You had me until you said "It should be a language that doesn't have a built in string class. One that makes you create arrays of characters. " Strings are just an abstraction, string foo = "bar" is pretty simple to use, and when the student starts doing more complex things (and learns all about arrays), they will realize that foo[i] is just a character in a vector. It is a much more modular way to teach.
I agree that bells and whistles increase a languages' barrier to entry, but if they can be ignored (like a lot of the Java library) then it is a moot point.
C is not, nor ever will be a newbie language. By the train of thought that it is best "to [know] what goes on under the covers", then the logical conclusion of that is to teach a simple assembly language, quickly followed by a compilers and systems course.
In math, we typically teach younger students how to use a function or expression before we teach them how to prove it (consider it to be the process of giving them the specifications).
Disclaimer: I have helped and witnessed many students learn C.
Hell, when England made the Domesday Book in 1086 Christians probably went ape-shit over it for the same reason.
I've learned something about Christians, when something like this comes, many don't say "this is the mark of the beast" instead they say something along the line of "the end is near"... So, they're learning.
I think that the stance against RFIDs needs all the help it can get... So, let the Christians rant and rave next to the EFF... Just as long as the reasonable people raise that point that tracking technologies COULD be used for bad reasons, and encourage people to weigh the good against the bad... Or does that involve thinking?
"Dr. Naur's ALGOL 60 embodied the notion of elegant simplicity for algorithmic expression," said Justin Rattner, Intel senior fellow and Chief Technology Officer. "Over the years, programming languages have become bloated with features and functions that have made them more difficult to learn and less effective.
An Intel guy critising feature bloat? Has he ever used Intel x86's assembly language?
For starters, there are two major types of software, general tools (such as an OS, browser, etc.) then there is custom software that businesses, scientists, etc. need. I remind you that software started out with the later.
I think you were getting to this with the statement: "At that point the market weighs far more heavily toward providing services instead of selling software, and then a lot of that involves face to face work."
But, no one in the FOSS world will develop custom webpages, database systems, etc. for company X, in fact, as far as company X is concerned (assuming X != a software tools company), FOSS means business as usual. (Also, I wouldn't give free tech-support to a company, even if I wrote the software they decided to use, I'd much rather develop more software and just get bug reports from them. If they have any problems they can a) hire me b) get support from someone else or c) go to the forums like everyone else)
So, FOSS doesn't destroy all software markets. Now, I leave where offshoring fits into this as an open question.
"Has anyone knows children learn at a far faster rate and adapt to new tech far faster than adults, they wouldnt have a problem (and prolly would help the teachers as well) adapt and learn the new systems in no time - your assuming that Point-N-Click is a windows only thing?? take 1 PC, Load Ubuntu or whatever distro on it, load and setup Wine, add the needed software and test, once you are sure its stable, image the PC and load on the other PC's (after taking some time to familirize the staff with the new OS and the dreaded Point-N-Click on the icon interface as they prolly never seen that before)"
Damn Straight!
Like many computer-literate children of the 80s and early 90s, I went from one of the cheap PCs that died (Commodore 64, then 128) to DOS, and Windows 3.1 before I turned 10. When I was 12 I started using Win 95.
So, to summarize, 2 command-line interfaces, and 2 GUIs before I was a teenager. Of course, people a few years older than me could have switched OSes even more in their childhood. And I just used computers to play games until I got an internet connection. I know some people learned how to program in this period. And I'd bet there are some people out there that did a lot more than that.
So, going from a pre-installed GUI to another one should be trivial. Especially for this "computer-literate" generation of children.
As a side note, is it just me or does anyone else scoff when this generation of children is called "computer-literate" to state that they know more about computers than previous generations, rather than computers are easier to use?
Here is a simple lesson I've learned about laptop accessories:
Unless necessary, for whatever reason, the hassle of carrying, unpacking, repacking, etc. is not worth it. Something that is larger in 2 out of three dimensions of the laptop is especially cumbersome.
Now, I know there are people who own laptops but don't really use them outside of their homes. Those people might benefit from this (I use a TV tray or my desk at home).
