Mis Group Paper Operating Systems[1]

Operating Systems 8and found that Windows is a better fit for their business requirements. The company is not atliberty to share a lot of information with the public, so they were pretty vague on what theirbusiness requirements are. In short, they meant that the applications and programs Windowsoffers are better suited for their business needs than Mac OS.Passage Productions, a film, video, and broadcast production company in San Diego, usesa combination of Mac and Windows computers. Just like Cox Communications, they use bothoperating systems due to the usage of many programs and applications for film editing, bannerad design, website media, flash media, and many other services. The reason they choose to useboth operating systems is because they both offer different programs needed to run theirbusiness. For instance, most of their work station computers run off of Mac OS because Applecomputers offer more programs with film editing, media control, and web design. They also usemostly Mac computers because you can “quickly preview different documents, search incrediblyfast [for documents and information on your computer], get data you need very quickly, and‘plug and play’.” (Passage Productions) In addition, Mac uses a 64-bit platform and most oftheir platforms use 64-bits. However, Passage Production’s Central Media Server is Windowsbased. The reason for this is because they use it for graphics and 3-D design. They find thatWindows is more useful in these areas, which is another reason why they use both operatingsystems. Furthermore, they use both because not all of the programs they use are compatiblewith both a Mac and PC. They do use a lot of Adobe programs, which are cross compatiblebetween Mac OS and Windows OS, which they find very useful. Passage Productions justpurchased a new laptop PC which came installed with Windows 7. So far, the company has beenexperiencing many difficulties in getting the new Operating System to connect with their serverand sync with their existing computers. They believe they will be able to figure out the issues

Operating Systems 9and get the computer to sync with their other computers, but for now it is a hassle, which is oneof the reasons they find Mac OS to be easier to use, because you can simply “plug and play.” Inother words, with Mac OS, when you hook something up to the computers, it automatically findsthe software or technology and easily syncs with the computer. Passage Production alsomentioned that although they find Mac OS to be much more user-friendly, dependable, andcompatible with their daily use, they are much more costly.What Businesses WantIt comes down to the fact that companies use different programs and applications foroperating and maintaining their companies. Since Mac OS and Windows OS each offer differentapplications and programs, companies must choose which is more compatible with what they arelooking for. In making that decision, cost, ease-of-use, and reliability all seem to be majorfactors in a company’s decision to invest in their chose of an operating system.Trends of Operating SystemsOperating systems are what make the hardware usable, and if it wasn’t for theincreasing technology, we couldn’t improve the systems we have today. Since the 1940’s, whenoperating systems evolved, they were very basic in terms of reliability and operation. It wasthrough a number of mechanical switches where programs were often entered one bit at a time. Itwasn’t until the 1950’s when machine languages were used to speed up the programmingprocess, although only one person could use the system at a time (Moumina 4). It was during thistime that users of computers used these tools to create programs, in which to run applications, torun basic programs that would make difficult tasks simpler to do. Today we use operatingsystems to organize, transfer, compute, and develop: hardware, software, inputs, and through this

Operating Systems 10it makes tasks simpler to do. Throughout the history of computers, trends in the operatingsystems have continually evolved as the needs of the users and the capabilities of the computersystems have changed.In the beginning, one of the first operating systems made, was designed for and byGeneral Motors Research Laboratories in the mid 1950’s. They developed this by computing thegroupings of jobs and putting them into a single process unit. It was through this that they couldseparate job specifications under one usable unit. This was also known as job control language(JCL). It allowed the user to follow data or programs, know what programming language isbeing used, when the job will be finished, overall progress, etc. It was during this time thatmanufacturing companies that used batch processing systems greatly benefited from usingcomputer systems. Users of these systems seemed highly pleased because overall it improved theefficiency of their business.It wasn’t until the 1960’s that businesses started becoming more competitive withcomputer technology which meant that efficiency was important. It was throughmultiprogramming that several jobs could all be running at one time and computers startedbecoming more in depth, which included disk drives, printers, etc. This meant that the operatingsystems could have one job running while having another on idle, therefore creatingmultiprogramming (Moumina 13). It optimized computer utilization to that decade’s currenttechnology. It was through the needs of large corporations and businesses that led to the nextgeneration of operating systems.With growing trends in mainframe computers, systems implementation language becamemore difficult to develop. In the 1970’s one of the most notable operating systems developed was

