One of the most appealing aspects of the modern world of computers is the wide variety of choice available to users. Not only is there an almost endless supply of software to choose from, but a user can even choose the kind of operating system that they would like to use on their hardware.

For most people, this isn’t too much of a concern, but for those that like to tinker with their computers, would prefer better privacy, or just want to try something new, it’s never been easier to install an operating system.

1. Microsoft Windows

Microsoft’s Windows is currently the world leader in terms of home desktop usage and dominates the market share by a large margin. Almost everyone in the world is familiar with Windows – not only has it been around for decades, but almost every single computer on the market right now ships with Windows as its default operating system.

Along with, the majority of software and video games are designed to work with Windows, and certain hardware, like Nvidia graphics cards, tend to play a lot nicer with Windows than other operating systems. Despite this, Windows has earned something of a reputation over the last few years for being “bloated”, and there are also some privacy concerns associated with using Windows.

2. MacOS

MacOS is only available on Apple devices, but for many, the purchase of an Apple device is worth both the hardware and the operating system that it comes with, along with a huge range of excellent and well-developed programs. Something that appeals to a lot of people that make use of Apple devices is the way that all of them sync together seamlessly, meaning that a MacBook Pro will work extremely well with the latest iteration of the iPhone or iPad.

This cross-platform usability makes it easier for users to share files and other data across all of their devices, which might be a great boon in a productive environment, or to keep up with their messenger apps or send their FIFA 2022 odds tab from their laptop to their phone. Keep in mind that MacOS is a closed source and “locked-in” ecosystem, meaning that it’s not really possible to make any changes to it on a technical or software level.

3. Linux

For most of its lifespan, Linux was most often associated with server usage, but over the last ten years – and largely thanks to the efforts of Ubuntu – Linux and its associated distributions have become viable operating systems for the average user.

The focus is providing open source and quality software that’s suitable for both home and work usage, and there are hundreds of different distributions to choose from, and it ultimately comes down to what the user needs. While Ubuntu is perhaps the most well-known Linux distribution of them all, others, such as Linux Mint, have become more popular in recent years, especially among normal, everyday users.

There’s also plenty of great software to choose from, including browsers, office suites, video editors, and so much more.