Intel Joins Taiwan on Linux OS for Netbooks

Intel and the Taiwan government plan to open a development center to further the Linux-based Moblin OS for devices such as netbooks and mobile Internet devices (MIDs), they jointly announced on Thursday.

Intel, the world's largest chip maker, created Moblin to use with devices that run on Intel Atom microprocessors. The open source software includes a Linux kernel, a user interface, a browser, developer tools and other resources that Intel will continue to optimize as part of the agreement with the Taiwan government.

The new development center will be based in Taiwan so local device makers, including Acer and Asustek Computer, can make use of the software in their products. Netbooks made by the two companies, for example, come with either Microsoft Windows XP or a Linux OS currently. The new Moblin center aims to become a widely used OS for devices such as these and smaller gadgets that allow people wireless access to the Internet.

"The hottest thing going on in the computer industry today is the netbook phenomenon, and it started in Taiwan," said Intel CEO Paul Otellini at a news conference in Taipei.

The new Moblin development center will open in December, said Yiin Chii-ming, Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs.

The joint effort appears to be a swipe at Microsoft. Taiwanese companies in particular have called for the development of a community based around the Linux OS for netbooks because of Microsoft's plan to retire Windows XP in favor of Vista.

Vista is a problem in smaller devices because it requires more expensive components than XP, which would raise the price of a netbook. It also boots-up and runs slower on such devices compared to XP and Linux OS offerings.

Linux is also less expensive due to easier hardware requirements and there is no license fee for the OS.

Microsoft has worked to make XP available for netbooks and other devices, even extending XP's life beyond traditional norms for the company. XP will continue to be sold on certain systems meant for businesses until June 30, 2009, and on ultra-low cost PCs through June 30, 2010.

The company has also tweaked XP to run on the One Laptop Per Child association's XO laptop. The XO was designed around a Linux OS.

Despite the efforts, an XP license still makes netbooks and other low-cost laptops more expensive than Linux models. In addition, some companies have complained about Microsoft rules requiring them to use XP only in netbooks that fit certain requirements, such as limiting the screen size to 10 inches large and not allowing touchscreens. They also want Microsoft to support XP beyond its promised dates.



Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/153040/intel_linux.html?tk=rss_news

IBM's 'Baby' Mainframe Aimed at Linux Customers

IBM is targeting midsize business customers that use Linux with a new "baby" mainframe that costs just a fraction of the amount charged for the high-end mainframe IBM released in February.
The System z10 Business Class (z10 BC), announced Tuesday and generally available now, follows in the tradition of IBM refreshing its primary mainframe product and then following up several months later with a stripped-down, cheaper version, says Forrester analyst Brad Day. But the so-called "baby mainframe" is a pretty strong machine on its own, and lets IBM compete more aggressively against various RISC and Itanium-based servers as well as high-end x86 and x64 machines, Day says. (Compare server products)
"This is a Paul Bunyan version of the baby mainframe," he says. IBM is clearly making a move against vendors like HP, Sun and Fujitsu who are targeting legacy customers with mainframe migration programs, Day says.
IBM has optimized the mainframe for Linux, working with Red Hat and Novell to fix bugs and ensure that all drivers run solidly with the Linux operating system, says System z marketing vice president Karl Freund. IBM executives also decided the mainframe simply wasn't cheap enough to convince customers to run new Linux workloads, he says.
IBM lowered by 50% the cost of a specialty engine that lets the business-class mainframe run Linux, bringing the price of this add-on capability down to $47,500, according to Freund. Application servers, databases and Web servers will probably be the most common Linux applications to run on the new business-class machine, he says.
"We're continuing to make the mainframe more mainstream, more interesting to new customers, and more interesting to medium-sized businesses," he says.
IBM's mainframe has supported Linux for five years, and Big Blue is increasing its push on this front because Linux because is becoming a more sophisticated enterprise-class operating system, Freund says. The mainframe doesn't have a way to run Windows workloads but "It's something we're certainly interested in exploring," he adds.
The z10 BC is nearly 40% faster and has nearly four times the maximum memory of its predecessor, IBM says. The new business-class mainframe delivers capacity equal to 232 x86 servers, while the high-end mainframe is equal to nearly 1,500 x86 servers, IBM says.
With the exception of IBM, the mainframe market is pretty much dead, Day says. Customers that have never owned a mainframe are often wary of buying one, but IBM has tried to reinvent the system to operate new workloads, such as ones more commonly run on RISC and Itanium processors. Day says the effort has been successful, as much of IBM's mainframe growth over the last two years can be attributed to new workloads rather than upgrades to pre-existing machines.
The mainframe has always run data-intensive transaction processing applications such as those used in the financial and utility industries, Day notes. Now it's getting better at running compute-intensive workloads that demand high amounts of CPU and memory, he says.
The basic pricing of z10 BC starts at under $100,000, about the same as the previous business class mainframe. Typical deals will range from $250,000 to $500,000 Freund says. The top-of-the-line z10 mainframe announced in February starts at $1 million and the price increases dramatically depending on the configuration.
IBM argues that the new business-class mainframe can be more cost-effective than x86 servers because eight x86 machines can be consolidated onto a single mainframe processing core.

Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/152646/ibm_z10_baby_mainframe.html?tk=rss_news

VMware’s VirtualCenter coming to Linux, iPhone

VMware CTO Stephen Herrod drew a cheer at the VMworld conference Wednesday by announcing plans to bring the next version of VMware’s VirtualCenter management software to Linux and the इफोने
In a speech opening day two of the VMworld show in Las Vegas, Herrod also described improvements to VMware’s core virtual machine technology that should allow businesses to run larger, more demanding applications on virtualized servers.
VirtualCenter Management Server, the control node for VirtualCenter, today runs only on versions of Microsoft’s Windows Server OS. VCenter, an updated and renamed version planned for next year, will also be available as a “virtual appliance” that runs on Linux, Herrod said.
The company is also working to bring the VirtualCenter client, which currently runs on Windows PCs, to Linux, the Mac OS and also devices like Apple’s iPhone. Herrod showed only a slide photo of the iPhone interface, but it was enough to get him some applause.
VMware has been emphasizing application performance and availability throughout the show. “The focus for VMware is to make sure we can run any application at all, no matter how much performance it demands,” Herrod said.
To that end VMware will increase the compute capacity its virtual machines can address next year to four CPUs and 64G bytes of RAM, from two CPUs and 4M bytes of RAM today. I/O throughput will increase to 9G bytes per second, from 300K bps today.
IT staff will be able to put up to 64 server nodes in a virtual resource pool cluster—the pool of computers available for use in a virtual environment.
Herrod walked through VMware’s plan to deliver next year a “virtual data center OS,” a set of technologies for aggregating all resources in a data center, including storage and networking, and for moving virtual machines between them more easily with their policies attached.
He demonstrated VMware Fault Tolerance, which was previewed at VMware last year and is also expected in 2009. It uses what VMware calls vLockstep technology to make a constantly updated copy of a virtual machine on a different physical server.
Herrod demonstrated the technology running a one-arm bandit application (the slot machine being endemic to Las Vegas)। He showed how if the primary server goes down, because someone kicks a cable or switches it off by accident, the workload switches to the remote server and the application keeps running without interruption, with the same data available to it.
Reference : http://www.macworld.com/article/135600/2008/09/vmware.html?lsrc=rss_main

Red Hat Buys Qumranet to Extend Virtualization Reach

Red Hat has expanded its support for virtualization technologies with the acquisition of Israeli software company Qumranet, developer of the open-source KVM (kernel-based virtual machine) project, for US$107 million.
KVM is an extension to the Linux kernel that allows it to be used as a "bare-metal" hypervisor, running directly on the underlying hardware and hosting guest operating systems, said Red Hat CTO Brian Stevens.
Hypervisors allow several operating systems to run independently on the same processor at the same time, with the hypervisor managing resources and ensuring that they don't interfere with one another. Depending on the technology used, the operating systems may be different from one another, or different instances of the same operating system.
A closer hold on KVM will be useful for Red Hat, which announced in June that it is building an embedded hypervisor with Web-based management capabilities, Ovirt, based on the software.
"Through this acquisition, Red Hat is assuring that KVM will remain open," Stevens said Thursday, on a conference call with the press.
Red Hat also sees the acquisition as a way to maintain a lead in the market.
"VMware runs on a version of Linux, and Citrix runs on a clone of Red Hat. Both companies need to wait for Red Hat to introduce new features," Stevens said.
Until now, Red Hat has concentrated its virtualization efforts on a rival open-source hypervisor, Xen. That project is hosted by XenSource, a company acquired in 2007 by Citrix Systems.
However, Red Hat will continue to provide support for Xen to users of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 at least until 2014, and will continue to contribute to development of the Xen project, Stevens said.
Qumranet also develops Solid ICE, a virtual desktop infrastructure that allows enterprises to host multiple virtual Windows and Linux desktop operating systems on a server running KVM.
All Qumranet employees, including the executive team, will join Red Hat, the companies said.
"We see this as a great opportunity to extend the KVM vision। We couldn't find a better partner for KVM and Solid ICE," Qumranet CEO Benny Schnaider on the same conference call.
Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/150650/.html?tk=rss_news