Here's my advise to the comany, if you REALLY think there is a market for this, integrate the pillow as the case. That way there isn't an extra object to carry, then they can dual market it as a protective case (some people are really cautious about their laptops).
Imagine being the average user. Now, setting up programs isn't fun. Remember, this is Windows we are talking about, wizard hell does kick in.
Another good feature is that things could be automatically stored online. Currently, I don't download any of my email to a local PC. I leave it where I am assured either ssh or web access. This is quite benefitial because I use about three computers in the average week, and sometimes I will want to access my email elsewhere.
Consider my personal situation: I don't own a printer. I use a public printer at the university. Now, the quickest way I can get access to the printer is through a Windows terminal, but I currently use Linux and OS X, thus to print a report, I have to save as a pdf, put it in a common place online, then access and print through Windows.
An online office package, even if it could be hosted by a university. would make the pdf and storage issue dissapear. Let alone cross-compatibility issues...
My point is, you never know what users might want/need, thus, more options are a good thing.
"to save some money but we have MS-Fan boys on the board."
I welcome you to the world where instead of a technocracy we have mediocracy. Management (of any kind) will always resist change, sometimes despite obvious benefits.
Let's assume that they did what you said, and it worked perfectly, no better than perfectly, that it beamed knowledge directly into the kid's heads. The question will come up why a student was the one to suggest it and why wasn't it discovered and implemented earlier. Making the "professionals" and management look bad.
Everyone is worried about how others see them, and the nightmare of a manager is to be considered out of touch and a bad decision maker (including past mistakes). Which fosters in an atmosphere where it is very hard to atone for one's mistakes.
I know it sucks, and I feel lucky that at that age I was completely apathetic towards myself and fellow students. If I actually wanted to improve their situation I might have got myself into a lot of trouble.
"Why would I want to drive to the nearest Blockbuster location when I can download an iPod movie from the comfort of my very own cable modem?"
remove the word iPod (then correct an to a) and ask: "Why would I want to drive to the nearest Blockbuster location when I can download a movie from the comfort of my very own cable modem?"
You might not, but Blockbuster obviously has customers. I'll admit that iPod owners most likely own computers so they would most likely be in the download subset of people anyway, but I don't think that it is quite so simple if you look at the total market.
The closest Apple will get to running Windows would be like "classic" mode under OS X... Which I personally would consider a bug rather than a feature, but to each his own.
Besides, I think Microsoft props up Apple (by providing things like Office and Virtual PC) so they can avoid another conflict with the DOJ. To convert Apple to Windows, could make the monopoly case a lot harder to defend.
Next Dvorak will suggest that Microsoft is converting to open sourced *NIX to gain a greater share in the server market...
I could be wrong, but I would bet that most, if not all industrialized nations partake in some form of censorship.
The issue arises is if people on average think that various instances of censorship is a feature rather than a bug. Now, I would prefer individual-induced boycotts against any stations that a person finds offensive. This could coerce regulation by media companies (monitarily-influenced). A customer should also be able to make a station forbidden unless permitted.
That is what I like about the internet, I can choose what I want to see, hear and read (that begs the question of what is wrong with me to visit such sites as/.). My attitude of this may change a little when/if I ever have children (where I will have to censor what they input).
I also think that some technologies do need to be censored more than others. Any child can attain a radio without parental involvement. On the other side of the spectrum, books should not be controlled for content at all, because they are easily regulated.
*I should note that I believe minors are protected citizens, and as such certain rights and freedoms do not apply to them, and cannot be trumped even with parental consent. For more details why please see the extreme side of the spectrum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_Blue_(Americ an_duo) . To a minor's benefit, they should not be held completely accountable for their actions, unless proven to require disipline (repeat violent offenders...).
Don't worry, the people most likely to get this education are university students, who will be taught it in a philosphy context. So a diverse range of perspectives should be encouraged.
A friend of mine once argued everything he did was perfectly positively ethical, if you ignore society's definition of ethics and used his.
