There are many different operating systems that you can run on your personal computer (PC), but some people may not realize that.

Unfortunately, Windows has become so common that people have been blinded to the wide range of choices that they have-and often carrying a far cheaper price tag.

Though Microsoft Windows has the largest market share, there are also Apple computers, and the Linux and Unix operating systems.

Apple operating systems require an entirely different architecture on which to run, and so won’t run on a normal PC, so are not an option for users of normal PCs. A Linux operating system is a good alternative to Windows, and can be tried quickly and easily and with no commitment

The owner of a normal PC has several usable choices when in comes to running their computer. There are Unix based operating systems, Linux systems and there is the Google Chrome system. Unix tends to require a little more technical know-how, and Chrome is very basic, leaving Linux the big competitor.

Several of the bigger Linux systems (the versions being called distros) have live versions that do not require an installation. This means that you can download the system and run it, trying many of the features without having to commit to anything.

Your Windows installation will remain unchanged, and should you dislike the Linux distro, you can simply remove the disc that it is running on, and reboot into Windows once more. So how do these live distros work.

First you visit the site that offers the operating system-Ubuntu is a good place to start. You must then download the file, and then burn it onto a disc. Once you have the disc you reboot your system-normally a computer is set to boot from CD or DVD first. The disc will then load into memory.

At this point you may be asked whether to install the system or run it live-do not install, as you are only trying it out. The majority of systems will work right out of the box, but not all.

If you have a little technical know-how you may be able to go on and work out the kinks, but if not you may choose to abandon the process at this point.

Once your system is loaded, you will find that there are a number of programs at your disposal. You are likely to have a web browser, a word processing program called ‘Open Office’ and other utilities such as calculators, spread sheets and even an instant messenger.

A gamer is unlikely to get along with a Linux system as the drivers and other support available isn’t likely to be compatible with the majority of games, but for simple and online games there is no problem. Most online games now use flash, which is also available on Linux and again is likely to be installed automatically when the disc loads.

Loading Linux in this way will do nothing to your Windows system, allowing you to use it and test and and back out at any point. But in the meantime you can see just how fast, streamlined and easy to use Linux has become.

How to Try Linux Risk Free is a post from: Computer Spot

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The first Linux systems were completed in 1992 by combining system utilities and libraries from the GNU project which is another operating system we’ll address next.

Predominantly known for its use in servers, Linux is used as an operating system for a wider variety of computer hardware than any other operating system including desktop computers, super computers, mainframes, and embedded devices such as cell phones.

Linux is packaged for different uses in Linux distributions which contain the kernel along with a variety of other software packaged tailored to its intended use.

Linux alleges that people regard the system as suitable mostly for computer experts because mainstream computer magazine reports cannot explain what Linux is in a meaningful way as they lack real-life experience using it.

Furthermore, the frictional cost of switching operating systems and lack of support for certain hardware and application programs designed for Microsoft Windows have been two factors that have inhibited adoption.

However, as of early 2007, significant progress in hardware compatibility has been made, and it is becoming increasingly common for hardware to work “out of the box” with many Linux distributions.

Proponents and analysts attribute the relative success of Linux to its security, reliability, low cost, and freedom from vendor lock-in.

The primary difference between Linux and other contemporary operating systems is that the Linux kernel and other components are open source software.

That means that users have permission to study, change, and improve the software.  They can then redistribute it in modified or unmodified form.

This is usually done in a public and collaborative manner. Linux is not the only such operating system, although it is the most well-known and widely used one.

Some open source licenses are based on the principle of “copy left”, a kind of reciprocity:  any work derived from a copy left piece of software must also be copy left itself.

One of the advantages of open source is that it allows for rapid software bug detection and elimination which is important for correcting security exploits.

Another advantage of Linux as an operating system is inter-operability.  That means, it can run software from other companies such as Mac and Windows.

This makes it hugely advantageous to the open market as inter-operability in an operating system is rather uncommon as of late.

People have actually taken on the promotion of Linux in what might be considered almost a cult-like following.

In many cities and regions, local associations known as Linux Users Groups.  They seek to promote Linux and, by extension, the notion and reality of free software.

They actually hold meetings and provide free demonstrations, training, technical support, and operating system installation to new users.

There are also many Internet communities that seek to provide support to Linux users and developers.  Most distributions and open source projects have a chat room on the freenode IRC network.

These chat rooms are open to anyone with an IRC client.  Online forums are another means for support with notable examples being www.linuxquestions.org.

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The UNIX operating system was developed in the 60’s and 70’s by a group of AT & T employees at Bell Labs.  Unix is used by both servers and workstations and is the basis for a wide variety of other operating systems.

