Operating Systems
OSs have come a long way in the last few years. Most now have built-in advanced features like encryption, automatic updates and system rollback applications. They're a very personal thing and should be researched and evaluated before making a decision to purchase a platform specific system. Windows and Mac OS X are the two mainstream contenders, both with rich features. I've used Windows on Intel as my primary OS for years, but OS X will be the next. It comes standard with programs, features and functionalities you would have to pay extra for on a new Windows system. On the Intel based Apple machines, you can now dual boot or use a virtual machine program to run BOTH OS X and Windows simultaneously. This is huge, especially for an OS collector like me. I use VMware's Workstation program in Windows which allows me to run/test multiple OSs at the same time. I'm currently running Windows Vista, SuSe 10.2, Solaris 10 and Debian-Sarge in VMs as well as Mac OS X across my network with VNC.
Productivity Applications
This is what it's all about; getting your work done. With the thousands of software vendors and products available, determining what you need can be a daunting task. Besides choosing a program for its functionality, again, there are several other factors to consider such as: compatability, cost and credibility. With the dual boot or VM solutions now available, there are options to insure compatibiltiy. If you have an older program that will not run on a new OS such as Window Vista or Mac OS X, you can run it on an older OS in a virtual machine and share the data. Or, you can just make sure it works with your current OS (the best solution). Cost is a big one. With Adobe and Microsoft products being priced so high, it's a smart idea to look at shareware or free software that performs the tasks you require, but at a fraction on the cost. There are several free html editors and Open Office is a great alternative to Micro$oft Office. By credibility I mean software that has a solid performance record and will not exploit or leave it's users high and dry. You don't want to use an alternative program that only allows you to create or save data in their own format. Let's say you used a program for years and have week/months/years worth of time/data. If the company makes a change or goes away, will you be able to convert or export to another program? Research can pay off.
Security
Security can be a real drag.... on your pocketbook, your CPU cycles and the time it takes to configure and update. It is however a necessary thing when working with computers.
Windows and Internet Explorer have been targets forever. The latest recommendations are to run a solid security suite such as Norton or McAfee, which would include a firewall, real time virus scanner and possibly spyware protection in addition to 2 other free Spyware detectors. There are several free firewall and virus protection programs that can be considered instead of Norton or McAfee. Close attention should be paid when installing and configuring protection software. If you don't answer questions correctly or click yes when you should have clicked no, you could be leaving yourself open or crippling your system.
Mac OS X is not as
susceptible
as to viruses as Windows. Macs come from the factory with a solid security configuration, but there are still other features to be examined.
One of my pet peeves has become secure email. It's available, it works, yet hardly anyone uses. There are several solutions, but I'm using Thunderbird with GnuPG and Enigmail extension. Both the sender and recipient have to generate and exchange signatures and keys, but once in place, not even the government can read your mail. Here is an explanation and here is my public PGP key. |
