The choice a business owner makes in operating systems is integral, as their costs vary as enormously as their capabilities. An operating system is the behind-the-scenes warrior of your computer -- it's the host of the computer that sets the standards for all application programs and handles the details of the operation of the hardware. Here are the pros and cons of the top five operating systems.
Linux is a generic term for Unix-like operating systems that are based on the Linux kernel. Linux is a free and open source collaboration, and when it's modified, it can be redistributed to anyone. Its popularity as an OS has been growing because of the rise of netbooks -- which typically come loaded with Linux or Windows XP -- and the Ubuntu distribution of the operating system.
A lot of small and midsize companies cite "choice" as their reason for choosing Linux; because of its open source code, business owners can find a Linux distribution with the tools and applications they desire.
But if you're a Windows devotee and are a bit nervous about making the switch to Linux, you can always run both operating systems on one computer in what is called dual booting. You make the choice when booting up to run Linux or Windows. And because of the increasing popularity of virtualization, it's possible to run versions of Windows in "virtual machines" inside Linux -- you can even do the opposite and run versions of Linux inside Windows.
Search our database of 200,000 solution- provider locations by business activity, technology, vertical market, and customer size. Find a technology partner NOW.