Operating Systems: Windows and Linux - Case Study Example

(Assignment) Operating Systems Table of Content Introduction 2. A comparison between Windows and Linux 3. Conclusions and Recommendations 4. Works Cited 5. Endnotes 1. Introduction With the great development of information technology over the last few decades, today multinational companies and small scale enterprises increasingly rely on computer networks to run their business more smoothly and efficiently. However, modern business networks are becoming increasingly vulnerable to malware attacks due to security system flaws and careless employee behavior. The Operating System used by companies can have a great influence on their network security. This paper will compare and contrast between Windows and Linux – two world’s leading desktop Operating Systems considering the OS features such as application software availability, system requirements, end-user training needs, and security to identify the more effective OS in a business environment. 2. A comparison between Windows and Linux According to a study “A Brief History of the Windows Operating System” by Curtis, Microsoft announced the development of Windows in 1983 for its own operating system called MS-DOS. Windows 1.0, the very first version of Windows, was released in 1985 and it used ‘gadgets’ like calendar and calculator. The second version of the Windows, Windows 2.0, was released in 1987 and it introduced two programs such as MS Excel and MS Word. Windows 3.0 was released in 1990 and it continued until 2001. Windows 3.0 was characterized with the introduction of virtual memory, multitasking programs, and improved graphics. Microsoft released Windows 3.1 in an effort to include necessary fixes and to improve font functionality. Subsequently Windows 95 was designed for promoting compatibility and user-friendliness, and it was marked for the change from 16-bit to 32-bit. The next version was Windows 98, and it focused particularly on internet connectivity and internet connection sharing. Windows 2000 played a significant role in improving the user experience by increasing the number of plug and play devices compatible with the OS. The next version of Windows, Windows XP, is the most widely recognized Window OS as it was appealing to both desktop and laptop users. The next release, Windows Vista, was a failure because of high system requirements and severe performance and security issues. Learning from the failure of Windows Vista, Microsoft introduced Widows 7 in 2009 that focused on speed, stability, and minimal system requirementsi. Windows 8.1 is the currently marketed version of Windows OS with the redesigned metro-style user interface. Windows 10 is an upcoming release of this series and is scheduled to launch it in late 2015. A Finnish student named Linus Torvalds developed a non commercial version of Minix in 1991 and he called in Linux. With the release of the version 0.12, Linux kernel was relicensed under GNU GPL (Deek and McHug, 92)ii. Slackware, the first popular Linux distribution which is still in use, was released in 1993 by Patrick Volkerding. The first version of the Debian Linux distribution was also released in the same year. Version 1.0 of the Linux kernel that supported single-processor i386-based systems was released in 1994. In 1996, version 2.0 of the Linux kernel was released and it enjoyed the advantage of supporting multiple processors in a single system. In 2000, Linux became the world’s second-most popular operating system. The US National Security Agency released SELinux in 2001 in order to increase the level of security. In 2004, Ubuntu was released with the version number 4.10. Ubuntu and Red Hat are the most popular distributions of Linux. Linux 3.0 was released in 2011. Linux Mint 17.1 is the latest release of the Linux OS. While analyzing the availability of application software, it is identified that more application software are available for Windows than Linux. However, there are sufficient application software available for Linux platforms too. If an individual buys a copy of Windows on a CD-ROM, he/she generally obtains no application with it. In contrast, a pile of applications are available free with the purchase of a copy of Linux on a CD-ROM. In a new computer with Windows being pre-installed, a lot of additional application software is available to the user but it is up to the PC vendor to decide what to include. The installation of application software under the Windows platform is easier and generally consistent as compared to the Linux platform. In case of Linux OS, installation of application software may vary with each distribution, and therefore it is not easily understandable to common users. In a 2004 review of Linux in the Washington Post, Rob Pegoraro viewed application software installation as “Linux’s biggest embarrassment” (Pegoraro)iii. Although the Linux team has been striving to eliminate