Vijay Ghosh asked:


My techie friends take pride in displaying the latest addition to their list of programs that run on their Linux installation.  ‘Open source is the way of the future’ they tell me, ‘Microsoft’s days of monopoly are numbered’. I smile. No I am not employed by the big M at Redmond, nor do I foresee Mr. Gates making me a subject of his charitable contributions. But the fact remains that even when my tech friends are busy gloating over their newest open-source acquisition, they still have a multi-boot system with Windows as the other OS.

            I agree that Open Source is a more level playing field where everyone is free to make their important contributions to technology without being hindered by the time consuming processes of large organizations. Most of the new path-breaking technologies in the market were developed in an open source environment. Yet, in that environment they were only restricted to being used by the techies and geeks of the world. The world only came to hear of it once this concept was taken out of its open source womb and placed, kicking and screaming, for sale in the commercial market.

            Everyone loves a free ride, but how many of us would take up such an offer? The uncertainty of where you will end up is the biggest problem with open source. When you pay for a piece of commercial software, you know that it has undergone rigorous testing to eliminate any bugs, before it is brought out. Even if something goes wrong, there are means and methods for you to get a refund on your investment. Take the example of Windows Vista. Microsoft may limit its financial liability for Vista Pre-Release Candidate 1 testers to five US Dollars, but at least that is a sign that it acknowledges that it may be held financially responsible in the event of a malfunction. Who will provide this sort of a guarantee in the open source market?

            The other issue is that of ease-of-use. I may whole-heartedly support the development of open source software, but when my boss is pressurizing me with deadlines, and the IT department is pressurizing me to calculate and submit my returns, I just want software that works for me with minimum effort. It is simply not worth the effort. Commercial software provides its manufacturers with monetary returns, so they are interested in making sure that as many people as possible buy and use it. To this end, they make sure that their software runs on all the popular platforms and compares favourably with the best in the market. Open source developers are not faced with these constraints. This allows them to chart esoteric new paths but they couldn’t be bothered if not a single person bought it, because they’re not selling in the first place.

            New advancements in software will continue to take place in the open source segment because of lesser restrictions. However, once the necessary technology has been developed, these products will have to be tested and distributed as commercial software in order for them to truly reach a large audience. Open source simply does not provide an individual with the necessary resources for marketing a product, no matter how ground-breaking the product may be.  

            Open source software has a niche market. It is very popular in college campuses and as of now a lot of hardware vendors are also offering open source operating systems bundled with their computers to bring costs down. I recently bought a Compaq Presario and it came bundled with FreeDOS. I was delighted at the savings I had made. But searching for compatible drivers for all my equipment and my fancy graphics card proved to be a nightmare. Even HP did not provide driver support for the FreeDOS that they bundled with the system. At the end of the day I ended up shelling out money for Windows XP Professional.

            My techie friends give me mean looks. ‘Traitor’, they hiss under their breath. Well guys I love fooling around with strange new open source software as much as the other bloke. When I have the time, I indulge myself in trying out the latest open source OS variant on the net, and sometimes end up crashing my computer. It is an exhilarating experience. However, when I am rebooting and re-installing an OS, it is usually the same old, boring, commercial Windows.    

Carolyn Clayton asked:


Computer software is the combination of programmes and applications which interface with the physical components of the computer, the hardware, to enable the user to perform specific functions and tasks. There are two basic types of software, known as system software, which is responsible for the basic functions of the computer, and application software, such as Word Processing programmes, which enable the user to perform actual specific tasks, e.g. typing.

An operating system is the software behind all of the system and application management; it is responsible for organising and controlling how each of the systems interface with each other (basically the smooth running of every programme), for example, allocating the appropriate amount of memory in accordance with which programmes are running and require more power and input. Examples of operating systems are Linux, and of course Microsoft Windows, which holds a monopoly on the computer market for such systems. Without an Operating system, computers are merely empty shells with little or no use. They will typically run their won application software, for example Microsoft Windows has packages such as Microsoft Office, which deals with word processing, publishing, presentation slides, databases, etc. Modern computers can run several applications simultaneously without crashing and becoming slow, depending on the power and capabilities of the operating system.

