Well, the release of Microsoft's (M$) Windows Vista is approaching, and all people i hear are buzzing about how cool it is going to be and how they should get it. I BEG TO DIFFER!!!
Vista is not an operating system upgrade. It's not like upgrading from windows 2000 to windows XP, or from Mac OS X 10.4 to 10.5, or even from Ubuntu Linux 6.06 to 6.10.
No, Vista is a completely brand new operating system. This has many ramifications.
For instance, every line of code inside Vista was rewritten from scratch. Now that might be a good thing, but in the programming world this carries only one meaning: Trouble Ahead. You see, although windows XP is old, it also has more than 10 years of tested code inside it. All the major quirks and problems have already been ironed out. With Vista, this is simply release 1.0. This baby still needs to learn how to walk all over again. And for a company whose slogan is "Third time's a charm", i have no trust that they will remove all major dents in the new system before its release.
Also, Vista is still extremely short on the applications list. Most people don't care what operating system they are using, what they care about is the applications. And most applications written for XP will not work with Vista, or will not work very well.
Thirdly, the hardware upgrade bill attached to using all the bells and whistles in Vista is extremely hefty. Having to upgrade to 2-4 GBs of RAM, and 512 MB video card or better alone, will cost something around $500. Add the Vista license (cheapest is something around $230), and the rest of the machine parts, and you would easily jump the $1000 mark. This comes at a time where the $500 machine is popular. Not any more!!
But let's put those points aside. Maybe what we are facing is coding miracle and it won't have any problems at all. Maybe it'll run all your favorite applications right out of the box. And just maybe it won't require you to upgrade your machine or spend any dime on hardware. The most important question is this: Why should i upgrade to Vista?
If the system you have now is running the way you want it, if all your applications work just fine with your current machine, if your current hardware is good enough, Why should you even consider an upgrade?
Friday, December 15, 2006
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6 comments:
i even heard is not even that great!
And since you mentioned Linux, I'm thinking about getting a Fedora version ... what do you think? and why?
I'm asking you cause I know I don't know much about Linux.
Fedora is a VERY good Linux distribution. The fact that it is the most widely used is an indication of how popular it is.
My personal preference is Ubuntu. I find it to be great, and right to the point. And by visiting shipit.ubuntu.com , they mail you a copy to your mail box free of charge.
Linux is an extremely formidable operating system, and it comes with a slew of packages that will most probably cover your every need. However you should be warned that not all applications for windows have a version for linux. For instance, there is no iTunes for Linux. But there are always alternatives so don't worry about that :)
hmmm ... thanks for the input.
You know what, since it's free, I might as well get one an Ubantu, is there a particular version you recommend of Ubantu?
I know the IT people at my school have the Fedora, probably the latest one. I'll be bugging them on Monday.
But you know, if I end up installing Ubantu, you know I'll be bothering you more for tech-support ... :)
The latest version of Ubuntu is called Efty Edge (6.10), but maybe you want to try the second latest, Dapper Drake (6.06) because all Ubuntu versions come with 18 months of support, while DD has 3 years.
You are extremely more than welcomed to post any technical questions here. I am not a linux guru myself, but i know some of the ropes, so i'll try to help in any way i can.
I adore Linux, I tried Fedora and Ubunto and they are much more interesting than the dump MS Windows. Unfortunately, CAD software doesn’t work on Linux and since all of my work was with them I didn’t continue. However, I think I’d go for Ubunto because installing it was easier than Fedora (I tried Fedora core 3 and Ubunto 5.5 my information might be outdated).
Regarding the continuous upgrades of software and OS (windows wise) I feel like hardware and software firms are blackmailing us.
I agree with you about Ubuntu being easier to install than Fedora Core.
I never used CAD, but maybe using wine might solve your problem. Wine is a windows compatibility layer for linux that allows windows applications to run on linux. Give it a try, and keep us posted what happens with you.
It is true that some H/W and most S/W vendors are oblivious to linux, but that is changing. But as a customer, you can always demand to have support for linux, or simply stop using that gadget/application. You'll be surprised how that turns heads quickly!!
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