Which operating system to choose for your computer - comparison and selection of the best one. Current OS for an old PC or netbook The easiest operating system to view and

Many of us have laptops or netbooks that have been around for a long time. They worked without problems with Windows XP or Vista, but the new versions of Microsoft's OS are no longer suitable for them. If, when you try to launch Windows 10, your laptop begins to creak strainedly, and fashionable flat tablet windows turn into a slideshow, do not rush to throw it away. Linux will help revive it.

Installing the system is not difficult, just follow. Just download the distribution kit from the official website, burn it to a flash drive or disk and boot your computer from this disk. By installing Linux, you will forget about the slowness of your old computer and problems with viruses and get an updated and supported system on your old hardware.

A few words about desktop environments, or shells. Roughly speaking, it is an interface that allows us to interact with Linux. The most popular shells are KDE, GNOME and Cinnamon, but for seasoned laptops and desktops it is better to choose something lighter. These can be either Xfce or LXDE environments, or frame-based window managers such as Awesome and i3. They are more difficult to set up than full-fledged shells, but they can work on hardware where even LXDE fails.

1.Xubuntu

Xubuntu is the official flavor of the popular Ubuntu. With the difference that instead of the not very agile Unity, Xfce is used here. It is fast, yet functional and highly customizable desktop environment. Xubuntu is compatible with all Ubuntu applications and repositories.

processor with a frequency of 500 MHz, 512 MB of RAM, 7.5 GB of free hard disk space.

2. Lubuntu

Another Ubuntu flavor, this time with Lxde. Designed for use on even older computers. Lxde is not as functional as Xfce, but it is unpretentious and can run on almost any configuration.

Minimum system requirements: processor - from 266 MHz, 128 MB of RAM, 3 GB of free hard disk space.

3. Bodhi Linux

A simple and fast distribution based on Ubuntu. Uses the lightweight Moksha windowing framework containing Enlightenment 17.

Minimum system requirements: processor - from 500 MHz, 128 MB of RAM, 4 GB of free hard disk space.

4. Debian

Debian is known for being stable and conservative. What else does an old computer need? This is one of the oldest and most popular distributions - Ubuntu is based on it. Debian, unlike the next distribution on the list, has a convenient .NET installer. With a lightweight desktop environment, Debian will fit on any hardware.

Minimum system requirements: processor - 1 GHz, 256 MB of RAM, 10 GB of free hard disk space.

5.Arch

Arch is not the best choice for those who have not dealt with Linux before and just want to install the system. “Naked” Arch is installed over the Internet, via the command line - this will infuriate anyone.

However, Arch is good and damn fast. Combined with Xfce, Lxde or, better yet, tile-based window managers like Awesome or i3, Arch will perk up any laptop. And its extensive AUR repository gives you access to a wealth of Linux applications with one-click installation.

Minimum system requirements: any i686 or x86_64 processor, 128 MB of RAM, 800 MB of free hard disk space.

6. Manjaro

If you don't want to bother with installing Arch, try Manjaro. This is a fork of Arch with a convenient installer and a lot of its own features. Comes with Xfce for older computers and KDE for modern ones. Additionally, Manjaro flavors with other environments are supported by the community.

If you feel like Manjaro comes with a lot of unnecessary stuff, you can use Manjaro-Architect and customize the system to suit your needs. Arch goodies like Rolling release and AUR are included.

Minimum system requirements: 1 GHz processor, 384 MB RAM, 10 GB free hard disk space.

7. Puppy Linux

10 GB disk space, 5 GB, 3 GB... If you think that's a bit much for Linux, try Puppy. This distribution will take up only 200 MB. At the same time, Puppy Linux is a full-fledged system with its own programs and repositories.

Minimum system requirements: processor - 333 MHz, 64 MB of RAM, 200 MB of free hard disk space.

8. SliTaz

An even more compact distribution aimed at running entirely from RAM. When expanded it takes up about 100 MB, the Live CD image is less than 40 MB.

Minimum system requirements: any i686 or x86_64 processor, 128 MB of RAM, 100 MB of free hard disk space.

9. Damn Small Linux

Damn little Linux, as its name suggests. Despite the fact that the distribution fits into 50 MB, the developers managed to squeeze in the XMMS player, Dillo browser, Ted text editor, Xpaint graphics editor, Xpdf viewer, emelFM file manager and much more.

Minimum system requirements: 486DX processor, 16 MB RAM, 50 MB free hard disk space.

Finally

By installing any lightweight Linux distribution, you will get an updated and modern system on your old device. You can comfortably listen to music, view video files and edit documents.

However, this will not solve memory problems, for example when working with heavy web pages in the browser. So here are a couple more recommendations.

On very old computers, you can use lightweight browsers like Midori or Dillo. Or disable flash animation and scripts in Firefox or Chrome.

Use lightweight applications instead of web services in the browser. To save memory, YouTube videos can be watched in VLC or Mpv. You can connect to Spotify through Clementine. Connect your social media accounts to Pidgin, and instead of the Gmail web interface, you should try the Geary email client.

“Hardware” is just the “flesh” of the computer. And its spirit, the engine, is the software, which, in fact, makes the computer’s processor heart beat at a monstrous speed, driving digital blood through the iron “veins.”

But the programs themselves are quite helpless - they all need some kind of intermediary that would allow them to work with computer hardware. How exactly does the interaction between a person and a computer occur?

No matter how many programs there are on a computer, they all need a single PLATFORM. A single, common language in which they can communicate with computer hardware on the one hand and with the user on the other. An assistant who will take the solution to the most common problems off their shoulders.

The first programs were not assembled from ready-made blocks, as they are today, but were written from scratch in the language of machine codes “native” to a given computer. And this was natural, because the first computers were “things in themselves”, incompatible with other smart machines. Only at the end of the fifties, when computers went into mass production, and their number was no longer in the tens, but in the thousands, did the first universal means of communication between man and machine - programming languages ​​- appear. First - “low” ones like assembler, accessible only to a few programming wizards, and then...

Then, in the mid-70s, Basic entered the arena, a language of standard text commands that even schoolchildren could work with. And the schoolchildren did not miss their chance - in any case, two dropout students, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, went down in history precisely thanks to the version they wrote (and most importantly, sold) in Basic for Altair computers. From this seed, real operating systems later hatched - intermediary programs, control programs.

...We often say, “I work with Windows,” but we have little idea what that means. After all, the operating system itself (or, more familiarly, just the OS) is a kind of buffer-transmitter between computer hardware and other programs. The OS takes command signals sent by other programs and “translates” them into a language understandable to the machine. The OS manages all devices connected to the computer, providing access to them to other programs. Finally, the OS provides the human user with the convenience of working with a computer.

Every OS consists of at least five required parts.

