GROUP
1
Operating
Systems
Focus:
Microsoft
and
Macintosh
Professor
Fang
California
State
University
San
Marcos
December
15,
2009
Laurie
Ganz
Kyle
Leahy
Heather
Shriner
Tommy
Mendoza
Katie
Wagner
Operating
Systems
2
Introduction
We chose to research operating systems and examine which systems individual and
business users preferred. We researched what businesses want, which system is mainly used, in
what area (individual or business) trends of Microsoft and Macintosh appear, and what the future
holds for operating systems. We decided to focus on Microsoft and Macintosh operating
systems because they are the main operating systems that most people are comfortable with. We
wanted to keep the focus on what individual users need and want compared to what business
users want and need.
History of Operating Systems
“An operating system is a software program that enables the computer hardware to
communicate and operate with computer software” (OSdata.com). Without this system a
computer and software program would be useless. The purpose of an operating system is to
organize and control hardware and software so that the device it is placed in is able to properly
function. Operating systems are made out of portable codes rather than physical circuits so that
they can be altered or modified without having to demolish the whole device
(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 instruments, and industrial systems. The single user/single
task operating system is designed to manage the computer so that one user can effectively do one
task at a time (computer.howstuffworks.com). For a single user, multi tasking is mostly used on
individual’s desktop and laptop computers. The multi user operating system allows many
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different users to take advantage of the computer’s resources at various times
(computer.howstuffworks.com).
The main tasks of the operating systems consist of processor management, memory
management, device management, storage management, application interface, and user interface
(computer.howitworks.com). It is up to the user’s discretion if they want to add or remove utility
programs and auxiliary functions.
Throughout the history of operating systems there have been various changes made in
order to help individuals use and operate the system due to keeping up with the demands of
individuals and businesses and their uses.
In the 1940’s, the first commercial form of electronic computers existed but there was no
existence of operating systems. The earliest version of an operating system was used by General
Motors Research Laboratories (Mapsoftheworld). Next was the IBM 701 which had a major
mark in history of operating systems. This type of computer operating system was known as the
“batch processing system,” and was the first system equipped computer architecture
(mapsoftheworld). In the 1960’s there were peripheral operations online with added techniques
which made the programming operations quicker than before (mapsoftheworld). The fourth
generation consists of the personal computer, which successfully used the “operating system” of
today. With the operating system and scale integration circuits, personal computers started their
use in the 1970’s. The most dominating personal computer operating systems are MS DOS, Intel
8088 CPU and UNIX. (mapsoftheworld)
In the early days of electronic digital computing, very few computers existed and
everything was done on the bare hardware (OSdata.com). “The history of the operating system
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has successfully created its own evolution (OSdata.com ).” The first programs directly
controlled all the resources on the computer, including input and output devices. Each program
contained code in order to control and operate each input/output device used (OSdata.com). As
computers fled from research labs to military uses into the business world, as the accountant
wanted to acquire more accurate counts on time (OSdata.com). This led to the concept of the
monitor. The monitor is used to keep track of actual use of input and output devices and
recorded runtime rather than clock time (OSdata.com). The Monitor enabled the idea of batch
systems which lead to multiprogramming. Multiprogramming is the process of loading up
multiple programs and their data and switch back and forth between programs or jobs
(OSdata.com). Late system calls and time sharing came in existence followed by
microprocessors. The microprocessor uses an 8 bit LSI microprocessor from PMOS technology.
The first 4-bit microprocessor was soon after developed, called the 2140 (OSdata.com). In the
mid 1973 the Kernel of Unix was augmented with C programming language. This made UNIX
the world’s first portable operating system. This system was capable of being easily moved to
any hardware, which was a major advantage for UNIX and led to its widespread use in multiplatform environments of colleges and universities (OSdata.com). UNIX quickly spread
throughout the academic world solving the problem of keeping track of dozens of operating
systems on university computers. Using UNIX, all of the computers from many different
manufacturers could run the same operating system and share different programs (OSdata.com).
In addition, the most widely used desktop version of Unix is Apple’s Mac OS X, which is a
combination of ground breaking object oriented NeXT(computer usage) with some of the user
interface of the Macintosh (OSdata.com).
