April 11, 2008 by vortmax.

While reading my morning tech news, I stumbled across an article that gave me real enlightenment by providing a reason for the fanaticism I see not only among the Mac and Windows users, but among people in general.  It’s an excerpt from the book “True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society.”  Here’s a tidbit that should whet your appetite:

 On issues we’re passionate about, we all tend to think our own views are essentially reasonable, Ross explains. Thus when a reporter, editor, news network, or pundit mentions the other side’s arguments, it stings. 

“If I see the world as all black and you see the world as all white and some person comes along and says it’s partially black and partially white, we both are going to be unhappy,” Ross says. “You think there are more facts and better facts on your side than on the other side. The very act of giving them equal weight seems like bias. Like inappropriate evenhandedness.”

I highly encourage reading the whole excerpt in the article.  I plan on picking up the book. 

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April 11, 2008 by vortmax.

Anyone who’s had to deal with the “bloatiness” of Microsoft Windows (especially Vista) knows that Windows is massive.  Now two Gartner Group analysts have pronounced the same thing, and that if Microsoft doesn’t change Windows, it will collapse under it’s own weight:

 “Apple introduced its iPhone running OS X, but Microsoft requires a different product on handhelds because Windows Vista is too large, which makes application development, support and the user experience all more difficult.  Windows as we know it must be replaced.”   

Apple completely scrapped it’s former OS, MacOS 9, in favor of a derivative of the NeXTStep OS.  This became MacOS X.  It has become a rousing success. Perhaps it’s time for Microsoft to do something similar: Scrap the bloated Win32 kernel for something smaller and more flexible. 

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