Ubuntu, which has been rated as one of the most popular operating systems, is a free and open source Linux-based operating system that is built around the Linux kernel. It comes with some good open source software applications that you can work on.

The name “Ubuntu” comes from Zulu and Xhosa languages and the principle of Ubuntu is said to be, “a person is a person only through other people.” This can be better explained through the following quote:

“A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”
— Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Ubuntu is not only free of charge but people are also allowed to improve upon it anyway they wish to, which means they can change and fix the software in any way. This proves to be advantageous when developing programs. Users have no restriction on the number of systems they use it on and the installation is extremely simple.

Ubuntu, sponsored by Canonical a European-based company owned by Mark Shuttleworth, does not cost anything and is free software that does not carry any software licensing charges. In fact, the operating system CDs will be shipped free throughout the world. By making it totally free and open, the company has been able to leverage the knowledge of other developers instead of doing all the development in the company. Canonical is said to make money in spite of giving the software for free, from its engineering services and commercial support contracts, which it offers globally to the wide range of customers, from government organizations to Fortune 500 companies and from schools to research institutes. This paid support makes it possible for the company to earn revenues. (more…)

Windows Vista was one of the most awaited operating systems from Microsoft. It is one of the most ambitious projects for Microsoft and also one of the largest software projects.

Windows Vista was released worldwide, five years after Windows XP has been introduced, which is the longest gap between Microsoft releases. It was launched with much aplomb with several new and better features and huge promises of a better computing experience. A lot was expected of it, especially due to the long wait.

Windows Vista has the visual sophistication not seen in the previous operating systems and the ease of use is remarkable. The Windows Start menu has been made much faster than the previous versions, with the integration of the Instant Search feature that helps find almost anything on the PC instantly. Windows Aero, which is the first of its kind in a Windows operating system has translucent window borders and icons. Taskbar tabs show graphical preview of the window’s contents. Windows layout has changed for the better.

However, Microsoft’s primary objective with Vista was to increase the security in the Windows operating system, which was a cause for complaints in their previous operating system, Windows XP. Vista is certainly the most secure version of Windows yet. It is aimed at protecting the PC from worms, spyware, viruses and other unwanted software and is a huge step forward from Windows XP security. The User Account Control (UAC) feature which is one of the significant changes, is felt to be annoying and obtrusive. Accessing files over a network is slower in Vista that the other operating systems. Although, there is a whole lot more security in Vista, unnecessary extra features bog down network sharing. Windows Vista is slower than XP.

Although, Windows Vista was found favorable when it was launched, this sentiment has not been shared by too many Windows users. Surprisingly, Microsoft faced competition for its Windows Vista from none other than its very own Windows XP.

Windows Vista faced severe post-launch pains and all of Microsoft’s efforts at creating magic with their news desktop OS in five years, fell flat. Microsoft tried its best to reiterate why Vista is a great successor to XP, in a market where users do not appreciate change. However, they failed to do this convincingly, in part due to a technological mishap. (more…)

Get used to one operating system and begin loving it for what it offers and suddenly, it’s gone. A new operating system releases into the market, takes its place not only in the millions of computers throughout the globe but also in the hearts of passionate users. History repeats itself. That’s the biography of an operating system.

Microsoft, said to be the world’s number one IT brand, does it time and again. Their operating systems are very popular and used world-wide. They bring in huge uncountable dollars for the company. The company allows their operating systems to run for a few years and on releasing a new operating system, fade the older version out, making it vanish from the shop shelves.

With the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft initially wanted to stop all the Windows XP sales as of June 30, 2008, in spite of the lukewarm response that Vista received on its launch or the numerous protests made by people that they prefer XP to Vista. Most people are of the opinion that XP is the best piece of software ever produced by them. Microsoft tried to woo XP users to welcome Vista, but to no avail. They complain about Vista’s bad performance, its incompatibility with other software and everything else about Vista, including its security warning pop ups.

Talking about passion for operating systems, Galen Gruman, a technology journalist started a save XP web petition and collected more than 100000 thousand signature and comments from diehard XP fans, insisting that Windows keep selling XP until the next version is released in 2010. Grumen also wanted to meet up with Microsoft heads about the petition and was declined. (more…)

Windows Vista was released to the general public on January 30, 2007 with hundreds of new and improved features and upgraded security - allegedly. The predecessor of Vista, Microsoft’s Windows XP was released five years prior, making it the longest span of time between two new Microsoft operating systems.

