Because a SW Dev will look at the above an realize he only has to write Windows Apps to target 100% of the market. OSX can be ignored completely.
Interesting point, however I'm not 100% sure if its true. Keep in mind the "Windows = OS/X" machines only count if the user bought Windows as well as MacOS/X.
Apple, to my knowledge, doesn't have a habit of deliberately breaking their API for software that competes with their own stuff.
In any case, i'm of the opinion that platform is quickly becoming irrelevant as far as software development goes, and Microsoft are aware of this.
Not that I like Microsoft, but this only strengthens.net's position really..net (which is where MS is trying to go) is x86 platform independent code. Unless an app uses the system and windows forms libraries, which is discouraged, it should run on.net or mono (and mono is currently getting a forms library at the moment). Before MacOS X86,.net wouldn't be able to run as well on MacOS...
Microsoft, imho is shifting out of the "OS is our bread and butter" business and aiming for software subscriptions. You buy a.net app, and run it on an x86.net virtual machine, be it mono, or windows or whatever.
All MS needs to do is push.net hard for MacOS X86, and there will be one nice cross-platform API to develop for, that runs at damn near native speed (unlike the java JVM crap) on damn near 99.9% of desktops. Albeit, no doubt, with subtle "enhancements" to the MS version of the.net virtual machine.
You can bet your ass that xbox 2 will eventually offer.net software subscriptions for those who want to do home word processing, etc but don't really want to shell out for a full blown PC.
So i dont think its going to be a case of simply "target windows", but "target.net", if MS has anything to do with it.
Someone who knows a bit more about.net feel free to correct any errors in the above - but thats my understanding of the situation...
Granted, FreeBSD might not have as many drivers as Linux, however, in the real world - I've been using FreeBSD on all of my machines for the past 6 years, and not had any driver issues yet.
Sure, I haven't been using any outlandish hardware, but then again - 90% of *desktop* machines don't.
Apple is also in a position to encourage hardware manufacturers to write drivers - hell, there's already plenty of hardware that comes with mac drivers, for powerPC - an X86 driver will be far less hassle to write.
Macs use standard RAM, and there's nothing to stop you using the software/hardware you already have.
If you bought a PC there's no way you'd be able to use video cards released in 2008/2009 either.
Apple has been working on the OS/X port for years (as anyone who has heard of Darwin can attest) as a contingency plan. If they don't switch, they're going to go out of business - they simply won't be able to compete in the mobile market with powerPC - and note yesterday's story that mobile is where its at (laptop sales outpaced desktop).
So, would you rather - no more apple (and definately no more support for your shiny new g5) in 2008, or Apple surviving and possibly thriving, and OS/X continuing to be your OS?
He's not saying you need to write non-portable code. I read it as being an encouragement to write "portable" (well, "easy to port", or "modular", "extensible") code.
He's just saying that you don't want to waste resources supporting configurations that don't, in the larger scheme of things, matter.
If someone wants Project "x" to run on their Atari, then they can port/maintain the patches to do so. DON'T bog down the main tree, and hold up development for everyone else.
I just recently reinstalled Windows 2000 on my pc, because I prefer its lack of "doing stuff behind my back", and it uses about half as much ram for the OS.
Yes, I've got 1gig of ram (and ram is cheap), but its still noticably faster.
Running quake is as easy as installing Ubuntu (answer a couple of questions like "name", "date", and "is it ok for me to wipe your hard-drive to install", then run the package manager, and install the nvidia driver, and then download and run the quake installer.
No, the installer isn't on CD, but that will change in time.
You still need to download quake updates with windows to play on most of the online servers in any case.
* search for obscure drivers hosted on sites shut-down years ago. * delve into myriads of configuration files (and or GUIs) each with its own (sometimes arbitrary) syntax, even for the most trivial app. * risk messing your OS with a recompile. * read dozens of pages worth of howto webpages that may or may not apply to your machine, man pages and non-sensical error logs among other things, none of which are sure to be worth your time (either because you are looking in the wrong place or because it's something completely arbitrary).
Please... my experience (9 years) is that Linux supports old obscure hardware *better*, in the standard kernel. The vast majority of the kernel these days is modular too, so there's no need to recompile - just load the module.
And as to hosing your machine with a bad compile - well... its far easier for your machine to be hosed by windows update.
I've had more random "not work" issues through windows update (media player in particular, that I could only fix with a complete o/s reinstall - go MS for making it not uninstallable), than i've had problems with Linux that way.
Hose the kernel? Boot from your distribution CD and copy it back over.
MOST bad compiles won't produce a kernel at all, so if the compile fails your boot kernel is unaffected.
Go download Ubuntu or Knoppix, and see what the current state of Linux is, rather than basing your assumptions on distributions from 5-6 years ago.
Whilst I agree that some of your points regarding power to get out of situations are valid in a lot of cases, i currently drive a JDM S13 180sx, and can tell you this:
I can diagnose problems quicker and easier than most old non-ecu driven cars. Simply remove the passenger kick panel, turn the ecu screw to "diagnostic" and read the error codes off, and match against a printout of the codes. It tells ME what's wrong, be it sensor failure or whatever
2 litre, turbo - good for a mid-13 with minor bolt ons. Gets 400km to a 50L tank of unleaded around town too...
Turns corners:D - awesomely quick steering response and "chuck-ability" with a decent suspension package, due to the 1190kg weight:)
Sheet metal is all well and good for minor accidents - however, in a high speed frontal impact, etc - the car is DESIGNED to crumple and bend, so that energy from the impact is absorbed - instead of being transferred to your body. Cars can be replaced - bodies can't.
