I like this one: "By definition, a program is an entity that is run by the computer. It talks directly to the CPU and the OS. Code that does not talk directly to the CPU and the OS, but is instead run by some other program that does talk directly to the CPU and the OS, is not a program; it's a script." Here's the other eleven.
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Member since:2011-05-12
Lots of these opinions are "controversial" because they are a load of hogwash.
I don't think there was any effort to actually filter out rubbish answers.
I think you could say that it is only programming if you don't use a compiler (or even assembler), and be equally (in)valid.
Member since:2005-07-06
Hogwash and/or gibberish. For example:
What does that even mean?
So I assume this guy programs by waving a magnetised needle over the platter. Hey, wouldn't want to be using somebodies else's work now!
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-07-08
There are significant downsides to treating the hardware instruction set as a stable programming interface. Logic processors have been stuck on the Von Neumann architecture since the dawn of time because we use static optimizing compilers to target a particular hardware instruction set, and in the case of x86, it's not even a particularly convenient instruction set to implement in hardware.
Contrast this with the evolution of graphics processors, which support high-level programming interfaces via runtime interpreters plugged into the kernel device driver system which target unstable hardware architectures.
Over time, the hardware interface moved up the stack as certain operations, such as vertex shading, were factored out of the drivers and implemented in hardware. The programming model didn't change much, but the hardware changed radically.
Modern graphics processors understand compound data types like pixels, vertices, polygons, textures, and frames. Modern processors are remarkably good at integer arithmetic and boolean logic, but they don't understand the generalized sorted mapping type which dominates the architecture of most software systems.
Everything from C and UNIX filesystems to Ruby and Cassandra are based on sorted maps. At some point in the development or runtime process, each reference is translated into a key on a sorted map, which is then translated into an address in a flat linear array.
If not for statically compiled native machine code, the hardware would have evolved closer to the structured programming models that have prevailed since ALGOL, and modern processors would implement an instruction set closer to lua than x86.
Member since:2006-06-09
Well, he didn't said that the CPU or the OS can't be virtual and guest, respectively, but only that the program should be *directly* talking to the CPU and the OS. By such definition, a program whose instructions are *directly* talking to a virtual CPU and an guest OS is still a program, not a script...
Anyway, less controversial than pseudo-elitism IMHO.
Member since:2012-04-24
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
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.
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."
"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.
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.
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.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.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.
Member since:
2006-01-22
So if you run any OS in an VM (not paravirtualized) it suddenly becomes a script?