the user confusion associated with application software installation, user surveys indicate that Windows is better in this regard. It is identified as a limitation of the Linux that many common application software available to Windows users cannot be installed in Linux.The latest version of the Windows, Windows 8.1, can be purchased at a price of $119.99 (Microsoft); however, the selling price of Linux Mint 17.1, the most recent version of Linux, is only $4.95 at eBay (eBay)iv. It is interesting to see that majority of the Linux distributions are available to users at absolutely zero cost. Before upgrading to Windows 8.1, the user must ensure that his computer meets minimum technical specifications and hardware requirements. According to the Microsoft, the user’s computer must be equipped with a 1GHz or faster processor to run this OS. 1GB RAM for 32-bit processors or 2GB RAM for 64 bit processors is another system requirement of Windows 8.1. Similarly, the required hard disk space for 32-bit processor is 16GB whereas it is 20GB for 64-bit processor. This operating system also requires “Direct X 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 higher driver” and a screen resolution of at least 1024×768 pixels. It is important to note that these are the minimum system requirements and if the computer is used for gaming or other demanding apps, a faster processor and more RAM will be required (Windows 8). In case of Linux Mint 17.1, an x86 processor is required. Although it needs only 512MB RAM, 1GB is recommended to use many programs simultaneously but comfortably too. Similarly, even though a 9GB of disk space is enough, 20GB is recommended for more comfortable usage. When the minimum graphics card resolution required is 800×600, a resolution of 1024×768 is better. Finally, a DVD drive or USB port is needed to run the Linux Mint 17.1v. When it comes to security, Linux has a set of advantages over Windows. As Noyes reports, in Windows platforms, users are given the administrator power by default, and therefore they have easy access to everything on the system, even the most crucial security mechanisms. If such an OS platform is used by an inexperienced or non-expert user, it would be easy for viruses to crush the system’s security. In contrast, Linux users are not given such ‘root’ privileges but only provided with an authority over lower-level accountsvi. As a result, even though a Linux OS is compromised, viruses would not gain access to the device’s crucial parts. In other words, the users’ local files and programs will be only affected by such a virus attack. In the light of social engineering threats, it can be stated that Linux is a more secure OS than Windows. In the Windows platform, it is easy for hackers to send a malicious link to the user’s computer via an e-mail and convince him/her to click on that link. Thus the malware attached in the e-mail gets an open door to network, and this situation can lead to severe impacts in an organizational environment. However, Linux has stronger mechanisms to warn the user before any real damage could occur. While analyzing the user training needs, it seems that common Linux users find it difficult to understand many of the features of this OS because there is lack of consistency between different versions of Linux. As discussed already, many Linux users are confused about application software installation, and therefore they need to depend on others to install new software under the Linux OS. However, the Windows users do not face this challenge because Microsoft tries to keep the fundamental working of its Operating Systems unchanged. Since Windows is a well popular OS, the vast majority of the people working in the tech world are informed of Windows Operating Systems and their features. When it comes to Windows OS, people find it easy to operate even new versions without the assistance of experts. However, it is a bit difficult for Windows 8 users to manage the system because this OS is entirely different from the previous releases of Windows. In short, only a trained person can manage the Linux OS effectively whereas features of the Windows OS are understandable even to children. According to the recent data published by Net Applications for the month of February 2015, Windows 7, Windows XP, and Windows 8.1 jointly dominate the desktop operating system market with market share of 55.99%, 19.15%, and 10.49% respectively. Interestingly, Linux holds a market share of only 1.53% vii. This report indicates that the market share of the Windows 8.1, the latest release of Windows, has begun to increase. In addition, many computer users are eagerly looking for the launch of Windows 10, the upcoming version of the Windows OS. Although this statistical data reflect the super-dominance of Windows over the OS market, some other reports indicate that the use of Linux has been dramatically increased in the corporate environments. According to the 2013 Enterprise End User Report released by the Linux Foundation, world’s largest corporations increased their investments in Linux for the third consecutive year. The report also found that Linux experienced a year-over-year growth of 12.7% whereas the average industry growth stood at 3.1%. During this time, Windows gained only a 3.2% increase in the revenueviii. Considering the limited access the Linux users are given to administrator panel, corporate enterprises increasingly prefer Linux to Windows. This trend is likely to remain the same for coming years as organizations invest heavily in securing their corporate networks. 