OS MCA 106 Blog

The first public beta for Windows 8 is expected to be released in February, but we've been testing pre-beta code in our lab. Our overall impression is that Windows 8 represents an aggressive effort by Microsoft to deliver a single OS that runs just about everywhere and takes on all of Microsoft's key rivals.




http://hakin9.org/windows-8-patch-process-to-introduce-smart-updates-and-messaging/

Guys sata and id(ata) are the types oh hdd. The question is type of hard disk not the types of hdd......

SATA and IDE are two connection types computers use to connect to devices such as hard drives and disc drives. SATA, being the newer technology of the two, performs better than IDE in most areas of comparison. However, computers often support both connections and there are advantages to having support for both.

Speed

SATA devices are faster than IDE devices.
The fastest IDE devices are able to transfer data at 133 Megabytes per second (Mbps) while SATA I, II and III are able to transfer data at 150 Mpbs, 300 Mbps, and 600 Mbps respectively. Additionally, SATA devices get an individual cable so they don't have to share bandwidth like IDE devices that are sharing a cable. However, the speed difference between SATA I and IDE is relatively small. Additionally, an optical disc drive or hard drive may not be fast enough to take advantage of SATA's higher speed and IDE may be sufficient for the device's use.

Jumpers

The jumpers are located on the left side of this device.
IDE devices have jumpers the computer uses to differentiate between multiple devices sharing a cable. The devices need to be configured as "slave" and "master" in order for both devices to work. SATA devices use their own cables so there is no need for jumpers with the technology.

Cable Size

IDE cables are substantially wider than SATA cables.
While IDE devices use a 40-pin connection, SATA devices use a seven-pin connection. The fewer number of pins makes the SATA cable significantly smaller. The SATA International Organization argues that the smaller SATA cable makes it easier to navigate the cable between connections and helps improve airflow in the computer.

Cable Count

IDE cables can connect two devices to the computer.
IDE devices require fewer cables than SATA devices because the IDE cables can connect to two devices.

Power Requirements

A Molex to SATA power converter looks like this.
SATA devices use less electricity than IDE devices. Additionally, certain adapters that change a Molex (the power connection for IDE devices) connection in to SATA power connection may connect to two SATA devices. Some SATA devices are compatible with Molex power.

Current Technology

This hard drive supports only SATA connections.
While a wide number of devices use IDE connections, as of June 2010, the commercial availability of such devices is diminishing. Additionally, the faster and larger modern hard drives are only available with SATA connections and Blu-ray drives are only available in SATA.

Legacy Support

A CD-Rom drive like this will not read data any faster with a SATA connection instead of an IDE connection.
While newer technology prefers SATA connections, IDE is compatible with older devices. An adapter is needed to connect an IDE device to a SATA connection. IDE can be useful to attach an old hard drive or disc drive to the computer. Additionally, using an IDE connection to connect a slower device can free up a SATA connection for use by another device



http://www.ehow.com/list_6648223_sata-vs_-ide_-advantages-disadvantages.html

SATA and IDE are two connection types computers use to connect to devices such as hard drives and disc drives. SATA, being the newer technology of the two, performs better than IDE in most areas of comparison. However, computers often support both connections and there are advantages to having support for both.

Speed

SATA devices are faster than IDE devices.
The fastest IDE devices are able to transfer data at 133 Megabytes per second (Mbps) while SATA I, II and III are able to transfer data at 150 Mpbs, 300 Mbps, and 600 Mbps respectively. Additionally, SATA devices get an individual cable so they don't have to share bandwidth like IDE devices that are sharing a cable. However, the speed difference between SATA I and IDE is relatively small. Additionally, an optical disc drive or hard drive may not be fast enough to take advantage of SATA's higher speed and IDE may be sufficient for the device's use.

Jumpers

The jumpers are located on the left side of this device.
IDE devices have jumpers the computer uses to differentiate between multiple devices sharing a cable. The devices need to be configured as "slave" and "master" in order for both devices to work. SATA devices use their own cables so there is no need for jumpers with the technology.

Cable Size

IDE cables are substantially wider than SATA cables.
While IDE devices use a 40-pin connection, SATA devices use a seven-pin connection. The fewer number of pins makes the SATA cable significantly smaller. The SATA International Organization argues that the smaller SATA cable makes it easier to navigate the cable between connections and helps improve airflow in the computer.

Cable Count

IDE cables can connect two devices to the computer.
IDE devices require fewer cables than SATA devices because the IDE cables can connect to two devices.

Power Requirements

A Molex to SATA power converter looks like this.
SATA devices use less electricity than IDE devices. Additionally, certain adapters that change a Molex (the power connection for IDE devices) connection in to SATA power connection may connect to two SATA devices. Some SATA devices are compatible with Molex power.

Current Technology

This hard drive supports only SATA connections.
While a wide number of devices use IDE connections, as of June 2010, the commercial availability of such devices is diminishing. Additionally, the faster and larger modern hard drives are only available with SATA connections and Blu-ray drives are only available in SATA.

Legacy Support

A CD-Rom drive like this will not read data any faster with a SATA connection instead of an IDE connection.
While newer technology prefers SATA connections, IDE is compatible with older devices. An adapter is needed to connect an IDE device to a SATA connection. IDE can be useful to attach an old hard drive or disc drive to the computer. Additionally, using an IDE connection to connect a slower device can free up a SATA connection for use by another device



http://www.ehow.com/list_6648223_sata-vs_-ide_-advantages-disadvantages.html

Integrated Drive Electronics Drive

IDE/PATA Drives have usually 40 pins.
IDE/PATA Drives offer 133 MB/sec transfer rate.
It sends 8 bit data at a time.
PATA Cables are used to connect PATA HDD. Two drives can be connected in a single pata cable. One as master and other as slave. The configuration of master and slave is done by different combination of jumpers in the hdd.

