Name: Hai Fu Yu
#:301171057
Section: D110
Final Version
There are quite a few operating systems are being widely used. With 92% of the OS market share, Windows OS is dominating the OS market. Macintosh, the operating system only works on Apple computers, occupies 7% of the total share. Linux, the last widely used OS, has only 1% of the share now. The most difference between Linux and other operating systems is that Linux is an open-sourced OS, which means everyone has access to the source code of this OS. People can modify and use the source codes of it without charging. Linux According to the research done by NETMARCKETSHARE (2012), Linux’s share has grown from 0.97% in July, 2011 to 1.41%, Oct, 2012. The reason of Linux’s share increase cannot be understand without explaining in which aspects Linux are working better than other operating systems. In this essay, the advantages and disadvantages of Linux will be discussed and it will specifically investigate the cost of adapting to Linux, the performance of Linux and the support of Linux.
There are many reasons that turn people’s backs back on Window and Macintosh, and the most obvious one is the cost of using these two systems. People need to either buy a Windows license copy or an Apple computer in order to use these systems. But, Linux is free. According to Al-Rayes (2012), Linux was aimed to offer a free or low-cost substitute for conventional but more expensive Unix system (p. 25). Supporters of Linux suggest that a considerable part of computer purchasing fee goes to paying Windows license copy. For instance, if a person buy a personal computer with a Windows OS for 300 dollars, about 50- 100 dollars of his or her money is spent on the Windows license copy. Moreover, the cost of license copy goes even higher when buying more computers. Most Linux distributions are free and people can instill in as many computers as they like with one Linux copy. On