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There are many different types of companies that use Operating Systems to run their
business. However, they each look for something different when choosing what type of
Operating System is best suited for their needs. For instance, graphic design companies or
companies that do more movie editing and photo-shopping are likely to use Mac OS. Mac OS
provides an array of applications, such as Photo Shop, Final Cut Pro, Comic Lite, and many
others that aid in building websites, editing movies and photos, and creating videogames.
Smaller companies that only use their computers for internet browsing, online banking, storing
information, and bill paying, or companies that look for less art-oriented programs, and more
financial and operation programs, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access, are likely to
choose Microsoft Windows.
There are also many factors businesses consider when deciding what operating system is
best suited for their needs. For example, cost is a major issue. Windows products tend to be
more affordable than Mac, and Linux is free. Another factor is ease of use of the operating
system. Since 90% of users operate on Windows, many companies choose to use Windows
because their users will already be familiar with the computer decreasing the possibility for
training on how to operate a Mac. There are also some constraints when making the decision.
For instance, Windows can only operate on Intel processors, or processors that “conform to the
Intel instruction set” (Kroenke, 118). If a business is looking to use a processor other than Intel,
they would need to choose a different operating system, such as Linux, which offers many
processors for many different instruction sets.
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Real World Application
Let’s take a look at real companies who signify the needs of businesses. We spoke with
Nathan Manuel who is head of the IT department for the County of San Diego, in the
Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). DCSS operates using Windows XP
Professional, which they upgraded to from Windows 2000, three years ago. They made the
upgrade due to the unavailability of technical support for Windows 2000. The reason the County
chose XP Professional is because, “Windows XP Professional offered a more stable platform as
well as security enhancements such as new notifications for virus protection and update status”
(Nathan Manuel). In addition, they needed an operating system that could be joined to a domain,
which requires Professional instead of Home. Mr. Manuel stated how cost was also a major
factor in the decision of choosing an operating system. Because the County runs off of tax payer
money, “Everything is scrutinized to the penny.” (Nathan Manuel) Mac OS tends to be more
expensive, which turned this particular company to Windows. In addition, they also took into
consideration that a majority of the employees are already familiar with Windows, which would
make using Windows at work more efficient, more cost-effective (not needing to train employees
on the functionality of Mac OS), and simpler. We also asked Mr. Manuel if the county was
considering updating to Windows 7. His response was that they are not planning on upgrading
because the cost would exceed the benefits that the county would receive from the update (costbenefit analysis). He also stated how upgrading to Vista “would have been the wrong move and
a huge waste of time and taxpayer money” (Nathan Manuel).
Cal State San Marcos also runs off of Windows. However, they have recently upgraded
to Windows Vista. Although there are a few computer labs with Mac OS computers, the
majority of the campus runs off of Windows Vista. Many students, parents, and faculty wonder
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why CSUSM upgraded to Vista when there have been so many issues with the operating system.
In addition, Windows 7 was already in the works when the campus upgraded, so why not wait
for a more reliable system such as Windows 7? According to the campus website, “Windows
Vista had many issues when it first came out in January 2007. However, these issues have been
resolved with the current release of Service Pack 1 back in April 2008 and we are confident that
it is a stable system” (http://www.csusm.edu/iits/support/vista/index.html). However, when it
comes to why the campus didn’t wait on the Windows 7 upgrade, the only response is that
“Windows 7 is actually the next version of Windows Vista with a different name. The Microsoft
support for XP is rapidly declining and the numerous of advantages of Windows Vista are hard
to ignore” (http://www.csusm.edu/iits/support/vista/index.html). It seems that the school was in
a hurry to upgrade because of the declining support of Windows XP which is a major factor
when you run such a large institution. Students, faculty, and staff, all rely heavily on the
computers on campus, which means they are in need of support from Microsoft to be readily
available. If the operating system fails to operate, the school is unable to function. Therefore,
the school found it very necessary to make the quick transition to Windows Vista, and not wait
for Windows 7.