SATA (Serial Advance Technology Attachment Drive)

SATA Drives have usually 7 pins, 4 pins in pair of two for sending and receiving data and rest 3 pins are grounded.
SATA Drives offers generally 300MB/sec transfer rate.
It sends data bit by bit.
SATA Cables are used to connect SATA HDD. Only one drive can be connected in a single sata cable.


Read more: http://bishwajeet.blogspot.com/2009/09/different-types-of-hard-disk-drive.html#ixzz1jvaIe8D6
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

A patch is a program that makes changes to software installed on a computer. Software companies issue patches to fix bugs in their programs, address security problems, or add functionality.

Hotfixes are Microsoft's version of patches. Microsoft bundles hotfixes into service packs for easier installation.

Other companies have also adopted Microsoft's nomenclature of hotfixes and service packs for updates to their own software. Sometimes, a hotfix refers to a patch that can be applied without restarting the system. This is particularly useful when the system provides a critical service, such as a web server.

Source : http://kb.iu.edu/data/algb.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqHs6AE4G-U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RThvuhjDH0g&feature=related

Linux's Pros include:
1: It is a more stable OS
2: It is an open source OS so you can make changes to the OS
3: It is designed to be a very secure OS and because of the secure design the number of Viruses, Mal-ware, Spy-ware, etc, is extremely small and cracking attacks and system exploits are limited.
4: There are tons of free program designed to run under Linux most better than expensive Windows counterparts.
5: It has been designed from the beginning for multitasking.
6: It does not require a major hardware upgrade like Windows does every time MS sends out a new version.

Linux's Cons include:
1: It will not run programs designed for Windows (some will work under Windows emulators) so more retail software will not be available for a Linux system.
2: Even though it has a graphical user interface (you can choose from several actually), there still is a bit of a learning curve for the OS.
3: Linux is not the industry standard therefore if you run into problems, you probably will have trouble finding someone that can answer your questions. Also most businesses use Windows as their OS of choice.

Windows Pros include:
1: Windows is the industry standard so most retail software is designed to operate under this OS.
2: Windows is the OS of choice for almost all businesses, colleges, etc,
3: Windows has been the standard for years so the learning curve is smaller.

Windows Cons include:
1: Being the industry standard used by just about everyone makes you vulnerable to cracker attacks, system exploits, Viruses, Spy-ware, Mal-ware, etc, Virus makers, etc, are going to target the biggest group of people that they can with the handy work.
2: Windows is a proprietary OS so you can not make changes period.
3: MS is notorious for releasing new software as ready to ship that most other software companies would still consider Beta software (aka the software still has some bugs, but most have been worked out) which means Windows has a proven track record of not being a very stable OS.
4: Almost every release of Windows has required a major hardware upgrade on the part of the users to get the new version of Windows to work efficiently.
5: MS is also notorious for releasing there latest OS's without the support for current hardware and software already in place. This is biggest reason why Vista was declared a $6 Billion dollar failure.

The best distro of Linux for Internet browsing and Media looks like one of the Ubuntu flavors. The first link below is a wizard that helps you choose a Linux distro based on your needs and knowledge. The second link is a comparison list of Linux distro's available.
Source(s):
http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/index.â?¦
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_â?¦

There are three ways to install Windows XP: a clean install, an upgrade install and a repair install. Then, there is a "recovery" install, which is not an install in the true sense of the word but rather the restoration of a disk image backup.

A clean install refers to starting with nothing (either an entirely empty hard disk or just an empty partition or just unallocated space on the hard disk) and ending up with just Windows.
An upgrade install refers to starting with an older version of Windows and ending up with a newer version. Existing data files and applications should not be affected by the upgrade to the newer edition of Windows.
A repair install refers to installing the same version of Windows on top of itself. This is used to fix a broken copy of Windows and existing data files and applications are not affected.
A "recovery" is typically used to restore a computer to its factory fresh state. All data files are wiped out. All applications installed since the computer was new, are wiped out. All upgrades to Windows itself (patches, service packs) are lost. Applications pre-installed by the computer manufacturer are restored. Originally this was done from CDs, then DVDs. Now it is normally done from a hidden area of the hard disk.

1) Linux is a open-source OS.People can change code and add programs which will help to use your computer better. It's designed as a reaction on the monopoly position of windows. you can't change any thing in windows. you can't even see which processes do what and build your onw extension. Linux wants the programmers to extend and redesign it's OS time after time, so it beats Windows or at least is as good as windows, but whit open-source, so you can see what happens and you can edit the OS
2) All the flavors of Windows come from Microsoft, the various distributions of Linux come from different companies (i.e LIndows , Lycoris, Red Hat, SuSe, Mandrake, Knopping, Slackware).
3) Linux is customizable in a way that Windows is not. For example,NASlite is a version of Linux that runs off a single floppy disk and converts an old computer into a file server. This ultra small edition of Linux is capable of networking, file sharing and being a web server
4) Linux has a reputation for fewer bugs than Windows
5) Windows must boot from a primary partition. Linux can boot from either a primary partition or a logical partition inside an extended partition. Windows must boot from the first hard disk. Linux can boot from any hard disk in the computer.
6) Windows uses a hidden file for its swap file. Typically this file resides in the same partition as the OS (advanced users can opt to put the file in another partition). Linux uses a dedicated partition for its swap file (advanced users can opt to implement the swap file as a file in the same partition as the OS)

