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To: Jason Kalin


From: Jeremy Hebeda, Nicholas Barrios, Jacob Kanka
Subject: Feasibility Report
Date: March 15th 2015

This document is a feasibility report going over the three main operating systems currently in
use for general computing: Mac, Linux, and Windows.
This report will make a recommendation of one of the three operating systems for the general
computer user based on what they may wish to do with their computer.
The criteria that will be used to make this recommendation and compare the operating systems
are as follows:
Price
Usability/Accessibility
General Features
Specializations
Software Compatibility
Flaws/Limitations
Entertainment Options

OPERATING SYSTEMS:
WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU
CHOOSE?
Written by Jeremy Hebeda, Nick
Barrios, and Jacob Kanka

ABSTRACT:
Choosing an operating system for a new computer is a big decision which will impact how you
use your new computer and fundamentally change your experience with your new machine, for
better or worse depending on which OS you choose. The three major operating systems
currently in use are the Mac OS, Windows, and Linux. This report will, after examining several
criteria, will make a recommendation of these three operating systems for different kinds of use.
The criteria being used are price, accessibility, general features, specializations, software
compatibility, flaws and limitations, and entertainment options. After our research we have
found that all three operating systems are viable to different users for different reasons. Mac OS
tends to be more geared for artistic use, such as video editing, digital art, and music creation as
it has a library of Mac specific software that is both extremely powerful and relatively cheap to
acquire to explore these pursuits. Windows is a jack-of-all-trades OS with the largest set of
compatible software, best for general use, and can do just about anything. However, Windows
does not specialize in any area besides PC gaming. Linux is a cheap and very powerful, if
difficult to learn operating system that lends its strength well to programming. It has compatibility
issues with a large portion of 1st party software, but has a massive library of strong 3rd party
software that gets the job done well. Linux is recommended for those not interested in gaming
or artistic endeavours, and is well suited to general use if you are willing to get into the nitty
gritty.

Table of Contents
Feasibility Report
Introduction.5
Overview of Alternatives..5
Criteria5
Method6
Evaluation. 6
Ubuntu...6
Windows 7....7
Windows 8....12
Mac OSX Mavericks/Yosemite......14
Recommendations....17

Back Matter
Reference List...18

Figures
Windows 7 Desktop.8
Windows 7 Start Menu.8
Windows 7 File Explorer.....9
Windows 7 Version Comparison Chart...10
Windows 8 Start Menu..12
Windows 8 Apps Menu..13
Mac OSX Mavericks / Yosemite UI Comparison...15
OS Pricing Graph...17

Introduction
When purchasing or building your own personal computer one of the major decision one
must make is deciding what operating system will you install. Having an OS installed that does
not best suit your needs will lead to unnecessary stress, and time spent not working or being
entertained.
There are three viable options for the general consumer: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Each OS has benefits and flaws depending on what one is looking for in a PC.
To determine which OS is best suited for a general consumer we thoroughly studied, and
used, each OS. We found that Windows is best for PC gaming and general computer use, Mac
is geared towards more artistic endeavors, and Linux is most useful for programing and general
PC use if you have time to learn how to use it.

Overview of Alternatives
Mac OS X

Mac OS Mavericks
Mac OS Yosemite

Windows 7 Home Premium


Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows 8 Basic
Windows 8 Pro

Ubuntu 14.04

Windows

Linux

Criteria
The criteria we will be using to compare the operating systems are price, accessibility, general
features, specializations, software compatibility, flaws and limitations, and entertainment
options.
Price
How much the operating system costs to acquire.
Accessibility
How easy it is for beginners to grasp the OSs basic functions
General Features
This covers the general features that each OS offers, such as customization remote
connectivity.
Specializations

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What is the OS best at doing? (programming, video editing, etc.)
Software Compatibility
Which types of programs the OS can and cannot run.
Entertainment Options
The suite of media, video, and audio playback software pre-loaded on each OS, and
alternatives to the defaults.
Flaws/Limitations
Pitfalls users may need to watch out for, and any shortcomings the OS may have.

