Future of the OS's

[Stevehewitt]

Hi guys,

Before I start - this is about the direction that OS's take and not a bash or a rant at anything in particular!

Does anyone feel that the gap between the Linux and Windows is closing? Whilst Linux has been becoming more user friendly over the past 5 years or so, would others agree that MS is copying a lot of the features in Linux and Mac?
Vista's a good example. UI takes a lot from the Mac (which has a great UI), and more of the security model is being taken from Linux.

Linux is getting more like Windows (user friendly, more apps, greater accecptance), and Windows is getting more like Linux? (better security, more friendly)

Again - not a one os Vs. another - just wondering if people agree with me that they are both taking the best features out of each and merging them together.

Cheers,




Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

 

[Welshbird]

I think you are right Steve. My PC at work seems to have gained things that my Mac at home had some time ago.


I'd have to say that is more MS finally catching up though...

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[Grenage]

Yup, definitely the case, Steve. They'd be foolish not to implement improvements, even if they have been 'inspired' by other systems. As much as I'd like to see Windows burn up in the atmosphere, the security model is a vast improvement.


Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[AlexCuse]

I think at times Windows gets a worse rap than it deserves, but as in any software (my own excluded of course ;-) ) there is always going to be room for improvement.

MS is in business to make money, and for years they were able to do it selling software that was oftentimes not all that it could have been. Now that they have some more viable competition it is simply forcing them to make improvements faster.

To use a horrid analogy, it's like a race. They have been crusing for years, with no competition in sight. But now that they have a couple cars in the rear view mirror they've gotta put some pressure on the gas. It is no longer in the company's best interests to 'coast'.

Ignorance of certain subjects is a great part of wisdom

 

[dilettante]

Or perhaps it is a bit like Detroit holding back on adding tailfins and offering baby moon hubcaps as a standard option until the next model year?

They have to do something to keep the customers trading up to new products.

 

[CajunCenturion]

I think there is truth is everybody's comments.

Microsoft has also had to be concerned about anti-trust issues. I agree that MS has been holding back, not only to keep the customers coming back, but also to allow the competition to gain some ground, not a lot of groud, but enough to keep the anti-trust police off its back.

As they should in a true free-market, the consumers gain because of the competition. MS still has a lot of 'bully' tendencies, but it's not as bad as it used to be.

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[IT4EVR]

Frankly, the computer field is coalescing in so many ways, not just in operating systems. SQL Server borrows stuff from Oracle, C# from Java and the VS 2005 IDE has driven Java to create a better IDE.

The open source boom drove Microsoft to support free downloadable IDE's for .NET, etc. When you view a Linux desktop, tell me they don't borrow from other OS's?

This competition ideally fosters technological change for the better in the global marketplace.

 

[IT4EVR]

I'm not a detractor from Microsoft, but it took the boys in Redmond over 6 years to put out an operating system that didn't have one of the main features it advertised, WinFX.

Previously MS was banging out OS's every 18 months. There are some who believe MS has become a little too bureaucratic, too management heavy, etc.

 

[strongm]

I presume you mean WinFS rather than WinFX

 

[dilettante]

Windows NT 3.1 released in 1993
Windows NT 3.5 released in 1994
Windows NT 3.51 released in 1995
Windows NT 4.0 released in 1996
Windows 2000 (NT 5.0) released in 2000
Windows XP (NT 5.1) released in 2001
Windows 2003 Server (NT 5.2) released in 2003
Windows Vista (NT 6.0) released 2006/2007

Where's the beef?

Sure, Vista dragged its tail a bit, but not as bad as some seem to believe.

 

[IT4EVR]

However Vista represents a 6-year gap from its previous upgrade (Windows XP).

 

[Sympology]

Good point, I think they should've rushed out an ill thought out, poorly written piece of software with minimal thought to securty, just to shorten the gap . After all that's what we want.

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[strongm]

>a 6 year gap

Mac OS X came out in 1999 ...

 

[Grenage]

I think most people would be happy with the 6+ year gap. Nobody wants to buy an operating system, software for it, then find out it's no longer supported or that no software is written for it 12 months later.


Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[Sympology]

It bad enough upgrading applications every year or 2, let alone OS's

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004