You're accusing me of clouding the issue with marketspeak, yet you're comparing a modern Linux OS to a 2-generations-old Microsoft OS from 1999? Wireless networking is way easier in Vista and Windows 7. In fact, Win7 even lets you pick a default printer based on the wireless network you're connected to. Apples to apples, please.
Regarding automated memory use you mention "The critical thing is that the user needs to be educated which it sounds like Microsoft failed to do. " I think this is more of an ignorance is bliss thing - typical end users shouldn't have to care what's going on at a low level. They should just be happy with how their workflow is managed by the PC.
"The other thing which would bother me is to see my hard drive cranking through bits when I haven't asked it to do anything. When I see that happening on my machine, I immediately open my activity monitor to check on all my processes. Again, this can be alleviated with user notifications and education, but it sounds like Microsoft failed to do that. "
This was actually a common complaint with the desktop search engine indexing user documents. "Why is my HDD so busy when I'm idling at the desktop?" This is another issue where some people thought to ask this question, while other people didn't even notice. It's a low priority task so it makes way for more important things.
"I think the meat of the issue is that people want to be in control of their machines." Yes, sort of. People don't want to be out of control, but at the same time I think they will accept many recommendations and automations that Microsoft's usability engineers feel will save people time and frustration. However you are absolutely correct that Windows does make many assumptions and doesn't always tell people why it's doing what it's doing at any given moment. I wish there was a power user console which reported active tasks more transparently, like the linux "top" command.
Your points are perfectly valid for mobile computing (though does a stick of RAM really make a noticeable difference to battery life?). I'm more of a desktop guy so I often overlook variables that make a big difference for notebook machines. I admit that as much as I love Windows' desktop search engine I hate when it tries to index my files while my laptop is unplugged.
I tried a few different drivers for my NIC at the time but none of them work. Stupid ASUS codes hard OS checks into the driver installers. Luckily the Win7 RC build detected my NIC out of the box, but unfortunately there's still no better driver from the vendor. Thanks for the tip, though!
Sorry but have you tried Windows 7 yet? There is much more going for it than translucency. The UI actually helps me do tasks more quickly. "Sleek" doesn't only refer to cosmetic aspects - it also describes the ease with which you can perform tasks by removing intermediate steps.
When you copy files the taskbar thumbnail shows a progress bar. You can search from the Start button for any program, email, or document, and all without touching the mouse. When you're managing files you can drag 2 windows to either side of the screen to stack them horizontally, keeping each window fully in view, and when you're done you can move them away from the edge and they return to their previous size. You can pin document shortcuts to program icons so that you can right-click the program to directly jump to that document with that app, instead of having to open the app and browse to the desired document. You can repurpose the "shut down" button on the Start Menu to restart, hibernate, sleep, or whatever you want.
I could go on and on (just ask me if you want more examples - I've been playing with the OS all weekend). I loved Vista but Win7 makes it feel like an old clunker. It's a very user task-minded UI design, and it doesn't take a Microsoft salesman to see this.
You're really calling Ubuntu's driver support "unparallelled"? Well I suppose that's true, just like it's true to call the Buffalo Bills "consistent" at winning Superbowls. Driver support on Linux is getting better and better, but largely because (closed source) vendors are starting to step up to the plate. To be fair, many vendors will also draw the line and retire old hardware without providing Win7 drivers. I've never had an easy time with drivers on Ubuntu, but I don't claim to be an expert. However, do you truly believe that Ubuntu has superior device support versus Windows? If so please let me know so that I can ignore the rest of your reply.
I never made any comments about installing software and whether that's easier on Windows. You're just putting words in my mouth there. Google is sufficient to find tons of freeware for Windows - I search for the task I want to do and find the program to do it. I find this far easier than browsing Synaptic which crams thousands of programs into ridiculously few general categories and sorts them alphabetically by name (or ambiguous acronym). Installing software is just about the most trivial thing you do in an OS, so why bring it up unless you find this noteworthy on Linux?
"Plus, you can get a lot more support for free because people can look inside the code" - I'm only repeating this old adage because you forced me to. Linux is free if your time is worthless. Some employers pay by the hour. Maybe you've had bad experiences with Microsoft support but I've been nothing but impressed with it. Ask me if you want examples, or just take my word for it, but my point is to look at total cost of ownership instead of just the point of entry. Troubleshooting takes time, and some people would rather spend their time another way.
