Why in the world do we need a database file system? Doesn't that just make everything needlessly complicated? Can't all of the reasons they listed be accomplished in other ways? Here is my uneducated go at refuting all of their points:
Faster Searches
If someone thinks that their search needs to take 10 seconds less, what is wrong with the current Indexing Service that is in win2k/xp?
More Comprehensive Searches
Why not have the current search program be able to read more file formats than just simple text files. There is no reason to force a database on the system.
Windows is less likely to break
Why would I believe that? That has been said about every version of windows. I believe that with a newer OS, there will just be a newer set of bugs for MS to [hide from public]/[deal with]. Programmers make mistakes. It has also been shown that you can't test non-trivial code for absolute correctness. Windows will always break in one way or another, just like any other piece of code, except that we must continue to rely on MS for the fixes.
Indiscriminant Rants
The more important reasons for the renewed development effort, however, are strategic. If the plan succeeds, it will give Microsoft a huge technological advantage over the competition by making its products more attractive to buyers and giving large companies another reason to install Windows-based servers. Doesn't that say it all? They are implementing the OFS with the overriding goal to get a bigger market share, not to technologically improve the computer.
it's conceivable that we will wind up with something that will be put on a dual track." What??!! WHY?? Why implement something that you know will not work? By work, I mean allowing a continuation of functionality from one upgrade to the next. This will only serve to confuse customers and create bad code as multiple adaptations will have to be made. Sure they claim that the API's will allow every program to be the same on either platform, but who really believes that. Compatibility issues always exist.
My university recently built a new technology building. They placed smartboards in every single classroom. They have their good and bad points.
You can switch between multiple pages and save pages for later use.
Also, you can write on top of programs such as powerpoint presentations.
The bad part about these smartboards, I believe, can be completely solved with next version smartboards.
There is a noticable lag between drawing on the board and it actually being projected on the board.
you can't hold the eraser and the pen at the same time. You have to put one down on the board to use the other.
properly calibrating the smartboard is painful because you have to press at about 30 or so specific points on the smartboard and that can waste time if the class is waiting on the teacher.
Not only are they all evil, but they are all wearing masks. I want my guitar with an old decrepit Emperor Palpatine on it and another of Vader with his mask off!
I guess different schools teach different ways, but when I was in elementary and middle school, we learned at that time that the Vikings came to America first, but after their initial attempt, did not establish a permanent settlement. We have all known for years that Columbus didn't discover America. I believe that he is still important for a couple of reasons
columbus made this discovery known to everyone
chinese/vikings/etc. may have discovered america first, but their goal at the time was not expansion and gold
when vikings discovered america, the western world had not even begun the renaissance yet, which means that even if the vikings had told everyone, no one would have cared
Basically, Columbus wasn't the first, but he had the biggest impact on history.
I think that internet apps have the potential to be big, however, I believe that they will not be big for some time. The reason is that most average internet users are on modems. I believe that fact speaks for itself about available bandwidth. More complicated apps require more bandwidth, and with a modem, it simply isn't there.
Also, since it takes a fair amount work to make a stateless web browser maintain a state (using server software - jsps, servlets, etc.), these applications would have to be integrated to the consumer in a completely new way. The software to do this is not on any person's computer. If this integration could ever take place, it would take extensive reeducation of the user. It took forever just to get people to be able to browse web pages effectively (many people still don't know how), so think about how long it would take to get people to understand that their favorite program isn't on their local hard drive and their credit card number is stored on a server 2000 miles away for their convenience.
Slashdot Mirror
Faster Searches If someone thinks that their search needs to take 10 seconds less, what is wrong with the current Indexing Service that is in win2k/xp?
More Comprehensive Searches Why not have the current search program be able to read more file formats than just simple text files. There is no reason to force a database on the system.
Windows is less likely to break Why would I believe that? That has been said about every version of windows. I believe that with a newer OS, there will just be a newer set of bugs for MS to [hide from public]/[deal with]. Programmers make mistakes. It has also been shown that you can't test non-trivial code for absolute correctness. Windows will always break in one way or another, just like any other piece of code, except that we must continue to rely on MS for the fixes.
Indiscriminant Rants
The bad part about these smartboards, I believe, can be completely solved with next version smartboards.
Not only are they all evil, but they are all wearing masks. I want my guitar with an old decrepit Emperor Palpatine on it and another of Vader with his mask off!
Basically, Columbus wasn't the first, but he had the biggest impact on history.
Also, since it takes a fair amount work to make a stateless web browser maintain a state (using server software - jsps, servlets, etc.), these applications would have to be integrated to the consumer in a completely new way. The software to do this is not on any person's computer. If this integration could ever take place, it would take extensive reeducation of the user. It took forever just to get people to be able to browse web pages effectively (many people still don't know how), so think about how long it would take to get people to understand that their favorite program isn't on their local hard drive and their credit card number is stored on a server 2000 miles away for their convenience.