Another Day With My PC

Is there such a thing as a perfect operating system?

If you’ve been a Microsoft client since the 1980s, then you’ll probably answer in the negative. Indeed, the previous Windows released by Bill Gates’ company had a lot of flaws. If you think that compatibility issues only sprung after Windows 95, then you’d better ask those who navigated their computer using the DOS prompt. OS problems are as old as the program itself.

Windows XP

The most successful OS to date is Windows Vista’s predecessor, Windows XP. Around 90% of the world’s computers function under this program. It even gained many converts from Apple’s OS X. For many, it’s the closest thing to a perfect operating system.

Microsoft would now want us to believe that XP has outlived its purpose and that it’s already ill-advised to stick with their previous product. One of the things that the Redmond, Washington company boast about Windows Vista is that it’s purportedly the most secured operating system in the world. They were so bent in trying to convince people to ditch XP for the new OS to the point that they were already contemplating on throwing mud at the former.

Not Perfect

Microsoft doesn’t have to magnify the previous security flaws that plagued Windows XP in order to show everybody that it’s not as secured as many might think. Nobody needs to be reminded of that, especially since updates or patches continue to roll out for this program. Hackers seem to find new holes in the OS every week. Fortunately, Microsoft has been successful in stitching the tears of their product before malicious applications could fully exploit it. This has been the story of XP since its first release.

Not Perfect Either

Every type of program needs to be updated from time to time, regardless of the purpose for which they’re constituted. However, operating systems need those patches more than any type of application does. No OS author can ever anticipate every peril that his creation might encounter in the future. New software, especially malicious ones, are being released on a daily basis. Hence, the operating system needs to continuously adapt to changes or threats as they come.

While Windows Vista is billed as the most secured OS in the planet, any person with sufficient experience in computers would immediately brand such claim as far fetched. There’s no way that the new OS could survive new attacks, recognize new programs, or adapt to new technology without the necessary patches or updates.

This Vista myth has been recently shattered by claims that Microsoft is set to release more than a hundred patches for its new product. Take note that it has only been 3 months since Vista has been released to consumers. XP received its first service pact 11 months after it has reached the vendors’ shelves. So which OS has a better record now as far as security is concerned?

A good OS doesn’t have to remain unchanged until the release of its successor. On the contrary, a static program will outlive its usefulness faster than those which are constantly being subjected to updates or modifications. It is therefore important for an OS to be malleable so that it could reshape itself into something which is more responsive to the needs of the user.