OLPC's Dual Boot Linux, Windows Laptop Due out Soon

A low-cost XO laptop from the One Laptop Per Child Project (OLPC) that carries both Windows and Linux will be out within the next month or so, according to an OLPC official.
The dual-boot XO laptop was expected to be available in August or September. The new device will allow users to boot-up the OS they prefer, either Microsoft Windows XP or the Linux-based Sugar OS originally found on the XO.
The new device is important to the spread of the XO around the world. OLPC started as an attempt to build a US$100 laptop and work with governments to pass them out to kids in poor nations around the world. But some governments have said they don't want the XO laptop, no matter how cheap it is, unless it has Windows.
"Some countries have been adamant about using Microsoft software," said Matt Keller, OLPC's director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, in an interview Wednesday.
A high-level government official in Egypt was among the first to tell OLPC that his country only wanted the XO if it could run Windows.
Now that OLPC has announced the dual-boot version of the laptop, Egypt plans to use them in schools, Keller said.
There has been some disagreement at OLPC about working with Microsoft and speculators have attributed some high profile departures from the non-profit to its decision to put Windows on the XO. Views differ widely between software developers who believe the source code of an application should be made freely available to users, and those makers of proprietary software who view the source code as a secret ingredient to be guarded.
In OLPC's case, the question came down to reaching out to kids, said Keller.
"We're all about educating kids," he said. "We're willing to work with anyone who shares that vision."
OLPC's goal is to make sure nobody misses out on the benefits of computing. The fear is that the price of a PC is keeping too many people in developing countries from learning how software, the Internet and communications via computing can improve their economies, job prospects and lives. To prevent poor countries from falling further behind the modern world in computing, a number of organizations are working to increase their access to computers.
Microsoft has launched a number of programs with governments in developing countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, to build computer labs in rural areas and send Microsoft employees to train people how to use software and write programs।
Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/150646/.html?tk=rss_news

Intel Buys British Linux Developer Opened Hand

Intel has snapped up British Linux house Opened Hand in another sign of the growing interest in the use of the operating system on mobile devices.
Last month, research from ABI Research said that Linux was set to take the lion's share of the market for the so-called mobile internet devices, those bigger than a cell phone but smaller than a laptop.
Intel had already invested in this area by setting up Linux project Moblin for the development of these devices.
In a statement posted on Opened Hand's website, the company said that it was looking forward to working with the chip giant. "The OpenedHand team will join the Intel Open Source Technology Centre and will focus on the development of the Moblin Software Platform, the optimised software stack for Intel Atom processors."
Rob Bamforth, principal analyst at Quocirca said that the move was a demonstration of the interest in Linux as a mobile platform. "We saw it earlier this year with Nokia buying Trolltech, it's a sign that the mobile space is not as clear cut as the something like the PC one. There you have a market dominated by PCs with Macs for some specialist users, but mobiles are not like that - there's a diverse range of products, and, if anything, it's becoming more diverse," he said.
He said that he thought that Intel's purchase was a way for the chip giant to keep its own options open. "We don't know how this market is going to shape up and it's important to have that diverse range of platforms.
OpenedHand employees will continue their existing projects. The statement said that Intel will continue supporting open source projects currently led by OpenedHand staff, such as the Clutter and Matchbox projects, and in most cases, will accelerate these projects as they become an integral part of Moblin.
Bamforth said that the problem with multiplicity of mobile devices was that it made it more awkward for IT directors looking to incorporate mobile products within a corporate comms network. "The IT manager will need to look for more powerful tools to manage these devices, otherwise it's like herding cats. The other option is outsourcing that management and I expect to see a few more companies adopt that approach."
Intel was approached for comment but had not responded by the time we'd gone to press।

Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/150520/linux.html?tk=rss_news

VMware Joins Linux Foundation

Virtualization giant VMware has joined the Linux Foundation, lining up alongside existing members like Adobe, Google and IBM, the organization announced Wednesday.
Virtualization, the ability to run software in virtualized containers so multiple OSes or versions can run on one physical machine, is becoming more prevalent in IT environments. At its core, virtualization is enabled by software called a hypervisor, and can help drive down data-center costs, among other benefits.
The announcement is VMware's latest embrace of open source. Last year, the vendor open-sourced a number of its tools, and in 2006 opened up the specification for its Virtual Machine Interface, which enables guest operating systems to communicate with the hypervisor.
Those moves as well as VMware's move to join the Linux Foundation mean good news for end-users on one level, as they point to a general rise in openness and collaboration among virtualization vendors even as the competition tightens around higher-end tools, according to one industry observer.
"VMware has been focusing on standardization efforts much more seriously of late. They realize that the actual hypervisor functionality is being quickly commoditized, or near-commoditized, and like every other virtualization vendor, they're eyeing virtualization management as the source of green-field revenue," said Michael Coté, an analyst with Redmonk. "IT management is by its nature a heterogenous undertaking, and even for market leaders like VMware, that means promoting standards and openness, at least at the lower levels of the stack."
While VMware is the biggest virtualization player, it is facing increased pressure from companies like Microsoft. To stave off this competition, VMware recently said it would offer a small-footprint version of its ESX virtualization software free.
In other news Wednesday, VMware unveiled new certification and education services aimed at helping IT professionals better build and deploy virtualization environments.
A new certification available to IT consultants and other professionals is the VMware Certified Professional, which is given to people who demonstrate a certain level of expertise in deploying virtual infrastructure.
Another more advanced certification, the VMware Certified Design Expert, is available for network architects and consultants who are responsible for planning and designing VMware enterprise deployments.
VMware also is offering new Live Online and Flex Online courses to help IT professionals achieve the certifications and deploy virtual environments, the company said. Professionals also can take courses at VMware Authorized Training Centers.
More information about the certification and education programs is available on VMware's Web site।
Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/149492/2008/08/.html?tk=rss_news

