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The Role of the Operating System In the Future
liteswap writes "Linux geeks love Linux and Windows mavens won't quit Microsoft -- but will we really care that much whether a machine is running Linux or Windows in future?
As Sun announces Solaris support for Red Hat Linux applications, the need to specify the OS for a particular application will fade away, and the application and the x86 platform become the critical things -- at least that's what this Techworld feature argues..." Maybe a long time from now this will happen - but I don't see it happening RSN.
I really, really, really don't care what OS I'm running on any of my machines. What I care about is:
Right now, for me, the only OS that fits that bill is linux. I seriously don't care that it's linux, but for all the reasons above, it's my choice. (I know there are other candidates, I'm only speaking for my criteria.)
In the meantime, I am grateful for MS, as a steady source of income for me as I consult and help people keep those machines running.
And then work on the LSB. I'd like it if I could even just use generic "linux" applications on Debian as opposed to only ancient versions of RedHat.
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Yes, I really think it does matter which operating system is used, and it should matter to everyone: developers, purchasers, and--unless they are very short-sighted--end users.
You are right that the speed of processors has changed things. With fast processors emulating hardware in a reasonably responsive fashion becomes possible. I view emulation, however, to be to platform indpendence as NAT is IPv4 address exhaustion. They both paper over the fundemental problem rather than dealing with it.
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I think the role of languages that don't rely on a specific platform will become much more important in the future. I write my software in Python and it works wherever Python works (well, not really thanks to GTK+, but its getting there!). As these languages and toolkits mature, I think we'll start to see less of a dependence on the OS
How is what you are describing not the Java -- bytecode, JVM model?
Even if every operating system could run any application written on any developement platform, there would still be operating system preferences.
Performance, dependability, Security, Hardware requirements, and even things like boot time will still drive people to prefer certain operating systems over others.
What software an OS runs is generally second in consideration to me, as there are usually equivalent packages to perform the same tasks on other platforms.
... what did you expect, something profound?
You just listed 7 reasons why you really do care what OS you run. It is impossible to separate the OS from the factors that you listed. As impossible as separating Internet Explorer from Windows.
but the programming world has a serious lack of portability. Programmers refuse to attempt to write portable code, and they cite (with justification) the lack of any libraries which allow them to do so with ease. Microsoft, Apple and Unix have three very different programming APIs, and Microsoft + Apple continue to try to make sure their APIs diverge from each other. MS being the worst...they "invent" a new language all their own and encourage the use of it by mob force.
The nuts and bolts of the world are still in C/C++, and will be for the foreseeable future. C/C++ still lack any standardized support for GUIs and threads. C/C++ are still the most flexible languages (in a non-CS professor approved sort of way).(This is not a "my language is better than yours post")
For a long time we're going to care about our OS because our programs will only run on one certain one, even if we don't really care what OS we use.
They will most likely suffer all from the same (protocol) bugs, be vulnerable for the same attacks and ultimately be virus compatible. Diversity is good. Lets just have two or three major operating systems in the future, probably running the same applications, but not on exactly the same code base on a nice interactivity layer.
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Our primary concern is to use software and not all software is going to run on all platforms so we choose the platform that runs the software we want, very redundant. Until this changes the status quo wont change. And a lot of people aren't going to move stuff to linux because it's not worth the expenditure, remember the nightmare ID software wrote about supporting a huge number of unstandardized distros/configurations and how problematic it was for them. Similarly a lot of stuff isn't going to be ported to windows for whatever the reasons. But you cant just use *any* OS and for the forseeable future that aint changing.
Whoever wrote this was obviously hallucinating. As long as Microsoft continues to make applications for Windows only, the OS will matter. It's called a monopoly: it's the key to Microsoft's success and they'll do almost anything to keep it that way.
Yeah... I think maybe you're wrong. When an OS uses device drivers, it's essentially creating a Hardware Abstraction Layer... and All software, and programming languages are moving towards more abstraction. The idea that a program will run across multiple platforms is a testament to the abstraction of the hardware, and the generic features of the OS (threading, file system, etc). Maybe the point is the UI of the OS is going to become more important, as we run out of features to abstract. Heaven knows we programmers wouldn't mind some things being simplified... (Asynchronous sockets anyone?) Don't get me wrong, I love c++, but the OS is getting abstracted away, and that's okay.
What you're talking about sounds a lot like the POSIX standard, which is what has enabled the easy cross-compiling of FOSS.
Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
...which is why you will soon see MS doing things to intentionally break packages like Qt. MS knows it's coming too, and they will have no real way to fight linux then.