"perhaps we should begin to explore the larger social issues in intro-level instruction as well? "
My CS Degree requires that we take a computer ethics course. Now, for starters, it was a philosphy course. In that environment, things can be argued from many perspectives. For example, from what you said, with p2p an argument can be made that the artist is being denied compensation for their work, but another argument is that they didn't lose anything by a duplication (economically, your reserve price for their "legal" mp3 may be much higher than the artist is selling it for, just as an example of why they wouldn't get a sale anyway), but they may get extra advertising in the process (Didn't Metalica rise from the 1980s tape swapping curcuit? They may have opted into that though, which does change things).
It all depends on a person's assumptions. And all you can really do to influence those base assumptions is to challenge them.
When I think about it, ethics is the only thing that can be taught. Laws like this are not set in stone (I believe that Disney is trying to alter one of the branches of so called "Intellectual Property", but I don't know enough about IP to begin to comment on that [maybe I should have taken a course... I love hypocrisy...]). So what is the point of teaching students something that they are going to have to find out for themselves anyway, other than giving an introduction.
As for ethics, it didn't change my stance on anything. Nor did it teach me anything. And even if it did, being lawful doesn't necessarily make a person ethical, positive or negative.
Besides, most unethical things in the work place are probably caused by money-seeking people anyway. And if they are ignoring their long-term career for short-term, ill-gotten gain (however great the gain may be), they probably aren't going to be influenced by some course they were forced into taking when they were younger.
*disclaimer: I do not download and burn mp3s, but I feel I have the legal right to do so because I am Canadian and pay taxes on blank CDs which goes towards content providers... (I use blank CDs and occasionaly DVDs for burning Linux/BSD install or live CDs (I try a new distro or version at least once a month)... and I think THEY should get my paid taxes.)
When non-technical users look at buying Apple, one of the first things they typically will hear is that it isn't 100% compatible with Windows programs (Virtual PC isn't perfect)*.
That creates a degree of trepidation, and in some cases is enough to discourage a sale. That is why it is called a "switch" rather than an "add" campaign.
If supporting Windows is so terrible then why does WINE exist?
Yes, you and I might not use Windows, but some people do. And some people do actually need it for running custom programs.
People who don't know much about computers are typically a little timid of them. I like the thought of being able to tell people not to worry [sic: , relax], and that all their software will work on a shiney new Apple laptop (I only recommend Apple laptops, but would never buy a desktop), and that the quality of an Apple laptop (not to mention with Apple care) is well worth the initial cost.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_PC - So to be honest you have to use a line like "your Apple SHOULD be able to run every Windows program" rather than "your Apple can run every Windows program" People don't like maybes when spending more than a thousand dollars.
Has the general computer software industry gone through a similar phase?
If not, should they change the scope to include everyone who designs computer software? (I know that the game industry is reputed to be particularly brutal to its workers, but I think it is a question worth asking none the less.)
Are you suggesting the market of video games that is acceptable for minors to play as the same as the children's market? Or that all of Nintendo's games are like Pokemon? (In my humble opinion, that is a game for kids)
Well, aren't some media files released on the internet before they can be attained/viewed through normal distribution methods? And FTA a purchased song makes it onto the free networks...
So if the file does get out, then at least it should be easier to trace the source of the leak... Assuming this works...
Then again, I wouldn't put it past the MPAA (the same technique can be applied to movies) or RIAA to go after the initial poster for total "damages" (in other words, blame the original uploader for all copies).
Spread fear amongst the people... Standard *AA operating procedure...
To be honest, I've found that Linux is better than Windows for out of the box support for a base system. The only time I've really had problems is with things like webcams and gamepads. (on Windows with this PC I had to download drivers for my audio to work)
So my question is, what are you addressing when you say "improving hardware support"?
The most prevalent critism I've heard from non-technical users of Windows is how the system does not age gracefully. I would dare say that this is almost common knowledge. And I don't think this point would be well addressed by your idea (not that you idea does not have merit, it could be tested to see which OS can be initially configured better).
