell now offers systems with Ubuntu pre-installed and those
sub $300 Walmart PCs that they couldnt keep in the stores were from Everex. As for software support, even
though this is under cons, I cant really say this is a bad thing. In 20 years Microsoft has never answered a
question when I have bothered to call them. I may spend hours searching their knowledge base to find an
answer to my question. On the other hand, Linux has a massive community of people willing to help. A quick
search of the Ubuntu forums will generally reveal an answer, and if not, then a quick post to the forum
normally gets a response.

Basically, for all its pros and cons, Linux comes down to choice. If you can think it, you can probably do it.

So which OS is the best?

Like I said at the beginning of this article it depends on your usage. If you want to be compatible with the office and
play games, it is Windows. If you do nothing but content creation all day long, want general compatibility with the
office, or are a less technical user, than it is OSX. Finally, if you have a budget, need both a restricted system for one
user and a powerful system for another but, it has to be the same computer, than it is Linux.
Each one has it best use. Im a perfect example. I wrote and developed this web site on OSX. I have a Mac Mini in
my bedroom that I used to watch movies. I also have my entire home automation system running on OSX.
Then there is Linux. I have a Linux based VOIP (Voice Over IP, think vonage) server running my home phone, a
Linux based DVR recording my T.V. and a Linux based file server to back it all up.
Finally, there is Windows. Well, I use Windows at work. I have a XBox for video games. Easy enough?