Right now, the only thing keeping most people with MS is software selection. Most industry applications are written for windows, non-cross compatible. As more and more companies start using portable windowing libs, we will see a take off in linux usage. It's really a no brainer: You need an os on 100 computers to run your application. Do you choose the OS with a price tag of 100 bucks, or the one with a price tag of 0, that's easier to maintain than the one with the 100 price tag?
Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
The operating system will continue to become less and less important as modern operating systems become closer and closer to being mere variants on the underlying Unix design that has taken over the market.
When an OS is made with some feature that Unix can't duplicate, while retaining security and stability, operating systems will again matter.
I just purchased a nice cs101 book for java 5.0.
Why?
Because my computer science department wants to standardize on java in addition to c++. Why standardize on Java? Because its the most sought after language in business.
Don't believe me? Go to www.monsterboard.com or some job site and look at jobs in your area. Java is the most sought after language with c/c++ second, and perl third.
Java is essential for any big ecommerce servlet. Php is not there yet and neither is c#.net in terms of scalability and maturity.
Java is a success.
http://saveie6.com/
you may not care which OS you are running if the apps you like run everywhere, but someday,somehow, for some reason, you will want to be able to get to the source code - you will want to not be locked into choices that some corporation makes for you, or at least to be able to read over that code to make sure its doing what its supposed to and not too much more.
if you really hate some choice Linus makes, go fork off your own branch -- if you don't like a choice Bill makes, or Steve makes, well, you're sort of stuck.
-- Talk is cheap. Supply exceeds Demand.
Talk is cheap. Supply exceeds demand.
``As Sun announces Solaris support for Red Hat Linux applications, the need to specify the OS for a particular application will fade away''
...) binaries for ages. Has that taken away the need to specify the OS for applications? Java promises to run the same binary on all major platforms. Has that caused applications to not be bound to any particular platform?
Oh, come on, don't be ridiculous. Don't pretend you don't know that GNU/Linux and Solaris are _very_ similar to each other, compared to Windows.
The BSDs have been able to run Linux (and SCO, and HP-UX, and SunOS, and
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
The OS matters and MS is making big headway in that front. They are doing it right in the face of all their naysayer's, and the irony is those self-proclaimed geniuses are missing what's happening right in front of their face.
For example, the Apple crew touts being first to market with features like indexed searching as reasons why they will beat MS. All the while MS is quietly getting XP Embedded in ATMs and Cars. MS can ad a search in an update (e.g. Vista), but Apple isn't going to power any BMWs with OSX 10.5, but MS already does with XP Embedded.
MS is diligently working with GE (one of the worlds largest companies, 1st or 2nd place) to advance home automation, and integrate with household appliances. Home automation is the FUTURE of computing, period. MS is working hard to penetrate the Home Media market (media center, Xbox, IPTV, etc.), the phone market, and many other fronts. You can say they won't make it, but they are doing a hell of a job to date. Look at the next generation of television, IPTV. MS is starting to get so far ahead of everyone else it's getting sad. Take some time and watch the demos, they are very impressive. The zealots keep saying it isn't true, but they have been saying this since Windows 95. They were wrong then, and are wrong now. Apple and RedHat don't have any big exclusive deals with Verizon or SBC to power IPTV, but MS does. Those deals are getting fiber brought to everyone's doorstep. IPods are cool, but they are a novelty device and they aren't going to power the home of the future, but at the current rate, MS will.
Phones: Mobile 5 blows the doors off of all business class phones today with the exception of RIM's. With the exchange integration, RIM won't be able to compete... MS phones will support Push with more then a 100,000,000 people overnight. RIM is struggling to top 5,000,000. Linux phones are a nice idea, but they don't offer push, and the ones at present can't hold a candle to Mobile 5. Then there are PDAs. MS has crushed Palm, and Nokia's hail marry is neat, but won't beat Mobile 5.
The bottom line is if you like MS or not, they are growing in many areas that aren't being publicized. The naysayers are a sleep at the wheel. The platform of the future isn't going to come from Google, Sun, and certainly not Apple. MS is getting in at the ground floor of these industries and they have far more money to fight off the others.
The platform matters. I know so many of you are out of your mind pissed at me for writing this. I'm sure some of you will have some wiki-pedia posts to try and make your case, or some blog of an anti-ms zealot. And to you I say; it doesn't matter if you use a Windows computer for surfing the web or not, you aren't going to be escaping MS powered operating systems anytime soon. History will prove me right.
