Windows and Macintosh: Comparative Analysis

Table of Contents

Introduction
Roles and responsibilities of Operating Systems
Introduction to Macintosh
Introduction to Windows
Features of MAC Operating System
Features of Windows Operating System
MAC OS vs Windows OS
Conclusion
References

Introduction

This is the age of computers and computer based technologies. The increasing use of computers has made it essential to have the knowhow of computer related terminologies. This paper deals with the comparison of two operating systems which are Windows and Macintosh. Understanding a better operating system is quite necessary in order to run the system properly. This is a very important issue because the operating system is a program that is responsible for making other programs to run on the computer. It would not be wrong to say that operating system is the most important program of the computer. The operating system does not only manages and controls the soft wares running over a computer. But it is also responsible for managing and organizing the hard ware as well. There are many roles and responsibilities of an operating system that resides with in a computer. It is responsible for giving the guidelines to the computer that what has to be done, communicates with hardware as well as with software, managing the many different files over the computer, organizing and allocating the memory and also controls the input and output. There are many different kinds of operating systems that are available. Each of the operating system has its own features and benefits. The choice of operating system should be done by keeping every aspect in mind. If any of the aspect is missed then the choice can be wrong which may lead to ineffective and inefficient working of computer. Many different operating systems include Linux, Unix, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh and BSD and so on. This paper finds out that which operating system performs better; Windows or Macintosh? (Madison, 1, 2009)

Roles and responsibilities of Operating Systems

Operating system has got many responsibilities to perform. There are many operations that are relying over the operating systems to get performed. Following are listed some of the major responsibilities of the operating systems:

Operating System is responsible for making interaction between the users and the various applications over the computer.
OS is also responsible for linking the resources with the users and the applications.
For accessing any resource or peripheral device, the program sends the request and information to the OS. The OS is then responsible for linking the program with the specific driver of the resource or device.
OS is also responsible for the management, organization and allocation of memory.
The management of processor is also another responsibility of OS. Making use of scheduling algorithm the OS manages the allocation of processor to different programs.
All the input and output of the computer is also organized by the OS.
OS is also required for running all the applications that are residing in the computer effectively.
The entire file system is also managed by the OS. All the operations that can be performed over the files and also its access authorization is the responsibility of OS.
Security related issues of any certain application program is also the responsibility of the OS. It manages and controls the authorization access of the program.
OS can also make sure that whether the machine is working properly or not.

The above defined roles and responsibilities of OS make sure that the OS is the most essential part of any computer. For the effective and smooth performance of all the applications and programs the OS plays the leading role. (Operating System, 1, 2008).

Introduction to Macintosh

Macintosh or MAC is the name of the operating system that has been introduced by the Apple Inc. Macintosh is the operating system for the Apple Macintosh computers that were developed by Steve Jobs on 24^th of January 1984. At the moment, all the Macintosh computers come up with the MAC OS X (a version of classic MAC OS). A long series of MAC OS has been introduced up till now and the recent one is MAC OS X. In 1984, the initial OS was MAC OS and after that the series continued till MAC OS9. After the MAC OS9, recently emerged OS is MAC OS X; here X is representing the numeral 10. MAC OS can be known as the creation of Apple company. When this OS was introduced it was not appropriate for the x86 processors. The MAC OS is capable of making use of the Macintosh hardware. The operation of the MAC OS is very simple and is capable for supporting software, 3D games and office applications. The desktop of MAC OS is designed to be very classic and is designed for single user system. There is no concept of any Command Line Interface (CLI) in the MAC OS. The OS is also multi tasking that means more than one task can be performed at a single time. Along with the time the developments have been made in the MAC OS. In the MAC OS X many new technologies from different Operating Systems were added like Mach Kernel, NEXTSTEP. Along with the technologies also some tools from other Operating Systems were also used in MAC OS X like NetBSD and FreeBSD. MAC OS X has also tried to integrate the technologies of MAC with UNIX. (MAC OS operating system, 1, 2008).

