BUDGET
As a budget user, you're on a shoestring. You need an operating system in order to make your shiny new (or existing but upgraded) system run, but you've spent up on the components and can't afford any of Microsoft's top-end offerings.

There are two paths to take when choosing an operating system on a budget, and they depend entirely on the software you need to run on a daily basis. Look at the packages you use, and see if alternatives are available for Linux. If you mostly use office packages, web browsers, and other basic tools, then you might be able to swing an operating system for free.

Linux is a free, open-source operating system - meaning that its users are free to develop their own versions, customising the software in any way they see fit. While that makes it incredibly flexible, it also means that there are a vast number of different versions available to choose from - and as they all have no monetary cost attached, it can be difficult to pick one from the crowd.



By far the most successful of the desktop Linux distributions is Canonical's Ubuntu. Designed to be easy to install and use even for non-technical users, it has gathered a cult following in recent years. If your software choices don't tie you to Windows, it's an excellent choice.

Even if you do need Windows software, a free add-on package called Wine allows certain software to run within Linux under a compatibility layer' - and as it's free, it's always worth testing before shelling out on a commercial OS.

If you're buying a system with an operating system pre-installed, keep an eye out for Windows 7 Starter Edition. Although uncommon in the UK, some netbooks come with this extremely cheap OEM-only release installed - and while it's limited, it's usable for basic computing tasks.

Sadly, Microsoft has chosen to keep Windows 7 Starter exclusive to manufacturers and developing nations - meaning that you can't buy a copy yourself for a home-built computer.

MAINSTREAM
A mainstream user does everything the budget user does, and more. Perhaps you play the latest games, need support for Windows-only software packages, or you've just got a bit of money left over in your budget for a shiny new OS.

There are two versions of Windows that mainstream users might consider, and the decision rests entirely on whether you use your PC on a corporate network.

If you're a home user, and you're not buying an OS for a laptop that you'll be taking to work, there's really only one choice: Windows 7 Home Premium. Replacing Windows Vista Home Premium as the OS of choice, the latest release of Microsoft's popular OS fixes many of the problems people had with its predecessor.

Windows 7 Home Premium includes most features users would expect from an operating system, including support for DirectX 11 which - when coupled with a compatible graphics card - unlocks vastly improved visuals in modern games.



There is one area in which Windows 7 Home Premium is lacking, however: corporate networking. If you connect your system to a Windows Active Directory Domain, you'll find that the Home Premium edition is totally unsuitable for your needs. Instead, you need Windows 7 Professional.

As the name suggests, Windows 7 Professional is for business users - in particular, those who connect their systems to Active Directory networks. In addition, it includes a virtualised Windows XP compatibility mode missing from the Home Premium edition that helps to ensure that even outdated software runs without a hiccup.

The difference in price between the two versions can be steep, so make sure you pick the one that best suits your needs. If you're not buying for work, you'll almost certainly want the cheaper Windows 7 Home Premium.

PREMIUM
A premium user wants it all. You don't want to have to pick between different versions of Windows, you just want to buy one that covers every eventuality. Thankfully, Microsoft has developed a version of Windows with you in mind: Windows 7 Ultimate.

Combining the features of Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional, the Ultimate release is - as the name suggests - all-encompassing. Popular among power users and gamers alike, Windows 7 Ultimate includes every feature you could ever need from an operating system - and its black packaging is sure to impress if you stick it on a shelf.

Sadly, there is - as always - a trade-off involved. Ultimate costs around twice as much as other versions of Windows 7 - but if you're looking to get the most out of your hardware, it comes highly recommended.

If you're a premium buyer with plenty of hard disk space, there's another option to look at in order to give yourself even more options: dual-booting. Although ordinarily a PC would only have a single operating system installed on it, some power users choose to have two or more - choosing which one they want to run depending on their requirements at the time.

...And what about Macs?
While Windows-based PCs are the most common computers on the planet, there are those who choose a different path: a Macintosh, running Apple's latest operating system, Mac OS X.

Unlike Windows and Linux, you can't buy Mac OS X as a standalone operating system. In order to use it, you need to buy an Apple computer - a Mac Pro, Mac Mini, or Apple's laptop computers, the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air.

What Mac OS X lacks in flexibility it makes up for in stability. When Windows falls over, it's often due to the fact that a user has a combination of hardware that the developers weren't able to test. By limiting Mac OS X to predefined hardware platforms, Apple is able to make the OS less likely to randomly crash.

Mac OS X also has a reputation for security, being seen to be less prone to viruses and other digital nasties. While some of this is purely down to its extremely small market share compared to Windows, there is evidence to suggest that the design of Mac OS X - and, specifically, its roots in an open-source project known as BSD - does make it harder to infect than Windows.

Many Windows programs don't work under Mac OS X, and gamers are especially hard done by - although this has changed in recent years with companies including Half-Life developer Valve pledging support for the platform.

The latest version of Apple's MacOS X, Lion.

If you're not tied to Windows by legacy software requirements, and you don't mind paying a premium for Apple's prettily-designed products - known by some as the 'Apple Tax' - a Mac OS X system is certainly worth considering.

Dual-boot systems
Although you're unlikely to want to buy a second operating system, many people choose to add a free, open-source option to the list - giving them the choice to experiment with a new operating system while having a tried-and-tested commercial version to fall back on.

If you want to give dual-booting a try, the easiest way is to download Canonical's Ubuntu Linux Live CD. It's free - in every sense of the word - and could unlock features of your system that you never even guessed were there.

For Mac users who want to sully their hard drives another OS - Linux, perhaps, or even the dreaded Windows - Apple supplies a utility called Boot Camp which enables them to do exactly that.

Tags: windows 7 editions mac os x macos apple microsoft windows windows 7 home premium microsoft personal computer