Ashley Malcolmson A-level IT: Unit 2 Task 4 M1

	Windows 7	Mac OS X
Machine and Peripheral management	With Windows 7 the operating system controls the whole computer and all the components. It also controls peripherals like keyboards, mouse and printers.	OS X controls the components of your computer in a similar way to Windows 7. But almost all devices need to be bought especially for a mac
Security	Windows 7 uses security functions like user accounts with password protection, firewalls and other functions.	OS X uses security features like an App called time machine. This works with your mac and external devices. Time machine automatically backs up your entire mac. What makes time machine different to other back up systems is that it remembers how your mac looked on any given day. This means you can visit you mac on in a way it was previously. Macs also use authentication for file sharing by having to use your apple ID.
File management	Windows uses file management so you can edit files create new ones and delete old ones. Windows 7 uses a system called File explorer.	For file management on a Mac it uses an app called finder. It works in a similar way to file explorer but has an appropriate icon for each file. Macs also use cover flow. This works alongside Finder. It allows you to flip through snapshots of documents, websites, photographs and album artwork. It also uses tree navigation.
Device drivers	Device drivers are used to tell the OS what to do with a particular device. For example when you buy a new graphics card you need to download a new driver to get it to work at full capability.	Device drivers for Mac have the same purpose as for windows. With Mac you can’t really upgrade anything. Every driver needed to run the computer is included in the system.
Ability to customise	There are many ways to customise windows to make your computer more accessible. Accessibility features have been built into windows. These are useful features for people who have difficulty seeing or hearing. These features can be installed during set up or later from a windows instillation disk. You can use the control panel and other in-built features to adjust the appearance and behaviour of your computer to suit the needs of your personal settings. These settings include changing the colour, the desktop background and the sound.	Macs are relatively difficult to customise because there are such limited things you can do without having to download new software. Without the download of new software all you can really do is change the background or add apps you regularly us to the dock. However when you download the software there is plenty you can do to customise your mac. For example Mirage. This allows you to customise the dock. CandyBar allows you to change the icons. Think allows you to block all but one app so you can concentrate on your work and not get distracted.