Initially, the size of MAC OS was very small and it needed a space of 400 kb. At that time most of the programs of MAC OS were similar to that of Lisa programs. There was so much similarity that MAC OS was considered to be the conversion of Lisa. MAC OS X is the most famous creation of the Apple Inc. The MAC OS can be termed as the Operating Systems from the UNIX family. The recent versions of MAC OS are also compatible with the Intel processors along with the Apple Macintosh. Many versions of MAC OS X have been introduced up till now and all of these are named after the name of big cats like Samba, Leopard and so on. Special versions of MAC has also been introduced for the special consumer devices like mobile phones, pod etc. The improvements have been continuously made in the MAC OS and the interface is becoming more and more comfortable. The user interaction of the system is very quicker and the openGL performance has increased the speed of the system to the large extent. According to the survey made in 2004 there were almost 12 million users of MAC OS X which is not a little number. MAC OS is different from other Operating Systems and it is highly Graphical User Interface (GUI) based OS. Using MAC OS needs guidance and assistance which proves it a bit complex to use. The many different fields of applications where the MAC OS can be widely used are 2D and 3D animations, digital art, streaming, video processing, audio processing, office applications and web designing and so on. The interface of MAC OS is user friendly and so it is easy to use once it is understood. It also works in plug and play mode and there is no need of any manual configuration and adjustment. The file system of MAC is flat file system and all the files are placed in a single directory no matter it is application software or OS itself. MAC has continuously introduced new features in its new versions. MAC OS is also very easy to uninstall from the computer. (Singh, 58, 2006).

Introduction to Windows

Windows OS is the creation of Microsoft and it has taken the world under its magic. This is the most widely used OS and people from every field prefer to use this OS. The Windows OS emerged in the year 1985. At first this OS was introduced as a result of increasing interest in the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and it was an add on to the MS DOS OS. Windows is an Operating System and it is used to provide user interface. A user can easily view and enter information which is visible on the screen using the OS. The Windows OS also provides the user with multi tasking as well as multi user environment. The many different users can use many different applications at a single time. All the data that has been entered by the user can be seen on the desktop. Windows operating system is very easy to use and it is the most widely used OS all over the world. The information that has been previously entered in to the computer can easily be accessed and controlled by the users using this Windows OS. The Windows OS is also allowed to be configured by the users and the user can set the location and size of the windows by himself. Microsoft Windows has now captivated the world of personal computers and it is the first choice of most of the users. The introduction of Microsoft Windows also dominated the MAC OS which is also a major part of our discussion in this paper. Almost 90% of the customers in the market are the users of Windows OS. The client users are almost all using the Windows OS. The Microsoft Windows has introduced many different versions and all of the versions are having some specific operations for some specific use. Many different versions of Windows include Windows server 2008, Windows vista, Windows XP, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows 95 and Windows 7 and so on. The Windows 7 is currently the new OS that has not completely been introduced. The Microsoft Windows come up with many different user friendly features. Microsoft Windows has always paid great attention over the issue of security. Microsoft Windows has introduced many versions and each version is for different purpose like professional, business and commercial use. The Microsoft Windows has also introduced its special versions for being used over mobile phones, tablet computers and so on. Microsoft Windows has also introduced its Anti spyware which is being used for the protection of the OS. The networking has become very easy and Microsoft Windows is widely used for the networking purposes. Hence it can be said in a nutshell that this Operating System has undertaken all the other operating systems because it includes all the desired features that are present with all the other operating systems. (Windows family operating systems, 1, 2009).

Features of MAC Operating System

Many features are available in the MAC OS which are useful in many ways. Some of the features are provided for the ease of use, some are provided for making the look attractive and some are there for entire usability of the system. Following are some of the features of the MAC OS:

Aqua: Aqua is the Graphical User Interface (GUI) environment of the MAC OS. Aqua is responsible for managing the entire look and behaviors of the OS. There are many features that are provided by aqua like photorealistic icons that always helps to make the look and feel attractive.
Data and Information Management: MAC OS provides effective features for the management of data and files in the computer. The synchronization of the configuration of computer is also supported by MAC OS.
Devices: Excellent support for devices is provided by the OS. In the current OS versions the Bluetooth support is also provided.
iLife: This iLife suite is used to support all the multimedia and entertainment activities.
Power Management: The power is very well managed by the MAC OS. This OS is capable of controlling the heat as well as the power being utilized.
Security: Security features like passwords, certificates, public keys, private keys and trust policies have also been provided.