I think linux is a wonderful thing and is absolutely essential to give Windows competition. The only point I mean to make is that Linux will not overtake Windows in holistic usability any time soon - especially since Win7 is so fantastic. I'm an advocate for the best solution to a given problem, and will ditch Windows the moment it is outclassed.
Did you try a beta build of Win7, or the new Release Candidate? An old beta build didn't include network drivers for my onboard NIC so I went back to Vista, but the new RC build worked beautifully right out of the box - it connected to my network and gave me a 3D accelerated desktop at my monitor's native resolution (though of course it all worked better once I installed the proper drivers). I'm not going back to Vista. Period. I love 7.
I'm still running networks of machines that run on XP with 512Mb and suffer no appreciable performance loss (admittedly well-managed in terms of applications, but we run Office too).
Are you really sure about that? Can you confidently claim that upgrading those machines to 2GB of RAM for $70 per PC would not make those machines faster, earning back $70 of wages per employee over the entire lifespan of that PC?
I like to think that a better workplace can be engineered by giving people adequate tools to do their jobs enjoyably. Spoons are cheaper than shovels, but which is a better tool for a miner?
What good is your RAM if you keep it empty? Wouldn't it be better for your OS to learn what tasks you do frequently and make those tasks more convenient for you to do? Yes, you might answer this question differently than others, but I think the majority would be willing to sacrifice some seconds at boot in order to save them later.
Here's an analogy for you. Televisions don't really turn off - they just go into a low power state so that they can be more responsive when you turn them on. Why should your TV draw power when you're not even using it? Because people would rather press the button and wait 2 seconds for the picture, rather than waiting 30 seconds for it to warm up every time. Do you unplug your television when it's not in use, and if not why not? I'm guessing that your answer would be "convenience", and that's one of the aspects I like best about Windows.
I don't like the sidebar because there just aren't enough apps to make it useful. I use it at work because I like the currency converter and a remote desktop access manager gadget, but I arbitrarily stuck 3 post-it note gadgets on there to fill the rest of the space. At home the only gadget I cared about was a multiple POP3 mail checker, but I'm not about to sacrifice a huge chunk of screen width just for that.
That's one thing I adore about Windows 7. I can stick those gadgets anywhere and they don't take more space than necessary. I just stuck the mail gadget arbitrarily on my desktop, and if I want to check my mail status I just hover my mouse over the bottom right-hand corner which temporarily makes all windows invisible. I see my mail count is zero and i move the mouse away, restoring all my windows again without clicking once.
What are the minimum memory requirements, and how much of that will be eaten by the OS itself?
Both Vista and 7 strive to consume as much memory as possible to precache commonly loaded executables. This cuts down on execution time and helps minimize disk access to a small extent. It's a smart use of resources, and it flushes RAM as required for games and such. Why buy RAM just to keep it unallocated, right?
My wife bought an Asus netbook a few weeks ago and opted to pay a couple hundred bucks more for a nicer model. There are some predictable upgrades you get for a few bucks more, but the most impressive is the expanded battery. While she was installing Office 2007 on her fully charged battery I asked her to hover the cursor over the power gauge, and lo and behold it reported 6.5 hours of battery remaining - and that was at nearly full load. She can take notes in school all day without being tethered to an electrical socket. That's quite a leap forward in mobile computing, though as TFA specifies, she won't be playing Crysis on the thing. Guild Wars, however...
I tried one of the win7 betas but gave up quickly because I could find no working network driver for my onboard NIC. I installed the new RC on Thursday and the OS is an absolute dream. It feels light years ahead of everything I've ever used, and the streamlined interface has forced me to re-evaluate my insistence on turning off new features to make it work more like win95. You should give it another shake - my compatibility issues have been very minimal.