I think the best way to convince people to try something new is to get them when they are despairate. Whenever I repair a non-technical user's PC I leave a LiveCD edition of some Linux distro (depends on the capabilities of the PC), then email instructions how to get it to perform desirable tasks (yes, I do ensure they have an automatically configuring network so they can access their email), such as attaining absolutely vital files from a hard drive, assuming there isn't a problem with the hard drive.
That way, when and if Windows breaks (I love reversing that), they can at least have a computer system to operate when they are most despairate.
I know this doesn't address the enterprise problem, but I have no idea how to solve that. The best solution I can come up with is to get all system admin training programs to teach students how to admin Linux. Thereby increasing the supply of people who know how to admin Linux. Resulting in it being easier (and probably cheaper) to bring in Linux admins, and hopefully reducing Linux "TCO".
Only a quarter of current desktops could run it (joking)... If they keep up at this rate, by the time Vista is released ALL desktops will be able to run it.
"Because I can get a machine for half the price that does the same thing if the Apple logo isn't on it. And now no one can argue that the Apple hardware is even better since it's the same PC-based stuff."
Half price? I can get an iBook for $1000 USD before any discounts are applied. That is at least around the same price as most other manufacturers. Not to mention the existance of the mini (which isn't a bad price for someone who isn't technical).
In the case of laptops, reliability is one of the most important qualities. And Apple does produce very reliable laptops (save the iBooks' logic board failure a year or two ago).
All this, plus (easy-to-install) OS X is definately worth it. Especially for non-technical users.
I think the current statistics have a much simplier reason than that. Currently, people in their 70-80s were young at a time when there were more social taboos, especially surrounding women.
For example, I recall reading (a year or two ago) that if you remove preventable deaths (ie: from smoking) then on average men live 6 months longer than women.
Another factor surrounding this generation is that men fought in WWII, and some vets do show decreased quality of life for it.
I think in 30 years, the statistics will shift a bit. The only thing that can prevent that is that (on average) I think women are more careful about eating properly... (and I have heard that heart failure is becoming a greater issue)
Slashdot Mirror
I just realized that I got to see an ad for Verizon Wireless early because I saw an ad for Verizon Wireless...
You had me until you said "It should be a language that doesn't have a built in string class. One that makes you create arrays of characters. " Strings are just an abstraction, string foo = "bar" is pretty simple to use, and when the student starts doing more complex things (and learns all about arrays), they will realize that foo[i] is just a character in a vector. It is a much more modular way to teach.
I agree that bells and whistles increase a languages' barrier to entry, but if they can be ignored (like a lot of the Java library) then it is a moot point.
C is not, nor ever will be a newbie language. By the train of thought that it is best "to [know] what goes on under the covers", then the logical conclusion of that is to teach a simple assembly language, quickly followed by a compilers and systems course.
In math, we typically teach younger students how to use a function or expression before we teach them how to prove it (consider it to be the process of giving them the specifications).
Disclaimer: I have helped and witnessed many students learn C.
Hell, when England made the Domesday Book in 1086 Christians probably went ape-shit over it for the same reason.
I've learned something about Christians, when something like this comes, many don't say "this is the mark of the beast" instead they say something along the line of "the end is near"... So, they're learning.
I think that the stance against RFIDs needs all the help it can get... So, let the Christians rant and rave next to the EFF... Just as long as the reasonable people raise that point that tracking technologies COULD be used for bad reasons, and encourage people to weigh the good against the bad... Or does that involve thinking?
For starters, there are two major types of software, general tools (such as an OS, browser, etc.) then there is custom software that businesses, scientists, etc. need. I remind you that software started out with the later.
I think you were getting to this with the statement:
"At that point the market weighs far more heavily toward providing services instead of selling software, and then a lot of that involves face to face work."
But, no one in the FOSS world will develop custom webpages, database systems, etc. for company X, in fact, as far as company X is concerned (assuming X != a software tools company), FOSS means business as usual. (Also, I wouldn't give free tech-support to a company, even if I wrote the software they decided to use, I'd much rather develop more software and just get bug reports from them. If they have any problems they can a) hire me b) get support from someone else or c) go to the forums like everyone else)
So, FOSS doesn't destroy all software markets. Now, I leave where offshoring fits into this as an open question.
