OSnews - Exploring the Future of Computing

A History of Apple’s Operating Systems

Eugenia Loli 2004-03-05 Apple 46 Comments

This document discusses operating systems that Apple has created in the past, and many that it tried to create. Through this discussion, we will come across several technologies the confluence of which eventually led to Mac OS X. An important goal of the discussion is to better understand the reasons, and if possible, the rationale behind Mac OS X and its important components. This, in turn, will be helpful in understanding and appreciating the system as it is today.

Reporting from the VLSI Symposium

Guest post by Bob Minvielle 2004-03-05 Hardware 5 Comments

This very short summary will look at the "Future of Computing" from a more fundamental level, that being what researchers and research is being done in the area of Very Large Scale Integration. In particular, what is on the horizon, at least at the college research level, and why we must eventually change direction.

VMware Workstation 4: More Virtual PCs, More Functionality

Submitted by Tudy Parghel 2004-03-05 OS News 20 Comments

Imagine not one, but two, three or more separate operating systems loaded on a single PC, each of which functions as a separate OS on a separate physical machine. VMware Workstation 4 does just that by creating and managing one or more virtual machines on a single, physical host PC. Every virtual machine is a full-fledged virtual PC, where you can install a guest operating system of your choice, with network configuration and a full suite of PC software. Read the article at TomsHardware.

Windows XP SP2 Could Break Existing Apps

Eugenia Loli 2004-03-05 Windows 33 Comments

Some software developers may find their applications no longer work on machines using Microsoft Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, which will be released later this year.

Mac Office 2004 First Look: Microsoft’s Next Suite

Eugenia Loli 2004-03-05 Office 23 Comments

Although Microsoft's Office 2004 won't be on store shelves until the middle of this year, MacWorld got a sneak peek at its new features. And these additions -- from a command center for related correspondence, calendars, and files, to an audio recorder that gives your typing fingers a rest -- made quite an impression.

Survey of YaST2 Configurator on SuSE 9.0

Guest post by Sameer Niphadkar 2004-03-05 SuSE, openSUSE 51 Comments

All of us who are in computers know that at present we are using enhanced software products for applications, which our predecessors never thought about or used. Why do we need a word processor when a simple text file does the same job of documentation.

MonoDevelop 0.1 Released; SharpDevelop 0.99b Released

Eugenia Loli 2004-03-05 General Development 52 Comments

The first release of the Mono port of SharpDevelop, MonoDevelop, is up, here are the release notes (additional screenshots 1, 2). There are no binaries yet for it, but gtksourceview-sharp rpms have been put onto the Mono Red Carpet channel. You will also need the latest version of Mono built with ICU support and the latest GTK#.

Kernel 2.6: Linux More Enterprise-Ready Than Ever Before

2004-03-05 Linux 16 Comments

The 2.6 Linux kernel employs a number of techniques to improve the use of large amounts of memory, making Linux more enterprise-ready than ever before.

Solution Guide for Windows Security and Directory Services for UNIX

Eugenia Loli 2004-03-05 Windows 7 Comments

This guide in PDF provides prescriptive guidance to enable Microsoft Windows Server 2003 to be used for authentication and as an identity and authorization data store within heterogeneous Microsoft Windows and UNIX environments.

Sun “Open” to Letting Java Go, with Strings

Eugenia Loli 2004-03-05 Java 50 Comments

Sun Microsystems Inc is open to relinquishing stewardship of Java to a neutral third party, but is apparently against releasing the language to open source under GPL.

SCO: Leaked e-mail a ‘Misunderstanding’

Submitted by dopey 2004-03-05 SCO 64 Comments

The SCO Group dismissed a leaked memo that connected Microsoft to $86 million in investments in the company, saying the author of the e-mail misunderstood the venture deal.

Review: Speed Download 2 for Mac OS X

Eugenia Loli 2004-03-04 Internet 21 Comments

A few months ago, I briefly tried SpeedDownload but I didn't evaluate it in-depth. I realized recently that the time had come to spend more time with it and write a review. SpeedDownload2 is a download manager for Mac OS X. In an older review at SpyMac, they called YazSoft's SpeedDownload2 a "wonder of development." Were they right?

Mandrake Linux 10.0 Community Edition Released

Submitted by Matt Williams & bbdav 2004-03-04 Mandriva, Mandrake, Lycoris 30 Comments

Mandrake Community 10.0 was released today. The public ISOs aren't available for download yet, but club members can download it, or you can pre-order the DVD.

Lindows Routes OS over BitTorrent; OSNews Readers Get it for Free

Submitted by Al Hartman 2004-03-04 Linspire 80 Comments

Lindows.com is continuing its experiment of offering software via peer-to-peer networks. The company said Thursday that it is set to distribute its LindowsOS through P2P networks for $25, half the normal price, from its web site. However, OSNews readers will be able to get the OS for free via BitTorrent if they follow this link (thanks to Lindows.com for the kind offer to our readers)!

Another yellowTAB Zeta Review

Submitted by Marcin Pasternak 2004-03-04 Zeta 29 Comments

Mario and Borg of Polish BeOS Users' Group wrote a review of Zeta DeluxeEdition 1.0 RC2. The quick and dirty english translation is available here.

Interview with NetBSD’s Luke Mewburn

Eugenia Loli 2004-03-04 NetBSD 7 Comments

The NetBSD Project announced Monday that release 1.6.2 of the NetBSD operating system is now available, with binary distributions for 40 architectures. NewsForge interviewed Luke Mewburn of the NetBSD Core Group and asked him about the NetBSD project in general, the long awaiting release 2.0, and a lot of technical and organizational issues.

Apple’s 10 US billion growth strategy

Eugenia Loli 2004-03-04 Apple 20 Comments

Apple Computer Inc.'s chief financial officer Fred Anderson and corporate controller Peter Oppenheimer spoke at Morgan Stanley & Co.'s conference March 1. The wide-ranging 40-minute discussion covers a range of topics, with a particular focus on iPods, Apple notebooks, the creative professionals market, and retail. And the discussion confirms Apple's aggressive plans.

ReactOS 0.2.1 is out

Submitted by Freddy 2004-03-04 ReactOS 21 Comments

ReactOS, the GPLed WinNT-clone, is now in version 0.2.1 and out (changelog).

Things I don’t Like About Being a Mac User

Guest post by Dr Rubaiyat Haque MA, MBBS, MRCP 2004-03-04 Apple 144 Comments

I purchased my first Apple Mac in October 2003, having been a Windows user for many years. It was a new iBook G4. I previously wrote an account of my early experience with this machine along with some of the problems that I encountered. A common criticism that I faced at the time was that I had written the article too early.

Palm OS Developer Suite Preview Release Available

Submitted by John Reimer 2004-03-04 Wireless 7 Comments

Registered Palm Developers can now sample the new Eclipse-based Palm Developer Suite. The new suite, which is free, is a very impressive set of tightly integrated build tools covering a range of Palm OS technologies including Cobalt (OS 6). The suite (240 MB) includes gcc arm and 680x0 compilers, dialogue editors, application templates, full debuggers, class and project navigators, and more.