As for your comment about Linux replacing Windows when the application support is there, I think it's going to take more than that. Windows' sleek UI and excellent vendor driver support save the user time worth more than the entry price over its lifespan, plus Microsoft offers tech support for its products. With Linux it's inevitable that an end user will be forced to do something at the commandline, and realistically that's a huge time sink or maybe a deal breaker for the average user. This is just my opinion but Linux just feels like it is eternally playing catch-up, and by the time they're 60% of the way there Windows will have jumped forward to an entirely new era. Linux gets better every single month but it's never been on par in terms of the holistic computing experience - drivers, software, productivity, and even freeware are all in better shape on Windows, so that's why I've stuck with it despite trying many new Linux distros from time to time.
I hear ya. I ripped all my CDs to 320kbps which is about 120MB per album, so my 8GB Zen holds a good 65 albums or so. That's a lot of tunes. I use the device for video as well for when I travel by air. Some people are stubborn and demand to have their entire catalogues in their pocket to cater to their fleeting musical whims. Me, I'd rather force myself to listen to whatever's on my smaller device.
Oh, I hate Apple too due to their legal threats and libellous advertising. It just so happens I had a rational argument against them this time, plus they're not the only offenders when it comes to proprietary lock-in. I'm also happy to see the EFF probing the DMCA from every angle to find the loopholes or dissolve it outright. However, like my subject says, if you buy a tool because of what it might be some day then you're setting yourself up for disappointment.
If you want flexibility and choice then why use an iPod? I respect the BluWiki guys for standing up to Apple, but seriously, it's so much easier to take the path of least resistance and use an MP3 player that supports Explorer or Finder or command line mounting. Then you can use your player as a storage device as well. iPod and Zune are equally miserable in this regard.
My player of choice is the Creative Zen. It comes with proprietary software, but it's optional so you can use Explorer if you prefer. Only drawback is that they only come in solid-state flavours, no HDD, so the max capacity is 32GB (in case you only sit at a computer once every 3 months to add new music).
Perhaps this is similar to the commercial software versus open source in the workplace scenario. Some companies refuse to use even superior open source software because there is no accountability or support, which can fall out of various compliance requirements (for security, insurance, certification, whatever).
You've voiced your concerns, and now you must do what your boss requests.
I recently tried to dissuade my Marketing Director from trying to embed Quicktime videos on a SharePoint site. I stated my objections and then abided by her choice. I've got my best "told you so" waiting on the tip of my tongue.
[blockquote]Dell wants an injunction on Tiger using any of its materials, the destruction of all computers parts and accessories with Dell logos[/blockquote]
What a waste of perfectly good electronics. Surely Dell could have come up with a solution that doesn't contribute to landfills unnecessarily.
Stardock never claimed their games would be pirated less by removing DRM. Their goal is to not piss off legitimate owners.
Plus, how TFA prove anything? These statistics show piracy rates before the game was supposed to be for sale. There was really no other way to get the game at that time.
I used the autodialer to redial Ticketmaster for Green Day tickets. Back in the mid 90's the line would be busy all day when concert tickets first went on sale, so I'd use the autodialer so that my hands could be free, playing Doom or something.
As in the movie, the password to get in to the autodialer is "Joshua".
A few weeks ago/. linked to a really wonderfully written article by Anand Lal Shimpi about SSD drives. In the article he includes some simple and clear explanations of how flash memory works, its lifespan, and how it handles writes and deletes to maximize the life of every block of storage.
I strongly believe news and search go hand-in-hand, and news outlets can only gain from this pairing of services. If I'm searching for a tidbit of news I'll often get my answer on a non-local news website that I'd never have visited otherwise. For instance, in recent memory I've read some impressive technology journalism in a Salt Lake City publication, and other interesting pieces in the Christian Science Monitor and Al Jazeera, so I'm compelled to trust these outlets again in the future.
I trust Google enough that it will offer up the most relevant articles based on my search queries, and relevance is often more important to me than the source of my news. I suspect local newspapers, and even wire services like AP and Reuters, are simply afraid of suddenly having to compete on the same footing.
Schmidt's comments in TFA are absolutely correct. People are searching for news, and if you exclude your service from search you are effectively opting out of eager readership.
Slashdot Mirror
You're accusing me of clouding the issue with marketspeak, yet you're comparing a modern Linux OS to a 2-generations-old Microsoft OS from 1999? Wireless networking is way easier in Vista and Windows 7. In fact, Win7 even lets you pick a default printer based on the wireless network you're connected to. Apples to apples, please.