Method
The methods used to gather our information were combinations of theoretical research and both
first and second hand experience with each operating system. By visiting the websites of the
manufacturers of each operating system, user forums for each operating system, and electronic
and software market websites such as amazon and newegg, we compiled all of the information
a potential buyer would need to know with our own experiences with each operating system.

Evaluation
Ubuntu 14.04
Price
Ubuntu 14.04 is free. When downloading you can donate to the company as a whole, a specific
project within the company, or to charity.
Accessibility
Learning how to properly use Ubuntu can be challenging without any prior experience with linux
or Ubuntu. There are many guides on the internet that can help ease the learning experience.
Having a programing background helps because of the frequent use of the terminal. The simple
and minimalistic design of the user interface also helps alleviate confusion. System
requirements for the OS are as follows: 700 MHz processor, 512 MiB RAM, 5 GB drive space,
1024 x 768 display. Ubuntu is a 64 bit OS by default but there is a 32 bit version available.
General Features
Ubuntu offers all the general features one would expect from an operating system. Within the
base installation of Ubuntu you will find an internet browser, an email application, general office
applications (LibreOffice is a Microsoft Office replacement), among other standard features.
There is nothing missing from the standard and expected features. Ubuntu also offers an
extensive list of languages which the user can switch among at any point.

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Specializations
Ubuntu is a fantastic platform for programing because of the close relationship between general
use and the inner workings of the OS. It also serves as a good general use OS because of its
simplicity and extremely low system requirements
Software Compatibility
Almost all popular software is not compatible with Ubuntu. Most open source software is. There
is also a collection of compatible software is available in the Ubuntu Software Center. To run
Windows or Mac software you can install an emulator which is the most common workaround.
These workarounds do not always work though. Sometimes programs not designed for linux
simply won't run.
Entertainment Options
Some of the best media players are available for Ubuntu. For music Banshee is the most
popular application which is arguably better than iTunes. For mp4s VLC Media player is the best
application across all platforms and has a home in the Ubuntu experience.
Flaws/Limitations
The largest issue with Ubuntu is the lack of compatible software and the hoops you have to
jump through to get the programs to run. Another issue is the learning experience for OS. If
youre following a guide or watching videos explaining features of Ubuntu its quick and
painless. Though if you want to power through it, and learn on your own you will run into issues.

Windows 7 - 64 bit
Price
Buying a prebuilt system with this operating system installed will grant you the OS free of
charge. However should you wish to buy a license to install this OS on a new machine, or a
custom build of your own the cost will vary based on the version of Windows 7 you wish to
acquire.
Home premium - $99.99
Professional - $139.99
Ultimate - $189.99
Accessibility
Windows 7 is a fairly easy to learn due to the way the user interface is set up, along with its
easy to use click and go style of usage.

The above image is the desktop for Windows 7. It has space for folders, shortcuts to various
programs and files, and has a hot-bar on the bottom for easy access to the start menu, often
used, and in use programs and files.

This is the start menu for Windows 7. It allows for finding all of your programs and system
settings. Simply clicking through the tabs here, especially control panel and computer, can allow

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the user to quickly become acquainted with the various features and functions of this operating
system.

This is the file explorer for Windows 7. This allows the user to search through all of the files and
folders on the system. Its easy to use, and after some practice one can easily find any file or
folder on their system no matter where it may be.
Along with this helpful interface, there are countless tutorials online for any questions a user
may have.
General Features
Along with the interface above, each version of Windows 7 has ever expanding sets of
specialized features.
Home Premium - Basic Edition:
Supports 16 gb RAM
Homegroup/homenetwork file sharing allows users on the same network to share
files and work.
Remote desktop allows the user to connect to another machine over the internet
Professional Business Oriented:
Supports all of the features that appear in Home Premium
Supports 192gb RAM
Windows XP compatibility mode allows users to run software designed for older
versions of windows.
Remote business domain connectivity allows businesses and their employees to
connect to the company network and domain and complete work from anywhere.
Remote backup software built into this version allows users to backup personal
and company files to a different location.

