Unit 1 IT (Personal Computer Fundamentals Course)

OPERATING SYSTEMS

TH RIGHT OPERATING SYSTEM

Vista or XP? Windows, Mac, or Linux? How about all of the above? With improved virtualiza- tion technology, you might not have to settle for just one OS. •

BY SCOTT SPANBAUER

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OPERATING SYSTEMS

O NCE, YOU WERE either a Mac person or a Windows user. Ormaybe you were a Unix geek. Whichever your poison, you likely had only one operating system in your life. Thanks to the ubiquity of the Intel

processor and the hard work of untold legions of software developers, how-

ever, those days are over. Now, Apple's machines can run Windows XP.

FEATURES COMPARISON

Windows Vista is available on brand-new computers, but you can also boot the same PC with an Ubuntu Linux disc that you downloaded and burned for free. And if you like Ubuntu, you can install it alongside Windows in a few clicks.

Drastic improvements in virtualization

DESKTOP OPERATING SYSTEMS: You C a n H a v e T h e m A l l MULTI-OS OPTIONS LIKE dual-booting and virtualization software have made it easier tban 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.

IS Windows XP

Windows Vista

Mac OSX

Linux

• Familiar arsti responsive, even on older machines.

• It's not always intuitive, but you probably know how to get around tbe OS pretty well by now.

• lacks consistency. Menus, dialog boxes, and appear- ances can vary widely across different applications.

• Lacks hardware acceleration ant) 3D effects present in Vista and OS K; virtual desktops available only through third-party software.

• Rudimentary file search feature, especially without an add-on like Windows Live Desktop.

GOOD

• Un patched. Windows XP can't connect to the Internet for more than a few minutes before worms attach 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.

F A I R

• Still confusing to navigate, but in new and differ ent 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 pro- vide helgful visual cues aDout files and programs,

• Flip 3D program switching lets you scroll through a tliree-dimensional animation of all your running apps.

• Syslemwide search and indexing Trnds files, programs, and Web pages on or beyond your PC's hard disk.

V E R Y G O O D

• Interface is uncluttered, efficient, and logical, though some applications break its legenOary consistency.

• Subtle transparency and 30 effects aid witb navigat- ing dialog boxes and program windows.

• Expose lets you see and choose among ail of your open windows or the desktop with the press of a key. The forthcoming Spaces feature adds virtual desktops.

• Dashboard desktop widqets are built-in.

• Spotlight searches file metadata, and will expand to the Internet in OS X 10.5.

EXCELLENT O Applications Places

• Gnome and KDC interfaces emulate the Mac OS and Windows XP, respectively, in many ways; they oKer virtual desktops, as well.

• Hardware graphics accel- eration is available, but requires expert installation and configuration.

• Beagle desktop search utility indexes local files and Web sites.

GOOD

• Improves on XP's security wifh User Access Control and ActiveX tweaks, but remains a major malware target.

• Sttll requires a third-party bidirectional firewall, since its own firewall settings for

outciojng connections are for experts only. • Includes Windows XP's file- and falder-level encryption

options. The Business and Ultimate Editions' industrial- strength 6itlocker encryption protects your entire hard disk from tampering. _

G O O D .

' Included utilities, such as Outlook Express and Windows Media Player, offer minimal features bui do the job.

• Free upgrade to the more secure Internet Explorer 7 Web browser.

' Lots of top-notch free and commercial software avail- able, including Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office.

' Gaming platform of choice for now.

EXCELLENT

' Includes enhanced versions of Media Player, Media Center (except In Business edition), and Movie Maker, plus new mail, calendar, and DVD authoring toois.

• 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 30 gaming when supporting bardware ts more widely available.

VERY GOOD

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 usefui for system recovery, but it bypasses user fite passwords. Includes disk encryption.

VERY GOOD

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• 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 05, it's more obscure-its lower installed base attracts fewer maiware authors than Windows does.

• Disk encryption requires expert configuration or third- party utilities.