Dear Microsoft: Thanks for the Help, Linux

You gotta love it. Microsoft has decided that it will go ahead and kill off easy access to XP on June 30th. On behalf of desktop Linux users everywhere, and our first cousins, the Mac fans, thanks. You've given us the best shot we'll ever have of taking the desktop.
But it gets even better! Microsoft has also announced that it will be releasing Windows 7 on January 2010. They'll blow that ship date. Microsoft has never set a shipping date it could meet. But, who in their right mind would now buy Vista?
I mean, come on, I don't think anyone with their wits about them would buy Vista anyway. Vista is to operating systems what the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are to the National Football League, the worse of all time. Vista was trash; Vista is trash; and now Microsoft, as expected, is throwing Vista on the trash dump.
It also helps that Microsoft has decided to go ahead and dump XP, the operating system its customers want, no matter how loudly they say they want to keep buying XP. Now that's showing your customers how much you really care about what they want.
Desktop Linux is poised to make the most of this opportunity to convince Windows users that there is a better way. For starters, desktop Linux doesn't lock you into a single vendor. This is also where desktop Linux beats Apple all hollow. Whereas Microsoft has just shown you that they don't care what you want, with desktop Linux you will always be able to use the version of the operating system you want to use. Absolutely love Red Hat 9, the last consumer version of Red Hat Linux from 2003? You can still download a fresh copy of it from Red Hat. I'm not sure why you would, but you can, and I know some people who are still using it on servers to this day.
The desktop Linuxes also are now available from top OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) such as Dell, Lenovo, and Asus. You don't need to install anything. You just buy it, turn it on, and use it.
Oh, and all those horrid stories about hard Linux is to use? They never had much truth in them to begin with and anyone who can use XP can run modern Linux distributions like Ubuntu 8.04, Fedora 9, and openSUSE 11. For that matter, with distributions like Xandros, which you'll find on the popular Asus Eee line of inexpensive computers, any one who has ever used Windows may be hard put to tell they're not running Windows Finally, there are distributions like gOS, that any reasonably bright elementary school student can use.
Applications? You can't live without your favorite Windows application and the mere thought of virtualization to get them gives you hives or switching to OpenOffice from Microsoft Office makes you sick to the tummy? The 15-years in the making WINE 1.0 project just came out, and with it you can run Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Quicken, and many other program like, ahem, Guild Wars my Windows-based online game of choice, on Linux. WINE, and its commercial big-brother, CodeWeavers' Crossover Linux, lets me run pretty much any Windows application I want on Linux without any hassles.
Add it all up and what do you get? Well, what I get is Microsoft telling its desktop customers to jump in the lake, until 2010 anyway and that gives you lots of time to give desktop Linux a try। I don't think, I know, you'll be very pleased at what you find. Thanks Microsoft, we couldn't have done it without you.
Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/147606/dear_microsoft_thanks_for_the_help_linux.html

