Beautiful operating systems for PC. Fastest Windows: rating of operating systems. The most gaming system

04.05.2020

This is probably the best selection operating systems, the existence of which you might not even know, but all of them are worth taking note of, and maybe even using them. We hope that each of you will like this selection, as they can be used whether you are an office worker, a manager, a student, or just a home hobbyist. The axles are actually worth taking note of, as they are quite functional. We present to your attention a list of 7 operating systems, which you might not even have heard of. You can download operating systems by following the links. Check them out and share your opinion in the comments.

If you are familiar with any other “handicraft” distributions, please do not hide them, share them with other visitors!

Slax is a modern, small, portable operating system based on Linux, consisting of modules and very attractively designed. Despite this small size, the system offers you a wide selection of pre-installed programs for everyday use. In addition, it comes with a very beautiful interface and useful recovery tools for administrators.

openSUSE is for your personal computer, laptop or server system, but it is based on Linux. You can surf the Internet, manage photos and mail, do all the typical office work, play video files or music, etc. It includes a new version of GNOME, KDE, OpenOffice.org, Firefox, the Linux kernel and many other updates and fixes. In version 11.2 you will be able to use more than 1000 different free applications. openSUSE also includes a complete set software for the server.

ReactOS®- This free modern operating system, based on the design of Windows® XP/2003. It was written entirely from scratch and follows the Windows-NT® architecture, which was developed by Microsoft. This system is not based on Linux, and does not share any of the qualities of the unix architecture. In short, this OS was designed specifically as an example of a complete yet lightweight OS. The term “lite” at first glance may evoke an association with win95, with its simple design and a small handful of programs. This OS may have a lot in common with win95, but it puts it all in a new, modern light.

MonaOS- This free operating system. It is new, simple, and comes with open source and has an excellent structure. In principle, this axis can be used for the educational process in schools.

FreeDOS represents free operating system compatible with DOS (for IBM-PC compatible systems). FreeDOS consists of several different applications that work as a single whole system. FreeDOS is distributed under the terms of the GNU GPL license.

MINIX 3 is a new open source OS that was specifically designed to be a reliable, flexible, and secure OS. It is based on previous versions of MINIX, but is very different from them. MINIX 1 and 2 were more like learning tools, and MINIX 3 represents a new goal - to become a serious OS for low-performance computers.

Haiku is an open source operating system that this moment is under development. Haiku aims to be fast, simple, and easy to use, while still being a complete, powerful OS.

Windows:

Compatibility: almost any program either works or has analogues under Windows; drivers for any devices; a lot of games.

Support: Considering that most people use Windows, finding someone who can help with almost any task will not be difficult. Lots of materials online. Easy to install.

Functionality: if you are a fairly advanced Windows user, then you know that it has a lot, a lot useful functions(which very few people use).

Viruses: Most viruses target Windows. You will have to buy (or use a free) antivirus. Constantly update, monitor which one copes better or worse with the task.

Speed: "We have a swimming pool, a tennis court, a restaurant and a disco area on the plane. Now let's try to take off with all this crap." Windows eats up a lot of resources. It contains a lot of unnecessary things for the average user, and naturally the average user will not be able to figure out what is unnecessary and what is not.

Price: if you don’t have a broken one, and not a factory installation, you’ll have to exchange a hundred or two green friends.

Viruses: there are practically none.

Reliability: an operating system written for a specific set of hardware (computer configurations). Based on this, it functions as it should. Rarely breaks.

Design: don't be fooled, they often look better than PCs. :)

Price: earlier in this column I would have written that “look what you buy from the filling for the poppy seed, and what you can get for the PC for the same price,” but now everything has become more measured. Macs are still more expensive in terms of price-filling ratio, but not as much as before, and this is compensated by plus No. 2.

Physical computer: As mentioned earlier, Mac OS is designed for specific configurations, and therefore it is highly not recommended to install it on a non-Apple computer. This doesn't mean it won't work. It will work, but you'll have to tinker with the settings.

Compatibility: the number of programs written for Mac is much smaller than the number of programs for Windows. If there are ports (programs transferred from one system to another so that users can work with the same data and formats on both Windows and Mac) - then usually they have reduced functionality and work rather crookedly. There are very few games on Mac (if that's important to you). :)

It is quite difficult to give a definite answer here, since there are many Linux distributions and they are sometimes very different. In general terms:

Price: A lot of distributions are free. You can install and contribute to the development. Completely modify the system to suit your needs. Naturally, for this you need to understand what and why you are doing. A lot of free programs and applications.