• The first is a “translator” from a software language to a “hardware” language, a machine code language.
• The second is specialized programs for controlling various devices that are part of the computer. Such programs are called managers. Thanks to them, the operating system finds out the shortest path to the “heart” of each device and gets into its hands the “control panel” of all their functions and abilities.
• The third part is interfaces, special modules for performing standard procedures and functions with which application programs interact. There are a lot of such libraries in Windows, and some of them are part of a kind of “creative unions”, helping each other in performing certain tasks. The most striking example is DirectX, a set of tools for working with sound, video and other multimedia resources. Games, music and video players all use DirectX, which does some of the work for them. And this is very convenient - otherwise the producers of each program would have to write all the modules “from scratch” to solve the simplest problems.
• The fourth part is the “database” into which the system enters information about all its settings, installed programs and much more. After all, it is impossible to store such data in the body of the programs themselves - to do this, one would have to endlessly interfere with their code, which, you see, is simply unacceptable. In the DOS era, each program maintained its own "dossier", storing all the necessary information in its configuration files. Windows solved the problem differently, generously allocating all programs a single “warehouse” for storing settings - the system registry. The registry also stores all the information necessary for the operation of Windows itself.
• The fifth part is a convenient shell with which the user communicates - . A kind of beautiful wrapper in which a boring and uninteresting kernel is packed. The comparison with packaging is also apt because it is what people pay attention to when choosing an operating system; the kernel, the main part of the OS, is remembered only later.

Today, the graphical interface is an invariable attribute of any operating system. However, the “operating systems” of the first generations had not a graphical, but a text interface, that is, commands were given to the computer not by clicking on an icon, but by entering commands from the keyboard. And Windows itself was initially not a full-fledged operating system, but just a “graphical add-on” over the DOS kernel, and it came of age only ten years ago!

Of course, there are many operating systems in the world - and Windows is far from the best of them. Mac OS, the operating system for Apple computers, is much simpler and more understandable for users. And numerous operating systems of the Linux family have much greater stability, reliability and flexibility in configuration, and they cost tens of times less... So, theoretically, you have a choice.

But, most likely, you will decide to stick with one of the versions of Windows - because with all its shortcomings, it has long since become a recognized standard. And no matter what skeptics say about Windows, today a better system for the home simply has not been invented.

MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEMS

The story of Microsoft Corporation's rapid rise to fame is well known: in the early eighties of the last century, Bill Gates' company managed to sign a contract to develop an operating system for the IBM PC computer. Realizing the prospects of the personal computer market with great delay, the “Blue Giant” IBM intended to completely capture it with the help of its new PC...

Everything was clear with the hardware, only the software issue remained unresolved... The irony of fate: they learned about Microsoft and IBM only thanks to unexpected help. their main antagonist is Apple! When preparing the IBM PC project, its authors took as a model, of course, the Apple II - the most popular computer of that era.

...Having received the desired contract and walking just a few steps away from the IBM office, Gates and Allen immediately bought a ready-made OS from the Seattle Computer Product company. The 86-DOS program they created was almost completely copied from CP\M, which suited both IBM and Gates. The latter could only quickly put his brand name on the purchase, hastily adapt it for the IBM PC - and launch it into series!

Thus was born MS-DOS, the most popular operating system for PCs of the “first generation”, which existed for almost twenty years (the last version of DOS was released in 2000). However, you can still see a black DOS screen today in any version of Windows - to do this, just go to the Start menu, click on the Run command and type cmd in the line.

Having turned DOS into a de facto standard for IBM-compatible computers, Microsoft quietly cut coupons and corrected errors for some time (fortunately, there were always enough of them in the company’s products). However, there were few qualitative improvements in DOS - it still remained a single-tasking OS without the slightest hint of a graphical interface. Commands were given to the computer not by clicking a mouse on a pictogram, but by using the keyboard.

For example, today, to launch the Microsoft Word text editing program, you just need to click on the program icon on the Windows Desktop. Previously, when working in the previous generation OS - DOS, it was necessary to enter a command like

C:\WORD\word.exe c:\doc\mybook.doc

Soon, users were tired of the black screen, single-tasking mode and text-based “Interface” - especially since Apple had long offered an alternative in the form of the graphical operating system Mac OS. Actually, it was from this that the first version of Windows was copied, which was, however, not a full-fledged operating system, but just a shell for DOS.

The first versions of Windows were not very successful. Even IBM, which had warmed up to Bill Gates' team, was not interested in the new product, but Microsoft was invited to participate in the work on the OS/2 operating system. This graphical OS, unlike Windows, was a REAL operating system. It is characteristic that Gates himself hesitated between these two products for another six years (!) - only in the early 90s the choice was made. From now on, the company relied only on Windows, abandoning the already fully developed and competitive OS/2 to the mercy of fate.

The first successful versions of Windows are considered to be 3.1 and 3.11 (with support for network mode), which were released in 1992-1993. However, for the first time, Windows approached its current appearance only two years later, with the release of the truly revolutionary Windows 95 system. It was there that the decisive step was taken for the first time to turn the shell into a full-fledged operating system, although the kernel was still the good old DOS.

Farewell to it dragged on for five years - only in 1999, Windows ME (Millennium Edition) was born, the DOS mode in which was artificially blocked. However, back in 1993, Microsoft began work on a new line of OSes built on a fundamentally new kernel. Its founder was the Windows NT operating system, designed for professionals and corporate users. Despite the fact that the NT interface was not too different from other versions of Windows, it was designed completely differently - with more emphasis on stability, reliability and less on entertainment. For the new OS, a new secure file system, NTFS (NT File System), was even developed, which the mainstream versions of Windows could not work with for the time being.

Both versions of Windows developed in parallel until the end of the century. However, after the release of the “people's” Windows ME and the “professional” Windows 2000, Microsoft announced the final abandonment of the “DOS line”.

Windows XP

Humanity had to enter the twenty-first century with a new system that united the advantages of both of its parents... Windows XP. This operating system is already quite a few years old - a record age by software standards. But it still looks quite decent - the interface, however, already smacks of the Stone Age, but the reliability and stability of XP remains unattainable for other Microsoft OSes.

As a result, this operating system was so successful that, according to the developers, it was delayed on the market for a long time. It was expected that after the advent of Vista, the spent XP would be written off as scrap... But that was not the case! Despite the fact that Microsoft buried its brainchild back in 2007, even today experienced users first remove Vista from their laptop and then install XP there. On netbooks it has no competitors at all.

Well, we already understand why XP is good. Stable, well-functioning, fast and not too resource-demanding: 1 GB of RAM is enough to make it happy! Therefore, for entry-level laptops, a better system has not yet been invented - another question is whether you can find the necessary drivers for new models... In a word, if the seller offers you a netbook with Windows XP, you should not wrinkle your nose with contempt: getting rid of some not very necessary “decorations” ", you will benefit greatly in performance. With up to 2 GB of RAM, working with XP will be much more comfortable. But whether it’s worth installing XP on new models is a controversial question. You can, of course, try, but there is no guarantee that all the hardware will be recognized and will work without a hitch. Usually webcams and wireless communication modules go on strike, for which there are simply no drivers for “old” systems.