OS Smackdown: Linux vs. Mac OS X vs. Vista vs. XP

Since the dawn of time -- or, at least, the dawn of personal computers -- the holy wars over desktop operating systems have raged, with each faction proclaiming the unrivaled superiority of its chosen OS and the vile loathsomeness of all others.
No matter how fierce the language or convincing the arguments, however, these battles began to seem somewhat irrelevant to regular working stiffs. While Mac OS, OS/2, Linux and many other desktop operating systems have all had their devotees over the years, the truth is that the majority of home and business users have simply used the current version of Windows as a matter of course.
Windows Vista has changed all that. Never has a Microsoft operating system been greeted with such a lack of enthusiasm from consumers and businesses alike. Whether it's because of Vista's confusing array of versions, its hefty hardware requirements, its driver issues or its invasive security features, users are resisting the upgrade to Vista and considering other options, from Mac OS X to Linux to just sticking with Windows XP, thank you very much.
Suddenly, the OS wars have a new relevance.
That's why we've asked four experts to lay out their best arguments in support of their desktop operating systems of choice:
James Turner for Linux
Michael DeAgonia for Mac OS X
Preston Gralla for Windows Vista
David Ramel for Windows XP
Each is positive that his operating system is the best and will try his hardest to convince you of that -- and is not above taking a few swipes at the competition. These are not rational, disengaged reviews; these are opinionated essays meant to sway your point of view.
When you've read all the arguments, you make the call by voting in our reader poll -- and of course we welcome your own arguments in the comments area as well।
Linux: Light on its feet and ready to strut its stuff
Let's get the unpleasant part out of the way first: If running Adobe Premiere is the most important thing in your life, or you want to play Halo, Linux isn't going to do it for you, at least right at the moment. While most Windows software can run under Linux in one fashion or another, applications that make extensive use of hardware drivers or high-end graphics may not work right.
But for everything else, Linux is definitely the way to go.
Unlike Mac OS and Windows, Linux is free as air and open to development by folks who are motivated by the desire to make the technology better, rather than by corporate tech farms whose real interest is the bottom line. Which is all very nice, but is it any good as a desktop operating system? You bet.
Size and speed
Let's start with the hardware footprint: With the possible exception of BSD, Linux's 'sister,' Linux is the lightest thing you'll ever install on your computer. While the minimum required hardware for Windows has been bloating, and Macs need more and more horsepower to run OS X, you can still dig out your old 486 and fire up Linux without problems.
I recently got one of the One Laptop Per Child XOs -- a machine with 256MB of RAM and a power-miserly processor -- and had no trouble running Xubuntu Linux on it. Meanwhile, Windows XP needs to be sliced and diced like crazy to fit onto the same hardware.
It's not for nothing that you'll find Linux inside of devices where hardware cost is an issue, like DVRs (TiVo anyone?) and routers. I was somewhat shocked to find that my recently purchased 52-in. LCD TV has a Linux kernel inside of it. If you hunt around, I'll bet you'll find at least one device in your home running Linux.
Stability, security, transparency, flexibility
Linux is not only small, but it's also stable. I have several Windows boxes at home, and it seems like whenever I blink, something has gotten screwed up in the registry or I have a Dynamic Link Library conflict.
Linux has all the configuration data and libraries right out where you can see them, in files. You can see what's changed and make edits manually, without having to figure out which of 9 million HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry entries is the one you want. Even the system-configuration tools that have nice graphical user interfaces (GUI) end up generating human-readable and editable files at the end of the day.
In the recent "Pwn 2 Own" hacker challenge, computers running Mac OS X and Windows Vista were cracked, but the Linux machine wasn't. I won't claim that Linux has no security or virus problems, but they tend to be right out in the open where you can see them if you look. At the moment, there are far fewer Linux viruses out in the wild than Windows viruses, and there are fairly bullet-proof ways to detect viruses under Linux using checksums on files.
Conversely, it's much easier to move your Linux system to new hardware or clone an existing system because there's no licensing. I've never had a problem moving a Linux system disk to a new computer, even when the hardware was drastically different. There's basically no way to do this on either a Windows or a Mac system.
You also have your choice of Linux distributions, from geek-friendly Debian and end-user-friendly Ubuntu to business-friendly Red Hat and Novell SUSE. And no matter which one you pick, you can rest assured that they'll all run the same apps.
Applications and interface
It used to be the conventional wisdom that the problem with Linux was desktop applications. But with tools such as Wine , CrossOver Linux and VMware Player, many Windows applications run just fine under Linux these days.
And in some cases, native Linux applications may serve you just as well. OpenOffice is a mature replacement for Microsoft Office, and there are good (and free) tools for video and photo editing, audio editing, and many other common applications. Just do a quick Google search for "Linux video editing," for example, and you'll see what I mean.
More importantly, more and more applications are transitioning to Web-based versions using JavaScript or Flash/Silverlight/Flex/Air. Who cares if you can't run TurboTax on Linux, when you can use the Web-based TurboTax right from your browser?
Finally, the Linux desktop experience is now the match of any other desktop GUI in existence. The user interface is intuitive and clean, but still powerful. If you choose a user-friendly distribution like Ubuntu, installing Linux is as easy as installing Windows -- and unlike Windows, you can even "try before you buy," since distributions such as Ubuntu have a "live" install CD/DVD.
You can even run a full Linux distribution such as Damn Small Linux from a 128MB (or larger) USB drive. Did your Windows PC crash again? Plug in the USB drive, and you've got access.
Heck, most Linux distributions will even shrink a Windows partition and set up dual-booting automatically. Ignore all the fear, uncertainty and doubt you'll hear about nightmare installs and bad device support -- that's from the bad old days!
Bottom line
Linux is free, fast, small, powerful, stable and flexible। It will get you off the "new hardware every other year" life cycle and let you concentrate on being productive rather than playing nursemaid to your operating system. You almost certainly already have Linux in your home or business, even if you don't know it. So why not give it a try on your desktop?
Mac OS X: All You Need in One Dynamite Package
Computing nirvana isn't difficult to find. If you want a simple-to-use computer that can run virtually any application you need on stylish hardware that gives you easy online access and instant connectivity to all types of satellite devices, just go to an Apple store and buy a Macintosh.
A complete software/hardware ecosystem