You make some valid points here.
Regarding automated memory use you mention "The critical thing is that the user needs to be educated which it sounds like Microsoft failed to do. " I think this is more of an ignorance is bliss thing - typical end users shouldn't have to care what's going on at a low level. They should just be happy with how their workflow is managed by the PC.
"The other thing which would bother me is to see my hard drive cranking through bits when I haven't asked it to do anything. When I see that happening on my machine, I immediately open my activity monitor to check on all my processes. Again, this can be alleviated with user notifications and education, but it sounds like Microsoft failed to do that. "
This was actually a common complaint with the desktop search engine indexing user documents. "Why is my HDD so busy when I'm idling at the desktop?" This is another issue where some people thought to ask this question, while other people didn't even notice. It's a low priority task so it makes way for more important things.
"I think the meat of the issue is that people want to be in control of their machines." Yes, sort of. People don't want to be out of control, but at the same time I think they will accept many recommendations and automations that Microsoft's usability engineers feel will save people time and frustration. However you are absolutely correct that Windows does make many assumptions and doesn't always tell people why it's doing what it's doing at any given moment. I wish there was a power user console which reported active tasks more transparently, like the linux "top" command.
Your points are perfectly valid for mobile computing (though does a stick of RAM really make a noticeable difference to battery life?). I'm more of a desktop guy so I often overlook variables that make a big difference for notebook machines. I admit that as much as I love Windows' desktop search engine I hate when it tries to index my files while my laptop is unplugged.
I tried a few different drivers for my NIC at the time but none of them work. Stupid ASUS codes hard OS checks into the driver installers. Luckily the Win7 RC build detected my NIC out of the box, but unfortunately there's still no better driver from the vendor. Thanks for the tip, though!
Sorry but have you tried Windows 7 yet? There is much more going for it than translucency. The UI actually helps me do tasks more quickly. "Sleek" doesn't only refer to cosmetic aspects - it also describes the ease with which you can perform tasks by removing intermediate steps.
When you copy files the taskbar thumbnail shows a progress bar. You can search from the Start button for any program, email, or document, and all without touching the mouse. When you're managing files you can drag 2 windows to either side of the screen to stack them horizontally, keeping each window fully in view, and when you're done you can move them away from the edge and they return to their previous size. You can pin document shortcuts to program icons so that you can right-click the program to directly jump to that document with that app, instead of having to open the app and browse to the desired document. You can repurpose the "shut down" button on the Start Menu to restart, hibernate, sleep, or whatever you want.
I could go on and on (just ask me if you want more examples - I've been playing with the OS all weekend). I loved Vista but Win7 makes it feel like an old clunker. It's a very user task-minded UI design, and it doesn't take a Microsoft salesman to see this.
You're really calling Ubuntu's driver support "unparallelled"? Well I suppose that's true, just like it's true to call the Buffalo Bills "consistent" at winning Superbowls. Driver support on Linux is getting better and better, but largely because (closed source) vendors are starting to step up to the plate. To be fair, many vendors will also draw the line and retire old hardware without providing Win7 drivers. I've never had an easy time with drivers on Ubuntu, but I don't claim to be an expert. However, do you truly believe that Ubuntu has superior device support versus Windows? If so please let me know so that I can ignore the rest of your reply.
I never made any comments about installing software and whether that's easier on Windows. You're just putting words in my mouth there. Google is sufficient to find tons of freeware for Windows - I search for the task I want to do and find the program to do it. I find this far easier than browsing Synaptic which crams thousands of programs into ridiculously few general categories and sorts them alphabetically by name (or ambiguous acronym). Installing software is just about the most trivial thing you do in an OS, so why bring it up unless you find this noteworthy on Linux?
"Plus, you can get a lot more support for free because people can look inside the code" - I'm only repeating this old adage because you forced me to. Linux is free if your time is worthless. Some employers pay by the hour. Maybe you've had bad experiences with Microsoft support but I've been nothing but impressed with it. Ask me if you want examples, or just take my word for it, but my point is to look at total cost of ownership instead of just the point of entry. Troubleshooting takes time, and some people would rather spend their time another way.
