An issue which divides computer professionals! The most widely used OS is Microsoft Windows, which according to this website currently has just over 90% market share.

However Windows is not the only OS that is available and easy to use. Particularly now that Microsoft (MS) have launched Vista with the various (confusing?) editions, and problems that people using XP weren’t experiencing, many people are more open to the idea of at least trying a different OS, particularly as the other OSs don’t suffer from Viruses, Spyware and other Malware like Windows does!

If your use of the computer is reasonably basic: typing letters, using a spreadsheet, organizing photos and music and playing solitaire etc. Then Windows, Mac OS or one of the Linux (pronounced “Lynn-Uks”) desktop OS versions has everything you need.

Of course if you, like the majority of ordinary users, have only used Windows up to now, then if you choose to go with Mac OS, or Linux (Ubuntu Linux is my version of choice), there will be a learning curve while you find out how things work slightly differently in a new OS.

Mac OS and Ubuntu Linux are very easy to use, I use both daily and in many ways find them easier to use than Windows.

So, if you’re tempted to try Mac OS or Ubuntu, what do you need to know?

As a quick overview here are my thoughts on these 2 Operating Systems (See below for links to articles that give more detail):

Mac “Pros”:

  • easy to use
  • more users than Linux (approx 7% total market share)
  • well designed hardware and software
  • far fewer virus or Malware problems (virtually none)

Mac “Cons”:

  • expensive
  • available from fewer outlets (all hardware is made and sold by Apple Inc.)
  • additional software could be harder to find and/or expensive

Ubuntu Linux “Pros”:

  • free
  • easy to use
  • very stable and reliable – most of the Web servers that “run” the Internet use Linux
  • far fewer virus or Malware problems (virtually none)
  • usually works on older hardware – often your existing computer will run faster with Ubuntu Linux
  • thousands of free programs available via Applications > Add/Remove… – a step further than than in Windows: if you’re connected to the Internet, you can choose a program and it gets downloaded and installed for you – free and with no licensing issues!
  • can run Windows programs via a program called WINE, a “compatibility layer” for running Windows programs (for the geeks 😉 W.I.N.E. = “Wine Is Not an Emulator”)

Ubuntu Linux “Cons”:

  • fewer people use it, so it could be harder to find help (just under 1% total market share April ’08).  However, most Linux users are so enthusiastic about it they offer excellent technical help to new users, see: Ubuntu Forums.
  • if you want to customize it, you may need to learn or find some text commands and type/copy them into a terminal screen – years ago, this was a requirement, now you rarely need to do anything with the terminal.

Here’s an article I wrote that gives a brief overview of Ubuntu and links to follow to learn more and, rather than making this article much longer, here’s a link to some info I’ve written about Mac OS.