Modern technology companies offer users a variety of innovative products. Among them are also hardware and software, which together ensure the operation of devices. Major technology corporations, including Microsoft, Apple, and Google, also develop operating systems for both desktop and mobile devices. Currently, iOS and Android are the main products on the market, but at the beginning of the 21st century, Windows Phone was also popular among users. Currently, this system is no longer supported because Microsoft was unable to offer customers a unique product. Apple’s iOS has a more user-friendly interface and a variety of applications, which makes it relevant and modern, while the Windows OS is no longer supported.
Operating systems (OS) act as an intermediary between the computer hardware and the user. Among the primary objectives of such programs are the execution of programs and facilitation of troubleshooting for the user, making the computing systems easy to use, as well as efficient using of the hardware (Novac et al. 154). Thus, OS serves to facilitate the process of using the capabilities of computer systems and has a unified interface for accessing various programs and devices. Moreover, modern systems offer users a graphical interface that makes it much easier to work with them. OS by Apple and Windows is the most prevalent in the world due to their focus on customer comfort.
Apple is a transnational manufacturer of computer and mobile devices, online products, as well as computer software. The company develops computer and mobile devices using its own hardware, which necessitates the use of special software. Thus, Apple uses its own OS on all of its devices, which manages all processes and makes it easier for users to interact with the product. The company produces software for both mobile (iOS) and computer systems (macOS). In particular, iOS is the basis for software developed for other devices, including the Apple TV, Apple Watch, and iPad.
Microsoft Corporation is known all over the world primarily as a developer and manufacturer of computer devices, systems, as well as hardware and software. However, as Apple, the company is involved in the development and sale of mobile devices that also have their own OS. Windows Phone (WP) is the most advanced operating system currently used on Microsoft mobile devices. The system was developed on the basis of the outdated Windows Mobile system. This system differs from iOS in a number of ways, not only in terms of interface and user experience but also in terms of system architecture.
First of all, the two OSs have significant differences in the principle of their construction since they are used to interact with different hardware. iOS was developed from earlier versions of macOS and has become a separate kind of OS. Apple maintains the philosophy of Unix systems in their software products. Unix-like operating systems are characterized by the use of a limited set of tools that perform strictly defined functions. Simple communication systems combine these tools into a network that performs more complex functions (Dantam et al. 2). This structure provides iOS with a simple and accessible interface, making it popular easy to use. Despite the availability of information about this OS, there are no open files about its architecture (Novac et al. 158). iOS uses the Cocoa Touch interface, which is object-oriented. This interface provides a framework for developing various applications and also defines their structure. iOS uses Objective-C or Swift language, which were developed specifically for macOS and iOS.
In contrast to Apple, Windows needed to create an OS that was compatible with different types of hardware and chipsets. Thus, WP is developed based on the popular C # programming language, which allows the system to interact with various applications. Additionally, WP has its own CLR virial machine, which is not necessary for iOS (Novac et al. 157). The OS uses Silverlight or XAML interface, which allows comfortable interaction for the users. Differences in the architecture and structure of operating systems also lead to a number of variations in the user experience that platforms provide.
Apple software is used exclusively on Apple devices as determined by the license for those products. Thus, the systems offered by the company are closed and operate within the specified OS framework. iOS uses the Apple Store to distribute apps, which is the most lucrative for developers. This is due to the fact that it is easier to develop applications for this system due to the ordered structure, as well as due to the higher price of applications, of which 70% goes to the developer and 30% goes to Apple (Novac et al. 159). Moreover, apps in the Apple Store are often released earlier because they generate more revenue and are of higher quality. Compared to iOS or Android (OS developed by Google and using the Google Play Market), WP has a much smaller user base, which translates into fewer apps and their quality. According to statistics, at the beginning of 2021, 1.2 million people use this OS in the US, which is almost 6 million less than in 2010 (Number of Windows Smartphone). In contrast, the number of iOS users is constantly growing and currently exceeds 900 million worldwide (Number of Apple iPhone). Thus, the number of uses and applications, as well as popularity with WP developers, is falling rapidly.
Another factor that determines the differences between the two systems and comes from their structure is the interface and user experience they offer. Due to its Unix-like architecture, iOS has a minimalist design that makes the interface accessible. Additionally, Apple is offering users the ability to install the latest versions of its OS on older devices, although support is declining. In contrast to iOS, WP from newer versions cannot be updated on the device, making them quickly outdated. The most important benefits of WP are real-time updating of relevant information on the screen, as well as full synchronization with Microsoft Office products. This factor also has a positive effect on the prevalence of iOS devices. However, an additional aspect is also the inability to use another OS on Apple products.
In terms of security, both operating systems offer users equally reliable products that are expected from the world’s two largest technology companies. Using iOS, it is impossible to install applications from unofficial sources on the device, which check all products for safety before providing access to them in the store. As Apple, Microsoft checks all applications in the store for viruses or malware, which provides security to users. Both OSs offer authorized stores as the only source of apps that can be installed on devices, ensuring security.
With regard to the choice of devices from Apple, everything is simple, since iOS is used exclusively on the iPhone, the model range of which is limited. Since 2015, all Microsoft OS devices have been running Microsoft 10 Mobile OS, which is the successor to WP. Nevertheless, the modern version does not have any fundamental differences from the previous ones. The phones that used Microsoft 10 Mobile came from a variety of manufacturers, including Acer, Cherry, and Microsoft itself. However, the latest models were released in 2017, and no more models using this OS were produced. Microsoft currently focuses exclusively on computing devices and software, which explains the decline in the number of mobile OS users.
Thus, there are currently only two major players in the mobile operating system market: iOS and Android. However, every year the number of users of Apple devices is growing, and the system is being updated. At the same time, Microsoft and their mobile OS were once popular as well, but the company does not currently support this direction. Despite buying Nokia to make smartphones and provide alternatives to the existing OS, Microsoft failed. iOS and Android provided users with much more convenient solutions and necessary choices. WP did not offer users unique features and was limited in its use exclusively to the company’s products, which made it irrelevant. Moreover, the OS was distributed on a limited number of devices with more attractive options from competitors. Finally, the production of both smartphones and mobile operating systems became unprofitable for the corporation, which led to the closure of the direction. Microsoft has proven to be uncompetitive in the mobile device area, while Apple has much more advanced technology in both mobile software and hardware. iOS is more intuitive and user-friendly, which makes it more popular with customers.
References
Dantam, Neil, et al. “Unix Philosophy and the Real World: Control Software for Humanoid Robots.” Frontiers in Robotics and AI, vol.3, 2016, pp. 1-15. Web.
Novac, Ovidiu, et al. “Comparative Study of Google Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows Phone Mobile Operating Systems.” 14th International Conference on Engineering of Modern Electric Systems (EMES), 1-2 June 2017. IEEE Xplore, 2017, pp. 154-159. Web.
“Number of Apple iPhone devices in use in the US, China and the rest of the world in 2017.” Statista, 2020. Web.
“Number of Windows Smartphone Users in the United States from 2010 to 2021.” Statista, 2021. Web.