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_differences_between_Windows_and_Linux#ixzz1jXIDdKpY
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_differences_between_Windows_and_Linux#ixzz1jXI1OxKY

1.Full access vs. no access
2.Licensing freedom vs. licensing restrictions
3. Online peer support vs. paid help-desk support
4. Full vs. partial hardware support
5.Command line vs. no command line
6.Centralized vs. noncentralized application installation
7.Flexibility vs. rigidity
8. Automated vs. nonautomated removable media

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-fundamental-differences-between-linux-and-windows/406

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000575.htm

http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/33089.html

WINDOWS xp vs LINUX
For years, Microsoftâ??s Windows operating system (OS) has ruled the personal computer market. Several other OSs have always been available, such as Appleâ??s OS, the Unix OS, and Linux. Linux itself is a mix of many different versions, or distributions (distros), based on essentially the same core.
As of 2009, Windows held 90% of the market, with Appleâ??s OS X at 9%, and all distros of Linux combined at 1% of the market. The most popular version of Linux, Ubuntu, is about 30% of the Linux corner of the market.
For a long time, Linux users have steadfastly held to their operating system, and declared it better than Microsoft Windows XP. They claim that the Linux OS is more stable, faster, free, and secure. Windows has hardly bothered to answer the claims itself, but Windows users have declared that XP is faster and more stable than Linux.
To decide which OS is better, we have to choose what aspects of the OS we are looking at. The common ground of argument usually centers on security, speed, and stability. Other factors to look at are compatibility and user-friendliness.


1. Security
The longest-held and best argument of lInux users is that Linux is more secure than Windows XP (and all versions of Windows for that matter). This argument stems from the fact that viruses commonly affect Windows computers, and Linux has very few itself. In fact, virus protection programs are very rare for Linux computers, while they are a must with windows computers. In my opinion, this is a valid claim by Linux users, and a point in their favor.
Besides the fact that few viruses are written for Linux, there are still points of the OS that guard against them. For instance, the Linux user is never automatically logged on as â??rootâ?? or administrator. They have to enter their password to make any dangerous changes to their computers. On Windows, the default user is always the Administrator, which plays nicely into the hands of viruses that can edit the system files without the userâ??s permission.
There is also a permissions system on Linux that does not allow a program to run unless it has been specially allowed by the user. This is to guard against intructions by files that run like a .exe file, which is a file type on Windows that can harbor many dangerous viruses.
2. Speed->The latest version of Ubuntu, 10.04, claims to have faster startup and shutdown times than Windows. I've experienced this myself, although it seems to vary depending on the computer. Its users also claim that it is faster than windows as far as running programs is concerned. With a little bit of web research, it turns out that Linux is faster than Windows, although it uses more resources at system startup than Windows XP. The reason cited for the Linux OS being faster is that Linux uses memory more efficiently, making the most out of every MB you give it.
3. Stability
This argument can often go both ways. Windows XP has been around for a long time now, and many of the bugs have been worked out. The most common cause for a Windows crash is a driver issue, and you will most likely find an update on the internet for that particular driver. Linux is a different situation. With Linux, the core is solid, although what you do to the OS can have much worse affects than what you might get with a windows crash. For both systems, many bugs are found after an immediate release, and updates should be applied to both regularly. In Linux, there may be more bugs initially, but the source code, or plans, for the OS are open, so anyone can read them. That way, if there is a bug in Linux, it will probably be found quicker than a bug in Windows, because Windows does not release its source code, and they have to find the bugs themselves.
In the end, if you are not experienced with computers, XP will be more stable. Linux may be stable for basic services, but if you donâ??t know what you are doing, you can easily mess things up, as Linux isnâ??t as experienced at keeping you out of trouble as Windows is. However, if you know what you are doing, you may find that Linux is more stable for you.
4. Compatibility
As far as using programs that you are used to using on Windows, the vast majority will not work on Linux. Some of the more popular ones can be run through a program called WINE, that was made to do just that: run Windows programs. Right now, since Windows has 90% of the market cornered, you will have a hard time finding something that does not work on Windows, but many things will not work on Linux. The positive side of this is that most programs that do run on Linux are free, and easily downloadable through their â??repositories,â?? or websites stocked with free programs. Also, many of these free programs are clones of popular Windows programs, although most people will agree that they arenâ??t as good. For instance, GIMP is a clone of Adobe Photoshop, and OpenOffice is a free office suite. These programs will almost always support Windows formats, while Windows Programs rarely support theirs.
5. User Friendliness
There is no doubt that most people today are much more used to Windows than Linux. However, if you compare the two OSs side by side, the usability is similar. There are different processes to run, different places to go, and different settings to adjust, but overall the Linux system is comparable to the Windows system as far as the basics are concerned. When it comes to the more complex settings, Linux often runs into compiling code and using the command line function, which, although used in Windows, is much less common.
Overall, Linux is faster and more secure, but Windows has a little more polish to it and is much more compatible in todayâ??s world. If you are experienced, Linux is the OS that will let you customize to your heartâ??s content, but if you are new to computers and plan on doing a good number of things, you should stick to Windows. However, Linux will give any user the same experience as Windows when it comes to the basic internet, email, and word processing programs.

Security :-

Linux is more secure than Windows XP. This argument stems from the fact that viruses commonly affect Windows computers, and Linux has very few itself. In fact, virus protection programs are very rare for Linux computers, while they are a must with windows computers.

Windows provide mechanisms such as FIREWALLS, PASSWORDS to secure the data from unauthorized users.


