If you are new to the industry, you need to understand the importance of software compatibility for playing casino games. Most web-based casinos today provide downloadable software. However, your computer needs to fulfill certain requirements for the software to run. One of these involves having an operating system which is compatible with gaming sites.
Today, players primarily use three alternatives – Windows, Linux, and UNIX (Mac computers). Most of the gaming sites have software for Windows because it is by far the most widely used platform. However, very few sites have UNIX or Linux compatible software and use Flash or JavaScript to provide games to Linux and UNIX users.
Windows compatibility
Windows is a graphical user interface based operating system and is produced by Microsoft. After the launch of Windows 95, it has become the standard for not only the computer industry, but also for the gambling industry. Since Windows has been in use for more than a decade, gaming companies have had plenty of time to adapt and modify their software according to it. This also means that if players use Windows, they get to choose from a wide variety of casino sites and can be assured of having OS compatibility for these.
One of the advantages of being a Windows user is that you get to decide whether you want to play through the software or through the browser. With other alternatives, you will rarely have such freedom.
Mac compatability
During the 90′s, when internet gambling was growing at an exponential rate, Mac computers were not doing very well. It was only at the turn of the new millennium that Mac systems became popular again. However, for a long time, online casinos did not show a lot of interest towards the Mac OS. It was only during the last few years that they started developing games and software targeted towards Macs.
Once gaming software for Mac was available, it was clear that Macs provided a better graphical experience. Also, Macs are considered to be more secure than Windows based systems. You can expect many more gaming sites to develop Mac compatible software in the coming years.
Linux compatability
Linux is well known as one of the most stable and secure computing platforms in the world. One of the biggest advantages of Linux is that unlike Windows and Mac, it is open source. Because of this the number of Linux users is also on the rise. However, the software has not made much impact in the online gambling industry and it is very difficult to find a casino that supports Linux. Hopefully, the trend will change soon with the growing number of players using Linux.
As you can see, Windows is the most widely available operating system for gambling on the internet, but Mac is catching up soon. You can also expect gaming software to become compatible with Linux in the coming few years because of the better security it offers.