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Ultimate - Do Everything:
Supports all of the features that appear in Professional
Supports 192gb RAM
Bitlocker encryption software allows the user to encrypt sensitive data on their
machine
Seamlessly switch between 35 different languages.

This graph is taken from Amazon, and gives a brief overview of some of the features that are
available in each version of Windows 7. Along with all of this, Windows has a moderate amount
of customization options built into it allowing for different backgrounds, color schemes, and
more.
Specializations
There is very little Windows cannot do. However, because of this Windows is a jack-of-all-trades
master-of-none OS. It can do just about anything, but only outperforms the competition when it
comes to PC gaming.

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Generally if a game can run on a computer, it will have a version up and running on windows
before it hits any other OS, have the least amount of compatibility problems, and it will generally
have the best performance on the Windows platform.
When it comes to artistic endeavours and programming, they can all be done on Windows, but
the software here will be much more expensive and not as strong as software used on operating
systems that specialize in these areas.
Because of all of this, Windows is a fantastic general use, business, and gaming platform.
Software Compatibility
If a program is built to run on a computer, it will most likely run on Windows. Windows has a
massive catalogue of compatible software, and there is very little software it cannot run, and
thanks to the compatibility modes featured in the Professional and Ultimate versions of
Windows 7, a large library of older software can be used as well. Along with this, if the user is
willing to put in some effort, programs from the DOS era can still be run on the latest versions of
Windows with some tweaking and emulating.
Unless a piece of software is built for a specific operating system and that operating system
only, it will most likely run on Windows.
Entertainment Options
Windows 7 comes with Windows Media Player installed for the user to watch videos and play
music with. However, this software is very barebones and not very well designed. It can be
easily replaced with much better software such as VLC media player and iTunes for free. You
can also pay for even higher quality software such as Cyberlink Power DVD for even better
video playback, and even allow your machine to play Blu-ray discs if your machine has a Bluray drive.
Flaws/Limitations
No software is without problems however, and Windows is no exception. Windows can have
slow boot times, and high resource consumption after patching and updates. Specialized
software for various endeavours (programing, 3d modelling, video editing, animation, etc.) can
be prohibitively expensive, and Microsoft tech support can be iffy at best.

Windows 8 - 64 bit

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Price
Buying a prebuilt system with this operating system installed will grant you the OS free of
charge. However should you wish to buy a license to install this OS on a new machine, or a
custom build of your own the cost will vary based on the version of Windows 8 you wish to
acquire.
Basic - $99.99
Pro - $139.99
Accessibility
Windows 8 is not as intuitive as Windows 7 mainly because of the changes to the interface. The
desktop and file explorer are nearly identical, but the start menu and program listing is
completely different.

This is the start menu in Windows 8. It is very different than the one for Windows 7, and many
users may find this new interface to be unintuitive and confusing. However, it does work very
well if your device has a touch screen enabled as the icons and shortcuts are reminiscent of
mobile devices.

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This is the new programs list. Again, its not the most intuitive thing in the world and feels a bit
uncomfortable to use with a mouse, but is actually easily managed on a touch device.

General Features
In terms of features, Windows 8 is basically exactly the same as Windows 7, with the only really
noticeable additions being the interface changes, and a built in app store similar to the ones
seen on Android and iOS. Its unobtrusive and has some interesting things that can be used if
desired, and ignored if not.
Basic:
Nearly identical features to Windows 7 Home Premium.
Pro:
Nearly identical features to WIndows 7 Professional/Ultimate
Specializations
Identical to Windows 7
Software Compatibility
Identical to Windows 7.

