Windows Vs Linux Comparison

Linux and windows operating systems are software with programs and information needed to run and monitor the computer programs. An operating system is one of the most important computer programs which a computer can not run without them. Even though they are both important for computer programs, Linux and windows are two different operating systems and they have different features which basically differentiates them. (Web msdn.microsoft.com, online)[26th September 2010] This project will basically focus on the difference between Linux and windows, the importance of Linux and widows operating systems, the top 6 most important difference between Linux and windows and a summary table of the difference and similarities of the two and it will also cover the background of the two operating systems.

OBJECTIVES

This major of this project are;

To discuss the difference between Linux and windows

To discuss the importance of the two operating systems

To discuss the top 6 most important difference between Linux and windows

BACKGROUND STUDY

Windows was introduced in 1983 by Microsoft and it has been there most success as it has been dominating other computer operating systems and it is the most preferred operating system by many people. .Ever since 1983 Microsoft has been improving windows operating system with the growth of technology. (Micheal, 2004, online) [26th September 2010]

Linux operating system was introduced in 1991 by a student of Helsinki University (Linus Torvalds). The Linux operating system was derived from UNIX operating system. It was called the GNU/Linux because it is a combination of the Linux as the kernel and GUN system. The Linux operating was made free to everyone and also Linus Torvalds made the source codes available in the internet for educational purposes and also for improvements. Ever since Linux operating system was introduced 1991 the internet has been promoting the development of the Linux operating system, nowadays many companies are giving Linux operating system there support through the internet and this shows how successful Linux is growing. (Micheal, 2004, online) [26th September 2010]

FINDINGS

Key words;

OPARATING SYSTEM: It manages and controls the hardware components for a computer.

RAM: Random Access Memory.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LINUX AND WINDOWS OPARATING SYSTEMS

This two operating systems where developed to achieve the same important aim being to provide computers with a software that has different programs to help run a computer. Considering the two main aspects of Information Technology being Hardware example Device Driver, Software example Software Applications, this two are different. . (Web msdn.microsoft.com, online)[26th September 2010]

DEVICE DRIVER

Most of Linux operating systems are built-in support for a device and it is not easy for one to add it in if they are using other distributions without the built in devices but for windows users is much easy for one to do it.

THE SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS

Windows and Linux operating systems both have similar software’s like the internet browser, email client etc but looking at the important ones like the video mixing and others windows provides better than Linux.

PORTABILITY

The feature of portability is the one which boosts the Linux operating system to be better than windows as one can store an operating system to a CD and use it to boot from it with all features and software’s needed and this CD is called a liveCD where as windows does not have this feature as they are trying to avoid sharing of illegal copies of there operating system.

SECURITY

Linux has an excellent security feature which is free from viruses and it is not easy to be hacked unlike windows which has many viruses and is easily hacked

The most important top 6 difference between the two are;

The Linux operating system provide its source code to the community through internet for them to improve it or even add more features to it, to make your computer work better where as windows does not provide ay source code to any one.

All versions of Windows are provided by one company being Microsoft where as Linux is distributed by different companies like REDHAT, SLAKWARE etc.

Linux operating system is very cheap for server uses and free for home users and one can use it as many as they want where as windows is very expensive and it also limits one to use the operating system with activations

Linux operating system has an important feature called multitasking which enables one to run many process at ones where windows will limit one.

The Linux operating system a symbol of a penguin for identification where as windows use a flag of four colures which are red, green, blue and yellow.

Windows needs lot of memory(RAM) to run compared to the Linux operating system

SIMILARITIES

Linux and windows both hide operating system files in the directory which are not to be used by the user.

They both support one scripting language which is the PHP and it can be used in windows and Linux

Both Linux and Windows are multi operating systems

They both support the use of device ports like; USB, parallel and serials

They both allow user to choose there file security, which means they can share files in both operating systems with the use of networks. (Web odetocode.com,online)[26 September 2010]

Windows and Linux operating systems are different as shown in the document and there many more different features of this two which are not listed above.

The difference between the two operating systems

The table below shows the difference between the two operating systems being the Linux and Windows (Web techrepublic.com) [26th September 2010]

FEATURES

LINUX

WINDOWS

Variants

Red Hat, caldera, linuxPPC, SuSE

Windows 2000, windows XP ,Windows vista, windows 7

Licensing

FREE

EXPENSIVE

Performance

Uses less memory so it’s faster.

Uses less memory but more that Linux does so it’s a bit slow

Security

It is much save as it provides a every excellent security

It easily hacked as does not have a very tough security

Safety

It is much safe as they are no known viruses for it.

There are millions of viruses for windows operating system maybe it because it worldly used.

CONCLUSION

This report has compared Linux and windows by providing the difference and the similarities between the two. The two operating systems are both important to computer users and none of them is different to another, but we can say they are just fundamentally different to each other. (Web ibm.com) [26th September 2010] They are both operating systems and an operating system is one of the most important computer applications as it manages data in it, provides the users with the interface to use the computer and it also makes the computer to run which is one of the most important point of having an operating system on your computer.