Well, the main drawback of XP is that this system is poorly suited to work with multi-core processors and new standards for 3D graphics in games. That is, you can install a new video card using XP, and the system will recognize it, but it will not be able to use all its capabilities.

Windows Vista

It is called Microsoft’s biggest failure, and at best, a “dress rehearsal” before the release of Windows 7. True, in the theater no one would think of passing off a rehearsal as a real performance, much less charging the audience the full price of a ticket...

And today, with the release of Windows 7, the short and unsuccessful life of Vista seems to have indeed come to its logical end. But it all started out very well, and there were countless useful innovations in Vista: built-in search, an almost “three-dimensional” A ero interface with pretty wallpaper, and good security mechanisms. Everything was. But all these goodies were not implemented very successfully. Take, for example, the system requirements - compared to XP, they have at least doubled, but even on computers with 2 GB of memory, Vista managed to be ungodly slow.. No wonder they joke that Vista was developed by Estonian programmers!. And the built-in security system (User Account Control) turns even such routine operations as downloading and installing programs into a tedious exam. Of course, all this was done for a good purpose... only the programmers’ efforts were in vain, because most users disable UAC immediately after the first boot of the system.

Of course, Microsoft patched up most of the bugs and holes: after the release of Service Pack 2 in 2009, Vista finally turned into something more or less decent. And yet there is no incentive to install it on computers today.

Windows 7

After the pancake called Windows Vista turned out to be a plump, impudent and completely inedible bun, Microsoft had to seriously adjust its plans for the future. But everything seemed to be planned and scheduled for years in advance: Vista was supposed to provide the developers with a piece of bread with black caviar banned in Russia until 2010-2012, after which the “leader’s jersey” was supposed to move on to a new project - Vienna.

The “low start” of Vista confused all the cards: the developers were urgently pulled out of an undeserved vacation and ordered to work in “all-hours plus” mode on the new operating system. And this time without any hackwork! The first beta version of Windows 7 was revealed to the public back in early 2009 - and turned out to be surprisingly good. No revolutionary changes were made to the system - well, don’t consider the updated one as such. Taskbar, a modified “network center” and a handful of new icons! Yes, support for multi-touch on-screen control has appeared, but it has not become widespread - at least not yet.

Contrary to popular belief, the appetites of the new OS have not become more modest: for comfortable operation, the “seven” still requires at least 2 GB of RAM and a dual-core processor - another thing, the system manages this economy much more competently.

In general, having retained all the useful discoveries of Vista, the “Seven” got rid of many of its shortcomings - and for this alone, weary users are ready to raise it to the top. So if you are offered a laptop running the “Seven” - feel free to give it preference over competitors.

Home Premium

An expanded (or rather, full-fledged) home version, which includes additional functions Windows Media Center (support for high-definition television - HDTV, recording TV programs and creating DVDs), Photo Album, Parental Controls and - finally! - 3D Aero interface! The price is about 250 dollars for the “boxed” version, and about 70-80 for the laptop version.

For home users, this version of Windows 7 is the most convenient and profitable. Largely also because, along with the regular version of this operating system, intended for installation on one computer, Microsoft also offers the so-called Family Pack with a license for three computers! This means that by purchasing just one distribution kit for a relatively small amount of $150, you can equip every computer in your apartment with licensed Windows. However, whether this program will operate in Russia is still unknown.

Ultimate

For the most advanced and demanding individual users. Combines the advantages of the home and business versions, and also contains new modules such as a program for hard drive encryption (BitLocker). In addition, Ultimate has incredibly useless Extras, such as the animated Dreamscene wallpaper and several games. The price is 350-400 dollars, and it will add about 120-150 to the cost of the laptop.

Professional and Enterprise versions are intended for corporate users.

Any of these versions can be installed from a DVD with a Windows “distribution kit”: the operating system installation kit is universal. True, you won’t be able to get the Maximum version at the price of the Home version: immediately after installation, Windows will require a key, and it’s different for each version.

Each version exists in two more modifications - 32 and 64-bit. On a modern laptop with an AMD x2 or Intel Core2Duo processor, you can install any version (these processors support both modes). The fundamental difference is only in the amount of supported memory: if the system has more than 2 GB of RAM, install the 64-bit version. Theoretically, 32-bit Vista can support up to 4 GB of RAM, but in reality problems begin with half that amount.

Although the 64-bit system also has its drawbacks: it loads the processor more, requires more memory, and there are problems with drivers, especially for old hardware - finding a driver for the 32-bit version is much easier. And many programs flatly refuse to work with 64-bit Vista. So on a system with 2-3 gigabytes of RAM there is no point in installing “64-bit”. And with 4 GB of RAM, you should once again think about what is more important to you - the extra 500 MB of memory or the speed of operation?

And finally, let’s say a few words about the system requirements (REAL, allowing you to work in the operating system truly comfortably). To work with Windows 7, you MUST have at least a dual-core processor with a frequency of 2 GHz, at least 2 GB of RAM and 17 GB of hard disk space (excluding additional programs). In addition, a video card that supports DirectX10 is highly recommended - that is, any video card released in 2009. Optimal characteristics - processor with a frequency of 3 GHz, 4 GB of RAM.

THE “CORRECT” OPERATING SYSTEM

Despite the growing appetites of the Windows family from year to year, the world is far from completely owned by the operating system with the trademark “flying window”. There are not as few OS competitors as users think... and as much as Microsoft itself would like.

Here we will briefly describe only the most famous alternative operating systems for personal computers. Before there were many of them, literally dozens. But in a tough fight, almost all of them disappeared from the scene: only numerous “operating systems” survived and became widespread, originating from the first full-fledged OS - Unix, developed almost half a century ago for “large” computers.

The word UNIX does not mean one operating system (as many newcomers mistakenly believe), but an entire family, the first representatives of which appeared long before Bill Gates could pronounce the word “programming” without hesitation. Already in the early 60s. There were several UNIX systems created for their computers by various companies. Irony of fate: in the late 70s. in the development of one of them - Xenix - the then unknown company Microsoft took part... UNIX was created primarily for professionals, and therefore never contained any “trinkets” such as a convenient graphical interface, and no one had heard of the concept of “multimedia” then. Another thing was important:

• Compatibility (programs written for one UNIX system had to work on another).
• Portability (UNIX could be adapted to any computer).
• Customizability (each programmer who worked with a UNIX system could make his own corrections to it, adapting it to a specific computer).
• Stability, stability and once again stability!