Variety: as mentioned above, there are many versions. The fact is that Linux is only a kernel. To use it, you need a lot of additional software. There are in the order of several hundred different distributions. Considering that there are so many of them, you can be sure that there will be one that will meet all your needs. Perhaps the most popular are Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS and Mint.

Viruses: there are practically none.

Difficulty: Some distributions are quite easy to use, but in most cases you will need to really know the computer and the system itself well to use it effectively.

Compatibility: in short, see the same point on Mac. Here, however, everything is less clear, due to the fact that there is a lot of open source software where you can make your own changes. It takes a lot of time and effort. There are times when drivers for your devices do not exist, and you have to either write them yourself from scratch, or use something suitable for all types of this device. Naturally, the functionality of the devices suffers from this.

Of course, this is very short and a book would probably not be enough to compare everything.

Windows. Pros.
In the case of using powerful hardware, the speed of work increases nonlinearly. That additional functionality that slows down the system on “weak” machines on powerful ones increases significantly in performance

Linux. Pros.
Simple enough, unlike Windows and MacOS, that if you want to understand how your system functions “under the hood,” you can keep all aspects of the OS in your head.
Feels great at “weak” and “very weak” powers.

Which operating system to install

Some laptops are sold completely blank: there is no OS on them. Which one is better then? Now the light has not converged like a wedge.

At the moment there are essentially three types of OS:

Windows;
macOS;
Linux

And each of them has its own characteristics of use.

And their prices are also different. However, this is not the key factor.

Performance also depends on the hardware in your laptop.

However, you can always choose best option even for a not very powerful device.

The range is now more than wide.

Windows

The most common OS in the world is Windows.

Most games and applications are also released on it. However, there are misunderstandings with her too.

Every PC user has at least once had to reinstall the system due to various problems, system slowdowns, and so on.

So, we can say that Bill Gates’s development has become the most popular and the most problematic, oddly enough.

At the moment, Microsoft supports several versions of this OS - , (8.1) and .

The latter, by the way, is the most common in the world, even though the main support has been discontinued.

Let's figure it out in order, what is better to install on a 12 diagonal laptop, for example.

Helpful information:

If you are undecided which OS to choose, pay attention to the program . This is a convenient and simple tool that provides boot management for two or more operating systems. The utility is intended for users different platforms, starting with Windows OS and ending with Linux.

Windows 7

It was released back in 2009. So it is not surprising that by 2020 the company is going to completely stop supporting this product.

However, this OS will good choice for old or low-power computers.

System requirements

Architecture	32-bit	64-bit
CPU	1 GHz IA-32	1 GHz x86-64
RAM	1 GB	2 GB
Video card	with support for DirectX 9.0 and higher
Free hard disk space, GB	16	20

Thus, this option is quite suitable for your laptop. Programs will be easy to install.

For non-advanced users there should not be any major difficulties.

Everyone can understand the design. Moreover, the style Windows design Aero won't surprise anyone anymore.

Security is average, so don't neglect installing an antivirus.

However, this operating system should not be considered for the long term. Now you can find something better.

Windows 8 (8.1)

This version went on sale in 2012. Following it, two years later, 8.1 appeared as an update.

In the latter, some mechanisms were improved, conflicts were debugged and energy consumption was improved, which, in principle, is important for your laptop.

When Windows 8 was first introduced to users, many said it would be awkward to use on PCs and that it was designed for tablets and other touchscreens.

However, it turned out that you can easily work with a regular cursor.

The design was still a little unusual for 7 and XP users. However, this is one of the features of version 8.1.

In addition, an application store has appeared.

It is not particularly large, but you no longer have to search the Internet and download some programs. The process is optimized, so to speak.

However, this OS will be a little more demanding in terms of the internal components of your computer.

But you will get a slightly more functional product.

System requirements

- 1 GHz* or higher supporting PAE, NX and SSE2
- 1 GB (for 32-bit) or 2 GB (for 64-bit)

In fact, the number eight is already becoming a thing of the past.

Owners of this OS can easily upgrade to the new version, the tenth.

In fact, support for 8.1 itself will be discontinued in the next few years.

So, perhaps this option, although relevant, is not very practical in the long term.

Windows 10

This operating system is the latest in model range OS from Microsoft. The company has worked hard on it.

In addition, a way to popularize the system itself was specially thought out. This was done through free updates.