Can you find a Java standard anywhere? A JVM standard?
.NET beats the crap out of Java.
.Net system. (As opposed to a "feel good", minimalist implementation that's mostly incompatible with Microsoft's version.)
Yes indeedy, do. Mr. PsychicX, I would like to introduce you to the Java Community Process, a full up standards committee encompassing pretty much all the major technology companies in the industry. Java and its extensions all go through this process before being considered final.
Whether you as a developer want to acknowledge the JCP or not is irrelevant. It has been acknowledged by pretty much everyone who does matter, making it a true force in the industry.
Even if you don't like MS, you've gotta admit that from a freedom point of view,
I admit no such thing. Microsoft has released only the core of the system into the standards committee, and has made no real promise not to enforce patents that would allow them to crush an actual implementation of the
Under the JCP, ALL APIs in the Java library, ALL bytecode requirements, and ALL Language requirements are published for anyone to implement. The only real power Sun weilds over anyone's head is the ability to deny the use of the "Java" name if they can't live up to the specs.
Sorry dude, but you've been seriously duped.
I think it's pretty damn obvious which runtime system I'm a fan of.
Yes, you're a fan of Microsoft. aka "The Bad Guys". Simply because you fell for a "feel-good" trick of theirs. Nice going.
P.S. Here's the spec for 1.4, the spec for 1.5, and the working group for 1.6. You can join the committee and have your say in the design of 1.6, if you'd like. Now that's a real standard!
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``Microsoft may ultimately, though possibly unwillingly, get the upper hand.''
.NET so as to prevent things from working on competitors' platforms. I really think the purpose of .NET is more to kill Java than to make a better platform. Besides, .NET has its shortcomings, too, so there's always room for competing platforms. It just won't work, just like it didn't work with Unix, it didn't work with POSIX, it didn't work with Java, and it doesn't work with programming languages.
Unlikely. They have a vested interest in keeping people locked into their platform. It's easy enough for them to change
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
Slashdot is clearly behind the curve on this one.
Point #1: Embedded devices
Do you know what "OS" is running in your digital camera? Your DVD player? Your MP3 player? Your GPS system? In the majority of cases, the answer is no.
Point #2: Web applications
Google search, Google reader, gmail, Flickr, etc. They look the same to me whether I'm running Linux, Unix, OS X, BSD, etc.
Point #3: Cross platform apps
Python coding and development feels the same on Windows, Linux, and OS X. Makes no difference to me. Ditto for editing with vim. Quite a few other languages and applications are identical, too: Inkscape, The Gimp, etc.
It is just a really crappy emulator. The reason that you don't see multitasking in the JVM is the same reason you didn't see it in DOS. Everyone is compiling their code to run in machine language (Yes, Byte code.) The JVM is following in the footsteps of the "IBM PC". An increadably crappy design that after years of manpower, and millions of dollars is finally getting to a point where it is good. (If you haven't looked at it in a while, it's time to reevaluate)
There is no reason that an OS couldn't be written for Java, and that OS could support multi-tasking. One thing to keep in mind is that the target audience for java, and the limitations of Java don't lead to the kind of enviroment that would encourage a company to write a full OS to run on it. Besides, since the platforms that have JVMs on them can load multiple instances of the JVM, what little incentive is left disappears.
Shortly after Java was introduced, I would always laugh about the whole write once run anywhere claim. Java was a crappy emulator that was inconsistant across platforms. One program would have three different outcomes on three different platforms. At the same time you could get something like a C64 emulator that would run on 20 different platforms, and get exactly the same results every time.
I believe the biggest hurdle to Java compatibility was that they wrote the emulator first, and then tried to make the processors after. This meant that when one implementation behaved differently than the other, you could not point to the physical reference platform and say, "look, this is how it runs or real hardware." Not suprisingly the Java processors never took off
This is a pipe dream. The OS will continue to matter as long as there is money to be had by locking customers into a specific platform. As odd as it sounds, many customers WANT to be locked in to a specific vendor.
.NET. Despite the propaganda from Mono, .NET is a Windows-only platform, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Mono is merely the Wine of the .NET world: you'll hear stories about .NET apps that will run on it, but try as you might you can't get any of the ones you need to run under it. What good is a crossplatform backend when the front end GUI is still inextricably tied to one OS?
Platforms will matter because your applications will remain platform specific. The big push in corporations right now is to migrate everything to
If major web sites and applications are still coding for specific browsers, my hopes for a cross-platform world where OS doesn't matter are very very slim.
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