"Has anyone knows children learn at a far faster rate and adapt to new tech far faster than adults, they wouldnt have a problem (and prolly would help the teachers as well) adapt and learn the new systems in no time - your assuming that Point-N-Click is a windows only thing?? take 1 PC, Load Ubuntu or whatever distro on it, load and setup Wine, add the needed software and test, once you are sure its stable, image the PC and load on the other PC's (after taking some time to familirize the staff with the new OS and the dreaded Point-N-Click on the icon interface as they prolly never seen that before)"
Damn Straight!
Like many computer-literate children of the 80s and early 90s, I went from one of the cheap PCs that died (Commodore 64, then 128) to DOS, and Windows 3.1 before I turned 10. When I was 12 I started using Win 95.
So, to summarize, 2 command-line interfaces, and 2 GUIs before I was a teenager. Of course, people a few years older than me could have switched OSes even more in their childhood. And I just used computers to play games until I got an internet connection. I know some people learned how to program in this period. And I'd bet there are some people out there that did a lot more than that.
So, going from a pre-installed GUI to another one should be trivial. Especially for this "computer-literate" generation of children.
As a side note, is it just me or does anyone else scoff when this generation of children is called "computer-literate" to state that they know more about computers than previous generations, rather than computers are easier to use?
Math geeks that would need 128-bit double percision are a subset of all math geeks...
Therefore an even smaller portion of an already small population.
Here is a simple lesson I've learned about laptop accessories:
Unless necessary, for whatever reason, the hassle of carrying, unpacking, repacking, etc. is not worth it. Something that is larger in 2 out of three dimensions of the laptop is especially cumbersome.
Now, I know there are people who own laptops but don't really use them outside of their homes. Those people might benefit from this (I use a TV tray or my desk at home).
Here's my advise to the comany, if you REALLY think there is a market for this, integrate the pillow as the case. That way there isn't an extra object to carry, then they can dual market it as a protective case (some people are really cautious about their laptops).
Imagine being the average user. Now, setting up programs isn't fun. Remember, this is Windows we are talking about, wizard hell does kick in.
Another good feature is that things could be automatically stored online. Currently, I don't download any of my email to a local PC. I leave it where I am assured either ssh or web access. This is quite benefitial because I use about three computers in the average week, and sometimes I will want to access my email elsewhere.
Consider my personal situation:
I don't own a printer. I use a public printer at the university. Now, the quickest way I can get access to the printer is through a Windows terminal, but I currently use Linux and OS X, thus to print a report, I have to save as a pdf, put it in a common place online, then access and print through Windows.
An online office package, even if it could be hosted by a university. would make the pdf and storage issue dissapear. Let alone cross-compatibility issues...
My point is, you never know what users might want/need, thus, more options are a good thing.
"to save some money but we have MS-Fan boys on the board."
I welcome you to the world where instead of a technocracy we have mediocracy. Management (of any kind) will always resist change, sometimes despite obvious benefits.
Let's assume that they did what you said, and it worked perfectly, no better than perfectly, that it beamed knowledge directly into the kid's heads. The question will come up why a student was the one to suggest it and why wasn't it discovered and implemented earlier. Making the "professionals" and management look bad.
Everyone is worried about how others see them, and the nightmare of a manager is to be considered out of touch and a bad decision maker (including past mistakes). Which fosters in an atmosphere where it is very hard to atone for one's mistakes.
I know it sucks, and I feel lucky that at that age I was completely apathetic towards myself and fellow students. If I actually wanted to improve their situation I might have got myself into a lot of trouble.
"Why would I want to drive to the nearest Blockbuster location when I can download an iPod movie from the comfort of my very own cable modem?"
remove the word iPod (then correct an to a) and ask:
"Why would I want to drive to the nearest Blockbuster location when I can download a movie from the comfort of my very own cable modem?"
