Desktop Operating Systems: You Can Have Them All
Multi-OS options like dual-booting and virtualization software have made it easier than ever to use whichever OS is best suited to the task you need to perform. Here's our take on the strengths and weaknesses of the major contenders. |
| OS |
Interface |
Security |
Software |
Hardware price/performance |
Virtualization |
Bottom line |
Windows XP
|
- Familiar and responsive, even on older machines.
- It's not always intuitive, but you probably know how to get around the OS pretty well by now.
- Lacks consistency. Menus, dialog boxes, and appearances can vary widely across different applications.
- Lacks hardware acceleration and 3D effects present in Vista and OS X; virtual desktops available only through third-party software.
- Rudimentary file search feature, especially without an add-on like Windows Live Desktop.
- GOOD
|
- Unpatched, Windows XP can't connect to the Internet for more than a few minutes before worms attack and crash it.
- It will remain the biggest malware target for years to come.
- Requires Service Pack 2, third-party bidirectional firewall and antivirus software, and who knows how many future patches and upgrades for safe online usage.
- Windows XP Professional Edition supports file and folder encryption.
- FAIR
|
- Included utilities, such as Outlook Express and Windows Media Player, offer minimal features but do the job.
- Free upgrade to the more-secure Internet Explorer 7 Web browser.
- Lots of top-notch free and commercial software available, including Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office.
- Gaming platform of choice for now.
- EXCELLENT
|
- Performs fine with slower processors and limited RAM and disk space, allowing you to minimize expenditures on new hardware or put them off indefinitely.
- Until Vista drivers improve, XP will remain the preferred choice for gamers and others concerned with performance.
- EXCELLENT
|
- Linux boot managers allow easy multiboot setups.
- Can host most x86-compatible operating systems (except Mac OS) via third-party virtualization tools like the free VMWare Server or Microsoft's free Virtual Server 2005 R2.
- Runs in virtual machines hosted on Intel-based Macs and PCs.
- GOOD
|
- By now, you know it and you either love it or hate it. If you're okay with XP, there's no pressing need for you to switch. Five years of updates have made Windows XP as secure as it's going to get, though not as safe as Vista, OS X, or Linux. Minimal hardware requirements will make it the top gaming platform until DirectX 10 takes over. If you're not dying to buy a new PC, XP will be a fine OS for at least another year or two.
- VERY GOOD
|
Windows Vista
|
- Still confusing to navigate, but in new and different ways. Some Control Panel apps contain useful new settings, but many are unchanged from XP and lurk in new locations.
- Transparency, animation, and other effects provide helpful visual cues about files and programs.
- Flip 3D program switching lets you scroll through a three-dimensional animation of all your running apps.
- Systemwide search and indexing finds files, programs, and Web pages on or beyond your PC's hard disk.
- VERY GOOD
|
- Improves on XP's security with User Access Control and ActiveX tweaks, but remains a major malware target.
- Still requires a third-party bidirectional firewall, since its own firewall settings for outgoing connections are for experts only.
- Includes Windows XP's file- and folder-level encryption options. The Business and Ultimate Editions' industrial-strength Bitlocker encryption protects your entire hard disk from tampering.
- GOOD
|
- Includes enhanced versions of Media Player, Media Center (except in Business edition), and Movie Maker, plus new mail, calendar, and DVD authoring tools.
- Won't run 16-bit apps and some 32-bit utilities written for XP. Otherwise, it runs most existing Windows software.
- Current game performance is particularly slow compared with XP, perhaps due to still-buggy drivers.
- DirectX 10 promises a dramatic boost to 3D gaming when supporting hardware is more widely available.
- VERY GOOD
|
- Requires significantly more memory and hard-disk space, and runs slower than XP on the same hardware.
- Minimum system requirements are an 800-MHz processor, 512MB of memory, and 15GB of free disk space.
- The Aero interface works best with recent graphics accelerators and requires an additional 512MB of RAM.
- The sometimes difficult upgrade process means you're better off buying a new PC with Vista preinstalled.
- FAIR
|
- Same capabilities as Windows XP, but higher memory requirements could either reduce performance or prevent Vista from serving as a host or guest OS on systems where RAM is tight.
- License prohibits running anything but the expensive Enterprise or Ultimate Editions under virtualization software like Parallels or VMWare.