They were limited in time, but many users took advantage of this opportunity.

“Ten” appeared on the market in 2015. Among its advantages at the moment is constant and continuous support.

That is, developers are working to improve the stability and performance of the system.

By the way, you will not be able to refuse these updates. Not that you won't resist. You simply won't be given a choice - turning off updates in Windows 10 is tantamount to calling for rain.

In addition, installing an operating system on a laptop is not difficult.

It is no longer necessary to have a disk, as was the case with the seven. It is enough to download the system itself from the website, create installation media and install.

However, do not forget to buy a key (it can now be purchased separately). Well, or activate the OS using other methods.

Windows 10 has learned to work with high-resolution screens and also supports two desktops. That is, those who work with images and videos will like this OS.

And the OS is already more functional than its predecessors. This is evidenced by many factors, in particular, it is confirmed by special tests.

By the way, the company stated that the Ten will be the last in the line of this family.

However, this does not mean that nothing new will appear on the market.

It's just that this OS will be constantly modified. The support will not stop. This means there will always be plenty of updates.

When the system first came out, it was often called crude.

However, at the moment it is quite suitable for most modern PCs. So, it’s better to install the ten on a 12’ laptop, even despite the shortcomings.

Of course they exist. Like other Microsoft products, this version also tends to be buggy. Less than its predecessors, but still.

And some users complain about spying from the OS. There were even several lawsuits.

If you don't like Windows 10 collecting information about you, you can turn it off. You'll just have to rummage around in the settings.

System requirements

Processor - 1 GHz* or higher with PAE, NX and SSE2 support
RAM - 1 GB (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
Hard disk space - 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
Video adapter - Microsoft DirectX 9 with WDDM driver

That is, they are no different from previous versions. So, you don't have to upgrade your hardware to install the operating system on .

macOS

In addition, not all programs run on macOS.

Of course, there are now a lot of analogues and developers are creating special versions for this OS, but keep in mind that not everything will work. So avid gamers, perhaps we should stick to Windows.

In principle, macOS is very easy to use. Moreover, it works quite quickly and rarely crashes.

If you're worried about not having a MacBook, calm down.

You can install an operating system on a laptop. Yes, you will have to play around a little, but for a stable product you need to pay either in time or in the traditional way.

Some of the latest versions - macOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan.

Moreover, it already appeared in the first Siri support, assistant. In general, each updated version offers its own services to the user.

Unlike Windows updates often noticeable to ordinary users.

For example, macOS Sierra provides a better user experience Apple Watch and the iPay system.

This way you can see what new features have appeared.

Linux

Not many people have heard about Linux. In fact, there is no system under that name.

Everything works based on distributions. And don't be afraid of this word.

Installing this operating system on a laptop will not be difficult.

Just download the OS from the official website and create an installation one. On top of that, you won't need to break anything or buy keys.

This OS is completely free. True, during installation you will be asked to make a charitable contribution, but this is all absolutely at your request - there is no obligation here.

Yes, of course, Ubuntu is not the most widespread system in the world.

Games won’t really fit on it, so gamers can pass by.

But such a system is not pretentious; it can easily be installed on low-power computers.

The advantages of the system include the absence.

As with macOS, it is even more disadvantageous for attackers to target such a small audience as Ubuntu users.

This OS is very different in appearance from Windows. It is even closer to Apple's development in this regard.

It's easy to manage Ubuntu. What bothers users the most is the location of the “close” and “collapse” buttons. They are located by left side, and on Windows on the right. However, you can easily get used to this.

Ubuntu works quite stable. For work and leisure, this system is a very good option.

And if you take into account that you don’t have to pay for it and support is provided in any case, then the OS claims a good place in the review.

In addition, you can learn to program on this OS. Even beginners will sometimes have to open a terminal and write basic code to update “sudo apt-get update”.

And many research centers and companies use Linux-based systems.

The reason for this is accessibility, stability and low resource requirements.

Thus, Ubuntu and its other colleagues (Kubuntu, Debian, etc.) are a good alternative. Especially if you use your laptop mostly for work and Internet surfing.

However, this system also has enough alternative programs to those that only work on Windows.

And, besides, through special Wine software you can work with some applications with .exe resolution, you can even try installing your favorite games.

If you can’t figure it out, this OS has quite powerful user support.

Before you ask your question on the forum, make sure it hasn't already been answered.

It often happens that a problem like yours has been dealt with a long time ago.

So which is better to install?

As mentioned earlier, it all depends on the purpose of your computer.