I think linux is a wonderful thing and is absolutely essential to give Windows competition. The only point I mean to make is that Linux will not overtake Windows in holistic usability any time soon - especially since Win7 is so fantastic. I'm an advocate for the best solution to a given problem, and will ditch Windows the moment it is outclassed.
Did you try a beta build of Win7, or the new Release Candidate? An old beta build didn't include network drivers for my onboard NIC so I went back to Vista, but the new RC build worked beautifully right out of the box - it connected to my network and gave me a 3D accelerated desktop at my monitor's native resolution (though of course it all worked better once I installed the proper drivers). I'm not going back to Vista. Period. I love 7.
I'm still running networks of machines that run on XP with 512Mb and suffer no appreciable performance loss (admittedly well-managed in terms of applications, but we run Office too).
Are you really sure about that? Can you confidently claim that upgrading those machines to 2GB of RAM for $70 per PC would not make those machines faster, earning back $70 of wages per employee over the entire lifespan of that PC?
I like to think that a better workplace can be engineered by giving people adequate tools to do their jobs enjoyably. Spoons are cheaper than shovels, but which is a better tool for a miner?
What good is your RAM if you keep it empty? Wouldn't it be better for your OS to learn what tasks you do frequently and make those tasks more convenient for you to do? Yes, you might answer this question differently than others, but I think the majority would be willing to sacrifice some seconds at boot in order to save them later.
Here's an analogy for you. Televisions don't really turn off - they just go into a low power state so that they can be more responsive when you turn them on. Why should your TV draw power when you're not even using it? Because people would rather press the button and wait 2 seconds for the picture, rather than waiting 30 seconds for it to warm up every time. Do you unplug your television when it's not in use, and if not why not? I'm guessing that your answer would be "convenience", and that's one of the aspects I like best about Windows.
I don't like the sidebar because there just aren't enough apps to make it useful. I use it at work because I like the currency converter and a remote desktop access manager gadget, but I arbitrarily stuck 3 post-it note gadgets on there to fill the rest of the space. At home the only gadget I cared about was a multiple POP3 mail checker, but I'm not about to sacrifice a huge chunk of screen width just for that.
That's one thing I adore about Windows 7. I can stick those gadgets anywhere and they don't take more space than necessary. I just stuck the mail gadget arbitrarily on my desktop, and if I want to check my mail status I just hover my mouse over the bottom right-hand corner which temporarily makes all windows invisible. I see my mail count is zero and i move the mouse away, restoring all my windows again without clicking once.
What are the minimum memory requirements, and how much of that will be eaten by the OS itself?
Both Vista and 7 strive to consume as much memory as possible to precache commonly loaded executables. This cuts down on execution time and helps minimize disk access to a small extent. It's a smart use of resources, and it flushes RAM as required for games and such. Why buy RAM just to keep it unallocated, right?
Are netbooks anything other than "entry level".
My wife bought an Asus netbook a few weeks ago and opted to pay a couple hundred bucks more for a nicer model. There are some predictable upgrades you get for a few bucks more, but the most impressive is the expanded battery. While she was installing Office 2007 on her fully charged battery I asked her to hover the cursor over the power gauge, and lo and behold it reported 6.5 hours of battery remaining - and that was at nearly full load. She can take notes in school all day without being tethered to an electrical socket. That's quite a leap forward in mobile computing, though as TFA specifies, she won't be playing Crysis on the thing. Guild Wars, however...
13 months is a pretty generous fuse on a time bomb. How many other commercial products let you use it free for a day, never mind a year?
I tried one of the win7 betas but gave up quickly because I could find no working network driver for my onboard NIC. I installed the new RC on Thursday and the OS is an absolute dream. It feels light years ahead of everything I've ever used, and the streamlined interface has forced me to re-evaluate my insistence on turning off new features to make it work more like win95. You should give it another shake - my compatibility issues have been very minimal.