Don't get me wrong - nothing like the sound of a tough V8 though...
I miss mine sometimes - and *will* have another one in my garage again as a weekend car down the track:)
Currently, google's offerings of gmail does not give you the option of backup documents on your computer unless you take 'copy and paste' as a backup method.
Because, by the time the CD is off the press, there's another 5 critical updates to install.
Also, this doesn't catch the 90% of un-registered (piracy or not, i know very few people who have actually sent registration details off) users of Windows XP.
Slashdot Mirror
Apple, to my knowledge, doesn't have a habit of deliberately breaking their API for software that competes with their own stuff.
In any case, i'm of the opinion that platform is quickly becoming irrelevant as far as software development goes, and Microsoft are aware of this.
Not that I like Microsoft, but this only strengthens .net's position really. .net (which is where MS is trying to go) is x86 platform independent code. Unless an app uses the system and windows forms libraries, which is discouraged, it should run on .net or mono (and mono is currently getting a forms library at the moment). Before MacOS X86, .net wouldn't be able to run as well on MacOS...
Microsoft, imho is shifting out of the "OS is our bread and butter" business and aiming for software subscriptions. You buy a .net app, and run it on an x86 .net virtual machine, be it mono, or windows or whatever.
All MS needs to do is push .net hard for MacOS X86, and there will be one nice cross-platform API to develop for, that runs at damn near native speed (unlike the java JVM crap) on damn near 99.9% of desktops. Albeit, no doubt, with subtle "enhancements" to the MS version of the .net virtual machine.
You can bet your ass that xbox 2 will eventually offer .net software subscriptions for those who want to do home word processing, etc but don't really want to shell out for a full blown PC.
So i dont think its going to be a case of simply "target windows", but "target .net", if MS has anything to do with it.
Someone who knows a bit more about .net feel free to correct any errors in the above - but thats my understanding of the situation...
smash
They don't, and wouldn't even if the merge was to go ahead.
smash.
And I'm no real Mac fan, but MacOS X is far nicer than XP/Longhorn.
smash.
Sure, I haven't been using any outlandish hardware, but then again - 90% of *desktop* machines don't.
Apple is also in a position to encourage hardware manufacturers to write drivers - hell, there's already plenty of hardware that comes with mac drivers, for powerPC - an X86 driver will be far less hassle to write.
smash.
Macs use standard RAM, and there's nothing to stop you using the software/hardware you already have.
If you bought a PC there's no way you'd be able to use video cards released in 2008/2009 either.
Apple has been working on the OS/X port for years (as anyone who has heard of Darwin can attest) as a contingency plan. If they don't switch, they're going to go out of business - they simply won't be able to compete in the mobile market with powerPC - and note yesterday's story that mobile is where its at (laptop sales outpaced desktop).
So, would you rather - no more apple (and definately no more support for your shiny new g5) in 2008, or Apple surviving and possibly thriving, and OS/X continuing to be your OS?
smash.
Loading a 300kb file from disk and decompressing is a lot quicker than loading a 10meg file from disk.
And yes, I've seen up to 97% compression ratios with publisher files before :D
smash.
He's just saying that you don't want to waste resources supporting configurations that don't, in the larger scheme of things, matter.
If someone wants Project "x" to run on their Atari, then they can port/maintain the patches to do so. DON'T bog down the main tree, and hold up development for everyone else.
I think its a very valid point.
smash.
smash.
Firefox runs on all of them.
I just recently reinstalled Windows 2000 on my pc, because I prefer its lack of "doing stuff behind my back", and it uses about half as much ram for the OS.
Yes, I've got 1gig of ram (and ram is cheap), but its still noticably faster.
smash.
Running quake is as easy as installing Ubuntu (answer a couple of questions like "name", "date", and "is it ok for me to wipe your hard-drive to install", then run the package manager, and install the nvidia driver, and then download and run the quake installer.
No, the installer isn't on CD, but that will change in time.
You still need to download quake updates with windows to play on most of the online servers in any case.
smash.
And as to hosing your machine with a bad compile - well... its far easier for your machine to be hosed by windows update.
I've had more random "not work" issues through windows update (media player in particular, that I could only fix with a complete o/s reinstall - go MS for making it not uninstallable), than i've had problems with Linux that way.
Hose the kernel? Boot from your distribution CD and copy it back over.
MOST bad compiles won't produce a kernel at all, so if the compile fails your boot kernel is unaffected.
Go download Ubuntu or Knoppix, and see what the current state of Linux is, rather than basing your assumptions on distributions from 5-6 years ago.
smash.
They're called "compressed folders" and open just like any other folder, in Windows XP.
smash.
It is still maintained?
smash.
smash.
Yes, the X-Box is better than a bunch of 10-20 year old systems. You'd hope so.
smash.
smash.
smash.
smash.
Whilst I agree that some of your points regarding power to get out of situations are valid in a lot of cases, i currently drive a JDM S13 180sx, and can tell you this:
Don't get me wrong - nothing like the sound of a tough V8 though...
I miss mine sometimes - and *will* have another one in my garage again as a weekend car down the track :)
smash.
smash.
Playstation 2 ROM. :)
smash.
smash.
smash.
Also, this doesn't catch the 90% of un-registered (piracy or not, i know very few people who have actually sent registration details off) users of Windows XP.
smash.