Windows is the most common. It is also loved by gamers, designers and all other users who deal with various programs.

For connoisseurs, macOS is very suitable. It is stable, offers great functionality, has good performance and speed.

In addition, it synchronizes perfectly with all Apple products.

For advanced users or those who want to have a stable, simple system, essentially for nothing, Linux systems will be the best choice.

For everyday tasks this is an excellent offer. As well as for slightly outdated devices that cannot handle Windows 10.

Which operating system should I install?

Probably, practically all computer users have heard that, in addition to the well-known operating system for PC Windows also has other systems.

Let's look at the main pros and cons modern operating systems.

Windows XP

The Windows XP operating system has been operating on various devices for quite some time. Its release was made on October 25, 2001, and Last update This system occurred on April 21, 2008.

Pros:

one of the main advantages operating system for PC Windows XP is that it is very easy to use and for many of its users the interface of other operating systems may be incomprehensible and inconvenient;
available for this OS a large number of programs and games that will be difficult to run on other systems.

Minuses:

Windows XP requires more resources to operate than other systems, since it does not have such an abundance of settings;
In most cases, paid programs are released for this OS, so you will have to pay not only for the system, but also for the software. Of course, experienced users can find free alternatives necessary programs, but they can be much more difficult to work with.

Windows 7

Windows 7 is type of operating system, which is widely used at the moment. With its release, Microsoft Corporation solved many of the problems that arose with Windows XP, but new ones appeared in their place.

Pros:

the functions of the Windows 7 operating system allow it to produce high-quality visualization, which makes working with it easier;
When you connect a new device, you don’t have to look for a driver, the OS itself will find it on the Internet and install it.

Minuses:

because this system belongs to a number of Windows operating systems, it has the same disadvantages as XP, although this OS has significantly fewer of them.

Windows 8

The developers of Windows 8 OS are the transnational corporation Microsoft. The system was released on October 26, 2012.

Pros:

works much faster than its predecessors;
The Windows 8 operating system allows you to synchronize data between personal computers and a smartphone or tablet;
The OS has an attractive interface and is very convenient for tablet PCs.

Minuses:

Windows 8 has an interface that is not very mouse-friendly;
Almost all programs for it are paid.

*nix-like operating system was created by student Torvald Linus. It differs significantly from Windows and is used mainly for servers or by programmers in their work. Although there are many distributions for ordinary users, for example, Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 10.04

Let's consider the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version, since it has big differences from the previous ones - this is Ubuntu 10.04 lucid lynx OS. This system solves the main problem of Linux - connecting to the Internet. Unlike previous versions, you don’t need to configure anything, just install the Wicd program. IN modern operating systems It is very important for Linux to have the Internet, since updates are released almost weekly, and with its help you can Russify English-language software. Exit new version Ubuntu is carried out every six months.

Pros:

Ubuntu starts up twice as fast as Windows, and changing users is also very fast;
Installing drivers and programs is very easy using the Internet;
to download programs, you can go to the application manager and find it there;
interface customization is carried out down to the smallest detail, so you can completely customize the system for yourself;
The Ubuntu operating system does not require installation of an antivirus to operate, since it is completely virus-free;
video and audio codecs are installed as needed.

Minuses:

setting operating system functions Ubuntu for the first time turns out to be long and difficult. Of course, you can do without it, but you won’t be able to get all the pleasure from working with Ubuntu;
the system has a limited number portable programs. Therefore, if you want to use the same programs as Windows, you will most likely have to install a virtual machine;
Most programs are not in the application center, so you will have to manually search for them on the Internet;
There are not many games for Ubuntu OS.

Later, versions of Ubuntu 10.10 and 11.04 were released, but they are no different from this version, except for the alternative graphical shell.

The Mac OS operating system was created by the well-known Apple corporation. Its main difference from other operating systems is that it is not sold separately, but you can purchase this operating system for PC only possible with Apple computers and laptops.

Pros:

powerful built-in protection against virus programs;
convenient and pleasant interface. Operating system features Mac OS is designed to be easy to use;
Almost all programs that are created on Windows are also created on Mac.

Minuses:

it is only sold with an Apple computer and has a high price.

Conclusions:

After reviewing the described pros and cons, determine which operating system is better, very difficult. Of course, you could take a Mac, but due to its high pricing, not everyone can afford it. Although Ubuntu is considered acceptable for ordinary users, it is still Linux, which causes many problems for users in setting it up. If you have been using Windows for more than one year and do not want to say goodbye to your quiet life, then it is better to continue using it.

