1. HWINTRO1 OPERATING INSTALLING AN OPERATING SYSTEM

2. UBUNTU 10.10 MAVERICK MEERKAT Ubuntu is an entirely open source operating system built around the Linux Kernel. The Ubuntu community is built around the ideals enshrined in the Ubuntu Philosophy: that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customise and alter their software in whatever way they see fit. Based on Debian, one of the most widely acclaimed technologically advanced and well-supported distributions; Ubuntu aims to create a distribution that provides an up-to-date and coherent Linux system for desktop and server computing. Ubuntu includes a number of carefully selected packages from the Debian Distribution and retains its powerful package management systems which allow easy installation and clean removal of programs.

3. Unlike most distributions that may or may not be of use, Ubuntu’s list of packages is reduced to a number of important applications of high quality. By focusing on quality, Ubuntu produces a robust and feature-rich computing environment that is suitable for use in both home and commercial environments. Ubuntu is available in 32-bit and 64-bit flavours and will run on most modern computers. It is also available for the Sun UltraSPARC and Amazon EC2 architectures.

4. PC SYSTEM INFORMATION

5. OS MAIN PAGE

6. PC PERFORMANCE AND FEATURES  OpenOffice.org Word Processor  OpenOffice.org Spreadsheet  Rhythm Box Music Player  Movie Player

7. POWER CONSUMPTION ACTIVITYPOWER CONSUMPTION (Watts) Notes OFF7 MAX BOOT56 IDLE48 USING WORD PROCESSING 56Using OpenOffice.org Word Processor USING SPREADSHEET56Using OpenOffice.org Spreadsheet PLAYING GOOD MUSIC56Rhythm Music Player PLAYING A VIDEO56Video Player DOWNLOADING ROCKY & BULLWINKLE 56From www.joost.com

8. SUMMARY UBUNTU 10.10 WINDOWS 7 Home Premium MAC OSX Snow Leopard Boot Time 18.7 seconds 34.7 seconds 16.3 seconds Installation Experience Advantages: Booting from the CD/DVD drive works like a charm and presents and attractive selection to either try Ubuntu, or simply Install Ubuntu. Booting from the CD/DVD drive works like a charm and presents and attractive selection to either try Ubuntu, or simply Install Ubuntu. The added advantage to trying Ubuntu is that you get to have a useful, operational Operating System while you are installing it to your hard drive. The added advantage to trying Ubuntu is that you get to have a useful, operational Operating System while you are installing it to your hard drive.Advantages: The Windows 7 Installer is extremely easy to use for a basic installation. Booting from the installation disc works exactly like expected, and loads the Windows 7 installer. From this installer, you simply walk through the Wizard and let the system go The Windows 7 Installer is extremely easy to use for a basic installation. Booting from the installation disc works exactly like expected, and loads the Windows 7 installer. From this installer, you simply walk through the Wizard and let the system go Advantages: Booting a Mac to the installation media is very simple. Start the Mac, put in the disk, and press enter when it shows up. You will then have to wait a while to load the installation software. Booting a Mac to the installation media is very simple. Start the Mac, put in the disk, and press enter when it shows up. You will then have to wait a while to load the installation software.

9. UBUNTU 10.10 WINDOWS 7 Home Premium MAC OSX Snow Leopard Installation Experience (cont.) Disadvantages: Ubuntu Installer presents options for adding the Adobe Flash player and MP3 music playback as installable options, instead of defaulted options. Ubuntu Installer presents options for adding the Adobe Flash player and MP3 music playback as installable options, instead of defaulted options.Disadvantages: Compared to the Ubuntu Installer is that until the system is installed, you cannot actually use the computer as a computer. Compared to the Ubuntu Installer is that until the system is installed, you cannot actually use the computer as a computer.Disadvantages: Has more barriers to entry for the bare installation Has more barriers to entry for the bare installation Application Installation Almost all the software you’ll ever need is accesible from Ubuntu’s included Software Center. You can install, remove and search for applications to install  Most Windows software is easy to install. Physical media is usually insert the disc, and click next a bunch of times  With the most software available for Windows, you’ll be hard pressed to not find software. The downside, you need to find it yourself.  With no real installation for most applications, it’s a simple matter of dragging the application icon to your Applications directory in Finder. Easy to add and remove software this way.

10. UBUNTU 10.10 WINDOWS 7 Home Premium MAC OSX Snow Leopard System and Security Updates  The benefit of the Software Center means that when your application has a security or general update, you get it! You don’t need to search through the internet for updates, or launch each application and then install the update after it tells you it’s available. Cleanest, easiest update system around.  Windows 7 is one of the most secure Operating Systems Microsoft have released. The problem is less that Windows isn’t secure, and more that there is so many Windows Users out there, the bad guys target those systems  Security Updates, for the most part, are released one a schedule every month, unless a major security flaw is found. When such a flaw is found, it may still take a few days for Microsoft to fix, leaving your system open to attack.  Apple does an OK job of releasing security updates, but they are usually released in large patches instead of as they become available.  Apple’s Software Update application updates all of your Apple software, as well as Mac OSX very cleanly, with notifications telling you of available updates. Overall, the Mac OSX update process is clean and easy to do, if a little too infrequent.

11. UBUNTU 10.10 WINDOWS 7 Home Premium MAC OSX Snow Leopard System and Security Updates (cont)  Ubuntu will also notify you when Security updates become available, and even let you setup automatic updating for security updates alone.  Windows currently does not offer a way to update all of the software on your system, just the system itself. It’s up to each application to inform you of an update, or you to find one yourself.