The newest windows operating system. Operating systems (world market)

By purchasing new computer or laptop, or simply reinstalling the operating system, users usually choose Windows OS. In fact, the range of operating systems is quite wide. If we consider the best operating systems for 2018, then the most popular are three types:

• Windows;
• MacOS;
• Linux.

More details about them are presented below in the article.

Windows

The latest updated version from Microsoft is the operating system Windows 10... This is the most advanced version to date. The developers tried to make it more popular and for this they launched free updates. Which is very convenient. Compared to other versions of Windows operating systems, Windows 10 is very easy to install and run. You just need to download the system, set the parameters on the installation media and install. The necessary requirements for Windows 10 are to have 2 Gb of RAM and the number of cores on the processor is at least 1.

There are also disadvantages. Windows 10 slows down a little, but it is not so noticeable. And it has a tracking system, but if you really want to, you can turn it off by examining the settings. The developers warn that Windows 10 will be the latest in its line, but promise that they will not stop supporting it. This means that the program will be updated constantly.

Another most robust and feature-rich version from Microsoft is the operating system. Windows 7... She is recognized as the most popular for 2017-2018. Although her updates were no longer supported, she did not lose the rating. According to the polls, it was found that she is still popular all over the world.

Read also:

Which antivirus should you choose?

MacOS

This operating system came with Apple and its products. All Apple products are renowned for their quality and they all have their own operating system. Therefore, the operating system MacOS was created for laptops. Unlike Windows, this OP can have very few viruses. This is mainly due to its popularity.

After all MacOS not so common in the world. It is easier to run a massive virus program that will infect most computers than a few individual devices. Also, not all programs are supported by MacOS.

In addition, developers make constant updates that are understandable and visible to everyone. In updated versions, users expect something new. New features are constantly being added.

Operating system selection Is the most important choice for any user. If you find out what an operating system is, and what they are operating system types... And find out which systems offer best ratio price and quality, which system is right for you.

What is an operating system? Operating system type. Best operating systems

What is an operating system?

It is a program that is loaded when the computer is turned on and allows you to launch programs such as a web browser to surf the Internet, or office suite for writing letters. For example Microsoft Windows XP.

Operating system type

List of major operating systems that you may encounter:

Microsoft Windows is the most widely used operating system. These days, you are likely to come across the following versions: Windows XP, Vista and 7.

Linux

There are hundreds different types and Linux versions. The most popular version in use today is probably Ubuntu Linux.

Operating room Ubuntu system is used by approximately 20 million users, making it the most popular Linux distribution for desktops. It is the 4th most popular OS for web servers and is growing in popularity. Ubuntu is focused on usability. It includes the widespread use of the sudo utility, which allows users to perform administrative tasks without starting a potentially dangerous superuser session. Ubuntu also has extensive internationalization to ensure maximum accessibility for people from different language groups.

Ubuntu is recommended for work from 512 megabytes of RAM and, when installed on HDD, from five gigabytes of free space, and the maximum minimum requirements much lower. Ubuntu was based on the GNOME desktop system, which is designed to provide a free, simple and intuitive interface while offering a complete range of modern desktop applications. In addition to the applications included with GNOME, Ubuntu comes with additional software including OpenOffice.org, LibreOffice, and the Mozilla Firefox web browser.

MacOS and IOS

Mac OS is the operating system that you find on Apple Mac computers. IOS is a variation of Apple's operating system that runs on iPhones, and on tablet computers, iPad. MacOS is sometimes considered one of the easiest operating systems to use.

Early Mac versions The OS was only compatible with Macintosh based on Motorola 68k processors, the following versions were compatible with the PowerPC architecture (PPC). Recently, Mac OS X has become compatible with the x86 architecture. But politics Apple is such that it only allows Mac OS to be installed on Apple computers.

Google Chrome OS

Chrome is an operating system invented by Google. It can also be found on the types of computers known as Chromebooks. The operating system consists of only Chrome web browser... Chromebooks with Chrome OS are required to provide the user with the right to connect to the cloud from their computer as quickly as possible.

Android is an operating system made by Google. Android is an operating system for smartphones, tablet computers, e-books, digital players, wrist watch, netbooks and smartbooks, Google glasses and other devices, based on the Linux kernel and Google's own Java implementation.