Until the mid-90s. The “interests” of the creators of Windows and UNIX lay in different planes: numerous variants of UNIX served “large” computers and servers, and Windows worked on “personal computers”. And these operating systems developed in completely different directions. When suddenly... Yes, yes, just suddenly, and for no apparent reason, both families of operating systems simultaneously began to look at each other’s possessions. The moment when the two giants, puffing and clumsily waddling, moved towards each other is not difficult to guess - 1993. It was this year that Microsoft first decided to encroach on the “server” market by releasing the first version of Windows NT, and yesterday’s student Linus Torvalds created a home a freely distributed Linux operating system based on the “portable” modification of Minix. Along with it, the grandiose project of the GNU movement (GNU is Not UNIX) and the concept of “open source” (Open Source) were born - these words are still inscribed on the banner of supporters of “free software”. By the way, in addition to Linux, a number of other “free” operating systems sprang from the powerful UNIX tree - for example, the server OS FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD, the first of which (what a coincidence!) was born in the same 1993.

Linux is no longer just a program. This is a new path, an alternative, a cult, a religion, a lifestyle (choose the desired term yourself). And its main advantage is stability, flexibility and versatility, which has not even become a byword. It is enough that Linux is an operating system different from Windows. It doesn’t matter whether you pin your hopes on a new, better world of free “software” (although the freeness of Linux has long ago turned from reality into myth) or whether you grin skeptically at its very mention. The only mistake would be to not take into account the very fact of the existence of an alternative operating system, which is not only incompatible with Windows, but is also built on principles and ideals that are completely different from Microsoft products.

“The Linux operating system created by a student is challenging the products of the mighty Microsoft corporation, and its popularity is growing every year!” - the journalists are strained. But this is only one, external side of the “Torvalds phenomenon”. Much more interesting is that Linus Torvalds himself, the “world’s freest OS,” managed to make a good career - and still earn good money from his creation! Torvalds himself never dreamed of upending the foundations of the universe. The problem facing the 20-year-old student at the University of Helsinki was much more modest: to get a convenient and obedient tool for work. A convenient and accessible operating system, which, on the one hand, would provide the user with maximum opportunities for all kinds of “adjustments” and optimizations. On the other hand, it would be affordable. There were only two candidates for the role of “manager” for the Torvalds computer - and both, in the opinion of the fastidious student, did not quite meet his expectations.

The first candidate was Windows - still imperfect, but even then a friendly and convenient operating system for home computers. Unlike the previous generation OS, any user could work with Windows, even with a minimum level of training! And most importantly, in four years the operating system from Microsoft has already managed to live on at least a third of all computers in the world. The only trouble was that Windows did not encourage the creative ambitions of advanced users - it was impossible to make any significant changes to its program code. In addition, the stability of the operating system clearly left much to be desired.

There was, however, a second candidate - the UNIX operating system, which had a number of advantages compared to the creation of Bill Gates. This time-tested OS, created back in 1969 by Dennis Ritchie and Kenneth Thompson, was distinguished by its rare flexibility and compatibility: in order to adapt UNIX to a new computer model, it was enough to only slightly modify it without touching the main “kernel”. No less valuable for Torvalds was the fact that the servers of his home university were running one of the versions of UNIX (the “server” version of Windows simply did not exist in those years - the Windows NT project was completed only four years later). Of course, UNIX also had its drawbacks: created specifically for “large” computers, the system was too cumbersome for small “personal computers”. In addition, the commercial version was clearly not affordable for Linus...

Fortunately, UNIX, unlike Windows, had a huge number of modifications: the customizability of this operating system allowed almost every programmer familiar with it to create their own version. One of these UNIX "clones" was a "light" version called Minix. Unlike its “big brother,” Minix had significantly smaller “appetites” and could work on almost all types of computers - from large servers to small home Amiga and Atari. Since Minix was written from scratch, it could be painlessly taken apart without fear of violating licensing agreements. And most importantly, Minix was available to anyone: a set of floppy disks with the distribution kit of this program was included with each copy of the book by its author Eddie Tannenbaum “Operating Systems: Design and Implementation”.

Do not think that Linus Torvalds was the only one at that time who was able to appreciate the advantages of the Tannenbaum system - since 1987, Minix has already been installed on several thousand computers. Another thing is noteworthy - unlike his colleagues, Linus was not satisfied that he had finally found a product to his taste. Tannenbaum's success led him to believe that the trick of creating a new system could be repeated! In fact, why “tweak” and debug someone else’s program when you can develop your own? Like a true northerner, Linus approached his work thoughtfully and responsibly, drawing up a list of requirements that the new operating system must satisfy.

Taking note of all the successful discoveries of Minix, Linus decided to bring them to perfection: the future OS was initially conceived as compact (taking up minimal space in RAM and on the hard drive), multi-platform (that is, capable of running on computers belonging to different “families” ) and as flexible as possible. Unlike the “pig in a poke” proposed by Bill Gates, Torvalds’ operating system was supposed to provide experienced users with the ability to modify any part of the code, even changing it completely. So far, there has been nothing revolutionary in this whole idea - all the points listed above were implemented in Minix. But Linus himself perceived his idea more as a hobby. True, he immediately tried to make the most of the situation - the “homemade” version of UNIX was declared by Linus as his thesis, which gave him the opportunity to spend all his free evenings programming with a clear conscience.

The work continued throughout 1991 - only in the fall did Linus demonstrate to his friends the first version of the new operating system, without undue modesty named after its creator - Linux (the official date of birth of this OS is September 17, 1991). What came from the programming “pen” of Torvalds was not yet a ready-made operating system - rather, it was the “skeleton” of the future OS, which still had to acquire the “flesh” of the shell and other “appendages”. But this “skeleton” was already quite functional! Here Linus faced a problem - what to do next? At first glance, it seemed that there were two options for the development of events - either Linus, with a calm heart, sends his brainchild to the back burner, finding another occupation, or continues to bring his OS to mind with the expectation that in two or three years he will be able to turn it into into a full-fledged commercial product. Both options did not promise any bright prospects: it was a pity to give up, and even the enthusiastic Torvalds could not “raise” the project of a new operating system alone. Organizing your own company and hiring employees to refine the program was both utopia and madness at the same time - the market for commercial operating systems had long been divided between major players, and there was clearly no room left for miniature Linux in this list...

And then Linus took a completely unexpected and illogical step, announcing that he would distribute his program for free! Moreover, complete with a complete set of source codes that will help programmers improve and improve Linux to their liking. Here it is necessary to make a remark: the principle of free distribution of programs was also not Torvalds’ “know-how”. Eight years before the advent of Linux, it was formulated by another enthusiast - Richard Stallman, the creator of the movement in support of “free” software. In 1983, while working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT AI Lab). Stallman tried to resist the transfer of the MIT computer park to commercial versions of UNIX. Having failed, Richard began a “crusade” in defense of freedom of software, formulating the postulates of his movement in the “GNU Project Manifesto (GNU is Not UNIX).” “Freedom of software means the right of the user to freely run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve it...