3. Conclusions and Recommendations From the above discussion, it is clear that both Windows and Linux have their own advantages and disadvantages. When Windows Operating Systems appear to be more understandable and easier for users, they often compromise security. Although Linux seems to be more secure than Windows, common users find it difficult to understand some features of this OS. I strongly recommend the company to use Linux OS on the 20 new computers they are planning to purchase. Observing the trend that Linux is being quickly adopted by an ever increasing number of multinational corporations and government agencies, the benefits of using an open source solution like Linux become more apparent. According to a report prepared by the Guardian Digital, Linux has the “unique ability to provide powerful functionality, security, compatibility, and customization at a more cost-effective price” (Guardian Digital)ix. Availability of the source code is recognized to be one of the potential advantages Linux enjoys over Windows in the marketplace. This is really beneficial for programmers operating under the GNU license because they do not need to waste their time in writing codes that were already developedx. Since Linux is based on the operating system UNIX and was specifically designed to support corporate servers, it is relatively less susceptible to malware attacks. Therefore, Linux is greatly advisable for the company to secure its computer network and to protect sensitive and confidential business data/information. Since the Linux OS is highly flexible, it can be customized appropriately to match the needs of any network, supported by different hardware platforms. As it is possible to customize Linux systems and applications so as to fit the individual needs of any business enterprise, firms find it easier and convenient to use this OS. In case of Windows, its design flaws are consistently exploited by hackers and other cyber attackers, and therefore the stability of this OS has been under constant scrutiny. The closed source nature of Microsoft limits the possibilities of rigorous scrutiny and testing and hence the reliability of this OS is questionedxi. In addition, Windows does not promote the customizability of programs, and therefore corporations are forced to purchase additional software products to meet their specific needs. 4. Works Cited Curtis. “A Brief History of the Windows Operating System”. Web 30 March 2015. http://windows-operating-system-reviews.toptenreviews.com/a-brief-history-of-the-windows-operating-system.html Clem. Linux mint blog. Web 30 March 2015. http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2714 Deek, Fadi P and McHugh, James A. M. Open Source: Technology and Policy. Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print. eBay. Web 30 March 2015. http://www.ebay.com/itm/LINUX-MINT-17-1-LTS-64-Bit-Cinnamon-Edition-LIVE-Install-DVD-New-Release-Extras-/111535150424 Guardian Digital. “Windows vs. Linux in Corporate Environments: INFORMATION FOR IT MANAGERS”. (2005). Web 30 March 2015. http://www.guardiandigital.com/pfiles/GuardianDigital_Linux_vs_Windows.pdf Linux Foundation. “Global Enterprises Increase Linux Adoption in Critical Growth Areas Including Cloud Computing”. 2013. Web 30 March 2015. http://www.linuxfoundation.org/news-media/announcements/2013/03/global-enterprises-increase-linux-adoption-critical-growth-areas Microsoft. Windows 8.1Windows 8.1. $119.99. Web 30 March 2015. http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Windows-8.1/productID.288401200 Noyes, Katherine. “Why Linux Is More Secure Than Windows”. PC World, 2010. Web 30 March 2015. http://www.pcworld.com/article/202452/why_linux_is_more_secure_than_windows.html Pegoraro, Rob. “Linux, Still an Awkward Alternative”. The Washington Post Company, 2004. Web 30 March 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25137-2004Jul3_2.html Ron. “Windows 7 still the dominant Windows operating system, Windows 8.1 continues to climb in market share”. WinBeta. Web 30 March 2015. http://www.winbeta.org/news/windows-7-still-dominant-windows-operating-system-windows-81-continues-climb-market-share Windows 8 Upgrading to Windows 8.1. Web 30 March 2015. http://www.gcflearnfree.org/windows8/3.2 5. Endnotes Read More