It is in noting the distinctions that I understand the differences.
The first distinction, for most personal computer users, is one of hardware and software: Microsoft Windows or Macintosh, IBM-style or Apple. Is the computer one that runs Microsoft Windows or Mac OS (operating system)? Fundamentally, is it one made of nonproprietary components, capable of running multiple operating systems (i.e. DOS, Windows, Linux, and Solaris)? Is the system designed specifically to operate the hardware vendor’s operating system, Mac OS, an operating system that, interestingly, is based on the open source Linux operating system?
While both computer designs can function well for the fundamental office and home tasks: word processing, calculation of numeric columns, keeping database of customer and friends’ names. However, one of the first distinctions that most users learn is that not all data created on one computer system can be easily transferred to another system.
It is not unexpected, by the technically-trainer experts, that data on different computer systems may not be interchangeable; however, to the less-skilled user, this may seem unexpected. After all, both pieces of equipment are computers. Two cars of different manufacture probably use the same fuel, both transport equally well, so why not expect similar simplicity from two computers?
Part of the reason that the automotive and information technology products may be ill suited for comparison is the relative development period of the two. Automobiles have been consumer products for a century; digital computers have been available for only two decades.
Even more so, most consumers have thousands of hours of practice driving cars in all seasons and many diverse road conditions, but under generally controlled and similar situations. After a few hundred hours’ practice, all roads begin to look alike to a driver. On the other hand, computer software applications often appear substantially different, to the end user. The only similarity shared by a database, spreadsheet, and word processing application is the keyboard—as far as most users can tell.
Many of the distinctions and technical details of personal computer systems become apparent only after years of near-daily use and exposure to many different computer systems and software applications. Even so, after exposure to diverse software applications (i.e. word processing, spreadsheets, databases, email, and web browsing), most users still do not understand the fundamental differences that make an Apple Mac OS system different than one running Microsoft Windows—or Linux.
The operating system, whether Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Linux—an open source product created by a generous community of volunteer software programmers—determines which software applications will efficiently operate on the example system.
Even more confusing, both to technical experts and the general population of digital users, is the overlap amongst the alternative operating systems: Mac OS is actually Linux; Mac OS can emulate Microsoft Windows, using an operating environment called SoftPC; Linux can run most software programs written for Microsoft Windows by using a free program, called Wine: Windows Emulator. Speaking of free, Linux is—totally free.
Although we may find commercial releases of Linux on retail shelves, these are actually neatly packaged copies of Linux that are also available for free, as digital downloads from the vendors’ websites. The downloadable versions can often be customized and may include additional applications, both business and entertainment, than the packaged retail versions. The benefit of the retail version is that some period, usually 90 days, of technical support is included. Even that is not an issue for technically adept users who recognize that more detailed, higher quality, support is available free through tens of thousands of websites dedicated to supporting Linux users.
