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| Thread ID: 103313 | 2009-09-18 07:28:00 | Seven Things W7 Can Learn From Linux | SurferJoe46 (51) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 811596 | 2009-09-18 07:28:00 | :waughh:----Seems simple enough-----:confused:: 1. More frequent release cycles. Microsoft’s worst enemy has been its very long release cycles. Linux distros, on the other hand, have the opposite problem – too frequent release cycles. But what would a consumer be more interested in, an operating system that’s eight years old (Windows XP) or one that’s updated every year or even six months? "New" product releases means fresh money and Microsoft knows this. 2. Sane release versioning. No matter how INSANE Linux distribution release versioning is, it’s still not as bad as Windows’. Yes, there is a systematic way in which Microsoft versions its Windows releases, but that’s been hidden behind the marketing hoopla. We’ve had Windows 3.1, 95, NT, 98, 2000, Me, XP, Vista and 7 which makes perfect sense. Suddenly Ubuntu’s 7.10, 8.04, 8.10, 9.04, etc, doesn’t seem so silly after all. Nor does Fedora’s 8, 9, 10. Mac OS X? This stays the same with just minor release versions and code names - brilliant for the not-so-tech-savvy. If you’re going to name a product Windows 7, release Windows 8 after it, not “Windows Panorama” or “Windows 2012”. 3. Online OS upgrades. One thing Linux does well is allow users to perform a major OS release upgrade online. Microsoft’s boxed set cash cow may prevent this from happening soon, but it’s something that definitely should be on its radar. Want to upgrade to the next version? Click a box, pay for it and download it over the Internet. 4. Better Web app integration. If Microsoft learns anything from Linux or Mac OS X is that today’s desktop user is obsessed with Web apps and will do anything to get Facebook and Twitter functionality at their fingertips. KDE hackers wrote an entire widget development framework for transferring data over the Internet and it’s now available with every modern Linux distribution. While there's no doubt Windows 7 will have enough clout to force developers into writing Web 2.0 widgets. The big questions are how much traction it will get and how long will it take. Will the native Windows 7 widgets capture people’s interest the way the others have? Microsoft needs to make it happen. 5. Support open development environments. M$ has come a long way supporting standards-based development environments since the ugly tiff with Java a few years back.If it’s an open source, standards-based development environment then it can be used on Linux and this is holding Windows back. Microsoft needs to leave the politics of programming environment source code behind and give developers the tools they need, right there in the operating system. Develop bindings for open source languages and let ISVs create commercial applications. Get the great development projects on Codeplex into the OS proper. 6. Slim down for the mobile world. The rise of Linux netbooks and smartphones over the past 12 months has surely given Microsoft incentive to slim down future versions Windows. If not slim down Windows entirely, at the very least break the shackles of a monolithic product and componentise it so the OEMs can ship just what they need for their mobile computer. Sure there’s Windows Mobile, but like Symbian it was not designed to work on a small notebook. Linux is attractive to netbook markers because it can be cut down and customized for smaller, lighter end of the market. With Windows Vista being the resource hog that it was, Windows 7 has a big task ahead to match the nimble Linux. 7. Better device support. One of the greatest misconceptions about Linux is that there is limited, if any, support for internal and external devices. Linux kernel ships with more device drivers than any other operating system. If a device is supported there is a good chance it will work with Linux. Windows, however, still relies heavily on its expansive network OEMs and ISVs to provide the functionality people expect when they purchase an after market product. W7 needs to be the release that aggressively begins to integrate device drivers into the operating system they was Linux and Mac OS X have. This also helps people that are not chained to the same computer or location getting stuck without driver CDs. :wub-------------------------:thumbs: |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 811597 | 2009-09-18 08:00:00 | Linux not for gaming :( Too complex for basic users - not user friendly as Windows :( Not much program capability support. Can use wine but there are issues etc:( |
whellington (15030) | ||
| 811598 | 2009-09-18 08:16:00 | The driver support may not be limited, BUT when I tried ubuntu it wasnt that easy getting this brother mfc to work. I did it to to work in the end (it took even longer to get the scanner to work), by going to the ubuntu forums to find out how to get it to work. And it didnt have the drivers for this mfc. I had to download them first | Speedy Gonzales (78) | ||
| 811599 | 2009-09-18 08:25:00 | Microsoft’s worst enemy has been its very long release cycles. You what. They release one too often. And then there's gaming - oh yeah, Linux doesn't do DirectX. |
pctek (84) | ||
| 811600 | 2009-09-18 21:05:00 | OK, it's Windoze for playing games and Linux for work. Mac for people who wish to be seen as being Appllish. But, for all those who wish to consign Winders to the kid's room, remember a whole industry is geared to undoing MS's efforts. Would you just consign all the techs to unemployment? |
R2x1 (4628) | ||
| 811601 | 2009-09-18 21:22:00 | I like both Windows and Linux for different things. I can't get Linux to use my print server so therefore cannot use my Pixma from the Linux Mint computer. I do however use the Mint computer often for downloading stuff on as it seems to go a bit quicker. I will be switching from XP to Win 7 as I'm finding XP is starting to show its age and get a tiny bit flaky on occasion | gary67 (56) | ||
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