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Windows Vista and Ubuntu LinuxWhich Operating System is for you?Damon S. TalbotMay, 20

2009Composition TwoShayler White

In a computer the operating system (sometimes called an OS) is the engine thattruly drives everything. The software, graphics, inputs and outputs all are run by theoperating system. Thus the Operating System is the core software that allows thecomputer to function. Many people may not realize that there are a few types of operating systems available currently for personal computers. The big three areMicrosoft Windows, Apple has MAC OS-X, and finally there is Linux which comes inmany sub brands and flavors. I will be focusing on two of these systems; Windows Vistaand Ubuntu which is a type of Linux. What really defines an operating system andmakes them unique from one another though? There are many factors such as other system requirements, what software it can run, price of it and the software to run on thesystem, what type of applications you will be using the system for, and many more. Todecide which operating system will best work for you must look at all these and make aneducated decision. Looking at the system requirements, software availability and use,the pricing and market shares would Ubuntu or Microsoft Windows be a better choice of operating system for you as a consumer.The first thing you need to know when choosing an operating system is your computers system configuration. You will need to know the computer’s memory (RAM),processor speed, hard drive storage space, graphics card capabilities, and anyadditional hardware running on the system. Once you have gathered the correctinformation on your computer then you can start looking at the operating systemsrequirements. The system requirements typically are listed as; minimum, andrecommended. Generally you want to be as close, or over the recommendedrequirements as possible. The further above the recommended requirements and thebetter your computer will run. Anything below the minimums will likely not function onyour computer without further upgrades. Starting with Vista the recommended systemrequirements from Windows are as follows: 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)processor, 512 MB of system memory, 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of availablespace, Support for DirectX 9 graphics and 32 MB of graphics memory, DVD-ROM driveand an Audio Output.()Ubuntu Linux can be configured to run on a very basic and bare bones computer system. The following are the recommended requirements for a typical home user: 700

MHz (x86) processor, 384 MB of system memory, 8 GB of disk space, Graphics cardcapable of 1024x768 resolution, Sound card and a network or Internet connection for additional system downloads. ()So now you know if the operating system will run on your computer, the next stepis to identify what types of applications you will use and which operating system they willrun on. What things do you want to use your system for? Keeping track of finances,creating graphics or other printed items, video production and editing, using the internet,are so many other possibilities. Both Windows and Ubuntu can handle most any needor task that you can think of, there are differences though in software prices,compatibility, and how each program functions and is used. With a Windows systemsuch as Vista you are very likely to use corporate software from Microsoft, Adobe, andothers. These products are very functional, have user support and usually have greatmanuals and other resources. These programs though can range from fifty dollars upinto the high thousands. Most of these types of packages are compatible to use onother systems and locations. With a Windows based system you will want to have top of the line security software including; virus scanners, spybot removal tools, and firewalls.Windows is a prime target of those that write malicious software that can do much harmto a users system. Some of the possible damages could be from harmless, tocompletely ruining your system and rendering the data useless.With Ubuntu you have some other options; much software can be obtained for free via download or requesting a CD or DVD disc. Many of these programs are called“Open Source” which is a way to freely distribute software and programming. Thesoftware may not be very well documented or have direct support, it may however havepeer support online in a community type of setting. Some of these programs arecompatible, while others are not so much. With any of these packages it is wise toresearch and read up on the program before trying it. Another feature of Ubuntu is theability to run an emulator which lets you run programs that typically require other operating systems to function. Results of using software with an emulator may vary onthe system and the software being used. The security threat on any Linux system isalmost nonexistent. Do to the way that a Ubuntu system functions and the fact it is lessused the malicious persons who write these damaging programs tend to not even