Casey Muratori dissects the consequences of Windows 8's closed distribution model. "But how realistic is the assumption that the Windows desktop will still be a usable computing platform in the future? And what would be the consequences were it to disappear, leaving Windows users with only the closed software ecosystem introduced in Windows 8? To answer these questions, this volume of Critical Detail examines the immediate and future effects of Microsoft's current certification requirements, explores in depth what history predicts for the lifespan of the classic Windows desktop, and takes a pragmatic look at whether an open or closed ecosystem would be better for Microsoft as a company." The section that details how none - none - of this year's greatest games (or last year's fantastic Skyrim) and only one of this year's Emmy-nominated TV shows pass Microsoft's rules sent chills down my spine.
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Member since:2007-03-26
I'd very much love ReactOS to become a viable competitor to Windows, but sadly I can't see how that could ever happen as the ReactOS guys are chasing a moving target and with fewer resources too. Not to mention that it's harder to reverse engineer APIs than it is to design them from scratch.
And lets be honest, even the ReactOS devs managed to defy all odds and release a stable, production-ready OS. Microsoft would just sue the project into oblivion (it's impossible to write a clone without trespassing on some design patents).
Realistically I think we only have two options if we want an open platform:
1/ either push developers into supporting Linux, users on to Linux, and Linux distribution developers into making the switch over less painful.
2/ or campaign for governments to step in, preventing Microsoft from closing their platform. Given the scope of Windows, there maybe an anti-competitive argument to be made.
Personally I think both of those options stink.
1/ As a full time Linux user myself, I respect that some people prefer Windows because it's Windows. If they wanted to run Linux then like already would be doing so. So forcing them onto a platform they don't want to run isn't much better than forcing them into a closed ecosystem they didn't want to be part of.
2/ The moment you're relying on the government to competition, then you've already lost. Particularly if the government in question belongs to the US.
Member since:2012-03-14
Member since:2007-08-22
And that is why ReactOS is based in Russia...though Microsoft might just employ the Russian Mafia instead...
Member since:2006-11-30
Member since:2007-09-22
Member since:2006-12-05
That's a pretty grim potential future outcome, but if that happened, couldn't the ReactOS project take the LAME stance? As in, "we're providing instructions (source code) on how to make something... we're not providing any actual patent-infringing software?" It might take a long time to compile and be an annoyance, but they could provide some package that automatically takes the code and builds it and then generates an ISO with it...
Okay, probably overkill, and maybe it wouldn't work across operating systems unless a compiler and iso generator (ie. for Windows) is provided too, and in general it would be a major pain in the ass... but it'd be an interesting solution. One or more scripts would automatically compile and then make an ISO file. It'd be interesting, but probably not very effective (especially at getting the OS to the masses).
But the real solution, I think, would be to get every single ReactOS mirror the hell out of the United States and into a country where such ridiculous laws don't exist anyway. Then, those people from other countries where patents don't apply, they still get to download and use the OS and it doesn't die. Meanwhile, those people in "restricted" areas can choose whether or not they want to break some stupid little law or not.
Edited 2012-10-17 16:44 UTC
Member since:2010-05-06
XP has drivers, everything supports it, it isn't complex.
It has security holes, but rewriting it should patch them. Then people like Steve Gibson and I will simply switch to that and leave the Windows Bitrot entirely.
Or there's WINE under Linux 
.
It will probably fail but be long and drawn-out. Microsoft doesn't have an ecosystem, but a series of isolated islands. And archipeligo. The Zune players couldn't run Xbox stuff, which can't run PC stuff, which can run Win8/ARM stuff.
Google/Android has players (Philips/Samsung), Phones (everybody), Tablets (almost everyone), all mostly can share apps even across versions wider than iOS2-6. They have ChromeBooks and the desktop but stuff is in the cloud but is accessed like a filesystem.
Apple is similar, though less desktop-filesystem legacy.
Microsoft is a mess with lots of isolated bits with few bridges.
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.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.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.
Member since:
2006-11-30
If ever there was a time for ReactOS to get their house in order and their product polished this is it.
What the world needs right now is an open windows compatible OS