Reading Assignment #3
Linux System: As I read through the Intro there were a few things that occurred to me.
--Linux is in much more wide-spread use than I realized. I had no idea that Amazon was using it, or that a lot of movies were using for their CGI shots, the U.S. postal service and the German Army just to name a few.
--It seems as though Linux is much more inclined to cater to businesses and Government programs as opposed to the home-PC market. I say that because when one did read the manual they were difficult to follow and finding documentation was difficult as well, and it says right there in the article that it is not user-friendly and confusing for beginners. Most beginners are people who are setting up their home-PCs, They used to tell people to, “RTFM: Read the Manual.” (I don’t think I really want to guess what the “F” stands for).
--I personally like the idea of having a free software operating system and how basically all Linux systems are the same, however there is one thing that troubles me even more than the cons concerning the troubles beginners could have. Linux is free and I hate to say it but sometimes…you get what you pay for.
--Even Linux has to concede something to Microsoft. Otherwise why would they be willing to have some compatible programming with Microsoft?
Mac-OS X: I found a lot of what I read in both articles (Kernel-thread & Wikipedia) to be way too technical and at times very confusing.
--The use of Kernels has found its way into the Mac-OS. (Didn’t see any mention of them in the Windows information, but more on Windows a bit later).
--One thing that really confused me was all of the different operating systems that were being discussed. Having to read & re-read just to figure out which ones were still being used, which ones could be adapted to one another and which one was getting ready to be used next.
--It seems as though the Mac-OS is more designed for a student/professional. I say that because the numbers of games for the Mac are pretty limited, and yet I see a lot of applications that a student/professional would be more inclined to use than say an avid game-player.
--The conclusion in the Kernel-thread helped a lot with giving me some bottom line information about Mac-OS.
--I became a little paranoid about ever owning a Mac-OS computer after reading through the Hacking tools section. Just so many different ways that it can be hacked into. I saw on CNN that this was a chief complaint against the I-Phone for a long time in that it could be hacked into through the Internet Explorer. Whether that is still the case, I don’t know.
Windows: After reading this piece I felt like saying (almost hypnotically), “Windows Vista GOOD!” I felt like I was reading a sales pitch and I was expecting something much more technical.
--Even Microsoft has come out to play with the others. There is a Microsoft Services for UNIX & Quick-time & I-Tunes were all developed by apple. However though Microsoft stands alone in terms of use and being more widely known by the average computer user (of which I am one).
--The fact that are willing to continue support for Windows XP (even after the intended release of Windows 7 in 2010) until the year 2014 tells me that maybe some people are not happy with Windows Vista and are clinging to Windows XP as long as they can.
--I am a Vista user and with the exception of some of the transitions from different windows I really can’t say that I would keep it if I had the chance to switch back to XP. After reading what I would have to go through to back to XP on my new computer, the downgrade licenses and so forth, I think I’ll just stay with Vista.
--The Internet Explorer 7 they have with Vista is a Godzilla sized pain in the neck. I have to right click on IE7 and run it as administrator to get it to work properly. Otherwise it locks up a lot more or new tabs keep opening up on me.
--A huge red flag for me was the “telemetry system” that allows them to gather anonymous information about how real customers are using the program. I am sorry I don’t like people or organizations being able to gather information on me without my permission. Anonymous or not…I like having some sense of what I have on my computer is mine and what I do with my computer is my business.
Muddy Question: Why were we assigned to read two articles that were so technical, and then assigned to read one that sounded like (at times) a sales-pitch for Windows Vista? I am not complaining about the Linux or Mac-OS articles or even the information on Vista, but it was just very strange to go from three very technically oriented articles then suddenly to one that was about an Operating System that had very little technical information at all. It took a minute to "regear my brain"
Blogs where I have posted:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=271112965323219834&postID=2616120692262767054&page=1
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1129785935180596689&postID=4268674843996478222&page=1
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7821109072135779287&postID=5756541473977954588&page=1
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4527425204800506090&postID=8427445099349409461&page=1
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5671000685629389967&postID=8343433152457723658&page=1
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4 comments:
I thought the same as you regarding Linux--who knew how widely used it is? It's very interesting to think about how extensively it is used, and in ways affecting us all, such as being used with movies we all see.
You made a great point about how Linux being free could be a concern, because you get what you pay for. Any time a user deals with something having recurring problems is very frustrating... which could make many feel that they would rather pay for something that will work more smoothly for them (saving time and headache).
I think it WAS a sales pitch, essentially. It was a press release that seemed to be telling Microsoft's clientele and shareholders, Yeah, Vista was a screw-up, we promise to make up for it. I didn't get from the Mac readings the same sense that you did about the hacker problems, but then again, I was brain-dead halfway through that article. It never before occured to me that Macs are not hacker safe, because I'd been told over and over that they have such awesome security. So your point is a little bit of a wake-up for me! I've only used Macs at jobs, but had been contemplating buying one for my home next time I need to get a computer. My husband has one, he loves it. But now I think, especially if 'Windows 7' is better than stinky ol' Vista, I may stick to a PC.
I didn't know anything about Linux before, and I do agree with you about it being user unfriendly for we beginners, but I also find it fascinating. Do you have any opinions on why so many companies use it, vs. private citizens, other than it just being difficult to learn? Learning code is really just learning a new language, after all. There must be some payoffs for it to have become so popular.
Stephanie,
Concerning Linux my opinion is that with it relying on Kernels it is adaptable much easier with other systems, and people who have a far superior understandng to computers than the average user already work in the buisness world and can deal with it far more readily than the average computer user. (Of which I am one...hey i am amazed with I-Tunes what does that say about me?)
I'm with you on worrying about how much and what kind of information Windows is gathering from users like me through the telemetry system.
I read recently that in the UK, Asda (sort of like Giant Eagle) has more information on the average Briton than does the national government. Hopefully that article was exaggerating, but they went on to list all that Asda knows and/or assumes about its customers simply by the customers' uses of their Asda Savings Advantage Cards.
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