Software is constantly being up dated and new versions being released, so much so that current systems can become out of date within months - it is a very fast moving and fast evolving area of industry. Microsoft have just released their latest operating system to follow on from the roaring success of Windows XP; Vista. Packages available include Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate and Business. The main improvements and selling points of this service package include state of the art user interfaces (Aero - Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and Open), easier transfer of media between devices and computers, better security (virus protection, etc) and new multimedia programmes. For example, Windows Media Player 11 is included in the package and has undergone a major revamp; including user interfacing, new search capabilities, and the facility too hook up with external devices such as the Xbox 360.

However, many consumers are fully aware of Microsoft’s dominance in the computer industry and in particular the software market, and are reluctant to shell out for the new programme where many of the new features are seen as luxuries rather than necessities, and on top of that Vista cannot be installed on any machine - brand new machines must be purchased with the system already built in. So potential customers will have to buy a whole new PC setup just to be able to use Microsoft Vista - not a popular choice amongst consumers in an industry where there will doubtless be further improvements and new, better software waiting just around the corner. An advantage gained then, for rival Linux, whose majority of software CD’s and packages can be accessed for free, so whilst it is a lot more complex and less user friendly than the likes of Microsoft and their Windows packages, yet it remains one of the most reliable and up to date operating systems out there.

Doug King asked:


versus Mac debate is raging in my house. We have both available for use so hopefully the opinions presented by those around me are at least somewhat based on actual experiences. So why are their opinions so polarized?

I have an aging iMac desktop machine at home that works just fine for all the things that I need to do. Which includes the usual email and web browsing but also serves well for video editing and photo management. At work I use an Intel based PC that is just amazing for all the applications that I need to run there, usually 5 to 7 at any one time. I couldn’t ask for a more capable machine. It has lots of RAM and a nice big 21-inch LCD screen. I love it.

My teenaged son on the other hand wouldn’t touch a pc unless a gun was pointed to his head. He and his friends seem to think that the pc or anything Microsoft is something to be avoided like the plague. Although they do seem to go mute when I point out that the Xbox they are playing is a Microsoft product. Selective preferences seem to be okay for them when it suits their entertainment needs.

For me having capable computing power when and where I need it is much more important than the relative cool appeal of whatever type of machine I have available. I couldn’t give a rats behind whether or not the machine has any kind of sex appeal. As long as I can get it to do what I want ask of it. If I could make an old Commodore 64 do what I needed then that would be okay with me. I suppose I just don’t look at my computer as any sort of status symbol.

I look at computers as appliances, just a means to an end. I don’t expect my toaster to add anything to my social status beyond making toast when I put the bread in. And it’s no different when it comes to computers. They are there to do our bidding. Nothing more. If a Mac is better at running graphics software then that is the platform to use. And if a PC is better suited when it comes to business applications then that is great too. It’s just an appliance! If it does what you are asking then what more do you need? My car is an aging Toyota Camry (also an embarrassment to my son) that will easily exceed all posted speed limits so why would I need something faster? To me the car is just a necessary transportation appliance. Nothing more.

Why then do so many have such strong opinions on the PC vs Mac systems? Is it just marketing? Or maybe the wanting to belong to a community of like minded individuals. I don’t think you can ever underestimate the power of the herd mentality. If all your friends think that the Mac (or PC) is the only way to go then it becomes very hard to buck the flow and go your own way. You run the risk of having to justify your choice to your peers with the possibility of great ridicule. As if it really matters in the end what type of processor does the work for you.

What I have noticed however as a distinguishing point is the relative lifespan of the two platforms. As I mentioned I have an aging Mac at home that still works as well as the day I brought it home. My PC friends on the other hand seem to be in a constant need of an upgrade. Over time their pc’s just get slower and slower. This is despite all there efforts using firewalls and virus scanners. Things that are unnecessary with a Mac of course. At least for now while the Mac has only about a 5% market share that leaves little incentive to write those viruses for so few. Does that really make the PC an inferior platform for our needs?

