Introduction
An operating system is a software program that facilitates communication between the computer hardware and computer software. Over the years, computers have been going through periods of transformations and so are the operating systems. They can be classified according to technology, usage, licensing, among other characteristics. There are three types of operating systems; windows, apple, and Linux. A review is carried out to find the best-operating systems to use. In this report, a comparison between operating system windows and apple will be discussed at length in regards to price, design, features, pros and cons, and compatibility with 3rd party software.
Criteria for Purchasing a Laptop Computer
Laptops are increasingly being preferred to desktop computers by business professionals and academicians. They are light in weight, portable, and have a longer battery life as opposed to desktops. Before one goes for a laptop from the shops, it is good to investigate the laptop that is efficient for the purpose it is being bought. There are many types of laptops with different prices, weights, performance, and designs.
Some are compatible with 3rd party software while others are not (Anon. “Laptop and Notebook Buying Guide” 3). It is, therefore, appropriate to seek help from a professional who is well conversant with the different types of laptops that are offered in the market. This may take quite some time but the results are worth it. Laptops come in different shapes and weights and most people prefer the light ones which can fit in their briefcase.
It is good to first determine the reason behind buying the laptops before making the decision. In case it is a home-based laptop, the weight cannot be a big issue while for office use, the light ones are better. Laptops have a long battery life but there are some which can stay longer than others and this should be noted before a decision is reached. Regarding the prices, it is true that some are cheap than others but should not form a major ground for deciding to purchase.
Windows Operating System
Windows operating system was introduced by Microsoft in November 1985. Windows 1.0 was then released which was in use until 1987 when Windows 2.0 was released. Unlike windows 1.0, windows 2.0 could allow windows to overlap and the use of keyboard shortcuts was introduced. Several versions of windows were then released in the years that followed. In 1995, Windows 95 was released with a new user interface and could support long file names.
Windows 98 was released in 1998 and the second version of it was released in 1999. An updated version of Windows 98 was released in 2000 which was referred to as windows Me. Microsoft later released windows XP and in 2003 windows server 2003 was released (Anon. “Windows Overview & History 2008” 2). A more developed version of windows called windows vista was released in 2006 and its server (windows server 2008) was released in 2008. It is an upgraded system from windows XP. Many argue about the effectiveness of windows XP and windows vista. Some believe that Windows XP is faster than windows vista while others stand on the opposite side (Neil 2).
It’s nearly a year now since the release of Windows 7. It was released towards the end of 2009 together with its server (windows server 2008 R2). For a long time, Microsoft windows have been dominating marketing.
Apple Operating System
Apple computer inc. develops and markets operating systems and graphical user interfaces called Mac OS which was introduced in 1984 one year before the introduction of windows. The first release was Mac OS which could not use a command-line interface. Other versions were later released; among them systems 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 which used a flat system. Afterward system software 5 was released which could allow several programs to run together. This version was in the market for a very short period and was available in selected countries such as the United States, Canada, and Europe. System software 6 was then released which was a more upgraded operating system.
Laptop features were supported with the introduction of the Macintosh portable. In 1991, system 7 was introduced and system 8 referred to as Mac OS 8 was introduced six years later. Developments were made on Mac OS 8 and from it, Mac OS 9 was recognized. This version could support Airport wireless networking. Apple Inc. purchased the company in 1999 and released their first version called Mac OS X. Mac OS X was highly upgraded and lasted for a long time until Snow Leopard was discovered (Michael 4).
Consumer purchasing trends have been changing with the discovery of new versions of operating systems. At the introduction of windows and Mac OS, most people were not familiar with computers and the features of those computers could not be put into a wide range of uses. With time, these computers have advanced and people have become literate. Today, society has become dependant on the computer for the day to day operations, many people are now going for laptops which offer the freedom of working in any setting be it in the house or the office.