The operating system under UNIX consists of many of the utilities listed above along with the master control program which is called the “kernel”.

The kernel helps start and stop programs, handle the file system, take care of other common high level tasks that most programs share and schedule access to hardware to avoid conflicts if two programs try to access the same resource or device simultaneously.

Besides the main kernel, UNIX systems also had micro-kernels which tried to reverse the growing size of kernels and return to a system in which most tasks were completed by smaller utilities.

In an era where a “normal” computer consisted of a hard disk for storage and a data terminal for input and output, the UNIX file model worked quite well as most input/output was linear.  However, modern systems include networking and other new devices.

Describing a graphical user interface driven by mouse control in an “event driven” fashion didn’t work well under the old model.

Work on systems supporting these new devices in the 1980’s led to facilities for non-blocking input/output forms of inter-process communications other than just pipes, as well as moving functionality such as network protocols out of the kernel.

Just as with other operating systems, the programming was updated periodically to add other features and to streamline processes that the system would run.

Ironically, the importance of the UNIX system is quite far-reaching.  In fact, some experts call it the most important system you’ll never use.

UNIX is mostly used by Internet servers and database servers.

It is a very efficient multi-user, multi-tasking operating system traditionally used by large companies and educational institutions.

It is scalable from a small system right up to a mainframe-class system (all you need to do is add extra hardware), which makes it suitable for anyone looking for a low cost, reliable operating system.

For programmers it has a wonderful set of built-in utilities, a programmable shell (command/user interface) and a straight forward structure that makes it very easy to quickly produce quite complex programs.

For end users, UNIX has a friendly graphical interface (called X Windows) and many business applications and games.

As we said, UNIX is used as a basis for other operating systems.  One of those is Linux.

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As we all know, open source software’s source code is available to the general public for modification or use from its original design or structure free of charge.

One of the famous open source softwares is Linux operating systems.  But open source is not just about access to the source code.  It has free distribution and it does not restrict other software.

Have you ever wonder why you should use open source software?

This article sites the top reasons why you should use open source software.

• First, open source programs are RELIABLE.

Open source software’s source code availability to the public makes the program reliable.

Whenever there is a bug detected, developers or users tried to fix those bugs within a couple of hours, report it to the maintainers of the software and release an updated version.

Users may opt to choose to use the fixed version or the official version (including the fix releases).

• Second, open source software offers STABILITY to business.

Closed source software usually requires businesses to upgrade to the new versions of the software to support certain features needed.

This means cost for the business.  Using an open source software, businesses or users can have access to the source code.

That will allow the business to support itself to the old version where necessary and gives more options to the businesses or users.

• Lastly, since the source code is available for free, businesses, users or organizations are not limited to acquiring SUPPORT from the program authors or developers.

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Every computers have an operating system. What is an operating system ? An operating system – commonly referred to as an OS – is a set of computer programs that manage the hardware and software resources of a computer.

The OS processes electronic devices with a rational response to commands that are approved by the system.

At the foundation of all system software, an operating system performs basic tasks like controlling and allocating memory, prioritizing system requests, controlling input and output devices, facilitating the network, and managing files.

The OS can also provide a graphical user interface for higher functions. Essentially, the OS forms a platform for other system software as well as application software.

The operating system is the most important program that runs on a computer. Without an operating system, your computer would not work. It would not be able to process requests for print, simple calculations, or any other function. It is really the brain that runs the equipment.

For larger system, the OS has great responsibilities than with a PC. In larger systems, the operating system is kind of like a traffic cop.

It makes sure that different users and programs running at the same time on different systems don’t interfere with each other. It also acts as a security guard making sure that unauthorized users are not able to access the system.

There are four classifications of a computer operating system. They are:

• Multi-User: Allows two or more users to run programs at the same time. Some operating systems permit hundreds or even thousands of concurrent users
• Multi-Processing: Supports running a program or more than one CPU
• Multi-Tasking: Allows more than one program to run concurrently
• Multi-Threading: Allows different parts of a single program to run concurrently

Real Time: Responds to input instantly. General-purpose operating systems, such as DOS and UNIX, are not real-time.

Operating systems provide a software platform on top of which other programs, called application programs, can run. The application programs must be written to run on top of a particular operating system.

Your choice of operating system, therefore, determines to a great extent the applications you can run. For PCs, the most popular operating systems are DOS, OS/2, and Windows, but others are available, such as Linux.

In any device that has an operating system, there’s usually a way to make changes to how the device works.

This is far from a happy accident; one of the reasons operating systems are made out of portable code rather than permanent physical circuits is so that they can be changed or modified without having to scrap the whole device.

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