Entertainment Options

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Nearly identical to Windows 7, however Windows 8 does not come with the Windows Media
Center installed. It can be purchased, but with better alternatives such as VLC and iTunes, there
is really no reason to.
Flaws/Limitations
Nearly identical to Windows 7. However, the interface may be seen as a flaw to those who
prefer Windows 7s interface or do not have a touch screen.

Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks / 10.10 Yosemite


Price
Both Mavericks and Yosemite are free upgrades of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, which costs $20pocket change compared to Windows 7 and 8, but still not free like Ubuntu. However, if youre
running OS X, it almost certainly came preinstalled on your Mac, making the license fee
somewhat moot.
Accessibility
OS X is designed to be clean and intuitive. While many basic functions of OS X are shared with
Windows, such as File Explorer, it may be confusing for people who are used to using Windows
systems to jump into OS X.
10.10 Yosemite introduces a relatively drastic graphical overhaul to OS X, using flatter colors
and more transparent elements. The first picture below is OS X Mavericks, the second is
Yosemite. Notice that almost every graphical element has been simplified.

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General Features
The good news about OS X being exclusive to Mac computers is that Mac hardware is
specifically designed with OS X in mind, making OS X faster and more stable. Macs are also
known for their high-quality control hardware, such as multi-touch trackpads and touchscreens.

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OS X Yosemite also brings a large dose of mobile integration to the desktop. Users with both
Yosemite and a phone with iOS 8 can make use of Continuity to send calls and text messages
using your laptop or desktop.
Specializations
OS X gives users access to professional-quality video- and sound-editing software such as
Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, making OS X the traditional operating system of choice for artists
both professional and aspiring. The stability of OS X also ensures that you wont experience a
sudden crash while compiling a video.
Software Compatibility
Third party software is often developed primarily for Windows. However, most software these
days is made Mac-compatible as well- most popular software such as Google Chrome and VLC
Media Player are readily available on OS X.
If youre looking to play games on your computer, however, OS X might not be the best choice,
as there arent many games which are Mac native. While the number of OS X-compatible
games has been increasing, Windows should be considered for users who are more concerned
with gaming, so as to avoid worrying about compatibility.
Entertainment Options
OS X is the home of iTunes, which is perhaps the most popular media management program,
as well as Quicktime player, giving you a diverse array of software thats not only compatible,
but native. VLC Media player is compatible with OS X as well if you want it.
Flaws/Limitations
Yosemites slew of new features required changing some of OS Xs underlying architecture,
causing reports of networking and compatibility issues from some users. If you can do without
high-tech features like Continuity, or simply dont like the graphical overhaul that Yosemite
provides, it might be wise to stick with Mavericks, at least until Apple patches up some of
Yosemites glitches. For gamers, the lack of compatibility in many titles might be a deal-breaker
as well.

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Final Price Comparison

Recommendations
Each operating system has clear advantages and disadvantages. Our recommendations vary
based on the experience the user is looking for. We recommend Mac OS X for more artistically
focused users, Windows for general use and PC gaming, and Ubuntu for programing and a
balance between Windows and Mac OS X.

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Reference List
"Lifehacker - Tips and Downloads for Getting Things Done." Lifehacker. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar.
2015.
Mac vs PC - Difference and Comparison. Diffen. Diffen LLC, nd. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
"Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM."
Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More - Newegg.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
"Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-Bit - OEM."
Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More - Newegg.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
"Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-Bit - OEM."
Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More - Newegg.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder OEM DVD 1 Pack (New Packaging).
Amazon.com Online shipping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs &
more. Web. Mar. 2015
"Microsoft Windows 8.1 Basic 64-Bit - OEM."
Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More - Newegg.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
"Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-Bit - OEM."
Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More - Newegg.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
OS X Yosemite - Mac + iOS Continuity. Apple.com. Apple Inc. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
OS X Mavericks Vs. Yosemite - A UI Elements Comparison. Maketecheasier. Shujaa Imran.
Web. 15 Mar 2015.
Ubuntu. The Leading OS for PC, Tablet, Phone and Cloud. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.

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