In my previous In-Depth blog post, I completed the overview of essential components within a computer and gave an outline of the parts I am going to purchase for several hundred dollars under my initial $2000 budget. These parts include: an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 6-Core 12-Thread Desktop Processor for my CPU, an ASUS TUF Gaming B450-PLUS II for my Motherboard, a Thermaltake Smart White 600W 80 Plus for my PSU, Corsair Vengance LPX 16GB DDR4 3200MHz Desktop Memory for my RAM, a Seagate BarraCuda 2TB Internal Hard Drive for my HDD, a WD Blue SN570 500GB M.2 NVMe PCI-e for my SSD, a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti OC 6G GDDR6 for my Graphics Card, a TP-Link AC1200 PCIe WIFI Card for my Network Card, and lastly, a Corsair iCUE 220T RGB Airflow Tempered Glass Mid-Tower Smart Case for my Case. With these parts on the way, I used my mentorship meetings to cover the three main operating systems consumers can purchase, a summary of their history, why they would purchase them, and what their strengths are.
Originally, there were two main software: Windows and Unix. In 1975, Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen and would release Windows 1.0 on November 20, 1985. Since then, Windows has become the most popular software run on consumer computers with 9 out of 10 computers using it daily. Born in 1969, Unix was created to allow people to build their own software, so it was released as an open-source software. As time went on, people began to trust Unix and used it more often, including the developers of the first Macintosh at Apple, who used the Unix kernel, which is the basic code that allows you to program your software, to create their first version of Mac OS. Now, Mac OS has been completely changed so much that it is considered its own software. Lastly, in 1991, a man named Linus Torvalds used the Unix kernel to build the first version of a software he called Linux. Somehow, many people started using the kernel of Linux to build their own software so much so that Linux is used today as the standard over Unix. Although Linux is talked about as though it is a software itself, Linux is actually used to build other software such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Debian, Fedora, Manjaro, as well as Arch which all have very different uses. Additionally, a very popular Linux based software that is commonly used for hacking is Kali.
The three widely used software today are Windows, Mac OS, and Linux which all have their own strengths. Windows, the most popular of the three, has the most access to plenty of applications that are only available on Windows. It is the most optimized for gaming, better for education with their Microsoft Office applications, and is overall the best choice for the average consumer. Furthermore, Windows, in addition to Linux, is the most compatible for download on almost all computers. As a result of Mac OS and Linux being programmed from the same Unix kernel, they share similar strengths such as the way each structure their files. Additionally, they both excel at their reliability for consumers as well as they are both very secure, though Linux is slightly more secure. I asked my mentor why Linux is more secure over the other operating systems, and he informed me of how Linux is open source, meaning anyone can see the code behind it. I pointed out the irony of how people can see the code but can’t find holes in it. However, he told me that many people find errors and show how it can be fixed, allowing for greater security. Linux also has an advantage of being customizable which many programmers prefer. Lastly, Mac OS has the benefit of having access to all the Apple specific applications such as Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro. Even though the user experience is more subjective, Apple is well known for their Mac OS being very user friendly.
Since we have reviewed each software’s history as well as strengths, we need to now look at the pricing to see which options allow the consumer easier access. Fortunately for programmers, who are the more likely user, Linux is completely free, and its software’s can often be found anywhere online. There is some Linux software versions that do charge additional fees but that is most often to fund the project employees who made the software itself. Windows comes in second for price point at $200. Something to keep in mind is that, while Windows can be used for free, it does not grant access to full customization. Windows also does come pre-installed in most laptops that are not from Apple and their prices would be much higher than $200. Speaking of Apple, it comes in last as the most expensive software to buy because of it coming pre-installed in their Mac computers and not being able to be purchased separately. Excluding second hand Macs, the cheapest Mac is the Mac Mini which has a starting price of $899 which is too expensive for most average consumers.
As for my meetings with Lucas, my mentor, they have been going very well. I have learned so much from him so far and I am hoping to learn even more. The most difficult mentoring challenge so far has been keeping consistent meetings weekly. Although I understand that Lucas is a very busy guy with all his work from BCIT, it just can become slightly frustrating not having a very strict meeting schedule. Thankfully, Lucas is very generous and always offers more of his time to help me on the days of our meetings and I really appreciate that as I tend to have so many questions for him. Other than that, I believe that selecting the best computer components went extremely well because I was mostly relying on him to explain to me the difference between many of the other possible components. Although I did have the final say, I was trusting him to give me the best advice and guidance so I would select the right parts for the ways I will be using my constructed computer. Lastly, I believe I could work on better following his directions. With the actual construction of my computer coming just around the corner, I will need to follow his every word so I do not damage any of the fragile components that will end up inside my computer. No matter what, this must happen or else I may need to buy some parts all over again which would be a massive waste of money.
For our next few meetings, Lucas will be guiding me through the delicate construction of my computer with all the parts that are currently arriving from Amazon. I imagine this process may take a long time as this is my first time doing such a large task and it is crucial I do not ruin any parts. Overall, I am so excited to see all my hard work culminate into such an amazing computer, and I hope it will run nice and smoothly when I first start it up. I can’t wait to see how this will turn out!