Week 3 Reading Notes

Introduction to Linux, Ch. 1 “What is Linux?”

I’m a sucker for tech history (which is not a contradiction in terms, as many people I’ve known would argue), and this really hit the spot.  I’m familiar with Linux’s reputation as the open source operating system for those in the know, but never knew much about its origins.

The arguments for open source being more reliable and secure through the vast community of user-testers and developers do seem quite valid; it makes me wonder what all kinds of hogwash proprietary software development companies have been feeding us all these years about how vital guaranteed support is (have you ever tried getting support from Microsoft?).  It sounds like the Linux community has become more welcoming to newbies over the years, which can only help to increase user adoption.

When all is said and done, I might try running Linux on a virtual machine just to see what there is to see. I know quite a few fans, but haven’t yet tried it myself.  I’ve used both PCs and Macs; each have their pros and cons. I’m sure even Linux must have its downsides, but maybe its benefits will fill in the gaps left unfilled by Windows and OS X.

Mac OS X (wikipedia.org & kernelthread.com)

Much of the technical detail around the underlying architecture, firmware, etc. went pretty far above my head, but I appreciated Amit Singh’s perspective when it came to user experience on the various operating systems. All too often discussions like this are an exercise in brand loyalty (where Microsoft is often the whipping boy); it was refreshing to see the capabilities and limitations of each system considered more or less objectively.

“An Update on the Windows Roadmap”

I have a friend who’s fond of saying, “If Microsoft put as much time and effort into building good products as they do spewing out PR…”

He’s an unabashed Apple fanboy, of course, but things like this do nothing but strengthen his argument. I’ve used Vista, it’s really not all that terrible. I’m not a big fan, but it’s serviceable enough. The fatal flaw in the Vista release was the fanfare leading up to it that fell flat because it didn’t live up to the hype (and probably wasn’t quite ready for release yet either).