A Competitive Operating Systems Comparison

Essay by CorinneBeloved7College, UndergraduateA+, August 2014

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A Competitive Operating Systems Comparison

Corinne Mitchell

Cynthia Rice

CIS 110-90 EC

31 March 2014

A Competitive Operating Systems Comparison

In the world of computers, there are two chief forms of operating systems: Unix and Windows. The two have been competing against each other for a long time, and are certain to have a competitive future. The advent of Unix came from a failed attempt at making a time sharing operating system in the early 1960's. The few survivors persevered, and proceeded to develop Unix. Many have described this system as simple, powerful, and elegant (TechNet). Windows, Unix's main competitor, began to gain popularity in the 1980's due to the increasing number and power of computers having Intel-compatible processors, being the only OS (operating system) made for that kind of technology (TechNet). Linux, a version of the Unix operating system designed specifically for micro-computers, arose in recent years. Having two highly competitive operating systems begs the question: Which one is superior?

Windows 8, the newest version of Windows, is a widespread operating system favored by much of the public.

An operating system is a computer program that coordinates the activities of computer hardware (this includes memory, storage devices, and printers) and allows the user to give commands to the device. Windows 8 organizes the way you interact with the computer, therefore simplifying the process of working with documents and applications, or apps. This interface begins with a Start screen that shows shortcuts to apps or other content. These shortcuts are called tiles, and consist of every installed app you use on a regular basis (Cengage Learning). Windows 8 is an efficient, user-friendly operating system that is popular with many computer users.

Unix, though not as well known, is popular among programmers and large corporations because of its high user carrying...