Speed:-

Linux claims to have faster startup and shutdown times than Windows.

Windows take time during startup and sometimes asks for â??FORCE CLOSEâ?? during shutdown.


Stability:-

With Linux, the core is solid, although what you do to the OS can have much worse affects than what you might get with a windows crash.

Windows XP has been around for a long time now, and many of the bugs have been worked out. O, we can say that Windows is more stable. The most common cause for a Windows crash is a driver issue, and you will most likely find an update on the Internet for that particular driver.


Compatibility:-

Most of the programs in market would be available for Windows not Linux. But the positive side of this is that most programs that do run on Linux are free, and easily down-loadable.

As far as using programs that you are used to using on Windows, the vast majority will not work on Linux. Since Windows has 90% of the market cornered, you will have a hard time finding something that does not work on Windows,

Anyone who has pondered the idea of migrating from Windows to Linux knows there are differences between the two operating systems. But just what are those differences? Many people considering this migration might be more apt to make the jump if they know just what the differences are. So I thought it would be a good idea, in the spirit of helping users make the leap, to outline some of the fundamental differences between Linux and Windows.

Cost:-

In the current state of the economy, cost is a factor that will drive more and more people away from costly solutions to free solutions. That is one area that Linux can not be denied. It is free. Linux has been free since its inception. Why is it free? Because it is created by a vast community of developers who do not work for a single company. Linux is not a company. Red Hat is a company and they package a distribution of Linux that has a pricetag, but they are not Linux.
The vast majority of the software created for Linux is also free. But does this lack of price tag make Linux (and other open source software) of any less quality? No. In some cases open source software is better than its proprietary counterpart. Back in the late â??90s I did a cost comparison of a full Linux installation (at the time it was Red Hat) vs WIndows. To get a Windows-based system running with equivalent software that came with the Red Hat installation would cost the user over $4,000 USD.

Freedom:-

I am not talking about freedom as it is applied to the open source metaphor. I am talking about freedom from how a single company thinks your computer should work. With Windows you are locked in to how Microsoft feels the operating system should work. Microsoft thinks a taskbar, a start menu, icons, and a system tray create the best desktop. For some that may be. But for many users it is not the best choice. Myself? I prefer a minimalist desktop without the standard desktop pieces. If I were using Microsoft I would be out of luck (unless I employ a third party, proprietary solution). With Linux I can make my computer do and act exactly how I want. I am only limited to my imagination and my time.
File system Hierarchy
First and foremost Linux uses a single hierarchical directory system. Everything in Linux begins in the root directory which is the â??/â?? and drives will be labeled /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, etc. Windows, on the other hand, uses a multiple hierarchical directory system that depends upon the amount of drives in the system. When Windows boots, each drive will be assigned a letter which serves as a root. So in a Windows system that contains three drives there will be three roots (such as A:, E:, and F:). In a Linux system only one drive will hold the root directory. If other drives are mounted on that same system they will be mounted in /media/. But even if you have multiple drives on a Linux system, you will only have one root directory. The differences certainly do not end there, but for the sake of length, I will move on.
Hardware Support
This is where things can get a little tricky. Because Microsoft is so embedded in the retail market, most hardware is created with Windows in mind. Because of this it is possible to get, with the right drivers, most hardware to work with Windows. With Linux hardware support is dependent upon the developers being able to either hack together a workable solution or get the hardware maker to work with them and hand over the specs. There are only a few instances where hardware simply wonâ??t work with Linux. In these cases it is a matter of hardware vendors not releasing specs. But in general you will find out of the box Linux support to be pretty fantastic.
In my case I find modern Linux distributions to be better at detecting hardware than Windows. But if you are one of the unlucky few that has hardware created by a less-than-cooperative vendor, you might have trouble. Google your hardware for Linux support in case you are unsure.

Security:-

This is another area that will be hotly debated until the end of the operating system as we know it. Whether driven by market share, hatred, or vulnerability Windows simply has far more weaknesses than Linux. One of the primary differences is the root access metaphor. In order to do any serious damage to the Linux system one has to have access to the root user, which means the root password. Without that password, youâ??re not getting very far. This does not mean there are not exploits to, say, Sendmail or Apache or MySQL. Another major difference is when a vulnerability or a bug is found the development community of the affected software is typically very fast at plugging the hole. Microsoft has a proven track record of taking far too long to patch similar holes.
Also, some more differences are as follows:-

Licensing freedom vs. licensing restrictions:-

Along with access comes the difference between the licenses. Iâ??m sure that every IT professional could go on and on about licensing of PC software. But letâ??s just look at the key aspect of the licenses (without getting into legalese). With a Linux GPL-licensed operating system, you are free to modify that software and use and even republish or sell it (so long as you make the code available). Also, with the GPL, you can download a single copy of a Linux distribution (or application) and install it on as many machines as you like. With the Microsoft license, you can do none of the above. You are bound to the number of licenses you purchase, so if you purchase 10 licenses, you can legally install that operating system (or application) on only 10 machines.