Operating Systems 11UNIX. It was the first system developed under a higher level language than assembly language.Making it portable, it could be implemented on any computer system. Because of how complexthis new system was, it was directly introduced to academic universities and researchlaboratories. It was this trend that lead to more innovative ideas that were made by Macintoshand Windows. But many computer enthusiasts preferred smaller decentralized systems becauseof the accessibility and flexibility (Bergin 17). It wasn’t until the 1980’s that we could seedistributed processing and client-server processing (Moumina 26). This brought PCs to a wholenew level. It was IBM’s development process that brought personal computers to the market. Inturn, developing software for these computers was around the corner. Microsoft launched theirfirst complete operating system known as Microsoft DOS, also known as Microsoft DiskOperating System. The only downfall on the new operating system was that it was difficult touse. Many users had to type in the correct demands and the slightest mistake could lead to amalfunction (Moumina 30).What led to the computer era as we know today was the microprocessor, which elevatedthe technology for personal computers. Instead of only programmers and professional usersaccessing and using these operating systems, it allowed for households to plug in a computer,with a screen, keyboard, and mouse. It also enabled programmers, hobbyists, engineers,developers, even hackers, to create better hardware to improve speed, sound, and versatility. Thischip made the whole system much more resourceful and less expensive as these chips could bemade faster and cheaper as the years went by.Operating systems have evolved over time from command line based systems to systemswith a Graphical User Interface or GUI. The graphical interface uses a keyboard and mouse to dothe similar commands. Therefore most operating systems today use graphical user interface.

Operating Systems 12Many of these older systems such as Windows 2000, Windows 98, and Windows 95, are notbeing supported by Microsoft. Since then all operating systems have been multi-processingoperating systems. In other words, this allows for multiple users to share the computer, withseparate logins, preferences, documents, and storage spaces. Several years later, trendsdeveloped into a graphical user interface. This meant that a user could follow a cursor on thescreen using a pointed mouse to follow their commands. The first version of Microsoft 1.0 wasreleased in October of 1985. It was estimated that the program containing 10,000 instructionshad taken eighty programmers years to complete (Moumina 32). The operating system at thistime was very sluggish, therefore making the next generation of microprocessors to handle suchinstruction. With Information Technology increasing and changing rapidly, versions of 95, 2000,XP, Vista and Window’s 7 were developed.It is illustrated in the table on the next page that Microsoft dominates the market byaccounting for 90% of computers running off of their Operating System. The table even breaksdown Microsoft’s various versions such as Windows 7, Vista, 2003, etc. However, as seen in thelast three years, both Linux and Macintosh are slowing growing, and taking up a larger portion ofthe market. Both Operating Systems have the potential to grow and become more apparent inbusiness and homes as people become more familiar with these Operating Systems and whatthey have to offer.

Operating Systems 13(table obtained from http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers os.asp)The trends over time that occurred between these popular systems were based onavailability, control, visual, and the ease of use. Windows Vista has been a popular system forthe use of business professionals and avid users of Window’s applications and software’s.Windows 7 was developed with a personal user in mind. With extravagant visual aids, ease ofuse, and increase in virus protection. One of the main reasons for the development of Window’s7 version was the problems with Windows Vista. Many controls were difficult to use,

Operating Systems 14applications were sometimes difficult to download to the interface and many versions ofdownloadable content were not compatible with Windows Vista. Windows 7 is the newgeneration in operating systems.Given the new generation of operating systems, it is clear that the main goal of Microsoftand Macintosh (Apple), the top two players in the industry, are to make their respectiveoperating systems user friendly, or “User-Centric.” Microsoft Corporation with their newWindows 7 operating system is looking to raise the bar and set the new standard in the industry.Having already dominated the operating system market, in both the business and personalcomputing spectrums, Microsoft is finally starting to feel the pinch of competition in personalcomputing from their main rival, Apple.The slow movement of personal computer users fromWindows to Apple is forcing Microsoft to make changes to their operating systems in the areasof appearance, performance and functionality, as well as security. Apple on the other hand islooking to continue to scoop up market share in the personal computing industry with theircomputers featuring the Mac OS operating system. Apple is also looking to take a chunk out ofthe business computing market by offering an array of performance and security features whichare attractive to businesses. Lastly, both companies are looking to impact emerging marketsthroughout the world to further strengthen their power and control in the industry in the comingdecades.Taking a closer look at the newest versions of Microsoft’s Windows it is obvious thegoals of the company are to adjust and accommodate the needs of users. Windows XP, releasedin 2001, has control of nearly 90% of the entire operating system market. Any individual whohas used a computer has likely dealt with the Windows XP operating system. Even thoughWindows XP controls most of the market, it lacks the graphical appeal and bulletproof security