Despite the initial prohibition on installing programs from "unverified sources" (for example, from a memory card), this restriction is disabled regular means in the device settings, which allows you to install programs on phones and tablets without an Internet connection (for example, for users who do not have Wi-Fi hotspots access and do not want to spend money on Mobile Internet which is usually expensive), and also allows everyone to write applications for Android for free and test on their device.

No operating system

Sometimes a computer comes without a pre-installed operating system. You can save money by purchasing such a computer. But in this case, you will have to choose and install the operating system yourself.

Best operating systems

There is no such thing as “ best operating system“That everyone likes so much. Apple Mac computers have long been considered the most simple computers in use due to the simplicity of the operating Mac systems... Thus, for PC users, the choice of operating system essentially occurs between Linux and Windows... Linux is often viewed as a system used only by geeks. In fact, this is simply not true.

With each new release, both Windows and Linux, the system turns out to be more reliable, more powerful, and easier to use. And if you're a complete newbie to using a computer, then perhaps Linux is as easy to master as Windows is. Thus, " best operating system" is an personal choice... This is how you like the most.

If you have enough old computer (until 2005), or you are about to buy one, the best operating system for these devices is Windows XP or Linux like Ubuntu. These systems give the best performance on older hardware.

Choosing an operating system for new computers

If you buy a new computer and you want the most comfortable and ready-to-use computer from the moment you first turn it on, you should look at computers that come with a pre-installed operating system.

It is important to know that new PCs that come pre-loaded installed by Microsoft Windows are more expensive than computers that come without it.

So if you want to save money, choose a computer that comes with either Linux or no operating system.

This means that when you buy a new computer, you have two main decisions, the choice of the operating system:

1. Buy a ready-made computer to work with an already installed operating system. In other words, the one that comes with Windows or Linux.
2. Roll up your sleeves and yourself.

Computers That Come With preinstalled Windows, much more expensive. But if money is not the main factor, and you have used the system before, pay attention to the computers that come with already established... And if you don't care what the way your computer system works, you can do whatever you want for free (like surfing the web), then you will be happy with a Linux computer. it a good option if money is a factor but you don't want install an operating system on one's own.

If you have read the above and you do not know what to do, I I recommend to buy a computer that comes pre-installed Microsoft Windows.

Choosing the Windows 7 operating system

Windows 7 is a user operating system of the Windows NT family, next in time to release Windows Vista and the predecessor Windows 8. The reason is that most people - no matter how new computers they used them - sooner or later have Microsoft Windows at some point. Thus, for most people, Windows 7 is a more familiar environment. Another reason is the level Windows user support... There are numerous help sites and support forums for Linux, and there are many more dedicated ones for Windows.

Additional Windows advantage 7 can be considered closer integration with driver manufacturers. Most drivers are automatically detected, and 90% of the time is backward compatible with Windows Vista drivers.

Although Windows 7 contains an extensive database of drivers for many devices, it supports fewer than Windows XP. In particular, the database does not contain drivers for many devices released before 2005. On the one hand, this is due to Windows technology Aero, which requires a video adapter with at least 128 MB of memory and support for DirectX 9.0 (Shader Model 2.0), on the other - drivers for Geforce graphics cards the FX series (5200-5900) are also missing in the bundle, despite the fact that this generation already supports DirectX 9.0. Also, the delivery package lacks drivers for many outdated models. sound cards and most of the built-in AC97 audio codecs.

Despite the fact that officially for Windows installations 7 requires at least 1 GB of RAM, this system It is successfully installed on computers with a smaller volume, for example, 512 MB (but for stable operation, you need to turn off graphic effects), because Windows 7 was created on the basis of the previous Windows Vista OS, which officially required 512 MB of RAM.

Windows 7 has also improved compatibility with older applications, some of which could not run on Windows Vista. This is especially true for older games developed for Windows XP. Also in Windows 7 appeared windows mode XP Mode, which allows you to run old applications in a virtual Windows machine XP that provides practically full support old applications. New, 11th DirectX version, first released as part of this OS, has the following improvements: added support for new computational shaders, the ability to multithreaded rendering, improved tessellation, new texture compression algorithms, etc. Windows Player Media Player 12 received new interface and became truly "omnivorous", unlike its predecessor, which required a large number of codecs to play. However, it cannot play licensed Blu-ray discs with video, but it has the ability to read and write data on them.