Online peer support vs. paid help-desk support:-

This is one issue where most companies turn their backs on Linux. But itâ??s really not necessary. With Linux, you have the support of a huge community via forums, online search, and plenty of dedicated Web sites. And of course, if you feel the need, you can purchase support contracts from some of the bigger Linux companies (Red Hat and Novell for instance).
However, when you use the peer support inherent in Linux, you do fall prey to time. You could have an issue with something, send out e-mail to a mailing list or post on a forum, and within 10 minutes be flooded with suggestions. Or these suggestions could take hours of days to come in. It seems all up to chance sometimes. Still, generally speaking, most problems with Linux have been encountered and documented. So chances are good youâ??ll find your solution fairly quickly.
On the other side of the coin is support for Windows. Yes, you can go the same route with Microsoft and depend upon your peers for solutions. There are just as many help sites/lists/forums for Windows as there are for Linux. And you can purchase support from Microsoft itself. Most corporate higher-ups easily fall victim to the safety net that having a support contract brings. But most higher-ups havenâ??t had to depend up on said support contract. Of the various people I know who have used either a Linux paid support contract or a Microsoft paid support contract, I canâ??t say one was more pleased than the other. This of course begs the question â??Why do so many say that Microsoft support is superior to Linux paid support?
â??
Full vs. partial hardware support:-

One issue that is slowly becoming nonexistent is hardware support. Years ago, if you wanted to install Linux on a machine you had to make sure you hand-picked each piece of hardware or your installation would not work 100 percent. I can remember, back in 1997-ish, trying to figure out why I couldnâ??t get Caldera Linux or Red Hat Linux to see my modem. After much looking around, I found I was the proud owner of a Winmodem. So I had to go out and purchase a US Robotics external modem because that was the one modem I knew would work. This is not so much the case now. You can grab a PC (or laptop) and most likely get one or more Linux distributions to install and work nearly 100 percent. But there are still some exceptions. For instance, hibernate/suspend remains a problem with many laptops, although it has come a long way.
With Windows, you know that most every piece of hardware will work with the operating system. Of course, there are times (and I have experienced this over and over) when you will wind up spending much of the day searching for the correct drivers for that piece of hardware you no longer have the install disk for. But you can go out and buy that 10-cent Ethernet card and know itâ??ll work on your machine (so long as you have, or can find, the drivers). You also can rest assured that when you purchase that insanely powerful graphics card, you will probably be able to take full advantage of its power.

Command line vs. no command line:-

No matter how far the Linux operating system has come and how amazing the desktop environment becomes, the command line will always be an invaluable tool for administration purposes. Nothing will ever replace my favorite text-based editor, ssh, and any given command-line tool. I canâ??t imagine administering a Linux machine without the command line. But for the end user â?? not so much. You could use a Linux machine for years and never touch the command line. Same with Windows. You can still use the command line with Windows, but not nearly to the extent as with Linux. And Microsoft tends to obfuscate the command prompt from users. Without going to Run and entering cmd (or command, or whichever it is these days), the user wonâ??t even know the command-line tool exists. And if a user does get the Windows command line up and running, how useful is it really?

Centralized vs. noncentralized application installation:-

The heading for this point might have thrown you for a loop. But letâ??s think about this for a second. With Linux you have (with nearly every distribution) a centralized location where you can search for, add, or remove software. Iâ??m talking about package management systems, such as Synaptic. With Synaptic, you can open up one tool, search for an application (or group of applications), and install that application without having to do any Web searching (or purchasing).
Windows has nothing like this. With Windows, you must know where to find the software you want to install, download the software (or put the CD into your machine), and run setup.exe or install.exe with a simple double-click. For many years, it was thought that installing applications on Windows was far easier than on Linux. And for many years, that thought was right on target. Not so much now. Installation under Linux is simple, painless, and centralized.

Flexibility vs. rigidity:-

I always compare Linux (especially the desktop) and Windows to a room where the floor and ceiling are either movable or not. With Linux, you have a room where the floor and ceiling can be raised or lowered, at will, as high or low as you want to make them. With Windows, that floor and ceiling are immovable. You canâ??t go further than Microsoft has deemed it necessary to go.
Take, for instance, the desktop. Unless you are willing to pay for and install a third-party application that can alter the desktop appearance, with Windows you are stuck with what Microsoft has declared is the ideal desktop for you. With Linux, you can pretty much make your desktop look and feel exactly how you want/need. You can have as much or as little on your desktop as you want. From simple flat Fluxbox to a full-blown 3D Compiz experience, the Linux desktop is as flexible an environment as there is on a computer.


LINUX HOSTING:-
Linux is an open source system and is therefore more cost-effective to operate and maintain than Windows, meaning that Linux hosting will cost you less than Windows hosting. Linux also has a reputation for stability and speed which means that Linux web servers will crash less often than Windows web servers and Linux runs most processes faster than Windows.

Linux supports a wide range of software, applications, languages, and databases such as PHP, Perl, PostGre, MySQL, PostgreSQL and many others making it very scalable. On the downside, Linux is not fully compatible with some Microsoft technologies so if you are using Access, ASP, MS SQL, or VB development tools then Windows would be a better bet.


WINDOWS HOSTING:-

The main "advantage" or distinction of Windows servers is that they can run Microsoft software such as Access and MS SQL databases. Windows servers also offer web developers the use of Microsoft's programming environments such as Active Server Pages (ASP), Visual Basic Scripts, MS Index Server.
Users can develop web site using the familiar interface of Microsoft tools such as, Visual Interdev, and Microsoft Access. With ASP users can develop a database-driven web site using Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL as the database

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-fundamental-differences-between-linux-and-windows/406

For years, Microsoft�??s Windows operating system (OS) has ruled the personal computer market. Several other OSs have always been available, such as Apple�??s OS, the Unix OS, and Linux. Linux itself is a mix of many different versions, or distributions (distros), based on essentially the same core.

As of 2009, Windows held 90% of the market, with Apple�??s OS X at 9%, and all distros of Linux combined at 1% of the market. The most popular version of Linux, Ubuntu, is about 30% of the Linux corner of the market.

