March Madness
... helpful features. The Linux graphical desktop appears similar to the Windows look and feel. Linux can access WIndows floppy disks, hard disks, and even the proprietary -- formatted Joliet. Linux can even run some Microsoft Windows applications directly. Linux also includes its own set of applications. Linux systems can act as servers and workstations at the same time. The basic Linux installation includes server programs for e-mail servers, Web servers, file servers, and more. On the workstation side, you get a number of desktop environments to choose from, and a suite of applications. The same system -- your PC -- can act as both server and workstation. Linux runs on most older PC's that sport an Intel compatible processor. It also runs on quite a few older 386 & 486 systems. In general, Linux requires less processing power and less RAM than Microsoft Windows. If you have an older 486 system, you can load LInux on it and turn that system into a network router, Web server, e-mail server, print server, or other handy system. That's a plus with older hardware that is considered obsolete for running Microsoft Windows. All-in-all Linux means freedom. You are free to choose the hardware you want to run. You are free to choose the Linux distribution you want to run. You are free to choose the software to run without being locked into proprietary extensions to Internet protocols. You are free to choose the windowing system and desktop environment you prefer (the CD-ROM includes two desktops, GNOME and KDE). You aren't faced with strange bundling, such as being forced to run a certain Web browser if you choose to install a C++ compiler or word processor. In fact, you aren't locked into much at all. That's the main benefit of free software and open standards. Turning our attention to Windows 2000 for a moment, I would argue that Windows 2000 is an operating system that is unsurpassed in function and features. Some of the characteristics of the Windows 2000 environment include portability, multitasking, multithreading, file systems, active directory, security, multiple clients, multiple processors, compatibility, storage, and connectivity. Windows 2000 can be installed on Intel Pentium class x86 CPUs and one of the great features of Windows 2000 is multitasking. Windows 2000 supports three file systems: FAT, FAT 32, and NTFS. Active Directory is a new control and administration mechanism of Windows 2000. Windows 2000 incorporates a variety of security features, all of which share a common aim: to enable efficient, reliable control of access to all resources and assets on a network. Windows 2000 Server supports a wide variety of potential client platforms that can interact with resources on a Windows 2000-based network. Windows 2000 supports true multiprocessing and supports a wide range of applications. Windows 2000 Professional supports huge amounts of hard disk and memory space. Windows 2000 supports a wide variety of networking protocols and is an inherently networkable operating system with built-in connectivity solu...