There are four types of freedom for users of a program: freedom to run the program for any purpose (freedom 0). Freedom to learn how the program works and adapt it to your needs (Freedom 1). Freedom to distribute copies so you can help your friend (freedom 2). Freedom to improve the program and publish your improvements so that the whole society benefits from it (freedom 3). Access to the source texts is a prerequisite." It seemed that Linus acted in full accordance with the “postulates of Stallman”, giving his project to everyone - GNU supporters could only be surprised by the fact that for the first time not a small program, but an entire operating system was put into “free circulation”!

Unlike the creator of Minix, Torvalds refused even a symbolic reward (in the amount of the cost of the book). At first, Linus's act was perceived solely as youthful maximalism - nothing more. Grateful users greedily grabbed the gifts handed to them - and, praising the generous Torvalds (and deep down marveling at his impracticality), began to play with Linux as with a Lego set. After all, this program was specially created so that it can be taken apart - and reassembled, in accordance with your own tastes and needs! But what at first seemed like thoughtless generosity was actually a very successful move...

Linus had an army of free “beta testers”, programmers and idea generators at his disposal. Having publicly “freed” the Linux bird (the Linux logo is a cheerful and very friendly penguin) and allowed it to fly into the skies, Torvalds made sure that an invisible but strong thread was tied to its paw. After all, although everyone could nominally make changes to Linux, Linus reserved the fine-tuning of the main part of the operating system - the “kernel”! Its code was open to everyone, and any programmer could send Linus his comments and suggestions for improvement. However, the final word invariably remained with Torvalds: it was he who made decisions about introducing one or another modification to the kernel and implemented all the successful discoveries of his followers.

This continues today - all the numerous versions and modifications of Linux (and there are already several dozen of them) are based on the same kernel. If the choice of the principles of the GNU Manifesto ensured the success and long life of the Linux project (which now employed thousands of enthusiasts in all corners of the world), then a small and almost invisible deviation from them ensured the future of Linus himself - unlike many of his less fortunate colleagues.

It is clear that Torvalds could not make billions on Linux. But he managed to wisely use the opportunities that his position as the Founding Father and Chief Authority on “the world’s free operating system” gave him. For ten years, Linus, who had become a living legend, had the opportunity to make good money from consulting and lectures. The success of Linux attracted attention to Torvalds as a programmer - he exchanged snowy Finland for sunny California and received a very lucrative job at Transmeta Corporation. And in 2001, a new source of income emerged - like all American celebrities, Linus released a book about his life with a very crafty title - “Only for Fun”...

Today, Linus Torvalds still oversees work on the most important part of Linux - the kernel of the operating system: only he has the right to approve certain changes that radically affect the functionality of the system. The rest of the work to improve Linux is done by millions of fans of this OS, which over time has turned from a working tool into a symbol of a new way of life, different from that imposed by Bill Gates and his company.

Of course, in all this splendor there are not only “advantages”. Until recently, in order to work with Linux, you had to at least understand programming. And ideally, rewrite the OS kernel for your machine and create the necessary drivers yourself. In addition, against the backdrop of bright Windows and Mac OS, the Linux operating system looked like a gray mouse - everything is simple, modest and... colorless. Therefore, the only area where Linux was really in demand was networks. Internet users especially loved this OS - to this day, most Internet web servers run Linux. And in the local networks of large companies, Linux coped well with the role of administrator. The situation changed radically after the appearance of convenient shells, which very successfully “colored” this nimble but gray sparrow. The combination of the familiar Desktop and Windows icons and the power of the Linux kernel immediately attracted the attention of developers and users: in the last two years alone, more programs have been written for Linux than in all previous years! The final sign of favor towards Linux on the part of the software industry was the decision of some major game manufacturers to release Linux versions of their “bestsellers”...

In the mid-90s, Linux began to conquer the “home” market, becoming a direct competitor to Windows; for this, manufacturers had to partially abandon the “do it yourself” principle and switch to producing ready-made distributions.

Now installing Linux on a computer has become as easy as Windows: installation and configuration are completely automatic, and along with the operating system the user received a set of application programs and utilities.

However, the myths about Linux as a “self-assembled” system for especially “handy” programmers are no longer relevant: modern distribution kits make it possible not to resort to text commands at all, without which five years ago the life of a Linux user was simply unthinkable. Automatic configuration and updating via the Internet, a three-dimensional desktop - these are quite common occurrences for Linux users today.

The appearance of the first ready-made distribution kits dates back to 1992 - it was then that the famous MCC Interim Linux installation kit was created. Within three or four years, Linux fans had a dozen different distributions to choose from, the most famous of which were Red Hat, Mandrake (later Mandriva), Debian, Fedora Core and Slackware.

New distributions are still appearing - for example, in 2004, the Ubuntu distribution, created in South America, came into fashion. The standard for corporate Linux is still the SUSE distribution created fifteen years ago (by the way, this company even managed to enter into an alliance with Microsoft, and the price of their Linux version is practically no different from Windows). All these sets are localized, so that Russian users can immediately have a completely Russian-language environment at their disposal.

And in the fall of 2009, the “Linuxoids” got a new player with truly armor-piercing power into their team. Google introduced the new operating system, and ChromeOS was, of course, based on the Linux kernel. However, Google, as always, came up with something of its own: well, who now remembers that the Chrome browser was largely created on the developments of the same Firefox, now even a blind person cannot confuse these two browsers... Moreover, this development cannot yet be called a full-fledged OS : it is focused mainly on working with network applications, and it will be installed primarily on inexpensive netbooks.

If in terms of appearance, stability and convenience, Linux is at least not inferior to Windows, then in terms of the set of standard programs it surpasses it many times: even in the simplest distribution you will find HUNDREDS of additional programs, including the OpenOffice office suite, several shell options (GNOME and KDE ), graphic editor GIMP - and a huge number of other programs, games and utilities! In addition, you can run any Windows programs through a special Wine emulator.

When you buy a commercial Linux distribution for $50-60, you are not actually purchasing an operating system, but a complete set of programs you need (including commercial ones). Compare with the $400 Windows Vista, even the minimum set of programs for which can cost a couple of thousand dollars! It is not surprising that in 2002, the Microsoft Corporation officially recognized Linux as a competitor to Windows (until now, the corporation had promoted condescending disdain for “homemade”).

In Russia, a Linux epidemic is not expected yet - thanks to the “pirates”, the economic factor does not play as big a role as in “civilized” countries. Therefore, until three-dollar collections of programs for Windows are no longer available on our shelves, Microsoft still has a chance to retain such an important market for it. And, apparently, the corporation understands this very well - otherwise how can one explain the fact that they are still fighting piracy in our country surprisingly gently? Of course, as soon as the Russian authorities tighten the screws, a massive transition to Linux will be inevitable, despite all the inherent shortcomings of this system. But there are still shortcomings...

