Pos 355 Final

Although Windows dominates over 95% of the client market, there is still one company which has kept Microsoft up at night - Apple. A debate has always raged between these two companies, and their followers, as to which Operating System is the world's premier. This paper looks that debate directly in the eye, and the results may surprise.

To begin, we will analyze Microsoft's latest production Operating System, Windows XP. Then we will investigate XP's stiffest competition, Apple OS 10.4.2. Once both Operating Systems's have been fleshed out, they will be compared side-by-side, and the reader can make an opinion as to which is true the industry leader. Let's begin with XP Professional.

Why Windows XP Professional? As of 2005, Windows XP is the current client version of the Microsoft Windows operating system. Codenamed "Whistler" during its development, it was made publicly available on October 25, 2001. The most common editions of the operating system are Windows XP Home Edition, which is targeted at home users, and Windows XP Professional, which has additional features and is targeted at power users and business clients. Windows Media Center Edition was released soon afterward and basically consisted of Windows XP Professional with a new Media Center application which gave users an out-of-the-box solution to recording TV shows directly from a TV connection instead of requiring additional software to be purchased.

The "XP" designation originates from the word "Experience". Windows XP is expected to be succeeded by Windows Vista sometime in the summer of 2006.

Windows XP brought to the consumer line of Windows many features previously available only in the server- and workstation-oriented Windows NT and Windows 2000 families, such as greater stability and efficiency due to its pure 32-bit kernel, instead of the hybrid 16-bit/32-bit kernel in prior consumer versions of Windows. It offers more efficient software management to avoid the "DLL hell" that plagued older consumer versions of Windows.

Windows XP brings an overhaul of the graphical user interface (GUI) that Microsoft promotes as more user-friendly than previous versions of Windows. Windows XP is also the first consumer version of Windows to use product activation to combat software piracy, and this restriction did not sit well with some users and privacy advocates.

As of July 2005, there have been two service packs released to deliver updates and address problems with Windows XP, particularly the many high profile security issues. Spyware and adware continue to be a problem as Windows XP has matured, although Microsoft has recently released a free spyware tool that offers protection against Trojan horses and other malicious software.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is rumored to be in development at the moment, as the Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) currently refers to the service pack in keywords at the bottom of some of the new KB articles. The two major editions are Windows XP Home Edition, designed for home users, and Windows XP Professional, designed for business and power-users.

These are prominent differences between the two editions:

Windows XP Home Edition cannot become part of a Windows Server domain, a group of computers which are remotely managed by one or more central servers. Most businesses that use Windows have a Windows Server and a domain.

Windows XP Home Edition uses by default a simplified access control scheme which doesn't allow specific permissions on files to be granted to specific users under normal circumstances.

These features are present in Windows XP Professional but absent in Windows XP Home.

Remote Desktop, software which lets users operate one PC while using another. The remotely controlled PC can be accessed via a network or over the Internet.

Offline Files and Folders allows a PC to automatically store a copy of files from another networked computer and work with these files while disconnected from the network.

Encrypting File System encrypts files stored on the computer's hard drive so they cannot be read by another user, even with physical access to the storage medium.

Symmetric multiprocessing, the ability to divide work between multiple processors (CPUs). Windows XP Professional supports up to two CPUs. Windows XP Home Edition does however support the Hyper-threading functionality present on some Intel microprocessors.

Centralized administration features, including Group Policies, Automatic Software Installation and Maintenance, Roaming User Profiles, and Remote Installation Service (RIS).

Now that XP has been unveiled, what does Apple offer? Apple Operating Systems are unique for several reasons. It is critical to cover a brief background to understand how Apple developed its operating systems and the mentality behind the code. However, Apple's operating systems have also seen several milestone developments which cannot be ignored.

To begin, Apple has been credited for developing one of the first Operating Systems and personal computers. In 1976, the first home built computer - Apple I, was made available to the consumer market. At first, home computers were deemed a 'hobby' and would never be taken seriously. But by 1983, the Apple IIe's were flooding the computer market. This drove the first Macintosh, and one of the first full GUI interfaces and a 'windows' type environment. In 1984 the computing world was poised to become all Apple.

However, Apple would make a fatal mistake. And ardent Apple followers still accuse Bill Gates of Microsoft of stealing several key operating and GUI concepts which crippled Apple's market share. Windows began to emerge just as the IBM clone market exploded, this would change computing history forever. Apple did sue Microsoft, and was awarded a settlement from Microsoft in 1986. Never-the-less, the damage was already done.

From this lawsuit, Apple developed an extremely proprietary and protective mind-set. While the computer industry began using open source ideas, and competition thrived, Apple would remain completely closed door. All hardware and software was developed, tested and marketed from completely in-house talent. All Apple patents and ideas were guarded with teams of lawyers. This made their products more expensive, and kept Apple behind the curve of technology. Apple struggled for years to remain in the computer market, constantly releasing new Operating Systems and computers.

By the late 1990's, Apple was operating the PowerMac 5500 series, and the new iMac computers. OS 9.2.2 was reputably more stable than Windows 98, and had several user friendly concepts. Apple's reputation