Computer users all have their opinions when it comes to operating systems such as Windows and Linux. While an average PC consumer might only know about Windows based systems, those who are more technologically inclined will have at least heard of Linux. In this article we are going to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of both of those operating systems.

One area that you may have to choose between Windows and Linux is with your web host. This has nothing to do with what operating system you are using personally, and some people are confused about this. Linux hosting services are very flexible in that you can use both Windows and Macintosh on the system.

The fact is, for the average user, there probably isn’t going to be any noticeable difference between the two. It is actually very simple to attack a Linux server. Many hackers do! If only Linux would use the same level of security on its Web servers that it does its personal computer systems. At the end of the day, it comes down to the features that you want for web hosting that make the difference. Although Linux does have a lot to offer, the majority of people do not know about it and therefore ignore it altogether. Useful applications can be run through the Linux OS, and it is also used by many people worldwide. You are not limited simply because the Microsoft operating system is not available. Playing games is very easy on the Linux OS. It also has graphics programs and an e-mail program that you can use with the system. Although these are not Windows applications, they are comparable in many ways. There are some issues of compatibility, so if you need to have the ability to interact with other Windows-based computers, don’t switch operating systems.

A good benefit of Linux is that it can be installed on older computers. This is what sets it apart from the other operating systems. It is a well known fact that computers are obsolete after just a few years, this definitely true for any computer that has Windows or Mac installed on it. If you tried to install Windows 7, for example, on a five year old computer or older, it would overload the system due to the high memory requirements of Windows. By today’s standards, however, Linux’s needs (like the Ubuntu Feisty Fawn system) are incredibly tiny–all it needs is a 300mHz processor and 64MB of RAM. What this means is that you are able to take an old computer out of a closet or buy one relatively cheaply, download Linux and have everything up and running pretty quickly. If you want to choose an operating system there are a lot of factors that you need to keep in mind. Whether you should choose Windows or Linux is dependent upon whether you want the flexibility involved in Linux or the compatibility that Windows offers with all of the software programs you might want to use. These are just a few of the reasons that Linux and Windows are great operating system choices.

For more information consult Mark Glatman