Even with convenient “shells” like KDE and GNOME, which make new versions of Linux (for example, Mandriva or Ubuntu) look even cooler than the fashionable Windows 7, a novice user will have to face many problems when setting up both the OS itself and programs for it . At one time, it was almost impossible to even play a regular MP3 file on Linux: support for “proprietary” formats was unacceptable to Open Source supporters. Today there are no problems with video and audio in Linux, but there are far fewer games for this operating system than for Windows. Let's not forget about application programs: finding a truly professional package for working with video, sound or 3D graphics for Linux is not so easy. The situation is easiest with photography: the excellent (and free) graphics editor GIMP has been created for Linux. However, it also falls short of being a truly professional product - and how many designers have you seen working in Linux?

Updated: 02/13/2018 14:02:33

Operating systems existing on the market have different purposes and show the best experience when used in certain areas.

Which operating system is better for a computer, laptop and for games?

There are several dozen operating systems on the market. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. But, nevertheless, they are not interchangeable. When choosing from among operating systems, it is worth focusing on the most popular:

This is the most popular and familiar operating system to most users. The classic window interface, the familiar Start menu and ease of use make it the most popular among “ordinary” PC owners.

Advantages

Familiar interface and usage scenarios;

Low requirements for computer technical characteristics;

Possibility of deep customization thanks to the support of the theme engine;

The widest compatibility with third-party software, such as drivers for “exotic” devices;

Flaws

Insufficient distribution of updates, including security updates;

Presence of security vulnerabilities;

The need for regular reinstallation due to a drop in performance due to “clutter” of the system;

An undeveloped update system (as a result, installing updates takes too much time and is not always completed successfully);

Lack of compatibility with the latest graphics technologies (such as DirectX 12) and hardware solutions (such as Intel Coffee Lake processors or USB 3.0 at the kernel level).

The Windows 10 operating system has a new update mechanic. Therefore, there is no separate “ten” - its different versions are simply presented. For example, as of early September 2017, the current version of Windows 10 is 1703 (Creators Update), and the Fall Creators Update will be released very soon. Global updates that update everything - both the interface and the core - are released approximately twice a year.

This operating system is the most modern. It supports all the necessary technologies for protection, interaction with the hardware platform and management. But with some restrictions.

Advantages

Regular security system updates, built-in antivirus and SmartScreen inter-program screen for maximum security;

Excellent cloud backup mechanism for data and applications via Microsoft, Outlook and OneDrive accounts.

Support for the most modern technologies for interacting with the hardware platform, including DirectX 12 for the latest games;

Distributing driver updates through Windows Update;

Flaws

Unusual interface for some users;

Updated sleep mode, which does not work well with older laptops.

The impossibility of detailed computer customization for most users (for example, disabling the built-in antivirus or update system is very difficult - this will have to be done through group policy and registry editors);

Availability of both Modern and desktop applications;

Built-in telemetry tools that not only collect information about the user, but also slow down the computer;

Thus, Windows 10 is a good solution for modern computers, games, working on the Internet and with the clouds.

By the way, there is an edition of Windows 10 LTSB, in which telemetry is disabled and some pre-installed Modern applications are removed. It has better performance. However, updates - both security and drivers, as well as global updates - come to it with a long delay.

Ubuntu and Kubuntu are the most popular alternative Linux-based operating systems. They share the same runtime, but differ in interface and pre-installed applications. However, thanks to the same “kernel”, you can always switch the GUI to the desired mode - by installing the GNOME package (for “moving” from Kubuntu to Ubuntu) or KDE (vice versa). But this is not recommended.

The operating systems Ubuntu and Kubuntu are a good solution for undemanding users.

Advantages

Absolutely free;

Great for programming and assembling mobile operating systems;

Undemanding to hardware;

Takes up minimal space on your hard drive;

Well protected (there are practically no viruses for them);

Updated regularly;

Flaws

Not suitable for running most Windows applications (except through emulators, but this leads to loss of functionality. Moreover, many programs simply do not work through emulators);

They have a non-standard interface and user interaction mechanics;

Requires a high level of computer literacy to install software;

For many devices there are simply no compatible drivers;

Not suitable for games;

The optimal solution would be to install such an operating system on the computer of parents or relatives who simply use the Internet and nothing more. Then protection against malware will be guaranteed.

Also, due to their free nature, such operating systems can be used by budget and commercial organizations without the need for separate licensing.

In addition, they are suitable for most users who are not demanding in terms of functionality or design.

macOS

The macOS operating system is a proprietary operating system (that is, copyrighted and closed to third-party development) produced by Apple for Mac computers and MacBook laptops. However, with sufficient IT literacy and suitable hardware, it can be installed on a regular PC.

Advantages

Unique user experience;

Maximum security;

Excellent synchronization system with the cloud and Apple mobile devices;

The presence of many exclusive programs useful for users;

Suitable for developing and signing iOS applications;

Excellent optimization;

Flaws

Closedness, which manifests itself in the complexity of installation on a PC;

Extremely limited number of games;

Unusual use cases;

Incompatibility with Windows applications;

You should only install macOS if you really need it. Well, or you just want to experiment and have a lot of free time. However, the easiest and best way to get a macOS computer is to buy a computer from Apple.

Elementary OS and other "light" Linux distributions

An important advantage of “lightweight” Linux distributions is the ability to install them on very old computers with technical characteristics unsuitable for Windows (low amount of RAM, weak processor, 20 GB hard drive, etc.). Also, since they are lightweight, they are suitable for use on laptops.

“Lite” Linux distributions - such as Elementary OS, Linux Mint, Lubuntu, Tiny Core, Colibri and several dozen other versions - have the same advantages and disadvantages as other Linux distributions (in this case, Ubuntu and Kubuntu). Therefore, there is no point in describing them. The only additional advantage of “light” distributions is the ability to run on very weak and old hardware: for example, with 128 MB of RAM.

The Remix OS operating system is a special version of Android for computers. Unlike Android x86, it supports multi-window mode and has a similar interface and user experience to Windows. Being originally a mobile operating system, Remix OS can also work on weak computers - with a not very powerful processor and 2 GB of RAM.

Advantages

All the advantages of the Android mobile operating system (excellent notification management system, the ability to install clients for social networks and web portals, Play Store support, rooting support, Xposed and Magisk);

Beautiful and intuitive interface.

Completely free;

Flaws

All the shortcomings of Android (low security, high resource consumption, lack of support for desktop applications);

Remix OS is an operating system for enthusiasts. It is not suitable for everyday use, but it offers an unusual user experience and advanced features.

Incomplete Russification and problems with input from a Russian keyboard.

