Introduction

Hello and welcome to round two of the Mac (Apple) vs. PC contest, the contest of operating systems. In the left corner on Apple we will be examining OS X, and in the right corner will be Microsoft Windows. Lastly, in the middle will be Linux, since it can easily run on either hardware. These three Operating Systems capitalize the current market share, with Windows clocking in at 91.11%, OS X at 4.73%, and Linux at 1.95%

This contest will be divided into three bouts: stability, security, and usability.

Stability

For this section, we are examining what brings down the entire Operating System. We are not looking at programs crashing, because that's not the operating system.

The first issue to consider here is the theory of bugs-to-lines-of-code ratio. As OS X is based off of the Unix kernel, it is roughly 1/3 the size of the Windows kernel. Assuming a generally acceptable base in programming principles, the theory should apply here. Since Unix and Linux kernels are very similar, we need to perform further analysis to determine what OS is the most stable.

Another thought to consider is the consistency and frequency of updates to fix bugs. Between Linux and OS X, Linux was updated the most. Anecdotally, my personal experience has been that HPUX (HP-developed Unix) is the most stable. However, we are looking at desktop operating systems, and Windows is actually patched faster than either OS X or Linux.

Lastly, driver support in the kernel is crucial in interfacing with hardware and providing good stability. This is where Windows suffers, not from lack of programming effort, but simply from the wide variety of hardware vendors and drivers that are out there for the Windows OS. Bad drivers and/or hardware are the leading cause of Blue Screens of Death (BSODs). However, if you purchase the right hardware that offers good driver support, your stability will actually be wonderful. Since Apple restricts its Operating System to very specific hardware platforms, it has the ability to develop very stable hardware configurations for its kernel. Linux is open source and left out in the cold when it comes to driver development. So OS X wins on that count.

All things considered, OS X is more stable of an OS in most general circumstances.

Security

Determinations of security ultimately come down to the people using the operating system, but what we want to examine is the operating system's inherent weaknesses.

In a recent hacking contest called PWN 2 OWN, the MacBook Air was the first system to go down in 2 minutes flat! Miller, a former National Security Agent, claimed that Apple's updating procedures were nothing short of "negligent." Windows Vista was broken about three days later, and Ubuntu Linux came out unscathed. Linux wins this round, with Windows in second place, and OS X in a miserably far behind last!

Usability

Usability means different things to different people. What I am looking at in this section is general intuitiveness of the operating system's interface. The link for this section describes an interesting viewpoint about the so-called need for a GUI. While it is true that text-based interfaces would technically be more simple to learn, the high demand for multimedia content requires a GUI operating system. All things considered, OS X has spent many R&D dollars on developing an simple and intuitive interface. While some may debate about the interface's part in an operating system, it cannot be disputed that having a naturally intuitive interface greatly increases usability. Having said that, both Linux and Windows are very customize-able, perhaps even more than OS X's offerings. However, I am considering natural usability that is inherent in the operating system.

Final Say

When it comes down to it, the right OS for you is the right OS for you. If you are a general user that does not care for the intricate details of an operating system, then OS X may be the right choice for you. Although I say that with some caution that any computer user needs to be more security conscious. This is also not to say you cannot do powerful things with a Mac if you want (or any other OS, for that matter).

Windows is great for people who enjoy a large user base community for support. It is also useful to run on custom built systems. Basically, it is a greatly usable operating system that offers a variety of choices.

Linux is a wonder-boy that can run well on most systems, if you can get it set up and working well with all of your hardware.