Haha! Great story!
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-5606030.html

(This is not meant as part of any technical or religous discussion about the "best" OS)

Especially since the article isn't about the choice of operating system, but choice of hardware. Hardware (especially CPU type) getting less and less important is definitely a positive development of the last few years. No more (or at least only few) 'closed architectures', switching between different systems can be done pretty much transparantely, because the available software is mostly the same on all platforms. Who would have considered that possible fifteen years ago?

I think that is due in part to the ability to mass produce the hardware so well, and since everything is so small these days you don't really have trade-offs of choosing one over the other since everyone can implement everything you need.

That has to be the best reason for using a Mac I've ever heard.

Yes, if you guys want to give me a free Mac, I'd be happy to take and use it, too

What for? To develop a non-x86-Dos-Clone to play old games?

Gimme, and you'll see! Seriously, though, I do like to try out different operating systems, and MacOS is one which runs only on these computers. Yes, I'm prejudiced against it to a certain degree (but since you didn't want a discussion about that, I'll spare you the details ), but I'd still like to try it.

You can run it on an x86 using virtual mac...

Assuming that's some sort of emulator: way too fussy and unreliable.

I notice AMD and Intel are pointing to a future of "dual-core" processors which will allow simultaneous running of 32-bit and 64-bit applications. This is supposed to be greatly different, I gather, from the sort of dual/multiple processors available today. Are we finally going to get PCs which will let us run different operating systems at the same time?

--ming

I really don't know too much, but all I think that means is the computer can run programs designed for 32 bit and 64 bit, so there is backwards compatability which is completely necessary.

Those CPUs are indeed only meant to run applications which have been compiled for 64 Bit and 32 Bit CPUs alongside each other and natively (both of them).

Running multiple operating systems at the same time on one computer is a big topic at the moment, too. Check out Xen for example - that one has made quite a bit of news lately.

...and another software company ruined by grant-aided open-source-freeware.

Edited by dregenrocks at 12:36 on March, 29th 2005

I really pity the poor software companies which die because their inferior software sucks

Edited by Mr Creosote at 17:45 on March, 29th 2005

That's the kind of shit that makes me cry.

Here is noone to honor your "trolling"...

Ok, seriously then: In my opinion, it's absolutely necessary that governments / governmental organisations use software which they have full access to (i.e. which they've developed themselves or which are open source). Otherwise, they're dependent on the whims of a commercial company and therefore can't act independently and neutrally anymore. That is why I'm totally in favour of free software being subsidized.

I agree on that.

What I meant, is grant-aided open-source freeware (at no charge), which competes on the free market with commercial software. There should (at least) be a fee for commercial or non-governmental use, if software is made by government or governmental organisations, including universities or grant-aided.

Edited by dregenrocks at 11:32 on March, 30th 2005

Good point, but it would mean that governments always have to start fresh by developing their own things. Taking advantage of existing open code wouldn't be possible, because in most cases it already comes with a license which would prevent such a clause (unless it's the BSD 'license', of course...). Probably a waste of government money, isn't it?

The money they spent for development, could also be used to buy or license existing (os-)applications. Or there could be a special government-license or college-license.

It's a complex topic though and I'm not really aligned to any point of view, since there is truth in every one of them. But it's a fact that (gratis) Open Source collides with the current economy model of our world, no matter we like it or not and I'm excited which way it takes. Indeed the status quo is no solution for anyone, I think.

Edited by dregenrocks at 10:54 on March, 31st 2005