You might not, but Blockbuster obviously has customers. I'll admit that iPod owners most likely own computers so they would most likely be in the download subset of people anyway, but I don't think that it is quite so simple if you look at the total market.
The closest Apple will get to running Windows would be like "classic" mode under OS X... Which I personally would consider a bug rather than a feature, but to each his own.
Besides, I think Microsoft props up Apple (by providing things like Office and Virtual PC) so they can avoid another conflict with the DOJ. To convert Apple to Windows, could make the monopoly case a lot harder to defend.
Next Dvorak will suggest that Microsoft is converting to open sourced *NIX to gain a greater share in the server market...
I could be wrong, but I would bet that most, if not all industrialized nations partake in some form of censorship.
/.). My attitude of this may change a little when/if I ever have children (where I will have to censor what they input).
c an_duo) . To a minor's benefit, they should not be held completely accountable for their actions, unless proven to require disipline (repeat violent offenders...).
The issue arises is if people on average think that various instances of censorship is a feature rather than a bug. Now, I would prefer individual-induced boycotts against any stations that a person finds offensive. This could coerce regulation by media companies (monitarily-influenced). A customer should also be able to make a station forbidden unless permitted.
That is what I like about the internet, I can choose what I want to see, hear and read (that begs the question of what is wrong with me to visit such sites as
I also think that some technologies do need to be censored more than others. Any child can attain a radio without parental involvement. On the other side of the spectrum, books should not be controlled for content at all, because they are easily regulated.
*I should note that I believe minors are protected citizens, and as such certain rights and freedoms do not apply to them, and cannot be trumped even with parental consent. For more details why please see the extreme side of the spectrum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_Blue_(Ameri
Don't worry, the people most likely to get this education are university students, who will be taught it in a philosphy context. So a diverse range of perspectives should be encouraged.
A friend of mine once argued everything he did was perfectly positively ethical, if you ignore society's definition of ethics and used his.
"perhaps we should begin to explore the larger social issues in intro-level instruction as well? "
My CS Degree requires that we take a computer ethics course. Now, for starters, it was a philosphy course. In that environment, things can be argued from many perspectives. For example, from what you said, with p2p an argument can be made that the artist is being denied compensation for their work, but another argument is that they didn't lose anything by a duplication (economically, your reserve price for their "legal" mp3 may be much higher than the artist is selling it for, just as an example of why they wouldn't get a sale anyway), but they may get extra advertising in the process (Didn't Metalica rise from the 1980s tape swapping curcuit? They may have opted into that though, which does change things).
It all depends on a person's assumptions. And all you can really do to influence those base assumptions is to challenge them.
When I think about it, ethics is the only thing that can be taught. Laws like this are not set in stone (I believe that Disney is trying to alter one of the branches of so called "Intellectual Property", but I don't know enough about IP to begin to comment on that [maybe I should have taken a course... I love hypocrisy...]). So what is the point of teaching students something that they are going to have to find out for themselves anyway, other than giving an introduction.
As for ethics, it didn't change my stance on anything. Nor did it teach me anything. And even if it did, being lawful doesn't necessarily make a person ethical, positive or negative.
Besides, most unethical things in the work place are probably caused by money-seeking people anyway. And if they are ignoring their long-term career for short-term, ill-gotten gain (however great the gain may be), they probably aren't going to be influenced by some course they were forced into taking when they were younger.
*disclaimer: I do not download and burn mp3s, but I feel I have the legal right to do so because I am Canadian and pay taxes on blank CDs which goes towards content providers... (I use blank CDs and occasionaly DVDs for burning Linux/BSD install or live CDs (I try a new distro or version at least once a month)... and I think THEY should get my paid taxes.)
When non-technical users look at buying Apple, one of the first things they typically will hear is that it isn't 100% compatible with Windows programs (Virtual PC isn't perfect)*.
That creates a degree of trepidation, and in some cases is enough to discourage a sale. That is why it is called a "switch" rather than an "add" campaign.
If supporting Windows is so terrible then why does WINE exist?
Yes, you and I might not use Windows, but some people do. And some people do actually need it for running custom programs.