Next we talked with Cox Communications. They are a very large company that deals
with hundreds of calls a day concerning billing, customer affairs, and technical support. They
need to be able to store lots of information and have a reliable system. They currently use
Windows XP, but have plans to upgrade to Windows 7 once they have evidence that it is a stable
operating system. They don’t want to invest time and money unless they know the operating
system is going to function well and not create problems, as Windows Vista does. They chose
Windows not because of cost, but because they want to be consistent with all of their systems
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and found that Windows is a better fit for their business requirements. The company is not at
liberty to share a lot of information with the public, so they were pretty vague on what their
business requirements are. In short, they meant that the applications and programs Windows
offers are better suited for their business needs than Mac OS.
Passage Productions, a film, video, and broadcast production company in San Diego, uses
a combination of Mac and Windows computers. Just like Cox Communications, they use both
operating systems due to the usage of many programs and applications for film editing, banner
ad design, website media, flash media, and many other services. The reason they choose to use
both operating systems is because they both offer different programs needed to run their
business. For instance, most of their work station computers run off of Mac OS because Apple
computers offer more programs with film editing, media control, and web design. They also use
mostly Mac computers because you can “quickly preview different documents, search incredibly
fast [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 of
their platforms use 64-bits. However, Passage Production’s Central Media Server is Windows
based. The reason for this is because they use it for graphics and 3-D design. They find that
Windows is more useful in these areas, which is another reason why they use both operating
systems. Furthermore, they use both because not all of the programs they use are compatible
with both a Mac and PC. They do use a lot of Adobe programs, which are cross compatible
between Mac OS and Windows OS, which they find very useful. Passage Productions just
purchased a new laptop PC which came installed with Windows 7. So far, the company has been
experiencing many difficulties in getting the new Operating System to connect with their server
and sync with their existing computers. They believe they will be able to figure out the issues
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and get the computer to sync with their other computers, but for now it is a hassle, which is one
of the reasons they find Mac OS to be easier to use, because you can simply “plug and play.” In
other words, with Mac OS, when you hook something up to the computers, it automatically finds
the software or technology and easily syncs with the computer. Passage Production also
mentioned that although they find Mac OS to be much more user-friendly, dependable, and
compatible with their daily use, they are much more costly.
What Businesses Want
It comes down to the fact that companies use different programs and applications for
operating and maintaining their companies. Since Mac OS and Windows OS each offer different
applications and programs, companies must choose which is more compatible with what they are
looking for. In making that decision, cost, ease-of-use, and reliability all seem to be major
factors in a company’s decision to invest in their chose of an operating system.
Trends of Operating Systems
Operating systems are what make the hardware usable, and if it wasn’t for the
increasing technology, we couldn’t improve the systems we have today. Since the 1940’s, when
operating systems evolved, they were very basic in terms of reliability and operation. It was
through a number of mechanical switches where programs were often entered one bit at a time. It
wasn’t until the 1950’s when machine languages were used to speed up the programming
process, although only one person could use the system at a time (Moumina 4). It was during this
time that users of computers used these tools to create programs, in which to run applications, to
run basic programs that would make difficult tasks simpler to do. Today we use operating
systems to organize, transfer, compute, and develop: hardware, software, inputs, and through this
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it makes tasks simpler to do. Throughout the history of computers, trends in the operating
systems have continually evolved as the needs of the users and the capabilities of the computer
systems have changed.
In the beginning, one of the first operating systems made, was designed for and by
General Motors Research Laboratories in the mid 1950’s. They developed this by computing the
groupings of jobs and putting them into a single process unit. It was through this that they could
separate 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 is
being used, when the job will be finished, overall progress, etc. It was during this time that
manufacturing companies that used batch processing systems greatly benefited from using
computer systems. Users of these systems seemed highly pleased because overall it improved the
efficiency of their business.
It wasn’t until the 1960’s that businesses started becoming more competitive with
computer technology which meant that efficiency was important. It was through
multiprogramming that several jobs could all be running at one time and computers started
becoming more in depth, which included disk drives, printers, etc. This meant that the operating
systems could have one job running while having another on idle, therefore creating
multiprogramming (Moumina 13). It optimized computer utilization to that decade’s current
technology. It was through the needs of large corporations and businesses that led to the next
generation of operating systems.