With the long wait for a new Microsoft operating system, there was quite a bit of hype surrounding the release. To add to the buildup, this was Bill Gates’s last anticipated launch, since he plans to step down in the next year in order to focus on philanthropic efforts. Despite the hype, however, or perhaps because of it, the public’s reception of the new operating system was definitely disappointing to Microsoft.

Insufficient Speed
According to tests run by a research and development company comparing Windows Vista with its big brother, Windows XP outperformed Vista in every single test. The new operating system is slow and less responsive. XP proved to load more quickly and had a higher responsiveness than Vista, regardless of the computer system and memory allocation available on the variety of computers used in the tests. In some cases, Vista took twice as long to perform even menial tasks, such as auto saving and creating a new document.

Copycat
Again, Microsoft has been accused of copying Apple with some of the new features available on their recently released operating system. Defenders of Microsoft assert that the company was only including aspect that would come naturally as the Windows operating system evolves. Regardless of whether Microsoft unabashedly “borrowed” some ideas from their rival or not, Vista has enough problems to deal with. (more…)

If you’re a Mac user, you might already know that the Vista alternative has been released. Leopard has been released and is getting great reviews by industry experts. This is directly the opposite of Microsoft Vista which is still struggling to endear itself in the hearts of most users.

The new Mac operating system is priced affordably as operating systems go. It ranges from $129-199, but for the money there are definitely some perks. As of the time of the release, there are four features that really stand out from the standard components of any Apple operating system.

Web History
If you forgot to bookmark a site and it isn’t easy to find in your history, you now have an extra option. Leopard can help you find recently visited websites. You can just type in a single word or phrase and Leopard starts looking and lists the matches you’ve visited recently. The really advantageous aspect of the search is that Leopard will actually consider more than just the title and tags. It actually will scan the content of the page to match keywords. Now it can find just about anything – even if you can’t remember more than a topic.

Wikipedia and Dictionary
Leopard is simply smarter than other operating systems. Leopard integrates the dictionary and condensed versions of Wikipedia into the actual OS making it simple to find a definition, spelling or background information whether you are actually online or off. All of the information you need to get you started on any topic is already included without going online to search. The Wikipedia summaries are much easier to glance through and locate the basic information you seek than the full online entries which can often be cumbersome. (more…)

Mac users have had a few advantages over PC users for a while. For a long time software on Apple computers was incompatible with other PCs, but that is no longer the case. Now Microsoft has a platform for both Apple and traditional IBM compatible personal computers. Sharing files between computers is simple.

First Apple introduced iTunes to the traditional PC world. Now, it’s introduced something else – Safari.

Safari
Safari is a web browser unique to Apple. Those with Apple computers are often dedicated users of Safari and loathed to switch to Firefox or Explorer when using a non-Apple computer. Now, they won’t have to.

The version of Safari available is Safari 3.0 which has been released to the public in beta form. Apple claims Safari is two times faster than Internet Explorer and 1.6 times faster than Firefox. When it comes to Javascript, Safari is 2.8 times faster than Explorer and 1.6 times faster than FireFox.

The beta program has other improvements from the last release as well. The neatest is the improved find feature. When searching text on a webpage using the find box, Safari will dim the page except for the text you’re seeking. That text is highlighted in orange with a white border for an easy find and read. Safari 3.0 also has drag and drop tabs and the ability to resize text area forms. (more…)

Every computer needs an operating system, but the number available today makes it possible to select the system that suits you best. Operating systems range from a few free options with limited user support to the latest and greatest Microsoft offering with most of us falling somewhere in between.

Most computer users are content with whatever operating system they have on their home computer. Every new computer purchase comes with a common system such as Windows XP or MacOS. The newest computers are coming out with Windows Vista. But if you are not satisfied with your operating system, or its time for an update, it is possible to change your computer’s operating system.

Changing Operating Systems

If you’re discovering that your Windows 98 isn’t keeping up with current software, you might trade your computer in for a new model with a newer operating system, or you can take advantage of operating systems for sale online or in computer stores.

For most computer users, Windows operating systems are most familiar. These include Windows 98 Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista. Apple users are familiar with MacOS X or earlier versions of the same system. This familiarity should not limit your choices when selecting a new operating system, however.

Many other systems are available that can be run instead of Windows. Linux is a popular option and there are other lesser known systems available as well. Many who use alternative systems feel they have fewer bugs than Microsoft systems and are simpler to use or more task specific.

Just because a computer comes with a certain software package installed certainly doesn’t mean you must keep it. Research your options and decide what would suit you and your computer use best. If you find another system that seems ideal, by all means, make the switch!