UNIX & WINDOWS

What is an Operating System

 An operating system (OS) is a program that allows you to
interact with the computer -- all of the software and
hardware on your computer

 Basically, there are two ways.

 With a command-line operating system (e.g., DOS), you type
a text command and the computer responds according to
that command.
 With a graphical user interface (GUI) operating system (e.g.,
Windows), you interact with the computer through a
graphical interface with pictures and buttons by using the
mouse and keyboard.
 With Unix you have in general the option of using either
command-lines (more control and flexibility) or GUIs (easier).
 Unix and Windows: Two Major Classes of Operating
Systems
And they have a competitive history and future. Unix has been
in use for more than three decades. Originally it rose from
the ashes of a failed attempt in the early 1960s to develop a
reliable timesharing operating system. A few survivors from
Bell Labs did not give up and developed a system that
provided a work environment described as "of unusual
simplicity, power, and elegance".
Since the 1980's Unix's main competitor Windows has gained
popularity due to the increasing power of micro-computers
with Intel-compatible processors. Windows, at the time, was
the only major OS designed for this type of processors. In
recent years, however, a new version of Unix called Linux,
also specifically developed for micro-computers, has
emerged. It can be obtained for free and is therefore a
lucrative choice for individuals and businesses.
On the server front, Unix has been closing in on Microsoft’s market
share. In 1999, Linux scooted past Novell's Netware to become
the No. 2 server operating system behind Windows NT. In 2001
the market share for the Linux operating system was 25 percent;
other Unix flavors 12 percent. On the client front, Microsoft is
currently dominating the operating system market with over 90%
market share.
Because of Microsoft’s aggressive marketing practices, millions of
users who have no idea what an operating system is have been
using Windows operating systems given to them when they
purchased their PCs. Many others are not aware that there are
operating systems other than Windows. But you are here reading
an article about operating systems, which probably means that
you are trying to make conscious OS decisions for home use or
for your organizations. In that case, you should at least give
Linux/Unix your consideration, especially if the following is
relevant in your environment.
 ADVANTAGES OF UNIX
 - Unix is more flexible and can be installed on many different
types of machines, including main-frame computers,
supercomputers and micro-computers.
 - Unix is more stable and does not go down as often as Windows
does, therefore requires less administration and maintenance.
 - Unix has greater built-in security and permissions features than
Windows.
 - Unix possesses much greater processing power than Windows.
 - Unix is the leader in serving the Web. About 90% of the
Internet relies on Unix operating systems running Apache, the
world's most widely used Web server.
 - Software upgrades from Microsoft often require the user to
purchase new or more hardware or prerequisite software. That
is not the case with Unix.
 - The mostly free or inexpensive open-source operating
systems, such as Linux and BSD, with their flexibility
and control, are very attractive to (aspiring) computer
wizards. Many of the smartest programmers are
developing state-of-the-art software free of charge for
the fast growing "open-source movement”.
 - Unix also inspires novel approaches to software
design, such as solving problems by interconnecting
simpler tools instead of creating large monolithic
application programs.
 Remember, no one single type of operating system can
offer universal answers to all your computing needs. It
is about having choices and making educated decisions.
 WINDOWS
 Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating
systems and graphical user interfaces produced
by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating
environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as
an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest
in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Microsoft Windows
came to dominate the world's personal
computer market, overtaking Mac OS, which had been
introduced in 1984. As of October 2009, Windows had
approximately 91% of the market share of
the client operating systems for usage on the
Internet. The most recent client version of Windows
is Windows 7; the most recent server version is Windows
Server 2008 R2; the most recent mobile OS version
is Windows Phone 7.