For a long time, Linux users have steadfastly held to their operating system, and declared it better than Microsoft Windows XP. They claim that the Linux OS is more stable, faster, free, and secure. Windows has hardly bothered to answer the claims itself, but Windows users have declared that XP is faster and more stable than Linux.

To decide which OS is better, we have to choose what aspects of the OS we are looking at. The common ground of argument usually centers on security, speed, and stability. Other factors to look at are compatibility and user-friendliness.



1. Security

The longest-held and best argument of lInux users is that Linux is more secure than Windows XP (and all versions of Windows for that matter). This argument stems from the fact that viruses commonly affect Windows computers, and Linux has very few itself. In fact, virus protection programs are very rare for Linux computers, while they are a must with windows computers. In my opinion, this is a valid claim by Linux users, and a point in their favor.

Besides the fact that few viruses are written for Linux, there are still points of the OS that guard against them. For instance, the Linux user is never automatically logged on as �??root�?? or administrator. They have to enter their password to make any dangerous changes to their computers. On Windows, the default user is always the Administrator, which plays nicely into the hands of viruses that can edit the system files without the user�??s permission.

There is also a permissions system on Linux that does not allow a program to run unless it has been specially allowed by the user. This is to guard against intrustions by files that run like a .exe file, which is a file type on Windows that can harbor many dangerous viruses.

2. Speed

The latest version of Ubuntu, 10.04, claims to have faster startup and shutdown times than Windows. I've experienced this myself, although it seems to vary depending on the computer. Its users also claim that it is faster than windows as far as running programs is concerned. With a little bit of web research, it turns out that Linux is faster than Windows, although it uses more resources at system startup than Windows XP. The reason cited for the Linux OS being faster is that Linux uses memory more efficiently, making the most out of every MB you give it.

3. Stability

This argument can often go both ways. Windows XP has been around for a long time now, and many of the bugs have been worked out. The most common cause for a Windows crash is a driver issue, and you will most likely find an update on the internet for that particular driver. Linux is a different situation. With Linux, the core is solid, although what you do to the OS can have much worse affects than what you might get with a windows crash. For both systems, many bugs are found after an immediate release, and updates should be applied to both regularly. In Linux, there may be more bugs initially, but the source code, or plans, for the OS are open, so anyone can read them. That way, if there is a bug in Linux, it will probably be found quicker than a bug in Windows, because Windows does not release its source code, and they have to find the bugs themselves.

In the end, if you are not experienced with computers, XP will be more stable. Linux may be stable for basic services, but if you don�??t know what you are doing, you can easily mess things up, as Linux isn�??t as experienced at keeping you out of trouble as Windows is. However, if you know what you are doing, you may find that Linux is more stable for you.

4. Compatibility

As far as using programs that you are used to using on Windows, the vast majority will not work on Linux. Some of the more popular ones can be run through a program called WINE, that was made to do just that: run Windows programs. Right now, since Windows has 90% of the market cornered, you will have a hard time finding something that does not work on Windows, but many things will not work on Linux. The positive side of this is that most programs that do run on Linux are free, and easily downloadable through their �??repositories,�?? or websites stocked with free programs. Also, many of these free programs are clones of popular Windows programs, although most people will agree that they aren�??t as good. For instance, GIMP is a clone of Adobe Photoshop, and OpenOffice is a free office suite. These programs will almost always support Windows formats, while Windows Programs rarely support theirs.

5. User Friendliness

There is no doubt that most people today are much more used to Windows than Linux. However, if you compare the two OSs side by side, the usability is similar. There are different processes to run, different places to go, and different settings to adjust, but overall the Linux system is comparable to the Windows system as far as the basics are concerned. When it comes to the more complex settings, Linux often runs into compiling code and using the command line function, which, although used in Windows, is much less common.

Overall, Linux is faster and more secure, but Windows has a little more polish to it and is much more compatible in today�??s world. If you are experienced, Linux is the OS that will let you customize to your heart�??s content, but if you are new to computers and plan on doing a good number of things, you should stick to Windows. However, Linux will give any user the same experience as Windows when it comes to the basic internet, email, and word processing programs.

http://comp3820.hubpages.com/hub/Windows-XP-vs-Ubuntu-904

1) USER--
Windows XP was primarly created for end users usage. Therefore, it was build with extensive support for gaming, graphic and sound. Also, friendliness as also a big concern in windows.

LINUX was primarly created to serve. Used for servers such as web, telnet, fileserver and irc. Therefore, it was built with extensive stability and network support.

2) SECURITY--

The longest-held and best argument of Linux users is that Linux is more secure than Windows XP (and all versions of Windows for that matter). This argument stems from the fact that viruses commonly affect Windows computers, and Linux has very few itself. In fact, virus protection programs are very rare for Linux computers, while they are a must with windows computers. In my opinion, this is a valid claim by Linux users, and a point in their favor.

Besides the fact that few viruses are written for Linux, there are still points of the OS that guard against them. For instance, the Linux user is never automatically logged on as â??rootâ?? or administrator. They have to enter their password to make any dangerous changes to their computers. On Windows, the default user is always the Administrator, which plays nicely into the hands of viruses that can edit the system files without the userâ??s permission.

There is also a permissions system on Linux that does not allow a program to run unless it has been specially allowed by the user. This is to guard against intrustions by files that run like a .exe file, which is a file type on Windows that can harbor many dangerous viruses.