The above are few of the features that are provided by the MAC OS. Although there are still many more features but the above ones are the most common ones. (Amit Singh, 1, 2003).

Features of Windows Operating System

Windows OS has captivated the world of computers because of its many different features. These features has increased the trust of users by providing them the easy use and many functionalities. Following are few of the common features of Windows OS:

Simple and easy to use user interface.
Multiuser, multitasking and multithreading.
It provides efficient network support.
Automated System Recovery is provided.
Entertainment support is also provided in the form of 3D games, digital photography and audio video tools.
Simplified user interface.
It also provides secure and safe environment by allowing the user to personalize his information.
It also provides tools for the computer maintenance and tuning.
Accessibility features are quite flexible which has made the use easier.

The above are few of the features that are provided by the Windows OS and has made it the most famous and widely used Operating System. (Using Windows XP, 1, 2009).

MAC OS vs Windows OS

For making comparison between the two Operating System, it is somewhat necessary to understand the basics or roots of the OS. Both of the Operating Systems are being used by a number of users but the wide use of Windows has made it the dominant one. Both the Operating Systems have gone through many different changes and still developments are being made for attracting the users. The line of thought for both the Operating Systems are almost the same. It is a concept that Microsoft Windows has borrowed many ideas of the look and feel from the MAC OS. Both Microsoft Windows and the MAC OS are two big competitors in the market. Although both the operating systems share almost the same origins but with time changes have been made. The MAC OS has always focused over the flawless integration of hard ware and software. Whereas the Windows OS has always focused over making itself so flexible that it can run over different computers from different companies globally. MAC OS concentrated over the reliability and compatibility assurance. At the same time the Windows OS continued establishing the user base of Windows. This effort made a large difference in the number of users of Windows and MAC. The Windows has always focused over making the environment user friendly and also creating the easiness for the users instead of only. technically improving the things. This is the reason why 90 percent of the users all around the world prefer Windows OS. The Windows OS has also worked a lot for improving the security as it was prone to attacks because of its wide use. The high security provided by the OS has also attracted the users towards it. The design and the essence of both the operating systems is quite different. It can be said that MAC OS is a reserved soul and it is focused over handling itself and the user is not involved in every aspect. On the other hand, Windows OS is termed as having an aggressive approach of working. Windows OS works hard enough for the benefits of user. There are many architectural differences as well that do make a difference in both the operating systems. Windows OS is based on supporting networking and it also focused over highly modifiable Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs). So, this OS was designed to support many different applications and also it allowed configurations by supporting the registry file. The MAC OS is was designed over the bases of UNIX so these advanced facilities were missing. The Windows OS is based over a design that is prone to adapt changes and developments. It has also provided the users with the drag and drop sort of facilities and also easy to install applications. Whereas, the MAC OS does not provide this easy to install feature as it hardly ever put in a shared library. Another bottleneck of MAC OS is that it always requires UNIX permissions so there is no concept of silent installation. Another lackness in MAC OS is that the kernel of MAC OS remains minimal because all the configurations takes place in plain text. Whereas, Microsoft Windows made efforts in extending the design so as to add kernel. Both the operating systems have achieved a great deal of changes and developments time by time. Windows OS has always tried hard to do all the things at any cost where as no such efforts have ever been made by the MAC OS. For these reasons the number of users of MAC OS are limited as compared to the Windows. There are many different versions of Windows that are being sold at the same time in different prices and providing different features for different groups of users. But MAC OS is selling only one fully loaded versions at a fixed price. Windows OS has also facilitated its users with the ease of customization and the users can customize it easily according to their own use. Windows is also good in statistical and official applications. MAC OS is good in handling the multimedia and graphics. This section has provided with the most prominent distinctions between the two operating systems.(Germain, 1, 2009).

Conclusion

By viewing this paper the features of both the operating systems that are under discussion are made quite clear. Although both the operating systems have got their own features and functionalities and both have undergone changes and developments. But still if both the operating systems are compared then Windows is considered to be better than the MAC OS. The basic reason for this conclusion is that the Windows operating system has always focused over providing the services that can increase the number of users. It looks for technology as well but gives priority to provide the users with the easy to use environment of their own choice. The paper has allowed us to conclude that in some ways Windows is better than MAC OS.