With growing trends in mainframe computers, systems implementation language became
more difficult to develop. In the 1970’s one of the most notable operating systems developed was
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UNIX. 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 complex
this new system was, it was directly introduced to academic universities and research
laboratories. It was this trend that lead to more innovative ideas that were made by Macintosh
and Windows. But many computer enthusiasts preferred smaller decentralized systems because
of the accessibility and flexibility (Bergin 17). It wasn’t until the 1980’s that we could see
distributed processing and client-server processing (Moumina 26). This brought PCs to a whole
new level. It was IBM’s development process that brought personal computers to the market. In
turn, developing software for these computers was around the corner. Microsoft launched their
first complete operating system known as Microsoft DOS, also known as Microsoft Disk
Operating System. The only downfall on the new operating system was that it was difficult to
use. Many users had to type in the correct demands and the slightest mistake could lead to a
malfunction (Moumina 30).
What led to the computer era as we know today was the microprocessor, which elevated
the technology for personal computers. Instead of only programmers and professional users
accessing 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. This
chip made the whole system much more resourceful and less expensive as these chips could be
made faster and cheaper as the years went by.
Operating systems have evolved over time from command line based systems to systems
with a Graphical User Interface or GUI. The graphical interface uses a keyboard and mouse to do
the similar commands. Therefore most operating systems today use graphical user interface.
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Many of these older systems such as Windows 2000, Windows 98, and Windows 95, are not
being supported by Microsoft. Since then all operating systems have been multi-processing
operating systems. In other words, this allows for multiple users to share the computer, with
separate logins, preferences, documents, and storage spaces. Several years later, trends
developed into a graphical user interface. This meant that a user could follow a cursor on the
screen using a pointed mouse to follow their commands. The first version of Microsoft 1.0 was
released in October of 1985. It was estimated that the program containing 10,000 instructions
had taken eighty programmers years to complete (Moumina 32). The operating system at this
time was very sluggish, therefore making the next generation of microprocessors to handle such
instruction. 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 by
accounting for 90% of computers running off of their Operating System. The table even breaks
down Microsoft’s various versions such as Windows 7, Vista, 2003, etc. However, as seen in the
last three years, both Linux and Macintosh are slowing growing, and taking up a larger portion of
the market. Both Operating Systems have the potential to grow and become more apparent in
business and homes as people become more familiar with these Operating Systems and what
they have to offer.
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(table obtained from http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp)
The trends over time that occurred between these popular systems were based on
availability, control, visual, and the ease of use. Windows Vista has been a popular system for
the 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 of
use, and increase in virus protection. One of the main reasons for the development of Window’s
7 version was the problems with Windows Vista. Many controls were difficult to use,
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applications were sometimes difficult to download to the interface and many versions of
downloadable content were not compatible with Windows Vista. Windows 7 is the new
generation in operating systems.
Given the new generation of operating systems, it is clear that the main goal of Microsoft
and Macintosh (Apple), the top two players in the industry, are to make their respective
operating systems user friendly, or “User-Centric.” Microsoft Corporation with their new
Windows 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 personal
computing spectrums, Microsoft is finally starting to feel the pinch of competition in personal
computing from their main rival, Apple.
The slow movement of personal computer users from
Windows to Apple is forcing Microsoft to make changes to their operating systems in the areas
of appearance, performance and functionality, as well as security. Apple on the other hand is
looking to continue to scoop up market share in the personal computing industry with their
computers featuring the Mac OS operating system. Apple is also looking to take a chunk out of
the business computing market by offering an array of performance and security features which
are attractive to businesses. Lastly, both companies are looking to impact emerging markets
throughout the world to further strengthen their power and control in the industry in the coming
decades.
