Operating system comparison: What are the advantages and disadvantages of Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS?

Opinions often differ when it comes to the question of the right operating system for your computer. But what advantages and disadvantages do the three most popular operating systems Windows, macOS and Linux offer and who is Google’s ChromeOS suitable for?

Windows is the market leader

The three most popular operating systems worldwide are currently Microsoft Windows, Apple’s macOS and Linux. According to statistics from Statista, according to which the market share of Windows operating systems was over 95 percent in January 2009, the two alternative operating systems Linux and macOS have since then significantly increased their market share. At the moment, Windows still dominates the market with almost 70 percent (as of July 2023), while macOS has around 20 percent and Linux has around three percent of the global market share.

Windows offers gamers great advantages

According to connect-living.de, a big advantage of the Windows operating system is that the operating system works easily with other hardware and other peripheral devices such as keyboards and monitors. Windows is particularly popular among gamers because the operating system has great compatibility with most new games. In terms of price, Windows devices are usually significantly lower than macOS-powered devices.

According to connect-living.de, the disadvantages of the operating system are, on the one hand, the security of the operating system, as the systems are more susceptible to malware and Trojans. On the other hand, another disadvantage is that the system becomes noticeably slower as the amount of data increases, which makes regular data cleaning a mandatory task for most users.

macOS has high security standards

A big difference with Windows is that macOS can only be used on official Apple devices. According to connect-living.de, the high security standards and good support are reasons for Apple’s popularity. According to security software company Kaspersky, “there is actually less malware targeting Mac OS X than malware targeting Windows.” However, that doesn’t mean that Macs are absolutely safer; according to estimates, many Mac OS X users are also affected by Trojans.

In addition, the particularly user-friendly design is seen as a plus point. The ease of connecting and collaborating with other Mac devices is also a selling point. Especially for users who also own other Apple devices, it is a good idea to also choose an Apple product when purchasing another device.

According to connect-living.de, the disadvantages are that Mac users have significantly fewer programs available to them than users of other operating systems. When it comes to gaming, macOS is also left behind because only a few games are designed for the Apple operating system. In addition, Mac devices are significantly more expensive than devices with other operating systems.

Linux offers free download

In contrast to the other two operating systems, Linux is designed as an open source platform, which means that in principle any user can further develop the program. According to connect-living.de, a big advantage of the operating system is that the operating system can usually be downloaded free of charge; users only need a standard PC or notebook. A major advantage of the system is also high security standards. The operating system is particularly popular with developers because all settings can be individually configured.

The user interface is usually much more complicated than with other operating systems. This also makes the system suitable for fewer gamers, as only a few games run on the system. In addition, the selection of programs is smaller than with Windows and there can be difficulties connecting hardware such as printers and headsets.

ChromeOS

Another operating system that is gaining popularity is ChromeOS from Google. The Linux-based operating system is cloud-based and is commonly used on Google-owned Chromebooks, although it can also be used on other devices, Windowspower reports. One advantage of ChromeOS is that the system is cloud-based. This means that the programs used can mostly be used online and do not have to be downloaded first, which means that the devices do not require a lot of storage space. For those who already use many of the Google services such as Gmail and Google Photos, a ChromeOS-powered device is a good addition.

Editorial team finanzen.net

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