What are the fundamental differences between Windows®, Mac OS®, UNIX, and Linux operating systems for personal computers? What unique characteristics do mainframe operating systems have?
2007-02-08 17:42:16 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
Even i would like to know.
2007-02-08 17:46:50 · answer #1 · answered by vanpandy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mac was the "first" commercially available graphical user interface (GUI). Windows is based on DOS and is very similar to MAC. MAC and Windows both use an "event driven architecture". You click the mouse and that is an even. Unix and Linux are pretty much the same thing. Linux is a ripoff of Unix in the same way that Windows is a ripoff of Mac. Unix and Linux are much like "DOS" which Windows grew up from. You *can* get GUI "shells" that make Unix/Linux look like Mac/Windows but they are "extra" features, whereas with Mac/Windows the GUI is the standard interface. Hope that makes sense.
Mainframe operating systems are pretty much like Unix, Linux and DOS. Let's not forget the Apple II and Commodore Vic20 while we are talking about dinosaurs LOL. These types of systems are primarily procedure driven whereas Mac and Windows are primarily event driven. This distention has blurred significantly in recent years but that is the best explanation I can give you.
2007-02-08 18:07:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
windows Mac OS are licensed programs.
You cannot break/change the code.
UNIX LinUx OS are open source and is
updated constantly. Called open source OS..
2007-02-08 17:51:43 · answer #3 · answered by essbebe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