As for your comment about Linux replacing Windows when the application support is there, I think it's going to take more than that. Windows' sleek UI and excellent vendor driver support save the user time worth more than the entry price over its lifespan, plus Microsoft offers tech support for its products. With Linux it's inevitable that an end user will be forced to do something at the commandline, and realistically that's a huge time sink or maybe a deal breaker for the average user. This is just my opinion but Linux just feels like it is eternally playing catch-up, and by the time they're 60% of the way there Windows will have jumped forward to an entirely new era. Linux gets better every single month but it's never been on par in terms of the holistic computing experience - drivers, software, productivity, and even freeware are all in better shape on Windows, so that's why I've stuck with it despite trying many new Linux distros from time to time.
I hear ya. I ripped all my CDs to 320kbps which is about 120MB per album, so my 8GB Zen holds a good 65 albums or so. That's a lot of tunes. I use the device for video as well for when I travel by air. Some people are stubborn and demand to have their entire catalogues in their pocket to cater to their fleeting musical whims. Me, I'd rather force myself to listen to whatever's on my smaller device.
Oh, I hate Apple too due to their legal threats and libellous advertising. It just so happens I had a rational argument against them this time, plus they're not the only offenders when it comes to proprietary lock-in. I'm also happy to see the EFF probing the DMCA from every angle to find the loopholes or dissolve it outright. However, like my subject says, if you buy a tool because of what it might be some day then you're setting yourself up for disappointment.
Apple - Think Different (and we'll sue you)
If you want flexibility and choice then why use an iPod? I respect the BluWiki guys for standing up to Apple, but seriously, it's so much easier to take the path of least resistance and use an MP3 player that supports Explorer or Finder or command line mounting. Then you can use your player as a storage device as well. iPod and Zune are equally miserable in this regard.
My player of choice is the Creative Zen. It comes with proprietary software, but it's optional so you can use Explorer if you prefer. Only drawback is that they only come in solid-state flavours, no HDD, so the max capacity is 32GB (in case you only sit at a computer once every 3 months to add new music).
Perhaps this is similar to the commercial software versus open source in the workplace scenario. Some companies refuse to use even superior open source software because there is no accountability or support, which can fall out of various compliance requirements (for security, insurance, certification, whatever).
You've voiced your concerns, and now you must do what your boss requests.
I recently tried to dissuade my Marketing Director from trying to embed Quicktime videos on a SharePoint site. I stated my objections and then abided by her choice. I've got my best "told you so" waiting on the tip of my tongue.
I know... noob mistake. I actually opted out of /. beta mode because I find it obnoxious, so I have separate preview and submit buttons. Oops.
[blockquote]Dell wants an injunction on Tiger using any of its materials, the destruction of all computers parts and accessories with Dell logos[/blockquote]
What a waste of perfectly good electronics. Surely Dell could have come up with a solution that doesn't contribute to landfills unnecessarily.
Stardock never claimed their games would be pirated less by removing DRM. Their goal is to not piss off legitimate owners.
Plus, how TFA prove anything? These statistics show piracy rates before the game was supposed to be for sale. There was really no other way to get the game at that time.
I used the autodialer to redial Ticketmaster for Green Day tickets. Back in the mid 90's the line would be busy all day when concert tickets first went on sale, so I'd use the autodialer so that my hands could be free, playing Doom or something.
As in the movie, the password to get in to the autodialer is "Joshua".
Touché :)
A few weeks ago /. linked to a really wonderfully written article by Anand Lal Shimpi about SSD drives. In the article he includes some simple and clear explanations of how flash memory works, its lifespan, and how it handles writes and deletes to maximize the life of every block of storage.
http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=3531
The only think missing from the article is a description of the behaviour of a failing drive.
I strongly believe news and search go hand-in-hand, and news outlets can only gain from this pairing of services. If I'm searching for a tidbit of news I'll often get my answer on a non-local news website that I'd never have visited otherwise. For instance, in recent memory I've read some impressive technology journalism in a Salt Lake City publication, and other interesting pieces in the Christian Science Monitor and Al Jazeera, so I'm compelled to trust these outlets again in the future.
I trust Google enough that it will offer up the most relevant articles based on my search queries, and relevance is often more important to me than the source of my news. I suspect local newspapers, and even wire services like AP and Reuters, are simply afraid of suddenly having to compete on the same footing.
Schmidt's comments in TFA are absolutely correct. People are searching for news, and if you exclude your service from search you are effectively opting out of eager readership.