Not at all. The PC is still the choice of most of the worlds users of the desktop computer. The huge array of software available for the PC is just one of the many reasons why it is king. There are a huge number of companies providing both hardware and software that use the Windows operating system. Resulting in a highly competitive marketplace that has because of this competition kept the prices at astonishingly low prices. You can now buy a good laptop complete with Windows and other companion software for under $500.00! And desktop computers can be had even cheaper. Just try to get a Mac for anything less than double that.

The cool appeal certainly is a huge factor. Macs have that in spades. Even with the higher price of entry they have a rabid fan base. Mac users are so dedicated to their machines almost to the point of obsession. They believe this strongly for reasons that could only be rooted in loyalty to Apple’s vision of a unique alternative to the Microsoft near monopoly. There will always be a segment of the population that feels the need to rebel against a successful corporation. I know people that refuse to drink a Starbucks coffee and not that they will likely admit it but I suspect it is just the fact they perceive the company to be just too corporate. Too successful. Microsoft is all of that. A large very successful corporation, therefore they must be hated.

It’s all good of course. It makes for a healthier marketplace to have some competition for the large dominant corporations. There is always room for more choices available to the consumer.

Jim Edwards asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 Jim Edwards

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web browser still rates as the most popular and widely used browser for one simple reason: it rides along with every Windows installation.

But in response to security scares over the last few years, another browser took a bite out of Microsoft’s monopoly.

FireFox often represents the browser of choice for those who either dislike Microsoft (for whatever reason), or want more flexibility and functionality in their browser, specifically in the area of add-ons (also know as “plugins”).

Add-ons (little programs that enhance a web browser’s functionality) can trick out your browser to help you do everything from upload website files to speed dialing your favorite websites.

The overwhelming majority of add-ons for FireFox come free of charge (though donations are appreciated). Just log on to http://addons.mozilla.org and check out the free add-ons you can snag.

Note that once you get to the page, the little programs you can run with FireFox are under the “extensions” link. Here are a few of our favorites here in my office - just search for them by name once you log on to the Mozilla site (or use the links below).

** Forecastfox ** “Get international weather forecasts from AccuWeather.com, and display it in any toolbar or statusbar with this highly customizable and unobtrusive extension.” That’s a fancy way of saying you can always know what the weather reports say just by glancing down at your browser’s lower right corner.

This makes very handy tool to keep an eye out for thunderstorms or remind yourself that a sunny day awaits when you finish up a marathon session on your computer. http://tinyurl.com/yqv54y

** SpeedDial ** Everyone uses bookmarks or “favorites” at one point or another. But those who use them frequently create a problem for themselves. Every time you want to log on to your favorite sites, you must wade through dozens, hundreds, even thousands of links to find what you want.

Enter the “SpeedDial” add-on that helps you organize your most frequently used websites into a “dashboard” you can customize. You can even organize multiple speed dial directories around groups of web pages (business resources, shopping sites, etc.). http://tinyurl.com/2hhn7a

** FireFTP ** Anyone who owns a website needs the ability to upload files to their hosting account. You can either install a standalone FTP program, or you can use this nifty little browser add-on that turns FireFox into a neat little FTP utility.

“FireFTP is a free, secure, cross-platform FTP client for Mozilla Firefox which provides easy and intuitive access to FTP servers.” I really found this add-on helpful in my own business when it comes to fast access to the files on my websites. http://tinyurl.com/yv56ru

** Download Statusbar ** One annoying feature of Firefox involves the download window that opens up every time you download a file from the web. This can get in the way and actually disrupt your activity.

Enter the “Download Statusbar” add-on, which promises “View and manage downloads from a tidy statusbar - without the download window getting in the way of your web browsing.”

Even though this add-on does make downloading more convenient, make sure to read the instructions before using it just to make sure you don’t get frustrated. http://tinyurl.com/29a456