When should you choose Windows 8?

Unlike its predecessors Windows 7 and Windows XP, it uses a new interface called Metro... This interface appears first after system startup. Metro is similar in functionality to the desktop - start screen has application tiles (akin to shortcuts and icons), by clicking on which the application is launched, a site or folder opens, depending on which element or application the tile is attached to.

Compared with previous versions Windows Microsoft reduced the number of editions to four: Windows RT, Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8 Enterprise... But since Windows RT is designed for ARM-based tablets and is sold only preinstalled on new computers, and Windows 8 Enterprise can only be purchased with Software Assurance, home users have only two editions to choose from: Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. For the average PC user, the choice is limited to these two editions. Therefore, first of all, it is worth answering the question - do you need Windows capabilities 8 Pro. If you want to use encryption, virtualization, and connect and manage your computer to a domain using group policies- then choose Windows 8 Pro. For everything else is fine regular Windows 8.

Currently the choice and is a great option for tablets and touch devices.

Their list has greatly increased even over the past 5 years, especially due to the increase in the number of mobile devices... What are their features, how do they differ, what are their advantages and disadvantages?

System classification

They differ from each other in different parameters, in particular, in the distribution of functions between computers. Operating system classes and networks themselves are:

• peer-to-peer;
• two-rank (have dedicated servers).

There are computers that provide their resources to others. In this case, they act as network server... The other is their client. Computers can perform one or the second function, or they can be combined together. must at the same time correspond to the requests of the buyer.

List of the most demanded systems

What are the most popular operating systems among users? The list looks like this:

• Windows.
• MacOS.
• Android.
• Ubuntu.
• Linux and others.

There are also less popular ones. For example Fedora or Back Track. But they are common in a rather narrow circle of specialists.

How to choose?

There are different criteria for users. This is primarily the usability and capabilities of operating systems. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Functionality is important to one, interface to second, personal data safety guarantee to third. Operating systems for PCs, the list of which is longer than those developed for mobile devices, differ from the latter in their requirements for the machine.

They offer their users different level comfort and innovative solutions, in many respects the choice is due to the profession of a person.

Windows features

New operating systems have emerged in recent years. The list of the most popular ones was supplemented by Android and IOS. However, it is the Windows OS that, as before, remains the most demanded in the world.

It is not only the most popular operating system, but also the most comfortable to use, great for beginners. Schoolchildren, office workers and people of all ages - almost all of them use Windows operating systems. Linux is traditionally used by specialized professionals.

pros

The key advantages of the popularly beloved Windows are the following factors:

• user-friendly interface;
• a large number of quality software which can be installed free of charge;
• ease of installation and configuration;
• ease of administration of server rooms.

Cons of Windows

Most versions of Windows are paid operating systems. The list can be found in open sources. The high cost of software is a key flaw in Windows.

Another disadvantage is the instability and vulnerability of the entire OS family to all sorts of malware.

Latest version

How much does Windows 10 cost? It all depends on whether the version will be home or professional. In the first case, the cost will be about 6 thousand rubles, and in the second - about 10 thousand.

The last modification, like the previous one, can have a classic interface or the same as that of the "eight", when you can switch icons on the desktop.

Answering the logical answer to the question of how much Windows 10 costs, by the fact that the cost is not small, we must warn you: do not rush to worry. After all, the license that is provided to the user does not have a final validity period. But software such as online games, antivirus or Office requires regular updates on a paid basis.

Traditionally, if you have a previous licensed version of Windows installed on your computer, you can update it to the latest version for free.

Previous Windows OS

Despite the release of new software, there are those who are comfortable using the previous ones. Different versions operating systems have their own advantages. Now, along with the "ten", many continue to use the "eights" and "sevens".

Windows 7 came out back in 2009. It included both developments from the previous "Vista" and completely new solutions that related to the interface and embedded programs. Some software was excluded - games, applications, a number of technologies, and more.

"Seven" has several editions:

• initial;
• home basic;
• home extended;
• corporate;
• professional;
• maximum.

