In a campus as technologically advanced as N.C. State, the options for computer operating systems are varied. In labs across campus there are Windows-based computers, as well as Sun, Macintosh and Linux ones. But the choice between the systems is completely a personal one.

James Hutton, a junior in computer science, bypassed all the mainstream options and is a Linux operating system user.

According to Hutton, he doesn’t use Windows because the majority of the Windows operating system is hidden, and there are major limits on what users can do with it,

Macintosh’s latest system, the OS X, is based on UNIX code, which is different from Windows code, but locks the user into a specific set of hardware. This makes updating tough unless a user goes through Apple, he said. Also, both systems are not free, whereas Linux is.

“Linux is everywhere even though we don’t see it in our day-to-day lives.” Hutton said, citing it as the underlying code for gaming systems.

Although it is mainly command line based, there have recently been movements toward a graphic user interfaceÑlike Macs and Windows-based machines use.

Other positive attributes of the system are the lack of system crashes and viruses. Hutton said this is because most of the software is publicly reviewed, which allows developers and users to fix flaws before they become widespread.

“I’ve never had a virus on my system under Linux,” he said.

“I would recommend people try it out É just play around with it,” Hutton said. “The more you play around with it, the more you will learn.”

Stacey Piner, sophomore in textile and apparel management, uses Apple computers. She said she has only been using a Macintosh for a year and a half.

Piner said she prefers the Macintosh to Windows because it has different programs and applications available that aren’t on Windows, such as iLife, a program that includes software for photos, videos and music.

She hit a few bumps in the beginning, not realizing that the toolbar changes to accommodate different programs, and she said she couldn’t figure out how to put an away message up on AIM for two days.

The only problem Piner found in the system was that she couldn’t sign up for student tickets using Safari, the OS X Internet browser. But said she finds a Windows-using friend during the sports season.

According to Piner, Apple’s service is another one of the things that makes her a fan of the company.

“I feel like [Macs] have a higher quality [because of] the Apple store — they’re kind of like computer geeks. They know what they’re doing,” Piner said.

Michael Pham, a junior in electrical engineering, has been a Windows user since it first came out.

Although he has tried other systems, including OS X and Linux, he said he came back to Windows because it was easier to navigate and because more programs are made for Windows, as opposed to other systems.

“It’s a lot less hassle,” Pham said.

He said some downsides to Windows are its speed, because it can often be very slow, and its propensity to catch viruses.

In order to keep his computer virus free, he avoids downloading from unsafe sites and uses Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.

However, Pham did admit, “Just because I use Windows doesn’t mean I advocate it.”