Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 18th May 2012 21:54 UTC
A long - very long - blog post justifying all the ideas and choices behind Windows 8. We've all been here before, but it's nice to have it all summed up once again for easy reference in case we hit another yes/no debate on Windows 8 and keyboard and mouse. Anywho, the most interesting bit is that Microsoft has updated the theme of the traditional desktop, flattening it to achieve a very nice look.
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RE[3]: Comment by Luminair
by WereCatf on Sat 19th May 2012 00:49
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by Luminair"
Member since:2006-02-15
I'm trying to figure out what your point is. Do you disagree with the comment, or are you upset that the comment is accurate? I can't tell what your complaining about here.
While your question wasn't aimed at me I thought I could also answer it: I have to disagree with that assessment. For example, something being possible to alter via undocumented or unintended ways is not designed "configurable." "Configurable" means a something where you can alter it by design, where the capability for someone or something to alter the functionings of it is intended. Even when something is designed to be configurable you often need a 3rd-party tool to actually do that.
Most software on Linux, on the other hand, is designed to be configurable; their configuration - files are generally very easily editable since they are simple text-files, their respective homepages usually document quite clearly what can be configured and how, and there often aren't any unintended or undocumented configuration options at all.
Can't really comment on OSX as I have used it only very briefly, but in general I have an image that it is a lot less configurable than Windows.
RE[3]: Comment by Luminair
by Luminair on Sat 19th May 2012 01:09
in reply to "RE[2]: Comment by Luminair"
Member since:2007-03-30
the point is they're basically saying everything the company has done is wrong. so either microsoft was always wrong, or the guys in command of the billion dollar behemoth today are wrong. these ideas are too opposed to both be right.
if you agree with that premise, you probably also agree that the people who turned microsoft into the billion dollar company weren't stupid. the people who inherited it are.
RE[4]: Comment by Luminair
by tomcat on Sat 19th May 2012 23:12
in reply to "RE[3]: Comment by Luminair"
Member since:2006-01-06
the point is they're basically saying everything the company has done is wrong. so either microsoft was always wrong, or the guys in command of the billion dollar behemoth today are wrong. these ideas are too opposed to both be right.
if you agree with that premise, you probably also agree that the people who turned microsoft into the billion dollar company weren't stupid. the people who inherited it are.
if you agree with that premise, you probably also agree that the people who turned microsoft into the billion dollar company weren't stupid. the people who inherited it are.
No, it's not "wrong". It's just an alternate way of doing things and, given what has been learned about the way that people mine information, it's less effective to encapsulate everything in nested hierarchies of control panels. Many people will disagree, though; thus, nobody can really say it's "wrong".
RE[4]: Comment by Luminair
by MollyC on Sun 20th May 2012 16:44
in reply to "RE[3]: Comment by Luminair"
Member since:2006-07-04
I see.
WereCratf gave you more credit than you deserved. Your "point" was just as inane as I suspected.
Did it ever cross your mind that people use their computing devices differently than they used to? People don't fiddle with their computer settings as much anymore. I can't remember the last time I opened the Control Panel or System Prefs on my computers (Windows and Mac), let alone manually altering registry or preference files, and I'm technically knowledgable enough to know what I'm doing; a common user would have even less desire to muck with that stuff.
Heck, back in the day of the Commodore 64, Atari 400/800, TRS-80, TI-whatever, and Apple II, a significant percentage of computer owners actually wrote their own programs. There was even a magazine called "Compute!" that had source code listings for programs written in the various BASIC languages that came with each kind of computer that computer owners would type in and run. Switch to 2012: "Compute!" magazine is long gone and what percentage of computer owners in 2012 actually type in their own programs? 0.001%? Lower?
Times change. Microsoft understands that. You don't.
Edited 2012-05-20 16:45 UTC
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/15/13 22:44 UTC
Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?More Features »
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2006-07-04
I'm trying to figure out what your point is. Do you disagree with the comment, or are you upset that the comment is accurate? I can't tell what your complaining about here.