3) Speed

The latest version of Ubuntu, 10.04, claims to have faster startup and shutdown times than Windows. I've experienced this myself, although it seems to vary depending on the computer. Its users also claim that it is faster than windows as far as running programs is concerned. With a little bit of web research, it turns out that Linux is faster than Windows, although it uses more resources at system startup than Windows XP. The reason cited for the Linux OS being faster is that Linux uses memory more efficiently, making the most out of every MB you give it.

4) Stability

This argument can often go both ways. Windows XP has been around for a long time now, and many of the bugs have been worked out. The most common cause for a Windows crash is a driver issue, and you will most likely find an update on the internet for that particular driver. Linux is a different situation. With Linux, the core is solid, although what you do to the OS can have much worse affects than what you might get with a windows crash. For both systems, many bugs are found after an immediate release, and updates should be applied to both regularly. In Linux, there may be more bugs initially, but the source code, or plans, for the OS are open, so anyone can read them. That way, if there is a bug in Linux, it will probably be found quicker than a bug in Windows, because Windows does not release its source code, and they have to find the bugs themselves.

In the end, if you are not experienced with computers, XP will be more stable. Linux may be stable for basic services, but if you donâ??t know what you are doing, you can easily mess things up, as Linux isnâ??t as experienced at keeping you out of trouble as Windows is. However, if you know what you are doing, you may find that Linux is more stable for you.

5) Compatibility

As far as using programs that you are used to using on Windows, the vast majority will not work on Linux. Some of the more popular ones can be run through a program called WINE, that was made to do just that: run Windows programs. Right now, since Windows has 90% of the market cornered, you will have a hard time finding something that does not work on Windows, but many things will not work on Linux. The positive side of this is that most programs that do run on Linux are free, and easily downloadable through their â??repositories,â?? or websites stocked with free programs. Also, many of these free programs are clones of popular Windows programs, although most people will agree that they arenâ??t as good. For instance, GIMP is a clone of Adobe Photoshop, and OpenOffice is a free office suite. These programs will almost always support Windows formats, while Windows Programs rarely support theirs.

6) User Friendliness

There is no doubt that most people today are much more used to Windows than Linux. However, if you compare the two OSs side by side, the usability is similar. There are different processes to run, different places to go, and different settings to adjust, but overall the Linux system is comparable to the Windows system as far as the basics are concerned. When it comes to the more complex settings, Linux often runs into compiling code and using the command line function, which, although used in Windows, is much less common.

Overall, Linux is faster and more secure, but Windows has a little more polish to it and is much more compatible in todayâ??s world. If you are experienced, Linux is the OS that will let you customize to your heartâ??s content, but if you are new to computers and plan on doing a good number of things, you should stick to Windows. However, Linux will give any user the same experience as Windows when it comes to the basic internet, email, and word processing programs.

1. SPEED-
The latest version of Ubuntu, 10.04, claims to have faster startup and shutdown times than Windows. Linux is faster than Windows, although it uses more resources at system startup than Windows XP.The reason cited for the Linux OS being faster is that Linux uses memory more efficiently, making the most out of every MB you give it.

2. STABILITY-
In Linux, there may be more bugs initially, but the source code, or plans, for the OS are open, so anyone can read them. That way, if there is a bug in Linux, it will probably be found quicker than a bug in Windows, because Windows does not release its source code, and they have to find the bugs themselves.Linux is more stable for you.

3. COMPATIBILITY-
As far as using programs that you are used to using on Windows, the vast majority will not work on Linux.The positive side of this is that most programs that do run on Linux are free, and easily downloadable through their â??repositories,â?? or websites stocked with free programs. Also, many of these free programs are clones of popular Windows programs, although most people will agree that they arenâ??t as good.

4.User Friendliness-
There is no doubt that most people today are much more used to Windows than Linux. However, if you compare the two OSs side by side, the usability is similar. There are different processes to run, different places to go, and different settings to adjust, but overall the Linux system is comparable to the Windows system as far as the basics are concerned. When it comes to the more complex settings, Linux often runs into compiling code and using the command line function, which, although used in Windows, is much less common.

5. SECURITY-
Linux is more secure than Windows XP from the fact that viruses commonly affect Windows computers, and Linux has very few itself.
Besides the fact that few viruses are written for Linux, there are still points of the OS that guard against them. For instance, the Linux user is never automatically logged on as â??rootâ?? or administrator. They have to enter their password to make any dangerous changes to their computers. On Windows, the default user is always the Administrator, which plays nicely into the hands of viruses that can edit the system files without the userâ??s permission.



for more refer - http://comp3820.hubpages.com/hub/Windows-XP-vs-Ubuntu-904

Case Study - Windows XP vs. LINUX

Flavors
Both Windows and Linux come in many flavors. All the flavors of Windows come from Microsoft, the various distributions of Linux come from different companies (i.e. Linspire, Red Hat, SuSE, Ubuntu, Xandros, Knoppix, Slackware, Lycoris, etc. ).
Windows has two main lines. The older flavors are referred to as "Win9x" and consist of Windows 95, 98, 98SE and Me. The newer flavors are referred to as "NT class" and consist of Windows NT3, NT4, 2000, XP and Vista. Going back in time, Windows 3.x preceded Windows 95 by a few years.
The flavors of Linux are referred to as distributions (often shortened to "distros"). All the Linux distributions released around the same time frame will use the same kernel (the guts of the Operating System). They differ in the add-on software provided, GUI, install process, price, documentation and technical support. Both Linux and Windows come in desktop and server editions.

Cost
For desktop or home use, Linux is very cheap or free, Windows is expensive. For server use, Linux is very cheap compared to Windows. Microsoft allows a single copy of Windows to be used on only one computer. Starting with Windows XP, they use software to enforce this rule (Windows Product Activation at first, later Genuine Windows). In contrast, once you have purchased Linux, you can run it on any number of computers for no additional charge.