The next version of the operating system, Windows 8, was released in 2012. Its main innovation was a redesigned interface that was more responsive to work on mobile devices. Today this product of the company is the best-selling one.

Outdated versions

There are once popular, but now almost forgotten operating systems. You can start the list of them with Windows 95, it was with this version that many started working with a PC at one time. After it, the equally popular Windows 98 appeared. Next system- Windows 2000 - came out at the turn of the millennium and was intended for use on devices with 32-bit processors.

However, the real popularity was found by the Windows XP operating system, which appeared in 2001. She only recently lost her primacy to the seventh and eighth versions. For more than 10 years, it was XP that users preferred to install on their computers and laptops.

The subsequent user version was Vista, but its functionality and features, according to experts, were extremely weak, which is why it did not gain popularity.

Other operating systems for computers

However, not everyone uses Windows. There are other PC operating systems as well. Their list includes, in particular, macOS, Linux Ubuntu and its other modifications. They are mainly used by narrow-profile specialists.

Ubuntu was designed with a Mac interface in many ways, but the overall style is similar to Windows. Users appreciated the usability, stability and the fact that the OS can be obtained for free. They also like the speed of the machine. But Ubuntu also has disadvantages - a small number of software, games, and complex scheme administration.

MacOS is an operating system developed by Apple for its own computers. It is called a premium user product - it is different beautiful design, user-friendly interface and excellent multimedia capabilities. But this solution is not affordable for everyone, because both the computers themselves and the Apple-branded OS, in comparison with others, are incredibly expensive.

Also for PCs, some use Linux. This system is free, stable, equipped with big amount built-in software. However, despite all these advantages, it requires high user skills. Therefore, Linux is most often installed by programmers, networkers and other professionals.

Work on mobile devices

As you know, all more users prefer to use the Internet not from laptops and PCs, but from mobile devices - smartphones and tablets. There are operating systems that are designed specifically for them. The most common are Android and IOS. But "Symbian" has already lost its former popularity, since its capabilities can no longer cover the needs of users.

In the first place in terms of quantity, by a large margin is "Android". After all, if IOS is an OS created specifically for Apple devices, then the second can work on smartphones and tablets of other brands, for example:

• Samsung.
• Sony.
• Lenovo and others.

"Android" has a convenient interface for its users, allows them to use high-quality software in large quantities for free. It is suitable not only for smartphones and tablets, but also for modern “smart TVs”. Devices based on this OS can be independently reflashed and changed to work.

But IOS, which is an Apple product, is considered to be more stable and much faster, providing customers with a good multimedia experience. But in comparison with "Android", it is more expensive, since there is very little free software in it. And what is provided for money is very expensive.

About 10 years ago and earlier, those who used the Internet on mobile phones, actively used the Symbian system, which was a joint development of the leading manufacturers at that time (Nokia, Motorola and others). It works now, but, compared to IOS and Android, it is not able to cope with the tasks that the current owners of mobile devices set themselves.

Other operating systems

In addition to common operating systems for computers and mobile devices, there are less well-known ones, many of them are created by Linux type and require a high level of user skills. Fedora is one such system. It is highly stable, practically does not fall in terms of work. You can forget about freezes, sudden overloads and other problems forever.

There are also specific operating systems. For example, Back Track. This system is free and used by hackers all over the world. Most of the hacks were carried out precisely thanks to Back Track. It was originally optimized to obtain unauthorized access to download data from a particular computer.

People far from the computer sphere know little about the features of operating systems and their real number. On laptops or computers, they install Windows, iPhones are equipped with their own software, and on other smartphones or tablets, Android is installed by default.

But there are other systems, they are generally not intended for a wide range of reasons due to their characteristics. The choice of a particular OS depends primarily on the tasks that a person sets for himself.

Many of you may have heard that besides Windows, there are other operating systems for the computer.

In this article, we will do short review about the most famous representatives of operating systems, and, perhaps, you want to change your life by trying another OS.

Let's start with the most common one.