Taking a closer look at the newest versions of Microsoft’s Windows it is obvious the
goals of the company are to adjust and accommodate the needs of users. Windows XP, released
in 2001, has control of nearly 90% of the entire operating system market. Any individual who
has used a computer has likely dealt with the Windows XP operating system. Even though
Windows XP controls most of the market, it lacks the graphical appeal and bulletproof security
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of the operating systems offered by Macintosh. Microsoft made an initial attempt to provide its
users with a visually appealing and safe operating system with the development of Windows
Vista. However, users achieved these graphical and security upgrades at the sacrifice of
performance. 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. Mind
you, 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 has
handled just fine. And that doesn't mention the lack of compatibility with everything I've had
with Vista. XP's time is not over" (PCWorld). Microsoft took these opinions to heart and
quickly took steps to develop a new operating system that would act like a band-aid to the
problems 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 a
speedier and more efficient operation. Windows 7 start up is faster than Vista, is just as pleasing
to the eye, and runs security applications behind the scenes. Some driver issues still exist
however, causing users to be upset that their peripherals don’t work right out of the box. The
trend of users is somewhat alarming from the perspective of Microsoft. There have been reports
from various websites that users are actually downgrading away from Windows 7, not just to
Vista but to Windows XP. It is difficult to say if Microsoft hit the mark with the newest versions
of its popular operating systems. Market analysis shows that increasing numbers of computer
users are making the switch to Macintosh.
Macintosh, and its Mac OS operating system, has seen increased market share from home
users over the past decade. Mac has preached safety and security for its users while providing a
smooth and functional user interface. The greatest feature with Mac computers is the notion that
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everything having to do with the Mac operating system will work right out of the box. It is plain
and simple, users just need to plug the device in and it goes right to work for them. This
functionality, 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” functionality
but has yet to hit the mark. A report from wired.com in 2008 stated, “Specifically, the firm said
it expects Apple to more than double its PC market share in the U.S. and Western Europe by
2011. With the company’s current share hovering around 6 percent — a number itself that has
doubled in the last three years — that means Apple would have a 12 percent PC market share in
the U.S. by 2011.” (Wired.com) This expectation may be correct given the fact that Mac market
share has increased to just fewer than 10% in Q3 of 2009.
Analysis
In 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 five
forces includes; power of suppliers, power of buyers, threat of substitutes, barriers to entry, and
rivalry.
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Bargaining power of suppliers
Bargaining 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 have
control over what operating systems run on their machines. Microsoft offers Windows which is
only compatible with PC systems. Macintosh and their MAC OS operating system are only
offered for Apple computers. The two companies are not cross-compatible. Both companies
have nearly full control of what hardware, peripherals, and programs are capable of running on
the operating system.
Bargaining power of buyers
Bargaining power of buyers is broken down into two categories: personal users and
business users. Personal users have a strong amount of bargaining power over a time period of
several years because of the necessity to buy a new computer. Buyers who want to change
operating systems would most likely have to purchase a new computer. Therefore they are
restricted to using one of the two choices.
Microsoft dominates the business side of the operating system market controlling over
90% of the business market ( ). Business users have considerable less bargaining power than
personal 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 business
use from one operating systems to another due to the fact that these systems are not
interchangeable.
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Threat of Substitute Products
A threat of substitutes exists if there are alternative products that are lower in price and
perform equally or better for the same purpose. In this case the threat of substitutes is low
because 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 Mac
hardware. Even though the price is lower, it does not provide that same functions that Microsoft
and Macintosh provide. Therefore, it is not a threat to either company.
Threat of New Entrants
There are really no threats of new entrants in the operating system industry. It doesn’t
make sense for a company to try and enter a market that is nearly monopolized.
Rivalry Within the Industry
Rivalry among Macintosh and PC is intense. New hardware is continuously updated,
however operating systems take years to construct. Therefore operating systems must be
constantly updated and altered to maintain compatibility.
Apple makes their rivalry with Microsoft very public through their television
commercials. In each commercial they stress how their Operating Systems are better than
Microsoft Windows. Apple stresses how their Mac OS are more reliable and don’t have issues
like 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 of
functionality and cumbersomeness of Windows Vista.
There are usually a few years in
between the release of new Operating Systems. However, Windows Vista was just released in
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February of 2008 and Windows 7 came out in October of 2009. Before that, the most recent
system (Windows XP) was released back in October of 2001. It is obvious that Microsoft was
forced to make the quick release in hopes that consumers could overlook the mistake of releasing
Windows Vista and feel confident once again with a smoothly working Operating System when
upgrading to Windows 7.
