Which OS is best for business?
Windows, OS X or Linux? Each of these operating systems is at the top of its game, so which is the best choice for business?
13 October 2009
With each passing year, our desktop operating systems become progressively more powerful - and although Windows maintains an undeniable lead, Mac OS X and Linux have been steadily gaining ground. Do they provide a real challenge to Windows, especially now that Windows 7 is with us?
If you're a small business, or choosing a computer for home, the choice actually isn't that clear-cut. Objectively speaking, any of our three chosen operating systems will do the job admirably. In fact, we're fans of all three.
In favour of Windows is the fact that it's the market leader, and all else that follows on from that - the biggest choice of software, greater assurance that third-party hardware will work with it and the familiarity of something you're used to. Yes, it's true, Windows Vista didn't exactly take off like a rocket and there were some initial issues - but, for the most part, it was a good solid OS that got more bad press than it deserved. Also, Windows XP had raised the reliability bar to such a point that many people couldn't find a good enough reason to upgrade - Windows had, in effect, become Windows' worst enemy. Add to that the fact that the upgrade wasn't exactly cheap and for many people meant a new PC, and you can see why people clung to XP.
In favour of the Mac is that it now provides a real alternative to Windows. It's a full grown-up version of Unix, dressed in an easy-to-use front end that gives Windows a run for its money. Where Windows seems cluttered, OS X boasts the same power yet manages to look streamlined. Application compatibility is very good - many of the leading mainstream applications such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite are also available for the Mac. And, although fewer third-party devices work with Macs, the fact is that most of them do. Macs also boast 'real software' - the iLife suite is really very full-featured and knocks spots off the bundled Microsoft offering. But it's not all sweetness and light. While a like-for-like comparison of 'Mac versus PC' (where the specs are properly identical) shows that prices are actually not that different, the fact remains that you can't really get a cheap Mac. Yes, cheap PCs may be just that, with corners cut and less-than-ideal build quality, but they do at least exist - and in abundance.
In favour of Linux is that many distributions are free. Where people have been put off in the past by the need for greater technical knowledge, many distributions are pretty much as easy to install as Windows or Mac OS X - just a few clicks, and you're off. This is especially true of very friendly versions of Linux such as Ubuntu - it's fast and easy to install and comes with lots of software, usually enough for most basic users. Even better, it runs like a top on hardware that Windows Vista or Windows 7 would struggle to boot up on. Application availability leaves a lot to be desired, though - there's no Microsoft Office (although Open Office does a pretty good job, though cross-platform compatibility is not what is often claimed) and the open source alternatives to Adobe Creative Suite are functional but not leading edge.
So, for the home and small business user, there's something to be said for each of these and any choice would give you what you want, with possibly less of a bumpy road with either Windows or OS X.
Certainly, a set of low-cost Linux PCs, with most software in the cloud (such as Google Apps etc) represents a pretty compelling proposition for a small business - one that saves real cash.
But for a medium to large business, we find that the most compelling reason for Windows' dominance is not the fact that it's an operating system - more that it's an entire ecosystem.
Microsoft has the broadest range of network, database, server and enterprise management tools available - making it the sanest way to manage a large number of computers spread over multiple locations. By comparison, Mac OS X isn't even in the game (though there is a pretty good server edition, as you'd expect, since it's Unix). Linux fares much, much better - with excellent network support in many guises. Novell and Red Hat have excellent offerings for managing enterprise infrastructures. But the bottom line is that Microsoft is way ahead. Perhaps some elements of its solution may lag behind Linux, but as an overall proposition it's pretty much currently unbeatable.
And that lead will increase if Windows 7 is adopted - as quite a few of the most desirable features of Windows Server 2008 really need Windows 7 as a client. This will give many organisations the incentive to move from their proven Windows Server 2003/Windows XP infrastructure.
For example, the Windows Server 2008 R2/Windows 7 combination delivers:
- improved connectivity for remote users.
- more secure remote connectivity for public and private computers.
- better performance of applications and increased security over wide area networks.
- better virtualised desktop integration, using Remote App & Desktop (RAD)
- better fault tolerance between different sites, with Agile VPN.
Plus there's the cost of change. If you're a home or small business user, it's not that big a deal to swap out from Windows to Linux or OS X. There's not much at stake, the costs aren't that high and you'll have time to get accustomed to the change. Not so in business - where there will be a considerable investment in desktop PCs, servers, software (both on the desktop and on servers), third-party applications and so on.
You'd need a pretty good reason to swap to something that is going to cost you more, and potentially narrow your options.
