Reliability
Since the compatibility filter has already eliminated all of the operating systems except Windows, we now have to figure out which version of Windows in the most reliable. Windows 95, NT 3.51, and older versions are not even being considered since Microsoft is trying to get everybody upgraded to newer versions as quickly as possible. This is a good thing, considering that Windows 95 has the worst memory leaks of any mainstream OS I have ever used. That leaves us with four to choose from: Windows 98, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and Windows Me.
Microsoft recently commissioned ZD Labs to compare the reliability of Windows 2000 Professional with that of Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 with Service Pack 6a (SP6a). In the absence of a standard desktop reliability benchmark, ZD Labs created a custom stress test and ran it on each operating system for thirty consecutive days around the clock, or ninety eight-hour workdays. The results of this test are shown below:
I would summarize these results myself but I think ZDLabs' summary speaks for itself:
"While the experiences of individual users may vary from our test results, the reliability of Windows 2000 Professional was outstanding. It performed continuously and flawlessly for more than ninety business workdays without a single failure. Not only did it not encounter any problems during this extended period of testing, but also the amount of work done was considerably more than that of a typical user.
Although testing with different applications might show different results, based on our testing we conclude that the reliability of Windows 2000 Professional far exceeds that of Windows 98 SE and Windows NT Workstation 4.0."
Although Windows Me was not included in this test, the general consensus among the experts I've consulted with is that Windows Me is a real disappointment. Although Microsoft's marketing machine wants you to think that Me is an upgrade to Windows 98, Windows Me is, as one expert phrased it, "more prone to the blue screen of death and other annoying crashes". Another professional user said, "My systems were actually less stable with Me than they were with Windows 98SE". And a major Windows magazine summed up their opinion of Me's reliability by saying, "Opting for Windows Me is a mistake in any situation". Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like an operating system worth avoiding to me, especially for trading purposes.
When it comes to reliability, Windows 2000 Professional is the clear winner. But since reliability isn't the only quality to look for, let's advance the two most reliable performers in this category to the final stage of our search for the best operating system.
Since the compatibility filter has already eliminated all of the operating systems except Windows, we now have to figure out which version of Windows in the most reliable. Windows 95, NT 3.51, and older versions are not even being considered since Microsoft is trying to get everybody upgraded to newer versions as quickly as possible. This is a good thing, considering that Windows 95 has the worst memory leaks of any mainstream OS I have ever used. That leaves us with four to choose from: Windows 98, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and Windows Me.
Microsoft recently commissioned ZD Labs to compare the reliability of Windows 2000 Professional with that of Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 with Service Pack 6a (SP6a). In the absence of a standard desktop reliability benchmark, ZD Labs created a custom stress test and ran it on each operating system for thirty consecutive days around the clock, or ninety eight-hour workdays. The results of this test are shown below:
I would summarize these results myself but I think ZDLabs' summary speaks for itself:
"While the experiences of individual users may vary from our test results, the reliability of Windows 2000 Professional was outstanding. It performed continuously and flawlessly for more than ninety business workdays without a single failure. Not only did it not encounter any problems during this extended period of testing, but also the amount of work done was considerably more than that of a typical user.
Although testing with different applications might show different results, based on our testing we conclude that the reliability of Windows 2000 Professional far exceeds that of Windows 98 SE and Windows NT Workstation 4.0."
Although Windows Me was not included in this test, the general consensus among the experts I've consulted with is that Windows Me is a real disappointment. Although Microsoft's marketing machine wants you to think that Me is an upgrade to Windows 98, Windows Me is, as one expert phrased it, "more prone to the blue screen of death and other annoying crashes". Another professional user said, "My systems were actually less stable with Me than they were with Windows 98SE". And a major Windows magazine summed up their opinion of Me's reliability by saying, "Opting for Windows Me is a mistake in any situation". Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like an operating system worth avoiding to me, especially for trading purposes.
When it comes to reliability, Windows 2000 Professional is the clear winner. But since reliability isn't the only quality to look for, let's advance the two most reliable performers in this category to the final stage of our search for the best operating system.
