Free Computer Operating Systems - Good for the Disability Budget

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/07/14 - Updated: 2011/10/08
Topic: Disability Technology Editorials - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Googles operating system is due to be presented in the middle of 2010 to consumers and will be based on their Chrome browser.

Introduction

The announcement by the Google corporation of their free operating system, designed to compete with Microsoft, has brought attention to other forms of operating systems that are available right now.

Main Item

Google's operating system is due to be presented in the middle of 2010 to consumers, and will be based on their Chrome browser.

The operating systems presented below are absolutely FREE. In the past, when an operating system was offered for free, it used to mean, 'Linux.' Now there are a few that are not based on Linux technology.

OpenSolaris - An open source operating system based on Sun Microsystems' Solaris. It offers features which are designed to help you build and deploy high-performance application services like the Image Packaging System (IPS), the ZFS and integrated virtualization options. OpenSolaris scales with you from the smallest Intel Atom processors through enterprise systems with hundreds of CPUs. The OpenSolaris code base supports systems that use SPARC and x86 families of processor architectures, e.g., UltraSPARC, SPARC64, AMD64, Pentium and Xeon EM64T. From what I have seen of OpenSolaris, it is an easy-to-use operating system that has Gnome as an environment; I was pleased with the system.

Fedora - A Linux-based operating system that presents the latest in free and open source software. It is always free for anyone to use, distribute and modify. Fedora is built by people across the planet who work together as a community through the Fedora Project. The Fedora Project itself is also open to anyone who wants to join it. Its mission is to lead the advancement of free and open source software and content as a collaborative community.

Ubuntu Linux - A computer operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux. It is distributed as free software. Ubuntu's goals include providing an up-to-date, stable operating system for the average user, a strong focus on usability, and ease-of-installation. Ubuntu has been selected by readers as the most popular GNU/Linux distribution for the desktop, claiming approximately thirty-percent of desktop installations in both 2006 and 2007.Ubuntu is free from any licensing fees. You can download, use and share Ubuntu with your friends, family, school or business for absolutely nothing. The experience I had with Ubuntu was pleasant, I would recommend this operating system for people who want a free operating system who are new to Linux.

FreeBSD - An advanced operating system for modern server, desktop and embedded computer platforms. Its code base has undergone over thirty years of continuous development, improvement and optimization. It is derived from BSD, the version of UNIX developed at the University of California, Berkeley. FreeBSD presents advanced networking, impressive security features and is used by some of the world's busiest web sites and most pervasive embedded networking and storage devices.

FreeBSD is an advanced operating system for x86 compatible (Pentium and Athlon), AMD64 compatible (Opteron, Athlon64 and EM64T), ARM, IA-64, PowerPC, PC-98 and UltraSPARC architectures. It is developed and maintained by a large team of individuals and additional platforms are in various stages of development.

FreeDOS - A free DOS-compatible operating system for IBM-PC compatible systems. It supports vintage IBM PC hardware as well as modern ones, in addition to embedded computers. Unlike MS-DOS, it is composed of free and open source software, licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). FreeDOS is currently being used for running classic DOS games, business software that only supports DOS and embedded DOS systems.

Author Credentials: Ian was born and grew up in Australia. Since then, he has traveled and lived in numerous locations and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Ian is the founder, a writer, and editor in chief for Disabled World. Ian believes in the Social Model of Disability, a belief developed by disabled people in the 1970s. The social model changes the focus away from people's impairments and towards removing barriers that disabled people face daily. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and achievements, .

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Citing and References

Founded in 2004, Disabled World (DW) is a leading resource on disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility, supporting the disability community. Learn more on our About Us page.

Cite This Page: Disabled World. (2009, July 14 - Last revised: 2011, October 8). Free Computer Operating Systems - Good for the Disability Budget. Disabled World (DW). Retrieved March 26, 2025 from www.disabled-world.com/editorials/technology/free-operating-systems.php

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