PC Magazine UK: Operating Systems [Review]

[ Thanks to Abdulhadi for this link.
]

“With the recent launch of Windows 2000 and the groundswell of
support for Linux as a desktop operating system, the questions of
how and when to upgrade are on many people’s minds. Your choice of
OS can dictate how you use your PC. The choice is affected as much
by ideology as by practicality–Microsoft’s business practices
colour many buyers’ choice. While Microsoft still dominates
Intel-compatible PC and server markets, alternatives are available
from the various distributions of Linux.”

“So should you stick with your existing setup or upgrade to a
newer OS? The arguments for each platform can be highly persuasive,
depending on your needs. Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows 2000
Professional are easy to use and install, and have the widest
choice of applications available for any computer platform. Linux
is free and you needn’t expect to pay more than £50
for a desktop OS. Where it starts to cost is in the time and effort
you’ll have to invest in configuring and maintaining your system,
and many users will still find the degree of technical knowledge
required intimidating. There’s more in our sidebars, ‘Installing
Linux’ and ‘Other Intel-compatible operating systems’. Although
Linux doesn’t offer the same user interface as Microsoft, it does
provide better reliability and customisability, and the range of
desktop applications is improving. You’re also not committed to one
window manager. Interfaces, such as KDE, Window Maker and the
GNOME, provide different features suited to different
users….”

“We’ve awarded our Editors’ Choice jointly to the three
Microsoft operating systems reviewed here–Windows 2000
Professional, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows NT Workstation
4.0. All three operating systems offer excellent ease of use and
application support. In many respects, they’re not as powerful
as Linux, but they do offer a better solution for the productivity
needs of most businesses.“

Complete
Story