Compare/ Contrast Essay

Windows Environment vs. Linux Environment

Outline

I.-Introduction
II.-Brief review of two of the most used OS
III.-Similarities
a) Operating systems
b) Productive tools
c) Multimedia capabilities
d) Internet Browsing capabilities
IV.-Differences
a) Base code programming
b) Visual interface
c) User friendliness
d) Devices compatibility
V.-Conclusion

Many people nowadays have a pc at home for leisure or work purposes. But even if the latter is true no too many people know which software environment they are running on. For practical purposes many people or most of people only look for a product that works and that allows them to finish their tasks in a quicker way, they do not even care which kind of system they are using. So the following essay will focus on talking about two of the operating systems (OS) used commonly by some groups in society.

Among the two operating systems used by most of society, we can find on one side the Microsoft creation known as Windows which has a price in order to use the software license, and by the other side we have Linux an open-software, which is a free-license software system. Windows is nowadays the most used system by people who have no interest in going deeper with technology and programming issues, it is for people who seek for something simple to use. Another popular system is the one based on Linux mainly because it is free to use, but not so many people use it because it is a bit hard to handle, because the user himself/herself has to know several computer commands in order to have a functional pc based on Linux.

Once both systems have been briefly presented I will write the similarities they share. As I have previously stated both of the systems presented are operating systems, which serve us humans to perform any task and activity we propose to do. If we talk about using pc as a tool, it can be said that both systems will enable us to make any work because both systems have a productive kit, in the case of windows we have Microsoft Office (paid license), and in the case of Linux we have Open Office (free of charge). In both productive kits the user can make use of set of tools relatively alike that include from word processors to slide presenters. Another remarkable aspect is that both systems can be used as a multimedia set. On Windows we have Windows Media Player which easily plays any kind of video and audio format; on the other side with Linux we have several video and audio players free to be downloaded by the user, and as in the case with Windows, any audiovisual format can also be played. Another quality that both systems have in common is the ability to connect to internet networks for browsing the web or for chatting purposes.

The main differences between these two systems will be explained in this paragraph. The main difference of these two systems can be found on the way they were programmed, more specifically on their source code, Windows is based on a code named C++, while Linux is a mixture of several codes including C++. The visual interface known as UI (user interface) is different in each system, while the one used by Windows is not user adjustable; the one provided by Linux is fully adaptable to the user. Another two significant differences and mainly the reasons why people tend to draw on to the easier system is the user friendliness, as well as the device compatibility, the first one is mainly an issue when we refer to Linux and its versions because the use of it requires to know more complex things to take advantage of all its functions, while in Windows everything is ready to be used by any type of people, no set up is involved. The second issue happens in both systems but is more common in Linux, as it is not supported by any hardware builder, so the workarounds to make hardware work are made by people inside the Linux community.

Nowadays there are indeed many operating systems, but as it has been said the most common ones are Windows and Linux, each one with their similarities and differences, but in the end it will depend on the user to choose which fit with his/her needs and likes on any purpose they seek to accomplish by its use, either work or spare time.