Lack of drivers for many devices;

Summary

In fact, the Windows 10 operating system is ideal for the vast majority of users. Its interface is not too different from the “seven”, and thanks to constant updates it is well protected from winlockers and other dangerous viruses. The LTSB edition is most recommended for installation, since telemetry services and some “junk” Metro applications are removed from it.

If a free operating system is critical, then you should pay attention to easy-to-use Linux distributions - Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Linux Mint, Elementary OS, etc.

"Seven" is an outdated operating system, and it is suitable exclusively for those users who simply do not want to relearn the new one.

And the rest are intended for enthusiasts.

Before you move on to choosing an OS for a weak computer or laptop, you need to know the characteristics of your PC. Based on these characteristics, we will select a specific version of the system for installation. It is important to take this task seriously, because the speed of your device will depend on it.

Let's figure out which operating system is worth choosing and which Windows is better for weak laptops and PCs.

Difference between 32 and 64 bit systems

An important component when choosing is the processor. First, you need to find out what bit depth your processor supports (32 or 64). Just like 32 bits. The processor only works with 32 bits. systems, while 64 bit. processor, can work with 32 and 64 bit OS. You can find out this on the official website of your CPU manufacturer.

For example, on the Intel website, it is designated as follows:

If you need an OS for a weak netbook, it doesn't matter whether it is 32 or 64 bit. The only difference between them is that the first one does not see more than 3GB of RAM. That is, if your PC is equipped with 6GB of RAM, but you have a 32-bit system, then the device will use only 3GB of memory, while the rest will simply not work.

Therefore, if your PC is equipped with no more than 3GB of RAM, then the answer to the question of whether it is worth installing a 64-bit version of Windows is obvious. If you suddenly don’t know which Windows is currently installed on your laptop, you need to:

Windows Xp

Along with Vista, XP is one of the most versatile.

As for the minimum technical requirements, we have the following indicators:

• Pentium 300 MHZ.
• 1.5 GB of free hard drive space.
• 64 MB of RAM.
• Integrated video card and monitor with a minimum resolution of 800×600 pixels.

XP can be installed either from a disk or from a flash drive - it doesn't matter.

Before the release of Windows 7, XP was the best system for a long time. However, back in 2014, Microsoft decided to stop supporting this version and provide updates, which means today it is no longer relevant and is installed for only two reasons:

1. For old computers and laptops with weak characteristics.
2. If there are no drivers for certain hardware, programs, or applications.

The second option applies more to work PCs than to home PCs.

That is, Windows XP is a lightweight operating system that is perfect for simple devices. However, we can say with confidence that it is outdated (the last update was back in 2014) and is not particularly fast.

Windows 7

This version is also suitable for weak laptops.

And now you will understand this when we look at the minimum technical requirements:

• 1GHz processor.
• 1GB RAM.
• 16GB of hard drive space.
• Video card with DirectX9.

Nowadays, Windows 7 is considered one of the most famous and popular, despite its age, and it was released in 2009. Seven combines the best qualities of all other versions:

• Low system requirements.
• Stable operation without errors or failures.
• Quite high performance.
• Supports a large number of programs, applications and equipment.
• Optimized work on laptops.

That is, we can say with confidence that the seven is superior to XP in many respects, and at the same time it is not much more demanding and is perfect for an old laptop.

Windows 8 and 8.1

Minimum technical requirements:

• 1Ghz processor with support for NX, SSE2 and PAE.
• 16GB of free space on HDD.
• 1GB RAM.
• Video card with DirectX9.

Windows 8 is not superior, but also absolutely in no way inferior to Windows 7, and in principle is suitable for weak computers, but it is unlikely to be able to fully function on outdated models.

The only difference is that by default this version does not have the “Start” button familiar to users; instead, a tiled screen appears. I would also like to say that it works a little faster than its predecessor, which is especially noticeable when loading the PC after turning it on. That is, there is not much difference between them: the applications and equipment work the same, and they themselves are very similar.

Windows 10

Before we talk about whether Windows 10 is suitable for an old computer, let's look at its technical requirements:

• Processor – at least 1GHz.
• 1GB of RAM for 32-bit systems and 2GB for 64-bit systems.
• 16GB of free space for 32 bits. and 20GB for 64x, respectively.
• Video card with DirectX9.

Almost 5 years have passed since the release of the dozen (release date June 1, 2015). During this time, the OS has been updated hundreds of times, and if previously among dozens of users it was famous for its large number of flaws, today it can be called a fairly stable OS.

Therefore, if your PC meets the stated hardware requirements, then you can safely install Windows 10. But before that, I want to draw your attention to one important point, especially for users of weak computers:

In addition, Windows 10 and 8 differ only in a slightly modified graphical appearance, browser and the presence of some new functions. When choosing any version starting from 7 and higher, you need to be prepared for the fact that yours will consume 2-3 times more RAM (512MB-2GB) than on XP. Exactly how much RAM it will consume can be read in each antivirus. Therefore, be sure to take this factor into account.

So what OS should you install on a weak PC?

Having carefully examined the most popular operating systems today, we can come to the conclusion that the best operating system for a weak PC is Windows 7. It is significantly superior to Windows XP and is practically no different from Windows 8, except for being less demanding. That is, we can say that Windows 7 is a lightweight version of Windows 8 and 10, which is almost in no way inferior to them.

Some clarifications:

• An old computer means a machine manufactured before 2009-2010. With approximately the following hardware (1-2GB DDR 1, Intel Pentium 4 / Celeron and integrated graphics or video card with 128-256 MB memory). If you own such a PC, then the Windows 7 (optimized) operating system would be the ideal option for you.

In all other cases, you can give preference to the new ten.

But if you are chasing maximum performance, then you shouldn’t look further than seven.

These groups have been waging an almost equal struggle for market monopolization for a long time, and this struggle is expected for a long time - it is difficult to single out a favorite in it. Let's try to figure out which product is of the highest quality.

Windows

At the moment, there are three current versions of the OS of this corporation - 7, 8, 10. Windows XP has already gone out of fashion - now it is installed mainly on old computers. The newest version is Windows 10, but not the most popular version from the company. Windows 7 is firmly in the ranking of the most used systems: 52% of personal computers in the world are serviced by it.

Windows operating systems are optimized and work stable on most computers, with XP and 7 being the most preferred on older versions. Windows is not the most secure product, so if you use Windows OS, you need to take care of installing licensed security software.

Many users compare operating systems based on their interface. Windows is not inferior to its competitors - a large selection of themes for data visualization, window animation and translucency create a pleasant contrast. Newer versions of Windows have retained elements of the very first systems from this manufacturer, which attracts the user.

One of the key advantages is the ability to install programs to perform a wide variety of tasks. This applies to office programs and gaming applications, as well as other applied areas.

Linux

Here, manufacturers decided to release many versions that have a special purpose. Ubuntu is the most widely recognized Linux product. It has become popular with Linux because it is the most optimal for home use.