VERY GOOD

' The iLife suite's slick iPhotc digital photography tool lets you edit, print, and share photos. iWeb builds sites, and iMovie and iDVD offer light- weight digital video production.

' A dearth of available game titles compared with Windows, but Photoshop and Microsoft Oflice are both here to stay.

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 com- mercial OS X and ..^ • — — Windows apps, but most offer subsets of their features.

1 ubuntu • If you want Adobe ~

Photoshop and Microsoft Office, use virtualization or dual-boot for better performance.

VERY GOOD

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software, along with hardware advance- ments and standardization on x86 CPUs, allow any operating sy.stem to play host to virtual versions of other OSs.

Every machine still needs a primary operating system, but mixing and match- ing them is now much easier. My

home office contains a mix of Macs run- ning OS X and PCs nmning Windows XP, Windows Vista. Ubimtu, and OpenSuSE linux. And my next system will likely be a Mac with three or more of those OSs

installed—maybe even running—at the same time. If you can afford Apple's hardware, that's the choice I'd recom- mend. Why? Check out our chart below for a breakdown of the major cotitenders' strengths and weaknesses, and read on for a look at the state of each OS. •

Hardware price/performance

' Performs (me wilti slower protessoii dnd limiterl RAH and disk space, allowing you to minimize expenditures on new nardwdre or put them oft

Indellnitely.

' Until Vista drivers improve. XP will remain the preferred choice for gamers ami others loncerned witti performance.

EXCELLENT

' Requires siqnificantiv more memory and hard-dish space, and runs slower than XP on the same hardware,

' Minimum system requirements are an 800-MHz processor, 512MB of memory, and I5GG ol free disk space.

• The Aero iritertace works best with recent qraphics accel- erators and requires an additional 51^MB ot RAM.

• Ihe sometimes dilficud upgrade process means you're bet- ter oil buying a new PC with Vista preinstalled.

FAIR

'Linux boot mar)aqers allow easy multiboot setups.

' Can host most x86-compatible operating systems (except Mac OS} via third-partv virtualization tools like ttie free VMWare Server or Microsoft's free Virtual Server 2005 K.

• Runs In yirtuai machines tiosted on Intel- based Macs and PCs.

GOOD

• Same capabilities as Windows XP, but hiqtier memory requirements could eittier reduce performance or prevent Vista from serving as a host or guest OS on systems where RAM is tight.

• License protiibrls running anything but the expensive Enter- prise or tJltimate Editions under virtualization software [Ike Parallels or VMWare.

GOOD

• By now, you know it and you either love it or hate it. It you're okay with XP, there's no presstrq need tor you to switch. Five years of updates have made Windows XP as secure as it's

qoinq to get. thouqh not as sate as Visla. OS X, or linux. Minimal hardware requirements wll) make li the top qaming platform until DirectX tO takes ;'ver. II you're not dying to buy a new PC, XP will [10 a fine OS for at least another year or two.

V E R Y G O O D

• Get it if you're buyinq a new PC: XP users, thouqti, tiave lew 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 computmg tasks. Vista also includes some uselul new tools and is safer to take for a spin around the internet. Does that lustity tbe hetty upgrade price and even more costly bardware requirements? Probably not, but if it's time to buy a new computer anyway, you won't be tempted to reinstall Windows XP.

G O O D

• Gorgeous design all around.

• Budget Windows PCs are iess 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 MacSook Pros compare weli with bigb-endPCstromLenovQ 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 Irom running on non- Mac bardware, so a Mac is the only way to run all tbree OSs on the same macbine.

EXCELLENT

• If Apple's hardware fits your price range, you'll get a nicely designed machine running a beautitui 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 addi- tional polish and a few yet-to-be-announced leatures. All cur- rent 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-lree,

EXCELLENT

• Specialized dislributlons and kernel customization allow Linux to perform well on otder and inexpensive systems,

I Support lor newer hardware often lags behind that of Windows and OS X.

V E R Y G O O D

• Runs as a guest or tiost with other OSs through VMWare or other stand-alone vjrtualization software.

