Look At Both Type Of Software

1. Longevity
OSS, since it allows modification by all, can survive in its current form for a long time. Users need not worry about the lack of vendor support or feel compelled to upgrade. PS is supported and maintained only by the vendor, so the life of a software is linked to that of its vendor. Commercial organization, while choosing a PS, cannot consider the performance of the program in isolation: they also have to consider the financial foundation and long-term business viability of the vendor. A user would be left in the lurch if the vendor were to close down in the near future.

2. Quality
Peer review, an excellent mechanism for identifying and resolving shortcoming in a product, can be implemented in OSS since anyone can see the code. The greater the number of people scrutinizing the code, the greater the chances of bugs being discovered. In contrast, PS code is usually offered for review only to select group, so peer review is not as rigorous. The resulting code, therefore is not as bug free as OSS. For example, experts have found that Linux has fewer bugs than Windows. (http://news.com.com/Security+research+suggests+Linux+has+fewer+flaws/2100-1002_3-5489804.html)

3. Portability
While the PC is dominate computing platform, other computing devices are becoming popular. It is easy for an OSS to be ported to other platforms, since contributors with the relevant expertise can make necessary modification. A PS vendor’s expertise is limited to the platform it is currently would be influenced by many factors such is profitability.

4. Compatibility
The contributory nature of OSS requires that standards and specifications be open so that additions and/or modification can be easily made. Business sense dictates that product differentiation is a good strategy leading to incompatible products from different PS vendors. A user planning to switch between different PS vendors needs to consider the cost of converting existing data from the older format to the newer one. This forces users to ignore better software, and acts as an artificial barrier to competition.

5. Impact of Negative Business Practices
OSS products can be supported by any person with required expertise; this can be from any service provider. PS can be supported only by a single entity. This allows the vendor to indulge in practices that could harm to user in the long term – like offering a PS for free to drive out competition, and later increasing prices.

6. Response time
Only the PS vendor can modify the code in response to an attack or to add a feature; users have to wait till such an event. OSS is enriched by newer features contributed by many programmers. The decentralized nature of the OSS development allows for faster incremental change to OSS. Users with specific needs can customize the software either personally or with the aid of any knowledgeable person.