When it comes to integration, no other operating system can boast the unity of purpose and results that exist on the Mac platform. While the competition is busy mashing feature after feature into poorly designed products, Apple Inc. focuses on what's important: creating a software/hardware ecosystem that gets out of the way so you can do what you bought a computer to do -- work, make movies, build Web sites, communicate or crunch data.
You know what I'm taking about -- all those annoying little things that add up when using Windows. Plug in a mouse on a PC, and a little dialog box pops up exclaiming that it just sensed you plugged in a mouse, and after installing the driver, it's ready to go! This isn't a shuttle launch; I just plugged in a mouse. I'll know the operating system recognizes it as soon as I can move the pointer, so stop bugging me with alert boxes!
Apple's relentless attention to detail has created a world where hardware and software are equally polished -- so polished, in fact, that a wireless mouse, an iPod or an iPhone feels more like a natural extension of the Mac than a separate device.
For those still stuck with Windows, that kind of experience remains a mirage, always just over the horizon. With Vista, users get an operating system that comes in six -- six! -- different versions, all of them with driver issues . Many older PCs can't handle the operating system -- and even a lot of those newer "Vista Capable" machines may not be so capable after all.
Sure, you could try Linux. But the kind of integration I'm talking about isn't possible in Windows, never mind Linux. When software and hardware engineering and design are divvied up among multiple companies and communities -- each with its own agenda -- complete hardware/software unification is just not a realistic expectation. (I'll give devotees an A+ for effort, though.)
Elegance and ease of use
The glue that binds the hardware is the operating system, and Mac OS X 10.5, a.k.a. Leopard, has elegance and ease of use baked right in. Leopard easily leads the pack in terms of security, ease of installation, maintenance and integration of applications whose learning curves are so minimal Apple doesn't even bother with full manuals. That isn't an accident.
Let me just reel off a few Mac OS X advantages:
Drag-and-drop application installs
Notifications written in real English and not Geek-English
One-click, set-and-forget automatic backups that people actually use
The ability to peer inside files without having to launch an app
Tech support that doesn't involve being bounced between different companies
Inherent security with no real-world exploits, despite dire warnings every year
A clean and consistent look throughout the operating system and applications
Run any application in the world
Other operating systems have their strengths. Windows is ubiquitous; it isn't going anywhere soon. And the collective hive of developers working to make Linux better is impressive. But Apple's switch to the Intel architecture, along with today's impressive virtualization software, means Macs can now run those other operating systems -- at full speed. That gives you access to software across all three platforms, letting you work and play without walling yourself off from the rest of the computer world.
Let me say it again: All Macs can run Windows and, consequently, all of the software that runs on Windows. All versions. At once, if you want to.
Did I mention that Leopard is a certified Unix product, too? Mac OS X is the only operating systems that can run all mainstream Windows and "*nix"-based operating systems -- and host "*nix" software natively -- with few of the usual security risks.
Security
Along with its famed user interface, one of the keys to the success of Mac OS X is the lack of malware, spyware and self-propagating viruses. We can debate the reasons -- whether it's the security inherent to the modern BSD underpinnings of Apple's code or the "security by obscurity" theory -- but Macs are not susceptible to the problems that have always plagued Windows PCs.
Let me put it in perspective: I have been working with Macs since 1993, and not a single second of downtime has been caused by a virus, spyware or malware. Think about that for a moment. Not a single second has been wasted dealing with security.
And ponder this: If 100,000 viruses or malware variations targeting OS X sprang up tomorrow, that number would still pale in comparison with the malware aimed at Windows every year.
Look, it's the 21st century. Computers are everywhere; shouldn't they just work by now? Who wants to spend their time running spyware scans and virus scans? (Imagine having to run a virus scan on a microwave or DVD player.) Just because folks who use other operating systems have to put up with it doesn't mean that's the way it has to be.
Bottom line
I want more from my computer, and Apple capitalizes on its unique position as sole operating system designer, application developer, hardware engineer and media distributor, offering a seamless experience across its entire slate of product lines and services.
Macs may not "just work" exactly 100% of the time, but they sure work when I need them to। And, after all, isn't that the point?
Windows Vista: The Best There Is (Despite the Bad Rep)
If you want the best operating system available today, there is only one choice: Windows Vista.
You heard me right: Vista, the operating system that people love to hate. The system that has been blamed, it seems, for everything from global warming to the U.S. economic meltdown.
I'm here to tell you that the conventional wisdom is flat-out wrong. Vista is a solid, hard-working operating system that will run whatever software you need with simplicity and grace. And it doesn't suffer from the world of woes that affect its competitors.
Interface, tweakability and extras
Why is Vista the best operating system? The interface is a good place to start. Vista has a straightforward elegance, featuring transparent windows that niftily whoosh into and out of place when you minimize or maximize them.
Don't like the way Vista looks or works? No problem; change it. From the transparency of windows down to almost every level of the operating system, there's a way to customize it. And there's plenty of free and cheap software for further tweaking.
Vista's user interface is more than just a pretty face. Windows Flip 3-D, which shows you all of your open windows in a 3-D flip book, is exceptionally useful. So are Live Thumbnails, which show small thumbnails of what's happening in your minimized windows, including real-time video.
The integration of search into every level of the OS, including the Start menu and Windows Explorer, makes finding any information easy and fast. All your documents, files and communications are instantly indexed, and searching is lightning-fast. And it integrates with Microsoft Office applications, so that when you search in Outlook for e-mail, for example, you're using the Vista search tool, and you get near instantaneous results.
Vista also includes some very nice extras, such as gadgets for the Sidebar; the Sync Center, which makes it easy to keep data on multiple PCs in sync; and easy wireless networking.
Best choice of software
An operating system by itself is a lonely thing ... in fact, a worthless thing. Its true purpose is to let you run software for work, play or hobbies.
Do you need to run enterprise software at work? Don't try it with Mac OS X or Linux -- most likely they won't work. How about games? Again, Windows rules. There simply aren't nearly as many games that run on the Mac or Linux. The same holds true for many other kinds of software.