Cost
In 2009, the Apple operating system announced that it was going to lower its prices on Snow leopard. It was expected to drop to $29 per upgrade. That was a lower price compared to the price that was charged by Microsoft for Windows 7 upgrades. According to research carried out by Bott (2), it reviewed that the $29 upgrade offer on Snow Leopard was not economical at all. He observed that about 57% of the customers who had previously bought Apple software were not eligible for the new offer.
An approximate 90% of all the customers of windows have the opportunity of buying their operating systems when they are preinstalled with a new PC and any PC that was purchased since 2001 can access windows 7 upgrade at a discounted price. This makes Windows 7 cheaper than snow leopard for the old users. Only a selected number qualify for the snow leopard offer of $29 and majorities have to get it at $169. Some may not even be able to install the new upgrades. For a customer who is in a dilemma on which laptop to purchase, I think one with windows software will be better considering the future development that might be made.
The following table shows the cost of upgrading windows 7 and snow leopard for the users who purchased their computers since October 2001.
Figure 1.
Since 2001, Apple’s operating systems have been going for $129 but Microsoft has been having constant prices all through the lifespan of windows. Among the Apple users, some have been questioning themselves on what would have happened to Apple’s prices if windows were not in existence. The truth of the matter is that the prices of Apple would be too high for individuals (Bott 5). However, Snow Leopard is currently cheaper than windows 7 and every user seems to be going for it.
Performance and Speed
Before anyone decides on which OS to purchase, it is good to investigate other factors besides cost. Among the other factors to be considered before deciding which operating system to purchase is performance. Both Snow Leopard and Windows are new in the market. They have not been in use for more than one year and it is difficult to evaluate their performance. However, Ngo (2) attempted to evaluate their performance and speed and came up with the following table. He found out that Snow Leopard performed better than windows 7.
Ngo carried out another investigation to determine which operating system had longer battery life. He found that Snow Leopard could stay for a longer period after disconnection from a power source than windows 7. Figure 3 shows the result of the investigation.
A laptop with longer battery life is more efficient especially for someone using it from the house. At homes, the only source of power is electricity which has no backups in case of power blackouts. A laptop with a longer battery life will be appropriate for such users. From the above bar graph, it is clear that Snow Leopard OS can stay for long even after a power blackout.
Compatibility with Third-Party Software
Both windows 7 and snow leopard are compatible with third-party software but the degree of compatibility defers. The snow leopard is compatible with a selected range of third-party software whereas Windows 7 is compatible with an unlimited number of software. Before deciding which laptop to purchase it is good to check the compatibility of the software in use depending on the purpose of the laptop. Most of the Mac applications require the use of a new version for them to be compatible with snow leopard. This is because snow leopard does not have a new user interface or a codebase. Only a few of these applications are not compatible with windows 7.
Recommendations
In deciding which laptop to buy, it is important to consider the speed of the OS, compatibility, battery life, and price. All these have to be scrutinized properly before the final decision is reached. Both windows 7 and snow Leopard are upgraded versions of the operating system. Windows 7 was released after some loopholes were discovered in the use of windows vista. For a long time Mac OS X has been performing better than windows but the new version “Snow Leopard” can not beat windows7 in terms of application and integration with third-party software.
Windows 7 is compatible with almost all software without the use of other versions while Snow Leopard is compatible with a limited number of software. For a customer who is in a dilemma on which laptop to go for, windows 7 would be the best fit for him. Although it is costly and has a shorter battery life than Snow Leopard, it stands in terms of performance and compatibility.
Works Cited
Anon. “Laptop and Notebook Buying Guide.” The smarter. team, 2010. Web.
Anon. “Windows Overview & History 2008.” microsoft. 2010. Web.
Bott Ed. “Windows 7 versus Snow Leopard: How much do upgrades really cost?” zdnet, 2009. Web.
Michael. “A History of Apple’s Operating Systems 2004.” Slashdot, 2010. Web.
Neil, Henry. “A Review of Windows Vista: The Best Operating System or Just a Fancy Windows XP?” brighthub, 2008. Web.
Ngo, Dong. “Performance showdown: Windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard.” cnet, 2009. Web.