Behind The Coolest Gadgets - Linux or Windows?

An anonymous reader submits "Sister sites LinuxDevices and WindowsForDevices have kicked off what they're calling the Great Embedded Device Smack-Down, to see whether Linux or Windows Embedded powers the best and coolest devices. The Smackdown highlights more than 350 gadgets in nine categories, along with some entertaining "pre-game commentary" featuring the latest market share figures for the two OSes and a whacky clipart image of Stone Cold Bill Gates taking on The Tux."

Comments

Popcorn

[ParticleMan911]

My Linux popcorn maker maximizes the popped to unpopped kernel ratio. Far superior to my older Windows model.

Re:Popcorn

[wackysootroom]

Not Fair!!!

The Linux version of the popcorn maker uses a much better kernel than the windows version.

Re:Popcorn

[fbrain]

I thought the Windows kernel popped more ofter?

Re:Popcorn

[tyler_larson]

The Linux version of the popcorn maker uses a much better kernel than the windows version.

The Linux popper does infact use a much more solid kernel than the Windows version. Microsoft tried to harden their kernels by popping modified microkernels instead.

Unfortunately, over time, the unpopped pieces tend to accumulate at the bottom of the Windows popper, substantially slowing the popping process, and periodically requiring the user to completely wipe the machine and start over fresh with a new batch.

The Windows popper also seems to be highly susceptible to contamination by foreign elements, affecting output performance and popcorn quality. Microsoft, in response to this problem, simply stated that "well-behaved butter would not damage the popper". Unfortunately, there's a wide selection of low-grade butter available for the Windows popper; some of it actually targets the weaker aspects of the Microsoft kernels and can cause substantial damage to the popper and anything connected to it.

The Linux popper is much better adapted for mission-critical kitchens, though the Windows popper is extremely popular in the home.

At least

[Hitch]

it seems like this is all in good fun...
it's nice to see good-natured rivalry based on merits rather than name-calling and finger pointing.

Re:At least

[doofusclam]

Definitely. Some folks round here could do with remembering this, rather than taking any Linux/MS remarks personally.

Choosy Robots Choose Linux

[grunt107]

In a recent study, 100% of all robots that reported chose Linux.

Number of Devices

[Noksagt]

The table of how many devices of which type run which OS seems to only list which OS devices ship with. Linux has been ported to many Windows devices, so you cna flash them to Linux. While windows should work with many of the linux devices, I think it isn't trivial to buy a license to put it on your device that shipped with Linux & to then flash it to run windows.

Scary Future

[robespierremax]

If Microsoft wins the embedded device war, we can look forward to the following things:
1) Self driving cars which when infested w/ the Sassar2030 worm will all drive us off a cliff
2) All your personal information stored in a handheld device for your convience... and the convience of the 200+ Spyware programs that are automatically installed as you checkout at walmart
3) We will finally reach Jupiter only to find out the computer is controlled by a very evil looking red eye "I'm sorry Dave, but you need to download security patches"

iPod?

[mblase]

The iPod's OS isn't MacOS. It isn't even made by Apple. They bought the OS and most of the hardware spec from PortalPlayer and then customized it to their liking.

Re:Neither?

[koi88]

Not mac os, not linux, not windows.
Apple bought the iPod's operating system from Pixo, a small company, that meanwhile has been acquired by Sun (try www.pixo.com).
It seems to be a proprietary OS.
Some information: http://www.fact-index.com/p/pi/pixo.html

One of the coolest gadgets: Tomtom GO

[MrBoombasticfantasti]

I recently got a Tomtom GO navigation system and it is absolutely awesome. Link may be a bit flash heavy.

It runs Linux and it's miles better (pun intended) than the Windows CE counterpart Tomtom Navigator 3 which has occasional glitches.

If only it could run *BSD... ;-)

Sharp Zaurus?

[Spyro VII]

Well, I haven't read the article yet (and by the looks of things I won't be doing it either), but offhand the only thing that I have to say is that I've never seen a Pocket PC that can stack up to the Zaurus line of handhelds made by Sharp, on either the coolness factor or the gadget factor.

It will be interesting seeing how they weighed the Pocket PC PDAs against the Linux ones, and how the fact that a number of iPaqs can be ran with either PPC or some kind of Linux.

Re:Sharp Zaurus?

[TrevorDoom]

As I've owned a Zaurus 5500, Tungsten T3, and currently own a HP iPAQ 4155, I definately have to give the "coolness," "gadget," and "power" to the iPAQ hands down.

User replaceable battery (one of the issues with the Tungsten), 400 MHz XScale processor (whole lot more powerful than the 5500), integrated Bluetooth (more than the Zaurus has) and WiFi (more than the T3 has) and with a couple of third-party apps to "fix" the annoying things about the Pocket PC operating system I'm most definately in love with this iPAQ...

I'm sorry, the handwriting recognition on the Zaurus sucks (Decuma OnSpot for PocketPC, OTOH is able to decypher my hardly intelligable chicken-scratch) and my fingers are fat enough that trying to use the thumb keyboard is annoying at best. WiFi, while not essential in a PDA, is damn nice (access to the fileshares on the Windows network at work while doing things where a laptop isn't readily accessable but I'm in WiFi range is schweet) and gives me the ability to use Pocket Putty to ssh into my fileserver at home while sitting on the couch.

The Zaurus has a cool "geek" factor, but really, I got tired of the shitty quality of the PIM apps and fighting with the device to try and get it to sync got old after about 3 weeks.

Be there! SUNDAY!

[jav1231]

We've rounded up 150 of the COOLEST Linux devices from all over the far east! (And...uh..the 1 or 2 available in the U.S.)