M1 Compare the features and functions of different operating systems.

M1 Compare the features and functions of different operating systems.

In this piece of work I am going to find features and functions that both operating systems have and explain the similarities and differences between the two different operating systems.

Windows 7 and Mac OS X

Similarities	Differences
v Ability to Customise There are many similarities between Windows 7 and Mac OS x, some of these similarities are that both operating systems is the ability to customize them for example on  windows operating system you can customize the background and general colour scheme on your desktop. On a Mac OS x operating system you can customize your theme which is the image that will appear in the background and you can customize your menu bar at the top of the screen so that it is a different colour.	v Ability to Customise On a MAC OS X under files you can colour code them to make things easier for you to find, for example if you were working on a certain document you could colour code it a different colour from all the other files so that you know what you are working on, you cannot do this on Windows 7.
v Support for Connectivity of Portable Media Windows operating systems support connectivity for many different types of portable media such as USBs, CD/DVDs, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Apple operating systems have the same support for connectivity of portable media in the way that it supports USBs, CD/DVDS and Wi-Fi.	v Support for Connectivity of Portable Media On Windows 7 once a media product is connected to a computer, Microsoft Windows will recognise it and will bring up a little box which contains options for example, open files, play music, and sync. On a MAC OS X If the device has removable storage like a flash drive or SD card, then the device will show a new icon on the Desktop that when double clicked, will display the contents of the device in the Finder
v Security Windows 7 has an administrative user account that can make changes to the computer. To make these changes you will need the administrators’ password to make any changes if you are on another users profile, this is to ensure that not just anyone changes all of your settings. If you are on the administrative users profile you will not need the password and you will be able to change whatever you want. Windows 7 also includes a number of different security measures such as: ·         Windows 7 Action Centre – Its job is to help you make sure that your firewall is on, your antivirus software is up to date, and your computer is set to install updates. ·         Bit Locker Drive Encryption – Its job is to encrypt your windows hard disk to help keep documents, passwords and other important data safe. On Mac OS X they also have an administrative user and it does the same job as windows does, it is to ensure that not just anyone can change the settings on your computer. Mac OS X  also has a number of different security measures such as: ·         Execute Disable – Its job is to protect the memory in your Mac from attacks. ·         Library randomisation – This prevents malicious commands from finding their targets.	·        Security Most attacks happen on PCs. Malware like Trojans, which trick users into installing them by pretending to be something desirable, like antivirus programs, and botnets, which quietly enlist computers into a zombie like mode that are designed to distribute spam or advertise fraud, are now common threats to PCs. These attacks rarely happen on Macs and usually rarely harm Macs. Another security measure used by Macs is sand boxing which can limit the amount of actions that an application can do at any given time.
v Features Windows 7 and Mac OS X have some similarities when it comes to features such as: ·         Connectivity of Portable Media- Macs and Windows PCs can share the same printers, scanners, digital cameras, mice, keyboards, and other peripherals. ·         Media Player - Versions of Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player, and RealPlayer work on a Mac.	v Features Another difference between Windows 7 and Mac OS X is the features. Windows 7 has many different features such as: ·         Home group – Which pretty much makes sharing files and printers on a home network much easier. ·         Snap – Snap is a quick way to resize and compare windows on your desktop. ·         More personal – Pretty much all this does is allow you to redecorate your desktop with new themes, slide shows or handy gadgets.  Mac OS X also has a lot of features such as: ·         Continuity – Using a Mac or IOS device you are able to do many different things such as make phone calls, start an email, edit a document or even surf the web. ·         Multi – Touch, Mac Style – This allows users to be able to use multi touch gestures to a computer by using a track pad, making navigating your Mac much easier.

v Cost and support for the user  Both operating systems come with user guides which are there to help the user out if they encounter any problems, they also come with warranties for incase the users computer where to break down so they can get a new one or a refund	v Cost and support for the user One difference between a Windows 7 operating system and a Mac OS XX operating system is the cost. For example it costs £124.99 for a Windows 7 operating system and it costs £146.94 for a Mac OS X operating system.