The Linux product is unique in that you can change everything in the system settings in such a way that the system will be completely rebuilt taking into account the PC parameters. This fact ensures the highest performance, and in this component Linux is the undisputed leader among OS manufacturers. Linux also has the advantage of high reliability and security, since distribution kits provide many mechanisms for restricting access to user information.

As for the appearance, it can be customized in any way. Linux has many variations for choosing an interface - from simple and strict to complex and colorful, with a large number of effects. One of the most important details for Linux is that in order to manage it effectively, the user must learn to work on the command line.

Many professional programming applications are written on the Linux kernel. But as for the choice of applications for performing applied tasks, everything here is not as rich as that of competitors.

MacOS

The “OS” itself occurred along with the appearance of the first products from Apple, and accordingly, it is used on these devices. Currently, the latest version of MacOS is version 10.

MacOS are oriented to a certain hardware standard, so their performance is the highest among all available operating systems. It is worth noting that the high performance of MacOS systems is a distinctive feature - all products from this manufacturer are characterized by very stable and productive operation. MacOS systems are very reliable, the total number of virus programs on this platform is not very large, and there is no need to worry about installing additional security software.

Most users believe that MacOS is the most convenient and attractive operating system, judging by the user interface. The manufacturer pays a lot of attention to this component, and it is not surprising that they are superior to their competitors in this component. Developers use a huge range of technologies that are aimed at harmonizing and improving the appearance of controls. Interestingly, the company regularly requires developers of third-party software to use a design style that is as similar as possible to the standard Mac application style, so that users work in the new program in the same way as in the familiar one.

DOS

There are few users left who remember these operating system developers. It must be remembered that they became innovators in the field of OS development, inventing the entire operation of the operating system. Yes, competitors have moved on, improving all the developments of DOS, but the developers of the first OS have now begun to come up with innovations for previous developments. Since the beginning of the 2000s, DOS has released a couple of OS emulators for PCs, but they were not recognized by users due to low performance and the lack of most of the necessary characteristics for modern OSs.

However, DOS remains necessary for many users. DOS software is the best option for those users who want to use old computers with new applications. To do this, the developers launched FreeDOS and DJGPP, which included several programs that are popular today - a file manager, text editor, web browser, email client, etc. In other words, DOS products are still suitable for running on older PCs.

Safety and reliability

In general, Windows, Linux and MacOS are competing for the title of the best OS group - DOS has already stopped competing with more modern developments. In terms of reliability and safety, the most optimal are Linux and Apple products. The best Linux distribution for this component is Ubuntu. Experts believe that systems with a Linux kernel are preferably used as a keeper of particularly important information, since the protection against unauthorized access to information stored in the system is very strong. By the way, users themselves need to be very careful when assigning passwords and long paths to their necessary files - otherwise they may lose them.

Unlike Linux and MacOS distributions, Windows clearly loses in reliability and security. The Windows product still remains with the title of the most unreliable operating system. Third-party security software is released regularly, but system protection is at the lowest level, and if you value the security of your information, you should not choose Windows as the OS for your PC. As for MacOS, security here is also at the highest level.

The most gaming system

As mentioned above, in terms of the number of programs in different directions, Windows leads, and in the gaming component this developer is the undoubted leader. Quite a lot of gaming applications are also produced for Linux, since these “operating systems” are also quite popular in the world, for example, everyone’s favorite Steam can be found here. But in the end, in the total volume of gaming applications, Windows will outperform both Linux and MacOS combined. The system itself has good enough characteristics for the smooth and error-free operation of gaming applications on any computer, but, however, this rarely happens.

If you look at Windows distributions, then users are very cautious about calling Windows 7 the most preferable for games, despite the fact that three new versions of the system have already been released! Of course, the “seven” is a proven system, and therefore it is given greater preference by users. But this won’t last long - within a year and a half the whole world will be talking about the fact that the eighth and tenth versions of Windows are much better than the seventh in terms of gaming.

The simplest OS

If we take into account all the operating systems available in the world and choose the simplest one, the absolute champion here will be DOS systems. But if we talk specifically about the three giants of OS release at the present time, then Windows will again be ahead of everyone in simplicity. Simplicity can be different - banality of development, ease of use, etc. We are more interested in which systems are more convenient for users to work with. And most of them believe that Windows is the simplest operating system, starting from its very first versions.

Indeed, Windows is the simplest system to use, but very complex to develop. MacOS ranks second in ease of use, as noted by experts. Linux is the most complex system, but once you get used to it, you will never go back to, for example, the Windows family.

For weak PCs

Of course, here you should give preference to DOS! However, DOS is quite difficult to find now, therefore, Linux distributions with a lightweight desktop environment (LXDE, OpenBox, MATE, Xfce) are most suitable for weak PCs.

The most optimal distribution for use on weak PCs from the Microsoft family will be Windows XP. In fact, this OS is quite good in that it has good performance and an attractive interface. It is quite simple and quite suitable so that even on a weak PC you can play your favorite classic games.

The downside is that XP is no longer supported by the manufacturer, and by installing this system, you risk picking up a lot of viruses and Trojans.

This means that if you actively use the Internet, without additional security software, your PC will not be able to work for a long time. So, think carefully about choosing an operating system before installing it on your weak PC.

Availability of software installation

Once again, Windows is the undisputed leader here! After all, the products from this developer were the very first to appear on the market, and therefore they are sold instantly. Nowadays, only the lazy do not develop programs and applications for Windows, which means that the software will always be available for these operating systems. But it is important to remember: due to the low degree of security of the Windows OS, you must be extremely careful when installing software on your computer. Of course, you need to use licensed software, and if you don’t have one, then know: you are taking a risk by installing unwanted programs on your PC with a low level of protection.

Which system to choose in the end?

Recently, system developers have done a great job of improving OS versions. Of course, MacOS will have a minimal market share and popularity, since it is a relatively new product. In terms of characteristics, it is not inferior to Windows and Linux. If this product continues to be in great demand, MacOS could soon become a sales leader.

Linux is an excellent system for office PCs and for computers that are used for programming and administration. They have high performance, are extremely safe and reliable to use, but they are too narrow-profile, so these “OSes” are not widely used.

Windows is the clear winner in almost all respects among its competitors, and the popularity of the product is understandable. For modern computers, Windows will be the optimal OS; everyone chooses the version themselves. It depends on the user which OS to install - if the computer is needed for work, it is better to install Linux, if for games - Windows. It is necessary to determine all the parameters that you want to receive more from the OS - and in this case you will be able to make the right and informed choice!

According to Roskomstat, Windows has 84% ​​popularity among Russian personal computer users. Linux is ahead of MacOS by 3% - 9% versus 6%. The situation will change if there are serious reasons for attractiveness among users, and system developers are continuously working in this area.