Computer technology and applications

Computers

Recent progress in the sphere of high technologies and computer engineering had set new standards and requirements for software and software design. Today the success of software depends upon a number of factors, which are not simply limited to the successful and effective solution of a particular problem as flexibility, visually, and simplicity of using are essential, too. Such demands are especially high for such software as operational systems, which in most cases define functionality and performance of computer platforms. Today in the world of high competition on software market it's obvious that two products take leading positions: Linux and Windows. Linux and Windows were developing in different directions from the very beginning, yet they are both modern and similar multi-task computer operation systems.

Windows is the most successful commercial product of Microsoft Corporation; it was developed for users of PCs with different levels of computer literacy and as a result it boosted penetration of computers to different spheres of today's life. Linux was originally a freeware open source product directed on audience of computer professionals, especially system administrators. Unlike Windows, Linux has extended functions for networking and can work in command mode, which allows freeing enough system resources in order to run complicated network applications on relatively outdated computer platforms (even Pentium 100 Mhz with 32Mb Ram can support WINS, DNS or DHCP under Linux). Unlike Linux, Windows can only run in GUI mode, which requires more system resources for running complicated and exacting applications, including networking functions. From the other side most of software applications, which are designed nowadays, are Windows oriented and they do not work even under WINE (windows interpreter for Linux), which limits options of Linux. Integrated security features in Linux are more powerful than in most of Windows versions, as Linux can be run only by non-root id users, while Windows is run by default from root id users, which makes it vulnerable for viruses and Trojans.