People who don't know much about computers are typically a little timid of them. I like the thought of being able to tell people not to worry [sic: , relax], and that all their software will work on a shiney new Apple laptop (I only recommend Apple laptops, but would never buy a desktop), and that the quality of an Apple laptop (not to mention with Apple care) is well worth the initial cost.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_PC - So to be honest you have to use a line like "your Apple SHOULD be able to run every Windows program" rather than "your Apple can run every Windows program" People don't like maybes when spending more than a thousand dollars.
Has the general computer software industry gone through a similar phase?
If not, should they change the scope to include everyone who designs computer software? (I know that the game industry is reputed to be particularly brutal to its workers, but I think it is a question worth asking none the less.)
Are you suggesting the market of video games that is acceptable for minors to play as the same as the children's market? Or that all of Nintendo's games are like Pokemon? (In my humble opinion, that is a game for kids)
Well, aren't some media files released on the internet before they can be attained/viewed through normal distribution methods? And FTA a purchased song makes it onto the free networks...
So if the file does get out, then at least it should be easier to trace the source of the leak... Assuming this works...
Then again, I wouldn't put it past the MPAA (the same technique can be applied to movies) or RIAA to go after the initial poster for total "damages" (in other words, blame the original uploader for all copies).
Spread fear amongst the people... Standard *AA operating procedure...
To be honest, I've found that Linux is better than Windows for out of the box support for a base system. The only time I've really had problems is with things like webcams and gamepads. (on Windows with this PC I had to download drivers for my audio to work)
So my question is, what are you addressing when you say "improving hardware support"?
The most prevalent critism I've heard from non-technical users of Windows is how the system does not age gracefully. I would dare say that this is almost common knowledge. And I don't think this point would be well addressed by your idea (not that you idea does not have merit, it could be tested to see which OS can be initially configured better).
I think the best way to convince people to try something new is to get them when they are despairate. Whenever I repair a non-technical user's PC I leave a LiveCD edition of some Linux distro (depends on the capabilities of the PC), then email instructions how to get it to perform desirable tasks (yes, I do ensure they have an automatically configuring network so they can access their email), such as attaining absolutely vital files from a hard drive, assuming there isn't a problem with the hard drive.
That way, when and if Windows breaks (I love reversing that), they can at least have a computer system to operate when they are most despairate.
I know this doesn't address the enterprise problem, but I have no idea how to solve that. The best solution I can come up with is to get all system admin training programs to teach students how to admin Linux. Thereby increasing the supply of people who know how to admin Linux. Resulting in it being easier (and probably cheaper) to bring in Linux admins, and hopefully reducing Linux "TCO".
"Back in 2004..."
Only a quarter of current desktops could run it (joking)... If they keep up at this rate, by the time Vista is released ALL desktops will be able to run it.
They can still censor who would be listed... And I hardly doubt that CNN is going to report on all the annoyances like "Hyperglobalmeganet"
Nothing to see here, move along.
"Because I can get a machine for half the price that does the same thing if the Apple logo isn't on it. And now no one can argue that the Apple hardware is even better since it's the same PC-based stuff."
Half price? I can get an iBook for $1000 USD before any discounts are applied. That is at least around the same price as most other manufacturers. Not to mention the existance of the mini (which isn't a bad price for someone who isn't technical).
In the case of laptops, reliability is one of the most important qualities. And Apple does produce very reliable laptops (save the iBooks' logic board failure a year or two ago).
All this, plus (easy-to-install) OS X is definately worth it. Especially for non-technical users.
I think the current statistics have a much simplier reason than that. Currently, people in their 70-80s were young at a time when there were more social taboos, especially surrounding women.
For example, I recall reading (a year or two ago) that if you remove preventable deaths (ie: from smoking) then on average men live 6 months longer than women.
Another factor surrounding this generation is that men fought in WWII, and some vets do show decreased quality of life for it.
I think in 30 years, the statistics will shift a bit. The only thing that can prevent that is that (on average) I think women are more careful about eating properly... (and I have heard that heart failure is becoming a greater issue)