Choosing An Operating System

Apple OSX, Linux, or Windows

When you need a new computer, you have many decisions to make.

• Do you build or buy?
• If you build, how?
• If you buy, from where and what kind?

You want to start with hardware, and configure the best computer for your money; but after that you need to look at software; specifically the operating system.

If you build a custom computer, you can install Microsoft Windows or a version of Linux. Microsoft Windows is the most widely used operating system in the world, running on the vast majority of computers.

It has the vast resources of Microsoft Corporation behind it, which many see as an advantage when it comes to support and ease of use. Windows has long been marketed as a user-friendly system.

Linux is fairly new, although its base, Unix, is not. In its various incarnations, it continues to increase in popularity and programs that run on it. Linux is a free operating system that you can install on your new computer whether you buy it or build it, although only some retailers sell systems that already have it installed. It is famous for being very safe and secure.

There is a vast community of developers that provide support and help to Linux users, and they also write programs for the system. Many fans see this as an advantage to the corporate options that are out there. Some find Linux to have a high learning curve, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your point of view!

If you buy a computer, you can install Windows or Linux on a PC, or you can buy an Apple Macintosh with OSX.

Apple OSX, which is also based on Unix but much less difficult to learn, is extremely popular among creative types, from web and graphic designers to musicians to video professionals. It is often regarded as the most stable and secure, but still user-friendly and extremely powerful, operating systems in the world.