• Distributions compiled with support tor tbe Xen virtualizatior^ spec can serve as a guest or bost OS without additional soft- ware (Windows does not support Xen virtualization).

V E R Y G O O D

• tf you're tired ol figbting Windows matware and viruses, it's simple to find out whetber Linux will meet your needs-just grab a bootable CD and give it a shot.

Easy-to-install, Iree, and feature-ricb Lirtux distributions like Ubuntu 6.10 and OpenSuSE 10.Z are great options tor tech- savvy computer users. Without a Steve Jobs type driving development forward, the Gnome and KDE interfaces evolve gradually. While Linux lacks tbe polisb and deep-pocket sup- port of its rivals, its improved ease of use, functionality, and security make it a viable alternative to Windows and OS X.

V E R Y G O O D

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OPERATING SYSTEMS

EXTOLLING WINDOWS XP

WINDOWS vtsTA's LONG geStation and

protracted birth pangs are over at last, thank heavens. Vista's running nicely on my fairly modern desktop system, and I've enjoyed using its updated interface and utilities for everyday work and recre- ation. But before we get to the new kid, a few words about good old Windows XP.

Despite its reputation for swiss-cheese security, XP quickly became a very suc- cessful OS. Before XP (and its admirable predecessor. Windows 2000}, Microsoft operating systems crashed, died, and blue- screened weekly or even daily. Though crashes still occur, they're far less fre- quent than in previous Windows versions, and some XP users (including me) have PCs that rarely see so much as a hiccup.

XP has been the biggest-selling operat- ing system in the universe for almost half a decade now, so it's where most of the action is. Whatever you long to do with a PC—accounting, blogging, photography, engineering, aimless wandering on the Internet—the necessary hardware and software will work under Windows XP.

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TRANSPARENT WINDOWS AND handy desktop gadgets are the first things you'll

notice In Vista, but Microsoft's iatest also Includes utilities iike Windows Defender.

protection remain as important as ever. According to Forrester Research, 40

percent of business Windows customers will transition to Vista within the next year, and consumer adoption will expand gradually from 12 million users in the first year to 73 million after four years. Microsoft will continue to roll out Win- dows XP security fixes for at least five years after it releases Service Pack 3. cur-

rently slated for the first half of 2008. So relax. There's no rush.

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VISTA SIGHTINGS

: ^ XP'S SECURITY CENTER, introduced with Service

/ J Pack 2 , heiped lock down key pieces of the OS.

Of course, to keep that copy oi XP run- ning smoothly, you'll have to work to keep the wolves at bay. While Service Pack 2. Windows Security Center, and Internet Explorer 7 have closed a lot of holes, XP is sure to attract hackers and malware writers for years to come. Your firewall, antivirus software, and spyware

WINDOWS VISTA DOES

deliver improvements in security {though you'll still need a third-party firewall unless you're up for some complex con- figuration tasks), plus several improved utilities and new features. It's the look, though, that makes Vista a desirable upgrade

for most people. Vista's Aero environ- ment displays windows, icons, and other desktop elements with more colors, shad- ing, and shadowing, as well as—for the first time—transparency. Buttons glow like red or blue LEDs when you hover over them. Translucent window frames, menus, and title bars remind you of other

applications buried a layer or two deep, and the Flip 3D task switcher is clearly inspired by Apple's Expose, which dis- plays cleverly arranged thumbnails of ail your running appiications.

Cribbing more directly from Apple, the gadget-populated Windows Sidebar is a variation on OS X's Dashboard widgets. However, the redesigned Media Player, Control Panel, mail, and photo preview- ing interfaces are evidence that many of Vista's changes are only skin deep. Drill- ing down through a new menu structure often reveals the very same dialog boxes that were present in Windows XP.

Gamers should eventually see great dividends by switching to Vista. DirectX 10 promises to accelerate games eight- fold, and it won't be available under Win- dows XP. And Vista's Windows Presenta- tion Foundation makes it easier for software developers to produce graphics- hardware-accelerated applications.

