One of the most popular areas of contention among computer users has always been which operating system is preferred. There have been countless advertising campaigns advertising one over the other. One of the most recent would be the ad in which one person exclaimed: "Hi, I'm a Mac" and another "Hi, I'm a PC" with the intention of promoting Apple over Microsoft. While Apple and Microsoft have been battling it out for many years, another contender has risen to the top, Linux and its many distributions. As with all products of the same nature there are differences that can be seen as advantages and disadvantages. This is quite common when comparing computer operating systems. Just because Microsoft Windows has the distinction of being the operating system with the largest market share does not mean that it is superior in terms of advantages over the various Linux distributions, but it also does not mean that it has the same disadvantages. To begin comparing Windows and Linux, one of the first areas of contrast would be the price of owning the operating system. While Windows can cost up to $150, most Linux variants are available for free. This difference can also be seen in the price of the software. Many of the programs available on Linux are free and include suites similar to Microsoft Office which itself can cost hundreds of dollars. However, while the cost of software for Linux can be seen as an advantage, the fact that the variety of software available is much less than that of Windows is more of a disadvantage. Just like on the software side, Windows has a much larger amount of compatible hardware than Linux. The simple fact is that since Windows has the largest market share, almost all hardware manufacturers will make their products for Windows. There are advantages and disadvantages to using each operating system as well. Again, since Windows is the most popular operating system, most users have more experience with it using it at work, school, or home. This may give Windows the edge in ease of use, but many Linux distributions take advantage of the same familiarity as Windows and can be used just as easily. Regarding reliability one might believe that given the much wider distribution of Windows, it would offer greater reliability.