But still, if your budget allows you to buy a Mac, then it is better to do so, although you need to understand that, for example, such a popular accounting program as 1C will not work on it. And if you need to run it on your Mac, you will have to buy the Windows Polaris emulator program, and this again will have to be spent on both Polaris and the operating system Windows system. But with Mac OS you will get stability and better interaction with the hardware.

“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 native language of the of this computer machine codes. And this was natural, because the first computers were a “thing in itself”, incompatible with others smart cars. 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 management various devices included in 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 a single “warehouse” for all programs to store settings - 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, 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 better system It’s simply not invented for the home.

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. Having assessed the market prospects with a huge delay personal computers, "Blue Giant" IBM intended to take it over completely with 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 using the keyboard.

For example, today to run a text editing program Microsoft Word just click on the icon of this program on the Desktop 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 got tired of the black screen, single-tasking mode and text-based “Interface” - especially since Apple has long offered an alternative in the form of a graphical operating system Mac systems 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 was the choice 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 network mode), which were published 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 operating room Windows system NT, 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. A new secure file file was even developed for the new OS. NTFS system(NT File System), with which mainstream Windows versions could not work for the time being.

Both Windows variant 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-debugged, fast and not too resource-demanding: 1 GB is enough to make her happy random access memory! Therefore for laptops entry level 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: by getting rid of some not very necessary “decorations”, you will benefit greatly in productivity. 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. Webcams and modules usually go on strike wireless communication, 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 errors and holes: after the release of the package in 2009 Service fixes Pack 2 Vista has finally turned into something more or less decent. And yet there is no incentive to install it on computers today.

Windows 7

After instead of a pancake under named 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, there is support for multi-touch on-screen control, but widespread she never got it - 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, a full-fledged) home version, which includes additional functions of Windows Media Center (support for high-definition television - HDTV, recording of TV programs and DVD creation), 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 an encryption program hard drive(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 Windows installations will require a key, but it is 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 system requirements(REAL ones, 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 “little things” like convenient GUI, 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. How suddenly... Yes, yes, just suddenly, and without any apparent reason, both families of operating systems simultaneously began to look at each other's properties. The moment when the two giants, puffing and clumsily waddling, moved towards each other is not difficult to guess - 1993. It was in this year that Microsoft first decided to encroach on the “server” market by releasing the first Windows version NT, and yesterday's student Linus Torvalds created a home-based, 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” were born - these words are still inscribed on the banner of supporters “ 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 if you're pinning your hopes on her for something new, better world free “software” (although the freeness of Linux has long ago turned from reality into myth) or you smile 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.

“Operating room created by a student Linux system challenges the products of the mighty Microsoft corporation, and its popularity is growing year after 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 the creative ambitions of advanced Windows users did not at all encourage - to make any significant changes to its program code it was impossible. In addition, the stability of the operating system clearly left much to be desired.

There was, however, a second candidate - the operating room UNIX 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” (“ OS: 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 new system can 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 long box, having found something else to do, 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 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 in the Laboratory artificial intelligence Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT AI Lab). Stallman tried to oppose the transfer of the MIT computer park to commercial versions 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. Over the course of ten years, Linus, who became living legend, had the opportunity to earn 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 profitable 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 sculpt it yourself necessary drivers. 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. Yes and in local networks 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. A 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 than all the previous ones! The final sign of favor towards Linux on the part of the software industry was the decision of some large manufacturers games 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 your computer has become as easy as installing Windows: installation and configuration takes place completely automatic mode, 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 setup and update via the Internet, 3D Desktop - for Linux users This is quite common 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 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 Linux kernel. However, Google, as always, came up with something of its own: well, who remembers now that 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, it will be installed primarily on inexpensive netbooks.

If in part appearance, stability and convenience, Linux is at least not inferior to Windows, then in terms of set standard programs surpasses it many times over: even in the simplest distribution you will find HUNDREDS of additional programs, including the OpenOffice office suite, several shell options (GNOME and KDE), graphics 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.

Buying commercial Linux distribution for 50-60 dollars, you are not actually purchasing an operating system, but a complete set of programs you need (including commercial ones). Compare with $400 Windows Vista, even a minimal 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 we 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, thanks to which new Linux versions(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 much fewer games for this operating system than for Windows. Let's not forget about application programs: Find a truly professional package for working with video, audio or 3D graphics for Linux it's 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?