Week 3 Readings

I thought Garrels' guide to Linux was very informative. I've only ever seen one Linux computer in my life though it seemed to work just fine for being an older model from around the year 2000. I don't know anything about the C programming language but from the description given it seems like it works much like a Mac operating system. I currently use Mac OS X and I am satisfied with it so far. If given a chance I would try out a Linux based system as it seems pretty straightforward although I do not know what kinds of software run on it. The description says I would like to know what kinds of software it runs, what it has for a word processor, photo editing, etc. Perhaps that makes for a potential muddy point.

Amit Singh's Mac OSX page gives more of a narrative regarding how his experience with the Mac OSX and how it converted him into a primary Mac user. He wrote that he tried a number of different operating systems before he went to Apple and that the Mac OS X became his favorite OS. The reasons he gave for enjoying it are similar to the reasons why I enjoy it. It does not have the crashing, virus risks, or headaches that Windows causes and even though it does not run a lot of computer games, the software it uses for photo, music, and video editing are easier to use than on Windows. On a more local note Carnegie Mellon University developed the XNU hardware used for the Kernel. The technical terms looked very complex and while I do not have the experience to program on Mac OS X, I remain willing to use it as my primary computer of choice.

Of course, most libraries use the Windows operating system for browsing. I think much of that has to do with the cost of the OS plus more people being familiar with it. Bill Veghte, the Senior Vice President of Microsoft, published a letter discussing how people preferred the Windows XP OS to Windows Vista and what the future holds for Windows 7. He noted that the hardware on Vista is significantly better than on XP. Having used both systems, I did not see much of a difference between the two and in many ways Vista was more cumbersome to use than XP. For instance, Microsoft Word 2007 replaced many of the written commands on the toolbar with visual depictions of what they did. While Word 2008 for the Mac works a lot like Word 2003, I have found the visual commands confusing and often found myself wishing they just kept the written options while using Word on Windows Vista. Veghte also mentioned that Windows will support XP until 2014. Hopefully by then Microsoft creates an OS without the headaches or security risks that Vista has.

That's all i have to say for now! I'll be back to discuss the next set of issues and readings, or at least to post a muddy point.

- Iceman out