- GOOD
|
- Get it if you're buying a new PC; XP users, though, have few urgent reasons to upgrade. Windows Vista's interface is alive compared with XP's relatively flat scheme, an innovation that could get you more excited about your daily computing tasks. Vista also includes some useful new tools and is safer to take for a spin around the Internet. Does that justify the hefty upgrade price and even more costly hardware requirements? Probably not, but if it's time to buy a new computer anyway, you won't be tempted to reinstall Windows XP.
- GOOD
|
Mac OS X
|
- Interface is uncluttered, efficient, and logical, though some applications break its legendary consistency.
- Subtle transparency and 3D effects aid with navigating dialog boxes and program windows.
- Exposé lets you see and choose among all of your open windows or the desktop with the press of a key. The forthcoming Spaces feature adds virtual desktops.
- Dashboard desktop widgets are built-in.
- Spotlight searches file metadata, and will expand to the Internet in OS X 10.5.
- EXCELLENT
|
- Supports strict separation of user and system files for maximum security against malware.
- Default settings aren't secure.
- Target disk boot mode can turn your Mac into an external hard drive for another machine. It's useful for system recovery, but it bypasses user file passwords.
- Includes disk encryption.
- VERY GOOD
|
- The iLife suite's slick iPhoto digital photography tool lets you edit, print, and share photos. iWeb builds sites, and iMovie and iDVD offer lightweight digital video production.
- A dearth of available game titles compared with Windows, but Photoshop and Microsoft Office are both here to stay.
- VERY GOOD
|
- Gorgeous design all around.
- Budget Windows PCs are less expensive than even Mac Minis.
- Low-end MacBook laptops don't cost much more than similar Windows models do.
- Attractive but pricey Mac Pro and MacBook Pros compare well with high-end PCs from Lenovo and Sony.
- GOOD
|
- Boot Camp allows you to install Windows or Linux as a dual-boot option on Intel-based Macs.
- Parallels and VMWare utilities permit Mac OS to run virtual versions of Windows and Linux.
- Apple prevents OS X from running on non-Mac hardware, so a Mac is the only way to run all three OSs on the same machine.
- EXCELLENT
|
- If Apple's hardware fits your price range, you'll get a nicely designed machine running a beautiful OS, plus you'll be able to switch to any other environment at the drop of a hat. While early versions of OS X were buggy and incomplete, Mac OS X 10.4 is much more solid. Version 10.5 promises additional polish and a few yet-to-be-announced features. All current Mac models run Windows and Linux, too, something no other platform can boast. Plus, as long as malware authors continue to focus on Windows, it's likely to remain relatively virus- and spyware-free.
- EXCELLENT
|
Linux
|
- Gnome and KDE interfaces emulate the Mac OS and Windows XP, respectively, in many ways; they offer virtual desktops, as well.
- Hardware graphics acceleration is available, but requires expert installation and configuration.
- Beagle desktop search utility indexes local files and Web sites.
- GOOD
|
- Like OS X, Linux is more secure than Windows; for example, by default Ubuntu doesn't even create the root user account that's a logical target for Linux malware. Also like the Mac OS, it's more obscure -- its lower installed base attracts fewer malware authors than Windows does.
- Disk encryption requires expert configuration or third-party utilities.
- VERY GOOD
|
- Access to thousands of free applications, including office suites, graphics and media editors, games, and software development tools. Some of these programs rival commercial OS X and Windows apps, but most offer subsets of their features.
- If you want Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office, use virtualization or dual-boot for better performance.
- VERY GOOD
|
- Specialized distributions and kernel customization allow Linux to perform well on older and inexpensive systems.
- Support for newer hardware often lags behind that of Windows and OS X.
- VERY GOOD
|
- Runs as a guest or host with other OSs through VMWare or other stand-alone virtualization software.
- Distributions compiled with support for the Xen virtualization spec can serve as a guest or host OS without additional software (Windows does not support Xen virtualization).
- VERY GOOD
|
- If you're tired of fighting Windows malware and viruses, it's simple to find out whether Linux will meet your needs -- just grab a bootable CD and give it a shot. Easy-to-install, free, and feature-rich Linux distributions like Ubuntu 6.10 and OpenSuSE 10.2 are great options for tech-savvy computer users. Without a Steve Jobs type driving development forward, the Gnome and KDE interfaces evolve gradually. While Linux lacks the polish and deep-pocket support of its rivals, its improved ease of use, functionality, and security make it a viable alternative to Windows and OS X.
- VERY GOOD
|
