Windows has stumbled over the years, but the consensus is that Windows 10 is a success, and it's more stable and usable than its predecessors. It supports the most hardware and software of any OS. Windows powers more than 1.4 billion PCs, making it by far the most popular desktop operating system. For far more detail, click the links to full reviews under each operating system summary. Read on for our summary of each personal desktop operating system in order of usage share (Opens in a new window). We'll leave IBM i, Suse Linux, server OSes, and the rest to the PCMag Business team. In this roundup of the best operating systems, we only include consumer operating systems. Running macOS outside of an actual Mac computer isn't possible-unless you're comfortable jumping through the technical hoops required to create a Hackintosh (Opens in a new window).

You can also create a Linux partition on a Windows PC and boot to that when the need arises. For example, you can run Windows on a Mac inside a virtual machine or dual-boot using Boot Camp (if you have an Intel-based Mac). Windows and macOS are generally the most capable in terms of hardware, software, interface, and utilities, while Chrome OS is more lightweight and runs on inexpensive computers.īut why have just one operating system? What if you need to run software that's only compatible with a particular OS, usually Windows or macOS? Multiboot setups and virtualization software can let you run more than one operating system on your computer. Four come from commercial tech giants, while one, the Linux-based Ubuntu, is free and open-source. Five isn't a huge number, but these operating systems differ distinctly in strengths and weaknesses. The five OSes included here are your most viable options: Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS Ventura, Ubuntu, and Google Chrome OS. You don’t have a great many choices when it comes to your computer's operating system, but the choice you make can have wide-ranging consequences. Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test (Opens in a new window). Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.

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Linux vs windows vs mac