The upgrade edition of Windows XP Home Edition sells for about $100, XP Professional is about $200. The "full" version of XP Home is about $200, the full version of XP Professional is $300.

You can purchase assorted distributions of Linux in a box with a CD and manuals and technical support for around $40 to $80 (some distributions may be less, others may be more).

Graphical User Interface
Both Linux and Windows provide a GUI and a command line interface. The Windows GUI has changed from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 (drastically) to Windows 2000 (slightly) to Windows XP (fairly large) and is slated to change again with the next version of Windows, the one that will replace XP. Windows XP has a themes feature that offers some customization of the look and feel of the GUI.
Linux typically provides two GUIs, KDE and Gnome. See a screen shot of Lycoris and Lindows in action from the Wal-Mart web site. The lynucs.org web site has examples of many substantially different Linux GUIs. Of the major Linux distributions, Lindows has made their user interface look more like Windows than the others.

Networking
They both do TCP/IP. Linux can do Windows networking, which means that a Linux computer can appear on a network of Windows computers and share its files and printers. Linux machines can participate on a Windows based network and vice versa.

Multiple Users
Linux is a multi-user system, Windows is not. That is, Windows is designed to be used by one person at a time. Databases running under Windows allow concurrent access by multiple users, but the Operating System itself is designed to deal with a single human being at a time. Linux, like all Unix variants, is designed to handle multiple concurrent users. Windows, of course, can run many programs concurrently, as can Linux. There is a multi-user version of Windows called Terminal Server but this is not the Windows pre-installed on personal computers.

File Systems
Windows uses FAT12, FAT16, FAT32 and/or NTFS with NTFS almost always being the best choice. The FATx file systems are older and have assorted limitations on file and partition size that make them problematical in the current environment. Linux also has a number of its own native file systems. The default file system for Linux used to be ext2, now it is typically ext3. Other supported file systems includes XFS, JFS, JFFS and Reiser3. Reiser4 is in development.

Shutting Down
Both have to be told to shut down and for the same reason, to quiesce in-flight activity in an orderly manner. You shut down Windows thru the Start button, then select Shutdown. In both the KDE and Gnome GUIs for Linux, you shut the system down by first logging out (equivalent to logging off in Windows). In Gnome, you select the Halt option, in KDE, the shutdown option. Linux can also be shut down from a command prompt using the shutdown command which can either shut the system down immediately or be told to shut it down at some time in the future. Windows XP also has a shutdown command, earlier versions of Windows did not

User Data
Windows allows programs to store user information (files and settings) anywhere. This makes it impossibly hard to backup user data files and settings and to switch to a new computer. In contrast, Linux stores all user data in the home directory making it much easier to migrate from an old computer to a new one. If home directories are segregated in their own partition, you can even upgrade from one version of Linux to another without having to migrate user data and settings.

I got this from written below link:-
Linux vs Windows (a comparison)
www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html

Proprietry vs. Open Source OS ... The Holy War begins :)

following website provides a wide information about various common n some uncommon OS with screenshots....

do give a look...


http://www.operating-system.org/betriebssystem/_english/bs-skyos.htm

following website provides a wide information about SkyOS with screenshots....

do give a look...


http://www.skyos.org/

01. Linux
02. Mac OS X
03. Unix
04. FreeBSD
05. ReactOS
06. Solaris
07. OpenBSD
08. AmigaOS
09. NEXTSTEP
10. AtheOS
11. SkyOS
12. AROS
13. brickOSâ?¢
14. QNX
15. Darwin
16. OS/2
17. MenuetOS
18. leJOS
19. Plan 9
20. Xbox Operating System
21. HP-UX
22. ZETA
23. List of Unix flavors
24. new OS
25. Windows XP
26. MachTen
27. Windows Vista

hey how can we run the command net config [{server|workstation}]

http://www.element14.com/community/community/knode/operating_systems/micrium?view=overview

Operating system ABCs

An operating system, or OS, is a software program that enables the computer hardware to communicate and operate with the computer software. Without a computer operating system, a computer would be useless.

Operating system types

As computers have progressed and developed so have the operating systems. Below is a basic list of the different operating systems and a few examples of operating systems that fall into each of the categories. Many computer operating systems will fall into more than one of the below categories.

GUI - Short for Graphical User Interface, a GUI Operating System contains graphics and icons and is commonly navigated by using a computer mouse. See the GUI definition for a complete definition. Below are some examples of GUI Operating Systems.

System 7.x
Windows 98
Windows CE

Multi-user - A multi-user operating system allows for multiple users to use the same computer at the same time and different times. See the multi-user definition for a complete definition for a complete definition. Below are some examples of multi-user operating systems.

Linux
Unix
Windows 2000

Multiprocessing - An operating system capable of supporting and utilizing more than one computer processor. Below are some examples of multiprocessing operating systems.

Linux
Unix
Windows 2000

Multitasking - An operating system that is capable of allowing multiple software processes to run at the same time. Below are some examples of multitasking operating systems.

Unix
Windows 2000

Multithreading - Operating systems that allow different parts of a software program to run concurrently. Operating systems that would fall into this category are:

Linux
Unix
Windows 2000

Ever wondered what was there before OS came up ?

Click on the blog image to see the full history.

Reference : http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/history-operating-systems-infographic/

Another video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmgaC2nbXEs

These videos are short and good to give you the understanding of the basics of OS.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAF8648427BB68706