Operating Systems 15of the operating systems offered by Macintosh. Microsoft made an initial attempt to provide itsusers with a visually appealing and safe operating system with the development of WindowsVista. However, users achieved these graphical and security upgrades at the sacrifice ofperformance. Vista users were vocal about their distaste for vista, “Windows XP benchmarks(and feels faster) with everything I use. Vista is just -slow- and has a gigantic footprint. Mindyou, as a developer, I know things grow with features, but exponential growth for lackluster‘linear’ features leads to something that can barely handle audio/video playback that XP hashandled just fine. And that doesn't mention the lack of compatibility with everything I've hadwith Vista. XP's time is not over" (PCWorld). Microsoft took these opinions to heart andquickly took steps to develop a new operating system that would act like a band-aid to theproblems Vista developed. This new operating system is named Windows 7.Windows 7 offers its users the graphical eye-candy they were looking for and provides aspeedier and more efficient operation. Windows 7 start up is faster than Vista, is just as pleasingto the eye, and runs security applications behind the scenes. Some driver issues still existhowever, causing users to be upset that their peripherals don’t work right out of the box. Thetrend of users is somewhat alarming from the perspective of Microsoft. There have been reportsfrom various websites that users are actually downgrading away from Windows 7, not just toVista but to Windows XP. It is difficult to say if Microsoft hit the mark with the newest versionsof its popular operating systems. Market analysis shows that increasing numbers of computerusers are making the switch to Macintosh.Macintosh, and its Mac OS operating system, has seen increased market share from homeusers over the past decade. Mac has preached safety and security for its users while providing asmooth and functional user interface. The greatest feature with Mac computers is the notion that

Operating Systems 16everything having to do with the Mac operating system will work right out of the box. It is plainand simple, users just need to plug the device in and it goes right to work for them. Thisfunctionality, which Windows cannot offer, makes the operating system extremely user friendly.Microsoft has made leaps and bounds to try to compete with the “out of the box” functionalitybut has yet to hit the mark. A report from wired.com in 2008 stated, “Specifically, the firm saidit expects Apple to more than double its PC market share in the U.S. and Western Europe by2011. With the company’s current share hovering around 6 percent — a number itself that hasdoubled in the last three years — that means Apple would have a 12 percent PC market share inthe U.S. by 2011.” (Wired.com) This expectation may be correct given the fact that Mac marketshare has increased to just fewer than 10% in Q3 of 2009.AnalysisIn order to asses and analyze the competitive strength and position of a business,organization, or firm we need to analyze Porter’s Five Forces (businessballs.com). Porter’s fiveforces includes; power of suppliers, power of buyers, threat of substitutes, barriers to entry, andrivalry.

Operating Systems 17Bargaining power of suppliersBargaining power of suppliers is the amount of power suppliers have over the market.With operating systems, the main suppliers are Microsoft and Macintosh. Both companies havecontrol over what operating systems run on their machines. Microsoft offers Windows which isonly compatible with PC systems. Macintosh and their MAC OS operating system are onlyoffered for Apple computers. The two companies are not cross-compatible. Both companieshave nearly full control of what hardware, peripherals, and programs are capable of running onthe operating system.Bargaining power of buyersBargaining power of buyers is broken down into two categories: personal users andbusiness users. Personal users have a strong amount of bargaining power over a time period ofseveral years because of the necessity to buy a new computer. Buyers who want to changeoperating systems would most likely have to purchase a new computer. Therefore they arerestricted to using one of the two choices.Microsoft dominates the business side of the operating system market controlling over90% of the business market ( ). Business users have considerable less bargaining power thanpersonal users because of the inability to transfer away from Microsoft Windows to Macintosh.It is very difficult for businesses to transfer their applications that are used in day-to-day businessuse from one operating systems to another due to the fact that these systems are notinterchangeable.

Operating Systems 18Threat of Substitute ProductsA threat of substitutes exists if there are alternative products that are lower in price andperform equally or better for the same purpose. In this case the threat of substitutes is lowbecause there are very few substitute products that perform the same function.Linux, for example, is a free operating system that can run on both PC and Machardware. Even though the price is lower, it does not provide that same functions that Microsoftand Macintosh provide. Therefore, it is not a threat to either company.Threat of New EntrantsThere are really no threats of new entrants in the operating system industry. It doesn’tmake sense for a company to try and enter a market that is nearly monopolized.Rivalry Within the IndustryRivalry among Macintosh and PC is intense. New hardware is continuously updated,however operating systems take years to construct. Therefore operating systems must beconstantly updated and altered to maintain compatibility.Apple makes their rivalry with Microsoft very public through their televisioncommercials. In each commercial they stress how their Operating Systems are better thanMicrosoft Windows. Apple stresses how their Mac OS are more reliable and don’t have issueslike Windows. In response , Windows was forced to quickly come out with a new upgraded OS(Windows 7). Windows 7 was created in response to PC users complaining about the lack offunctionality and cumbersomeness of Windows Vista.There are usually a few years inbetween the release of new Operating Systems. However, Windows Vista was just released in

Operating Systems 19February of 2008 and Windows 7 came out in October of 2009. Before that, the most recentsystem (Windows XP) was released back in October of 2001. It is obvious that Microsoft wasforced to make the quick release in hopes that consumers could overlook the mistake of releasingWindows Vista and feel confident once again with a smoothly working Operating System whenupgrading to Windows

(computer.howstuffworks.com). The system controls every task a computer acquires and manages system resources. There are generally four types of operating systems. The real time operating system is used to control machinery, scientific in