While most of the buzz these days goes to mobile systems,
smartphones, and tablets, most of the real work continues to get done
on larger, more traditional desktop and laptop computers, nearly all
running (in descending order of market share) Windows, Mac OS X, or
some variety of Linux.
Mac OS X 10.8
And whether you're ready or not, new operating system versions are
coming your way, courtesy of both Microsoft and Apple. Apple's next OS
X generation, 10.8 - code-named
Mountain Lion - is promised for some time this July. Prerelease
versions are made available only to registered Apple developers, so I
haven't tried it, but the company publicly demonstrated it in early
June.
Like the current OS X 10.7
Lion, it continues Apple's desire to make Macs work more like
iPhones and iPads. With the new OS, Macs gain iOS-like reminders,
notes, messages, and notifications, and using Apple's free iCloud
service, these will be automatically synced between a user's Mac,
iPhone, and iPad. Messages can be sent to other Mac or iOS users - like
text messages but without involving a cellphone company - and these,
too, will be synced between Apple-branded devices.
While Apple is adding iOS-like features to Macs, the systems remain
distinct: iPad apps won't run on Macs, and Mac apps won't run on
iPads.
Gatekeeper security might make it more difficult for malware to
install itself on protected Macs - in exchange for giving Apple,
through its App Store, more control over how users get software.
The previous version's iOS-like features were controversial. Some,
like the Launchpad screens of program-starting icons, are widely
ignored. Others, such as changing trackpad scrolling direction and
dropping Save As
from program menus, are widely disliked. Mountain Lion's features
may prove more popular. Its price - $20 for a licence to download and
install it on multiple computers - will be popular.
My advice (before having any hands-on time): If you haven't upgraded
from OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard,
you probably shouldn't rush into this, but if you're running 10.7 Lion,
this will (hopefully) be a more polished version.
Windows 8
Like Apple, Microsoft's Windows 8, which won't be officially
released until the fall (November, perhaps) aims to make traditional
laptops and desktops act more like mobile systems. Unlike Apple,
Microsoft is giving preview copies of Windows 8 to anyone who
wants to try it. A developer's preview was released (and not just to
developers) last fall. It was followed by a consumer preview in
February and a release preview in May.
Also unlike Apple, Windows 8 is designed to run on tablets as well
as more standard PCs.
It's a risky strategy. Microsoft has taken the tile-based
Metro interface used on its positively reviewed (but not
particularly strong-selling) Windows 7 Phones and made it the basis of
Windows 8. The result is finger-friendly for touchscreen tablets
but a steep learning curve for keyboard/mouse users. I've tried out the
various previews on traditional systems; despite improvements from
earlier previews, the latest version continues to feel awkward to
me.
But even on tablets, Windows 8 will face issues. Expect two families
of tablets running Win 8. Some will be based on the same sort of Intel
or AMD processors used in standard PCs; these will be able to run the
huge library of old-style Windows applications - but those applications
won't be optimized for fingers and touchscreens.
Other tablets will use ARM-style processors (like Apple's iPad and
Android tablets). While these offer much-improved battery life, they
won't be backwards compatible with older Windows software - only new
applications specifically designed for Windows 8's Metro will run. The
potential result: Massive buyer confusion. Many home and business
buyers skipped Windows Vista
(released in 2006) to stick with Win XP (2001). My
suspicion: This time around large numbers are going to want to stick
with Windows 7 (2009).
Linux Also Moving Forward
Apple and Microsoft are not the only ones creating operating systems
for traditional personal computers. The various distributions of
open-source Linux continue to evolve. With new versions every six
months, Ubuntu may be the most
popular desktop Linux distribution. The latest, version 12.04 is easy
to install and use. It also boasts long-term support and is free.
(Android,
a free mobile version of Linux, has become a significant force in
smartphones and tablets.) 