Windows

Windows XP

This operating system appeared a long time ago, 3 Service Packs have already been released on it, and a lot of pirated assemblies. There are so many of them that you will hardly find one that looks like XP released by Microsoft. One of the most famous such assemblies - ZverCD - so famous that it sells in stores, its main advantage is that it is easy to install and contains many programs that you will need, including K-Lite Codec Pack(collection of codecs for viewing audio and video). It is also noteworthy that the drivers are installed by themselves during installation. I digress a little from the main topic. So, the pros and cons of Windows XP.

Pros:

• The first and most important plus of Windows XP is that you are used to it. You know how to use it, you almost never have problems with it, and if there is, then hackers are to blame, weak computer, Slow internet- in general, everything except. Also, you are very accustomed to its interface, which will most likely be uncomfortable with others.
• The second, important plus - they release most programs and games. Of course they can be run on other operating systems, but it will be more difficult than on.

Minuses:

• Windows xp requires more resources than other operating systems, and does not have the same abundance of settings as other systems.
• Programs for it are mainly paid, that is, you have to either pay or live, knowing that you are using illegal software (of course, for many programs there are free alternatives that do not always differ greatly in functionality. them or because of the same habit).

Windows 7

Now let's stop thinking about the past and see what we have now. Windows 7 has solved many problems that arose in Windows XP, introduced many conveniences that constantly delight you, and along with this, new problems appeared.

Pros:

• There is an improved visualization (ease of use, desktop widgets).
• Now, when you insert any device, Windows 7 will immediately install a driver for it from the Internet for you.

Minuses:

• Despite the changes, windows is windows. Therefore, the disadvantages are the same as for XP.

Linux

* nix is ​​a similar operating system created by student Linus Torvald. Significantly different from Windows, used mainly by programmers or for servers. But there are not only distributions for servers and programmers, but also for ordinary users, so why do most people use Windows, and not a licensed one? Elementary, because, I'm not afraid to repeat myself, people are used to Windows, and some have no time to retrain. It would really be necessary to retrain if we lived, for example, in 2005. Now we have released a sufficient number of distributions to choose the right one. There is even one whose interface is identical to Windows interface... But we will focus on the most widespread and most suitable distribution kit for ordinary users - Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 10.04

I decided to take the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version, because it differs significantly from the previous ones - this is Ubuntu 10.04 lucid lynx. It solves the main problem of Linux "a - Internet connection. Unlike previous versions, this one does not need to be configured, you just install the Wicd program, click the" connect "button and you have Internet access. Internet access is very important on Ubuntu, updates are released almost weekly, also with each installation of an English-language program, you can check if there is a Russian language for it by going to the language settings and installing all updates there. A new version Ubuntu comes out every six months, which is also important. Now let's move on to the pros and cons.

Pros:

• Ubuntu starts at times faster windows... You can also change the user quickly enough.
• There is no need to manually install drivers, it is possible to connect different sources to update the system and applications.
• There will be almost no problems with downloading and installing applications, you do not need to go into the browser to find and download the program, just go to one of the application management managers, find there desired application and install it.
• Lots of settings. You can customize the system completely for yourself. The interface is customizable to the smallest detail. Also, there are many sites on which all the configuration processes are described. One of them is Ubuntology. Everything is described on it starting from the installation.
• Some programs have been ported from Windows to Ubuntu. That is, you can safely use your favorite browser Opera / Mozilla Firefox / Google chrome on Ubuntu, talk through your usual Skype and Mail.ru Agent.
• No viruses. This means that you do not need to install an antivirus. There are dangerous terminal commands that you can accidentally run from the Internet, but it all depends on your attentiveness. Also, Ubuntu has a built-in Firewall.
• Codecs for audio and Ubuntu video offers to download as needed. This is why an Internet connection is so important.

Minuses:

• Setting up Ubuntu may seem daunting and time-consuming to you, because it is often the case. You can do without it, but to really enjoy Ubuntu, you'll have to go through a setup process.
• In fact, there are few ported programs. In order for you to use the same programs as on Windows, you will have to install one of the programs designed for this (for example, Wine), configure libraries, fonts, install the Directx driver, if necessary. Or install Windows on virtual machine... In general, again the setting.
• Not all programs can be installed from the Application Center. Some will have to be downloaded from the Internet manually, and some of them are not in deb format (Debian installation package, installation is similar to exe installation), but in tar.bz2 format, that is, in archives. You will have to unpack and install them manually.
• Game lovers may have problems. Of course, there are many games released on Ubuntu, but in order for you to access your Steam, for example, you will have to either install Windows on a virtual machine or configure Wine.

