It’s easy for some of us to look back fondly on the era of MS-DOS. In the distant past, a simple text command was all you needed to launch any favorite program. This command dealt with all of the inner functions that permitted the code to work. Essentially, you simply needed to type a command on a empty screen with a single cursor. The user-friendly operating system developed as a response to public demand to click on graphical icons. To the computer novice, this seems much easier than typing a text command. In reality, though, this change caused a whole new rash of problems to the computing experience.

Firstly, a graphical representation of your software uses system resources. While this may seem insignificant for most users, this is a massive obstacle if you plan on push your system to its full abilities. As more people began to purchase these operating systems, software developers began to include more capabilities that anticipate the user’s software applications. If the operating system were created with your favorite software in mind, this would make for a much smother computing experience. Unfortunately, many software designers attempted to anticipate every last conceivable application that any user anywhere might choose to try. All of this added capability slows your computer down much like having extra programs running.

Linux has always remained a successful option because it permits for setups that do very little. Many versions of Linux work in a minimalist fashion; you have to select programs and dependencies as you need them. While this might feel like a lot of work for the novice user at first, it’s awesome when you plan to use your machine to its fullest potential. Many experienced users prefer a streamlined operating system. However, if you are looking to jump head first into your favorite programs without much work, the resource heavy systems will support more of what you want to run.

Microsoft’s Windows Vista was arguably the perfect example of the excessively heavy operating system. Its services anticipated nearly anything a user could attempt to throw at it. Ironically, this led to an opposite inspiration for Windows 7. Windows 7 has a streamlined, resource light structure that can finally compete with the lightweight Linux.

Current trends in the tech world seem to be inspired by the desire to do more with less. There should be a future motivation to satisfy both of these interests. The latest operating system releases by all of the major players in the field seem to speak to this consumer demand. There will always be a need for a balance between compatibility and operating system resource use.

Luckily, we are lucky enough to have a robust market of operating system providers. Each generation of operating systems offers different advantages. There are reasons for using every modern operating system which depend heavily on their intended use. When deciding on your preferred operating system, you must carefully look into its compatibility with software that you intend to use. Each competitor aims to satisfy a specific market. You will likely be represented by at least one of the major releases at any time. Ask others that use the same software for advice on which operating system to install.

Geek Choice is a nationwide computer repair company that works hard to help consumers make good decisions about hardware and software. Slow computer performance could be the fault of spyware, malware, or viruses, or it could just be a matter of using the wrong operating system or hardware to meet your needs.