Great for home and student use along with anything graphics related, Mac OS still lacks
the ability to provide for daily business like the Microsoft Windows operating system. Mac has
taken steps to curb this problem by providing the functionality of Microsoft Office applications
(Word, Excel, PowerPoint) on the OS X platform. This update in functionality allows business
owners the ability to implement Mac powered machines into the office. However, it is the
contention that most would prefer to use the Microsoft Office software on the cheaper and more
business friendly platform for which it was designed. Macintosh will look to gain a stronger
foothold in the personal computing sector and attempt to become more appealing to business
users and corporations.
Microsoft and Macintosh are both looking to have an impact in emerging markets
throughout the world. Companiesandmarkets.com reports the top 5 emerging markets are Brazil,
China, India, Mexico, and South Africa. It also speculates that these nations have a forecast
potential for computing companies of $52.1 billion in revenue by the year 2013. Currently
Microsoft and Windows are better positioned to impact the emerging market the most simply
because their product has a lower pricing point and customization is possible. Apple does have a
more user friendly product, however their systems are relatively higher priced and do not offer
an extremely cheap product for new users to snatch up. Their operating system will not be able
to impact the new market if nobody can afford to buy a Macintosh computer. It is speculated by
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individuals that Apple will produce a system that will be entry level and able compete with the
lower cost PC systems featuring Windows.
It is difficult to decide which company is making the right moves to strengthen
themselves for the future. Microsoft continues to be and is likely to continue to be the leader in
business and personal computing. However their grip is loosening and Apple is starting to scoop
up personal computer users in droves. Microsoft is taking a page out of their rival’s book by
becoming more esthetically pleasing and “user-centric” giving Windows a makeover and
delivering the compatibility of peripherals to work right out of the box. Apple and Mac OS are
continuing to preach safety and satisfaction to personal users and have even taken steps to
provide the functionality of Microsoft Office programs for businesses. While both companies
compete in the current market, they also look to be the preferred operating system in emerging
markets of China, Mexico, Brazil, India, and South Africa. With the tide flowing in the direction
of users adopting Apple and Mac OS, it will be interesting to see what happens in the market
over the next two decades.
Why operating systems?
Every company and every individual needs some form of an operating system. Without
one there would be total confusion. Some of the factors as to why people are choosing to use
Windows over Macintosh are;
•
The amount of time it takes to learn how to operate the operating system.
•
How easily transferable it is to switch to use Microsoft.
•
Cost of a new operating system is not always inexpensive. Between the two, Microsoft is
by far more affordable.
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Conclusion and Recommendations
The operating system industry has changed greatly over the past four decades. From
blinking lights on a box to highly sophisticated graphical user interfaces capable of running
multiple applications simultaneously. The two main players, Microsoft and Macintosh, remain
dominant and look stronger than ever. The rivalry between the two companies is fierce where
maintaining and growing market share is a battle. Microsoft and Windows continue to lead the
industry with nearly 90% market share. However, Macintosh and Mac OS are nipping at
Microsoft’s heals and constantly looking to grow their market share. In the personal computing
sector it is difficult to say who will be the leading company twenty years from now. In the
business sector it is easier to speculate that Microsoft will continue to hold the largest piece of
the market share pie. There are many factors that point to Microsoft continuing their dominance,
but price and accessibility are the two greatest driving forces. This paper’s analysis points to
Microsoft and Windows being the company most poised to take on the new emerging markets
for technology. Macintosh will likely look to compete in new markets by offering a lower priced
system for new users in both the business and personal computing sectors. These users have
reason to be excited as both companies are looking to become more user-centric and cater to the
needs of not just geeks and techs, but every individual. Looking ahead it is evident that
operating system technology will continue to advance and become more accessible to every
individual regardless of platform, Mac or PC.
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Cox Communications. Phone interview. 5 November 2009. Phone interview.
Frankline, Curt, and Dave Couston. "How Operating Systems Work." How Stuff works.
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inc, 30 Oct. 2008. 15 Nov. 2009.
<http://www.computer.howstuffworks.com/operating-system5.htm>.
Freiberger, P. and M. Swaine. Fire in the Valley: The Making of Personal Computer.
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