Eric
Windows has a very wide range of applications, many of which can be downloaded and run for free. Windows is the program that manages all the other programs, kind of like your manager at work. Your manager gives out assignments, allocates resources to projects he thinks are worthwhile, and checks up on your activities.
MacOS is the operating system for Apple computers. Unfortunately, it isn't as popular as Windows, so you won't find as many applications for it like windows. The MacOS may have fewer programs, but very stable and few viruses. MAC OS X is built on a unix variety call BSD. In fact now MAC is a unix system and apple has developed the interface on top BSD. Since the early stages apple has modified the unix core to suite its requirements.
UNIX is an operating system. The operating system is the master controller of the computer; it holds together all the components of the system, including the administrators, programmers, and users. The UNIX operating system comprises three parts: The kernel, the standard utility programs, and the system configuration files. There have been some efforts to make Unix work on PC's, but for the most part it remains the domain of large business systems.
Linux is the most popular attempt to create a Unix-like operating system for personal computers. Until recently, Linux also had all of the limitations of Unix, with the sole benefit that you could run it on an Intel based PC. This one benefit has created an environment where pretty much anybody can write software for it, and they have. Linux has a reputation as a very efficient and fast-performing system. Although Linux is popular among users already familiar with Unix, it remains far behind Windows in numbers of users.
The primary unique characteristic of mainframes is that they are multi-component systems, and each component tended to have its own processor. This differs from a desktop system because in that environment a single processor does all the thinking for...
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