Now, it's true that for the moment, Windows XP is superior to Vista when it comes to software compatibility. But that won't last long. The best and newest software will be built for Vista, not XP. So if you want to look to the future, not the past, Vista is the way to go.
Security
With its built-in firewall, antispyware and antiphishing features, Windows Vista is far safer than XP. Making it even more secure are its under-the-hood features such as Window Service Hardening, which stops malicious activity from taking place in the file system, the Registry and the network to which the PC is attached. Similarly, Network Access Protection (NAP) stops an infected computer from making a connection to a network, ensuring that it can't infect other PCs.
Much has been made of the fact that Windows has been subject to more attacks than Mac OS X or Linux. That's not necessarily due to inherent Windows security problems, though. It's simply because there are so many more copies of Windows in existence, so malware writers target it.
Why it beats the competition
Why is Vista better than the Mac OS X, Linux and XP? Let's start with the Mac. There's no doubt that Mac OS X is a very pretty operating system. But it also runs only on expensive, proprietary hardware, and it can't run much common software, including enterprise applications and games.
Some people claim virtualization software like Parallels Desktop for Mac solves that problem, but it's not true. Virtualization software creates big problems for organizations with regard to volume licensing, technical support, creating standard enterprisewide images and so on. And as for games, consider this: Parallels can't run even the most basic Vista games such as FreeCell, Hearts, Pinball, Solitaire and Minesweeper, because it doesn't support DirectX 9.
So if you want to pay through the nose for a computer that can run only a limited number of apps and games, go ahead and throw away your money. Just keep in mind that you'll be putting money into the coffers of a company whose CEO has hypnotized its users into drinking the true-believer Kool Aid. Do you really want to join the club of users who get a big dose of their sense of self-worth from the type of computer they use?
As for Linux, if you're a fan, feel free to fly your uber-geek badge every time you boot up -- but don't expect to run your company's enterprise software, much less mainstream software and games. And do expect to become very familiar with the confusing vagaries of the specific version of Linux you've installed.
Windows XP? It's cartoonish and gauche compared with Vista, plus it lacks Vista's security, fit and polish, and extras. It's also looking backward, rather than forward. I have a dual-boot Vista/XP laptop, and every time I boot into XP instead of Vista, I cringe at what faces me.
Bottom line
If you want a safe, modern operating system that will run the software you want on reasonably priced hardware without requiring an advanced degree in geekology, Windows Vista is the only way to go।
Windows XP: The People's Choice
The people have spoken. Windows XP rules.
Forget, for a moment, Mac OS X and Linux with their puny 8% combined market share. First, just consider how the "upgrade" from XP to Windows Vista is going.
Microsoft gamely touts increasing Vista adoption, but the backlash against XP's successor is unprecedented. I would call it a near-disaster. When is the last time a petition was circulated that gathered more than 100,000 signatures to save an operating system?
Dell Inc. has caved in to customer demand and reversed its Vista-only policy for many of its computers. Earlier, Dell had pointed out to Microsoft several mistakes made with the Vista rollout, including confusing marketing, broken drivers, hardware compatibility issues and other problems, according to a class-action lawsuit about Vista marketing.
Internal documents brought to light in the lawsuit show that Microsoft officials themselves dissed Vista shortly after its release.
I could go on and on, listing articles about tests showing that XP is faster than Vista at some tasks, explaining to anxious users how to make XP last for seven more years and instructing frustrated Vista users how to downgrade from Vista. See a common thread there?
Security
Security has always been the favorite criticism of Microsoft operating systems in general, but Service Pack 2 vastly improved the safety of XP, with better network protection, memory protection, improved e-mail security and safer browsing.
And do you really think Mac OS and Linux will be any safer if they gain enough market share to become relevant and get the full attention of hackers?
All the features you need
Of course, Microsoft will eventually force the migration to Vista. But for right now, you will get several Vista features, such as Network Access Protection, in the upcoming XP Service Pack 3. Other Vista components available for XP include Media Center, Internet Explorer 7, Media Player 11 and Windows Defender.
And there are plenty of sites that tell you how to get or at least simulate other Vista features in XP.
Mac or Linux -- why bother?
I use Mac OS X occasionally and have dabbled in Linux, and I've found nothing that makes me want to switch to either. Even if I liked Macs, which I don't for mostly subjective reasons, there's got to be a good reason they have such a pathetic presence in the enterprise.
The operating system is OK, but as with most things from the Apple tree, it seems to be more about style than substance. Sure, it's cool when you hover over the little icons at the bottom of the screen and they get bigger. But take a look at those icons: iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, Garage Band, etc. It's clear whom Apple is targeting, and it's not the run-of-the-mill cubicle stiff like me who's just trying to get work done.
The proprietary software/hardware marriage, the higher cost and the extra training needed all detract from the Mac's allure -- unless you have funky facial hair and say, "Dude!" a lot.
As for Linux, I've been hearing it's "ready for the desktop" for years now. Well, it's not ready. It's getting better (market share doubled recently -- to almost 1%) but there are too many distros, packages, ISOs, GNUs, Gnomes, awks, GREPs, flavors, kernels, KDEs, licenses and modules.
In other words, it's still too techie. It might be fine if you're the type of person who used to type "debug" in the DOS command line to make hexadecimal changes to standard operating system messages just for fun, like I did long ago. But I don't have time for that anymore.
I recently installed Ubuntu Linux successfully, though I found the partitioning choices a bit confusing. But to simply play an MP3 file, I had to download and install a separate package. Wireless connectivity was a joke. Absolutely ridiculous. Others at Computerworld have had problems with Linux, too.
Bottom line
Like most people, I just want to do my work. I don't want to think about the operating system. The operating system should be like a referee -- invisible and anonymous -- and that's exactly what XP does. It provides all the features I need in an environment that is completely familiar and easy to use.
There will always be people who claim that a losing technology is technically better than a winning technology (Betamax vs. VHS, HD DVD vs. Blu-ray, and so on) but just lost out because of inferior marketing, political clout or some other reason. They view themselves as the enlightened few vainly railing against the ignorant masses.
Meanwhile, the masses are getting their work done.
Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/147262/os_smackdown_linux_vs_mac_os_x_vs_vista_vs_xp.html

