Week 3 Reading Notes & Muddiest Point

Week 3 – Computer Software

Although I knew Linux existed, I knew nothing about it. How great is it that it can adapt to new and experienced users? Also, the fact the Linux is open source software allows for creativity and improvement. The customization capability is attractive to everyone which provides longevity of the product. It is amazing to me that such a product is available free to users, for the simple exchange of suggestions for improvement.

I was not aware of all the products on the market that run on Linux. The Empeg is really neat; my son would love it. The ProGear WebPad seems to be, in a way, a precursor to the Kindle. I enjoyed reading the article at Kernelthread.com and found other articles that were a good read and worth forwarding to colleagues.

MAC users are fiercely supportive of their systems. I know many MAC users who cringe at the idea of using a PC. The author’s site was very interesting. Some of the things he discussed were difficult to understand, but I got the gist of his rantings. It all comes down to preference and what people are used to. It’s like the kid that becomes a firefighter because his father or uncle or grandfather was one. Environment plays an active role as well. My elementary school had PC’s. My kids’ elementary school has PC’s. The school district where my mom taught in the 80’s bought MACs and they haven’t looked back since. No system is perfect; each has its advantages and drawbacks, so each will draw its own crowd of support. I know that many people do not like Vista and it has been wrought with my problems. When a user is accustomed to using a particular product, it’s difficult to be excited to switch it entirely. At least the launch of Vista includes encouragement for those of us still using XP.

Muddiest point:
I’m not certain I understand what *nix is?