What is an Operating System? Pt. 2

Windows Operating System was created by the Microsoft Corporation to run on home computers. It had the original GUI for IBM-compatible pcs. The earliest Windows operating system was released in 1985 and was a simple GUI extension of the disk operating system (MS_DOS) that Microsoft’s already had.

Windows biggest seller was how user friendly it was for uses that weren’t familiar with the intrinsic computer systems of the time. Windows introduced newer versions and with each introduction the more user friendly the computers became.

Microsoft introduced the new manager programs --File, Program, and Print programs with a more appealing interface. Windows created packages that were specific for networks, corporations, and Workgroups.

In 2015 Microsoft released Windows 10, which has the addition of Cortana, a digital assistant akin to Apple’s Siri. The problem that most users had with Microsoft Windows 10 was that it was a forced update. This made some users resentful towards Microsoft.  This update was given under the guise of making the operating system better and more user friendly. When, some users found the update to be confusing and intrusive.

Microsoft dumped 6 GB of data onto their customer’s hard drives without their permission and without giving them a choice to opt out. This led to many lawsuits filed in the US, with users stating their computers were being damaged and their data lost. In Germany, in 2016 a lawsuit was filed because of the intrusive upgrades. The lawsuit was dropped after Microsoft voluntarily agreed to stop automatic upgrades. The company is “obliged to avoid placing installation data for new operating systems on Windows user’s hard drives without their permission.”

Microsoft has stopped pushing the free update and began to charge for it instead. It has chosen a new delivery system for its software called the Unified Update Platform (UUP). This allows for lighter releases that will only install bits that have been added since the last update. Microsoft has upped their “security” bragging rights with the introduction to Windows 10. Their goal with this update was address the threats of the hacking and malware attacks industry.

Windows Defender is Windows main guard against threats and viruses. The Defender Application Control offers protection by preventing sketchy apps and executables, especially malware from running on the Microsoft operating system.

The Windows Defender Antivirus is the next generation in antivirus solutions that will use a wide array of optics, the cloud, behavior analysis, and models that are designed to learn machines for protecting the computer.

Windows Defender Exploit Guard is a new prevention for Windows 10 with capabilities to cut down on attacks and will exploit applications and Windows’ surface area.

Windows Defender Application Guard is in place to protect the Microsoft Edge by isolating online malware and other threats by hackers. It keeps the threats from attacking the computer, it’s applications, the network, or sensitive data.

Windows has a Defender System Guard that will maintain the operating system’s integrity from being turned on and being turned off. It also works with the management systems to keep unapproved devices from getting resources from the home or business. These are the positive sides of Windows 10 security.

The drawbacks are many as well. A major problem for users was that Windows 10 automatically assigned an advertising ID to each customer. Companies can tailor ads by the information found from that ID. They can use certain applications to customize the ads from the user’s web history. (Forrest, 2015)

The customer’s personal information is synced with the servers at Microsoft. This information, like your passwords, can be encrypted and passed on. Microsoft’s version of SIRI is Cortana. This is a personal assistant that collects data, as well. This feature, that Microsoft has chosen to remove the on/off switch, is always listening.

A direct quote from Microsoft’s privacy policy: “We will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to protect our customers or enforce the terms governing the use of the services.

Mac OS1

The Mac OS is Apple’s operating system for Macintosh’s line of personal computers. The newest update of Mac will run the older applications as well as UNIX. The System 1 was released in January of 1984. Since then, Apple has had a large, and important role in creating and implementing the GUI. Mac has evolved quite a bit from its initial release. The System 7 had the longest run from 1991-1997. It was originally known as System Software.

The Mac OS X in 2001, but it wasn’t until the release of Jaguar, the Mac OS X 10.2, that the operating system was able to really compete with Windows. The Mac OS X Mountain Lion has more features and elements taken from its mobile operating system to the Mac desktop.

Apple is the only company that not only designs its own hardware, but also writes its own operating system. Mac users don’t have to put with being bombarded by adware, demoware, word balloons, etc. (McCracken, 2009)

It is not possible to install a harmful trojan virus unless the user specifically permits it root access. Mac users aren’t burdened with hunting for special anti-virus software because a virus has destroyed their system.

Another benefit to the Mac operating system is that it will recognize other Apple products automatically and work with them. They also rarely need additional drivers for non-Apple products.

Unfortunately for most users, Mac is on the higher end of the cost of the operating system. They also are difficult to upgrade. Apple tends to weld components such as the RAM or the hard drive to the motherboard. This makes upgrading very challenging after the computer has been assembled.

Mac does not let their users have free reign over the interface and operations as other operating systems. In fact, many settings are hidden, because Apple doesn’t want their customers worrying about the details. This can be very frustrating for the users that want to customize their interface and other components to their operating system.

Mac has their own personal assistant, like Windows’ Cortana called SIRI. But, Apple has come out to say that Siri is not recording what the user said, nor is it sending that information on to Apple, unless the user specifically triggers the Siri. If a customer decides to turn Siri off, Apple deletes the user’s data connected with the Siri identifier.

Mac has an anti-malware feature called File Quarantine, released in 2009. Unfortunately, it will only detect malware if it is downloaded to a Mac through Safari or Chrome, or through a message transfer.

Mac also has a Gatekeeper, which uses code signing that verifies authenticity and the integrity of applications launched on the Mac.

Sandboxing is a security feature added to Mac. Sandboxing is supposed to be the last line of defense when dealing with corruption, hackers, theft, of deletion of files. It creates a virtual wall that is supposed to be impenetrable around each process and application. Sandboxing is supposed to protect its users from malware that is web-based. Sandboxing, while a handy security feature, can also limit the way some apps interact with other apps and the operating system.

One of Mac’s most underappreciated features is the HFS (hierarchical File System) +file system along with journaling. The system is low-level software, it comes installed on a disk, and it catalogs the files onto the computer. Without a file system, the user wouldn’t be able to copy, delete, or even move files.

Journaling logs a record of changes before they are even finalized. The journal is a feature that protects the file system against hardware failures or power outages. This reduces the need for repairing the directory.

A newer security feature is the System Integrity Protection, also called “Rootless.” Root is one of the user accounts found on every Mac. The root is also referred to as the superuser. This account can access, delete, modify files; it can change permissions and cause a bit of chaos in the wrong hands. The System Integrity Protection restricts this account. It limits the actions that the superuser can perform on parts of the operating system that has been protected. This is to block malware that can access the root account and damage files.