OpenOffice.org Beta Fails the Office 2007 Test

The free office suite's support for Microsoft's XML-based Office 2007 file formats leaves much to be desired।

I'm not embarrassed to admit it: I'm a big fan of Office 2007. I think Microsoft got a lot right with its latest release, starting with the ribbon interface and including any number of tweaks and improvements that make my day easier. I can't say I'm thrilled about the price of the suite, however; nor the countless SKUs to choose from. Plus, I'm also a big Linux fan. That's why I always try to keep my eye on the current state of OpenOffice.org, the open source office suite founded by Sun Microsystems.
OpenOffice.org 3.0 has just entered public beta, and it promises plenty of improvements from the previous version. Mac users, in particular, will be pleased with the new native Aqua UI. Unfortunately, however, the one feature that I was really looking forward to on the Windows side -- compatibility with the Office 2007 XML file formats -- could still clearly use a lot of work.
As an experiment, I saved a simple Word 2003 document in Word 2007 format. Office 2007 opened it just fine, but OpenOffice.org Writer only got as far as the first two lines of the text; instead of skipping the next line, the rest was truncated. An Excel 2007 template fared no better. OpenOffice.org Calc preserved labels, numbers, and formulae; macros, embedded graphics, and page layout options disappeared. A plain .xlsx file created with the same template yielded identical results.
I'm very disappointed to have to say it, but OpenOffice.org's support for the Office 2007 file formats simply isn't ready for prime time. I haven't had time yet to do a full review of the suite, but the tests I tried were extremely basic import/export operations on documents that were not in the least bit complex. Unfortunately, the beta OpenOffice.org struck out.
It's strange, if you think about it. Wasn't the whole point of XML file formats for Office to make the documents more compatible with other software? Isn't XML a self-describing, human-readable file format that should make reverse-engineering a breeze (compared to the old, binary Office formats, at least)? And isn't OOXML, the Office 2007 file format, a public ISO standard?
But then, if you've been following the news, you know that there's more going on with OOXML than meets the eye. Not to mention the fact that Office 2007 itself reportedly doesn't conform to the published standards.
The final release of OpenOffice.org 3.0 is still a few months away (and, to be fair, the developers do not recommend the current beta release for production use). There may still be time to get involved and help iron out the bugs with Office 2007 support -- but I doubt it। For now, my recommendation remains the same: If you're an Office 2007 user, like me, you'll probably want to keep saving your documents in Office 2003 format -- at least until OpenDocument becomes more mainstream.
Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,145667-pg,1/article.html