Purpose The first thing I wanted to do for this project was to determine how
the computer system I chose was going to be used. I wanted to purchase a
personal computer system, with monitor and printer that I could use to do
Web-based research. The research will be done out of my house. It will be
primarily based on comparing different start-up companies to determine
investments for the future. Since I determined that all my research was going to
be over the Internet, it was important to find a system that would be fast in
downloading different sites and capturing information. I will be running my new
system off a cable modem with Internet service provided by Time Warner¡¦s Road
Runner. This is important because it will determine some of the software I
choose for the new system. The Operating System Windows The first operating
system to be considered was, obviously, Windows. Windows 2000 is being launched
on February 17th. Windows 2000 is being called ¡§the next generation of business
computing¡¨. It was designed on Windows NT technology, which should make it more
reliable than Windows ¡¦95 or ¡¦98. Windows was designed to make it easier for
organizations to work with the Internet. It has Internet Explorer built-in to
provide users with a faster and more efficient Internet experience. It also has
support for DHTML and XML. This offers a powerful platform for the development
of highly scalable end-to-end e-commerce and line-of-business Web applications.
The reason I would like Windows 2000 rather than ¡¦98 is because it is geared
directly toward the Internet. Windows ¡¦98 would actually be more for a home
computer. It was developed for easy use and setup in the home. However, since I
will be using my PC strictly for Web research, I think 2000 would be the best
choice in the Windows environment.
Of course, the other Windows operating system to consider would be Windows
NT. Windows NT Workstation 4.0 integrates the Windows 95 interface. This
combines the ease of use of the Windows 95 operating system with the reliability
and security of Windows NT. It would enable me to work more easily and
efficiently, and still enjoy the same Windows user interface that I¡¦m used to
having. However, NT has the reputation of being a business, networking
environment, which is not something I will need for my system. OS/2 OS/2 is the
IBM operating system. OS/2 Warp Client supports OS/2, DOS, Java and most Windows
3.X applications. It supports multitasking and multithreading and has OS/2 Crash
Protection. One review I read stated that OS/2 ¡§falls short on gaming and
M/Media support (DVD)¡¨. However, they said it was the ultimate operating system
for the corporate desktop. It is said to be faster and more reliable than most
other operating systems. However, it has not been very compatible with different
applications, which is why it has not been more successful. Since I am very
concerned with the speed and performance of my operating system, this was
definitely on my list. In all the review I read, it was rated more stable and
had a higher performance rating than Windows. It also handles Java, which has
been a problem with the Microsoft systems.
Linux Linux is a free, Unix-like Operating System (fundamental software) that
is developed by a loosely knit team of talented programmers working from all
over the world.Linux works on almost every kind of computer, and provides a
robust platform for a wide variety of applications. One of the features that
made Linux so popular is that it gives the user complete control over the
system. The GUI interface lets the user create the look and feel of their
desktop. Linux has two of the most widely used desktop environments, GNOME and
KDE. GNOME stands for the GNU Network Object Model Environment. The goal of
GNOME is to make available an easy-to-use, yet advanced desktop environment that
both beginners and experts can use to their advantage. Several programs are
available which use GNOME's framework and structure to function, which in turn
makes something common for many different applications. KDE, the K Desktop
Environment, on the other hand, focuses more on ease of use and graphics. KDE
better resembles Microsoft Windows, which many new users are using before
switching over to Linux. The thing I liked the most about Linux is that it is
free. I was not able to find as many reviews about this operating system, so I
would not feel confident enough to put it on my PC.