Vista's many innovations come at a cost, however. Recent PC World Test Center trials demonstrated that although Vista performs just fine on the Microsoft- recommended hardware, Windows XP runs the same applications significantly faster (see rnid.pcworld.com/56493). So unless you can tolerate a downgrade in performance, you may want to upgrade your PC right along with your operating system. Nevertheless, on a reasonably ^

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OPERATING SYSTEMS

IS THAT WINDOWS Media Player rutininq on tnat Mac^ THanKsto Parallels'

Coherence feature, Macs can run Windows spps right aiongside Mac software.

equipped machine, Windows Vista pro- vides fast search results for files, docu- ments, e-mail messages, and Web sites.

HELLO, PC? I'M MAC

OR M.-wBE you'HE ready for an even bigger switch. The simple, clean lines of MacBooks and Mac Pro desktops hint that using a computer could be straight- forward—easy, even. Mac OS X offers the same promise. Although Apple's operat- ing system and Windows generally let you do all the same kinds of things, the Mac interface just seems to have fewer layers, levels, and cryptic settings,

It's nearly enough to make a 20-year Windows user jump ship. But that's not necessary, of course. Apple's Boot Camp allows Intel-based Macs to boot Windows and other x86 operating systems, such as linux. Now. both ubergeeks and regular folks who enjoy OS X's simplicity but still need to mn applications in Windows XP, Vista, or Linux can run ail of these oper- ating systems on one computer.

Apple still won't allow OS X to mn on non-Mac systems, making Apple hard- ware the only way to m n all OSs on one machine. And with the addition of inex- pensive or free virtualization software from Parallels and VMWare, Macs can run those operating systems simultane- ously. Parallels' software even provides a unique, somewhat eerie feature, "Coher- ence," that runs virtuaUzed Windows

applications side by side viith OS X pro- grams. Parallels got a bit of a jump on VMWare, whose first OS X product, code- named Fusion, is due this summer. At press time, both companies were work- ing to add 3D acceleration to their prod- ucts, which could finally make serious gaming on a virtuahzed OS a reality.

But the big Mac OS news arrives this spring when Apple releases OS X 10.5, aka Leopard. T h e u p d a t e p r o m i s e s a modest but desirable collec- tion of new features, includ- ing Time Machine, a new automatic backup system that lets let you flip back and forth through previous versions of your files. Leop- ard also adds support for stafionery and an integrated to-do list in Mail; an expan- sion of the Spotlight search tool to locate files on other Macs on your network; an Expose-like virtual desktop feature called Spaces; and some as-yet- unarmounced (killer, we hope) features.

LINUX: LAST BUT NOT LEAST

DISTRIBUTIONS LIKE THE increasingly

popular Ubuntu are going a long way to

change Linux's reputation for being dif-

ficult and complex to install and config-

ure. Ubuntu's bootable DesktopCD lets

you see how you'll like Linux (and a bit about how Linux will like your PC) with- out installing anything to the hard disk. A few more clicks will make room for Ubuntu and set it up on your hard drive, alongside Windows, (See find.pcworld. com/56475 for more.) Once the OS is in place, a couple of simple applications let you choose from and install hundreds of free programs, including productivity, multimedia, and development tools.

Another popular distribution, Novell's OpenSuSE, provides cojifiguration utili- ties and libraries of applications that are nearly as easy to navigate as Ubuntu's. Both Linux distributions deliver frequent bug fixes and automatic updates.

And visually-minded Linux fans can choose from dozens of user interfaces, chief among them KDE and Gnome. Both interfaces are evolving steadily, bor- rowing good ideas from each other and from Apple and Microsoft as well.

With its minimal hardware require- ments and solid security, Linux can serve as a bullet-proof primary OS. And with

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UBUNTU'S ADD/REMOVE APPLiCATIONS diaiog

box helps you downioad and instaii free software.

painless dual-booting and virtualization options, induding several free and open- source apps and the kernel-based Xen sofhvare, you can easily try out the latest in Linux without having to give up your current operating system. •

Scott Spanbauer is a PC Worid contributing

editor and writes (he Internet Tips column.

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