Also, after this version, Ubntu 10.10 and 11.04 versions were released, but nothing new, except for an alternative graphical shell Unity, what could be added to the pros or cons did not appear.

Mac OS

An operating system created by Apple Corporation. We will not analyze it in detail, we will describe it in general terms, without affecting individual distributions, since not everyone can afford it, only if it is a pirated copy, which is not so easy to install. The operating system itself is not sold separately, it is sold only with laptops and desktop Apple computers... One such laptop will cost you about 50,000 rubles, it is clear that there is an overpayment for the brand, but despite the price they are being bought, it means that there is something remarkable in it.

Valve companies, compiled by Steam over the past month, show that more than 50 percent of users of the most popular gaming platform in the world use Windows 10.

Windows 10 64-bit is now installed on 50.15 percent of Steam users' computers, while 32-bit has a very modest 1.05 percent. Thus, 51.20 percent of Steam gamers use Windows 10 in total.

It is very important for Microsoft that Windows 10 is growing and the share of Windows 7 is declining. In the last month alone, the system launched in 2009 lost 1.44 percent for the 64-bit version and 0.63 percent for the 32-bit version. On this moment Windows 7 is installed on 34.74 percent of computers on Steam gaming platform.

Other trends noticed include the accelerated decline in the share of Windows XP. Launched 16 years ago, the system stopped receiving updates in April 2014, but is still one of the most popular versions of Windows. However, according to Valve, only 0.94 percent of Steam users are using Windows XP, down 0.25 percent over the past month.

If this trend diminishes, then Windows XP could completely disappear from gaming computers in just 4 months, although the decline may slow down in the coming weeks.

Concerning Windows competitors then Linux and macOS still pose no threat to Microsoft in terms of gaming. Apple has a market share of 3.11 percent, while Linux posted the smallest gain of 0.02 to 0.77 percent. Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS 64 bit remains the preferred choice among gamers with 0.22 percent of the market.

StatCounter statistics show that Windows 7 continues to hold the lead in prevalence among Windows systems, and Windows 10 is growing at a slow pace.

Data compiled for March 2017 shows that Windows 7 has a 47.03 percent market share of the operating system. The closest pursuer was Windows 10 with 34.98 percent. Windows 8.1 came in third with 9.63 percent, followed by Windows XP with 5.46 percent.

This means that despite the aggressive strategy to introduce Windows 10, Windows 7 runs on almost every second computer in the world.

After the announcement of the end of support for the system in January 2020, Windows 7 really began to lose its position in the market, but very, very slowly. For example, last month the share of Windows 7 dropped from 47.17 percent to 47.03 percent, while Windows 10 showed a slight improvement - from 33.8 percent to 34.28 percent.

The popularity of Windows 7 poses problems for Microsoft. Users are in no rush to upgrade to Windows 10, even considering the fact that there are less than three years left until the end of support for the OS.

Windows 7 users have massively dropped the free upgrade offer, which keeps the system holding about 50 percent of the market despite Microsoft's efforts to push its latest operating system.

As a result, Windows 7 is likely to become second Windows XP, when users will ignore migration to another system, despite the end of support for the system. All of this can leave non-updatable systems vulnerable to malicious attacks.

However, there will be new updates for Windows 10 in the coming years, so Windows 7's market share will undoubtedly decline at a faster rate in the near future.

In early April, the analytical company Net Market Share also shared its statistics on the use of operating systems. According to the company, there has been a slight increase in Windows 10 worldwide.

The share of Windows 10 in March rose to 25.36 percent, in February it was 25.19 percent. These numbers are particularly interesting given the slight decline in Windows 10 share in February 2017. Net Market Share statistics show that Windows 7 is also experiencing modest growth and currently holds 49.42 percent of the PC market, up from 48.41 percent in February.

The share of Windows 8.1 and Windows XP is 6.66 and 7.44 percent, respectively. macOS has 3.22 percent of the operating system market, while Linux is preferred by 2.14 percent of users.

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