The PC OS debate, part 1

I know that Windows has a lot of holes but what happened to those that know computers wanting to help those that don’t? Why did it become a “My OS is better than your OS” situation? Instead of belittling peoples choices, and flooding them with too much information about what OS to choose, I think it would be better to show them what it takes to use one OS versus another.

Conversations used to be like this:

Geek: What OS do you use?
New user: I use Windows.
Geek: If you need any help, let me know.

Instead, it’s more like:

Geek: What OS do you use?
New user: I use Windows.
Geek: Ha ha, enjoy your viruses and spyware n00b.

The main arguments I see are Windows versus Linux/BSD with a little Mac OS X (non-PC OS) thrown in every now and then. I have used a Mac many times, including the latest Intel based Macs, and they are nice. The problem I have with Apple is the proprietary hardware. Why is it that I must buy the hardware from Apple to build a system (not upgrades, the box itself) to run OS X and that’s OK but it’s not OK to bundle Media Player with Windows? Plus, until recently, the cost of the hardware was out of line with the PC market. Even so, Apple makes a good machine with a strong following so it can’t be discounted.

Let’s look at three main areas many peope look at when choosing an OS: security, ease of use and compatiblity (hardware and software).

Security
Hands down, Linux and BSD win this category on default, out-of-the-box, installations. The thousands (millions?) of programmers that work on the kernel (heart of the OS) and software for these two operating systems do a great job of testing and locking down the system. Going with Linux or BSD is definitely a good choice if you want little worries about securing the OS. You will still need to keep the system updated but many Linux/BSD distributions have they’re own automatic update program (varies by distro).

Windows, on the other hand, needs some help. Microsoft doesn’t have a good track record of locking down their OS before it ships but that may be changing with Vista. Windows can be secured with a few steps: antivirus, firewall and updates.

To start securing Windows, the first thing to do is to install an antivirus program. There are some free antivirus programs to choose from that do an excellent job. I prefer AntiVir but there is also AVG and avast!. These programs will prevent malicious code (viruses, worms, etc.) from executing on your system. Only run one on your system because running two can cause errors.

The next step is to install a firewall. A good firewall will not only prevent external connections (Internet) to your computer, it will also prevent connections going out. The firewall built into Windows XP Service Pack 2 only prevents incoming connections so it is an OK firewall but not good enough. ZoneAlarm is a very good firewall that is free. ZoneAlarm will alert you to incoming and outgoing connections and give you the option of allowing these connections. Connections that you might want to allow are your browser (IE, Firefox, Opera, etc.) and antivirus/Windows updater. Like antivirus programs, only run one per system.

Lastly, to help secure Windows, you need to either enable Automatic Updates or check the Windows Update website at least every two weeks and download any critical patches. To enable Automatic Updates, right-click My Computer and go to Properties -> Automatic Updates tab and choose the type of schedule on which Automatic Updates should run.

As you can see, it takes extra steps to secure Windows versus Linus/BSD. Is it worth doing that just to have an operating system? That isn’t easy to answer because some say “Yes, because it’s fairly easy to do” and others say “No, because you shouldn’t have to do all that”. That’s why you have to take the other factors, ease of use and compatibility, into consideration.

Part 2 will talk about ease of use.

(Article 11, Day 13)

02.Apr.06 Articles, Operating Systems