Which operating system is right for you?

With Black Friday around the corner you might be thinking about getting a new computer. With so many options out on the market all of your choices can be quite overwhelming. With this quick guide I hope to help you decide on what computer to upgrade to.

MacOS:

Macs are incredibly popular computers, though incredibly expensive. They have a very simple, clean interface, and work very well with iPhones and other Apple Products. MacOS has fairly good support for different creative suites such as Adobe, and has many options for media production software. Downsides to MacOS is that most MacBooks cost around 1000 dollars and performance is limited for what you purchase.

Windows:

Windows is the other side of the mainstream operating system coin. Windows has an interface that is more complicated than MacOS, but is pretty quick to learn. Windows is highly customizable and is more popular in the workplace. Windows does have access to creative suites, but also works really well with programs like Excel, Access, and Visual Studio. While there are Mac alternatives to these programs, they may not work as well. Another upside to Windows is it works better for gaming as developers design their games primarily for windows. A couple downsides to windows is the constant updates that can slow down productivity, and some updates have been known to crash systems.

Linux:

Linux is not just one operating system, but rather a whole “class” of operating systems. One of the most popular versions is Ubuntu. Linux is not commonly found on consumer computers out of the box, but some computers do have it. The user interface is similar to MacOS, but what it is capable of is completely different. Ubuntu does not have many of the same programs that Windows and Mac has, and can be kind of complicated to set up. For most users, linux should not be considered when getting a new computer because of the learning curve involved, but if you are a computer enthusiast then it is something worth checking into.

In conclusion there are many operating systems available, but it mostly comes down to user preference and needs. For more creative applications like music production and some video editing Mac is likely the way to go. But for more business applications and 3d modeling and gaming Windows should be considered. Windows computers can generally be found for cheaper, but can easily cost as much if not more as a Macbook depending on the manufacturer or model.

If you are looking at getting a new computer this holiday season and need advice you can ask a Dormnet assistant to help you. We have a wide range of experience with computers and are here to help with your technology needs.