Right now the situation for developers of minor operating systems seems somewhat bleak. Windows and the Unixes compete in the server world, and Windows and MacOS X compete on the desktop. Linux even gets ported to every embedded device, leaving few niches for the hobbyist or sidelined operating system developer. Some have even gone so far as to say that New Operating Systems Won't Stand a Chance. As anyone who reads OSNews can tell you, however there are a wealth of new systems with new ideas that just aren't taking off. Given all these new ideas some - like capability security from EROS for example - should be good enough to catch on, so why aren't they?
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2005-07-06
It would be delusional to think that any new OS is the next windows. The people that are going to try a new OS are the ones that like to tinker. If a person could start up a new OS with Linux/Windows level hardware compatibility, it should be easy to get a few hundred or even a few thousand (if the OS is really good) people to form a community for it. That's plenty to keep an OS going.
I think most people that are developing new OSes aren't doing it to take over the OS market. I think they're doing it because it's fun and interesting and they want an OS that has the features they want.
The best OSes are written by those that write code because they love it. If you're writing an OS to make money, you'll end up like windows. An OK, well marketed, not-very-innovative OS that's just good enough to keep its market share. Where's the fun in that?
Member since:2005-07-06
You are absolutely right. Linux GUI designers, for instance, when they think of "usability", think of this idealized novice user who hasn't been tainted by Windows. While such users probably exist in the third world, the vast majority of computer users are so affected by the Windows experience that to them "usable" means "Windows-like". Incredibly brain-damaged, or at best arbitrary things that Windows do become completely natural and logical, and it forces alternative GUI designers to cater to these expectations. Even in things such as program names, like the article we had yesterday on Linux names. If someone had never used Windows before, they would have no way of knowing that Excel is a spreadsheet, Outlook an email client or Power Point a presentation maker, yet it's too damn hard to figure out that MPlayer is a music player and XCDRoast is a CD burning application.
Member since:2005-06-30
Member since:
2005-07-06
Its WAY more than any problem with device drivers, thats delusional.
The problem is that people are sheep, and will refuse to try something new (aka not-windows) even if they could loose weight, find love, and get rich by using something else they STILL WOULD keep using windows. I had a guy the other day say "Man, you ever use that Mac stuff its all backwards". Like apparently anyone who uses Mac's have aids or something. He was all serious and shit too, like its a big scary vodoo computer or something. Cracked me up, but THAT is what your dealing with in the real world.