Operating systems apart from Windows

Operating systems are essentially the heart of a computer. If one is using a computer, laptop or even a phone, it is a necessity to have an operating system. Users usually opt for Windows or iOS, but what about the other operating systems? Are they not worth it? Why aren't they popular enough? Would they prove to be more beneficial to the user? To answer these questions, one must consider the points discussed in this article.

The various Operating Systems apart from the popularly used Windows that may be considered are:

1)Linux

2)Unix

3)Android

4)ROS

5)z/OS

6)z/VM

7)z/VSE

and many more!

Linux

Linux was developed in C language by Linus Torvalds on September 17, 1991. It is open-source which means it is absolutely free of cost to use and has come to become one of the most popular alternatives to Windows. It is popularly used for both the computer hardware and software, development of games and tablet PCs.

Unix

Unix started development in the 1970s at the Bell Labs research centre. This was done by Ken Thompson, Dennise Ritchie and several others. It was like, Linux written in the C language along with assembly language. It is a multiuser operating system.

Cost

The most significant comparison between the two is that Linux is open-source and Unix isn't. Linux is free to be distributed through several mediums like books or magazines (Wang, 2018). Sometimes, it may come with a price tag, but this cost is much less than that of Windows. Unix, however, has costs associated with it depending on the vendors one wishes to purchase it from.

Development

Another distinguishable feature is that the development of Linux is done through several forums since it is open-source and hence the code is easily available. Unix, however, is developed by AT&T not entirely but majorly.

Usage

 The usage of Linux is widespread! One can see several users making use of it from personal computer home users to companies to colleges to developers or pretty much any computer enthusiast! Unix, however, is developed aiming to be used in mainframes, servers. Its main employment was in the development of the internet (Spinellis & Avgeriou, 2019). So, it can hence be derived that Linux can be installed pretty much anywhere! May it be on a variety of computer hardware like phones, tablets, laptops or desktops or even mainframes or supercomputers. In addition, it could be used in video game consoles. Whereas, the Unix is used in servers of the Internet or workstations. It is popularly used in Universities or big companies. Initially, Unix had a command-line interface but they are now sold with the incorporation of Gnome. Linux employs two graphical user interfaces i.e. KDE and Gnome.

Virus detection and removal

Another notable difference is that virus detection and removal in Linux is immediate but in the Unix, it may take some time. This is because of the Proprietary environment they support!

Conclusion

From the points discussed, it is understood that Linux is used for personal use while Unix for corporate uses. Also, it is evident that Windows is not the only operating system that is worth being used. More and more operating systems are being introduced and the list is endless!