What has opened the door for computers in the last five years?

I was thinking the other day about why on earth microsoft has taken nearly 6 years to release an update to windows XP. After all, in this world of ever changing technology, 6 year old software seems ancient. I know the linux distro I am using now, Ubuntu, is less than a month old, my web browser (firefox 1.5) was released 9 months ago, and this computer is only a touch over one year old.

Instead of just getting upset at Microsoft for their delayed release, I had a little think about the advantages of such a long wait, and I came to realise that the delay has furthered the move of computers into our everyday lifestyle. When I first got my laptop, three and a half years ago, it was super cool for a laptop. It has a P4 1.7 Gz, 256 Mb RAM (more than my desktop computer then) and a 20 Gb hard drive. It also cost $3,700 Australian dollars. Now my new desktop, which has a decent graphics card, 1GB ram, 80 gb HD, 17in LCD, samsung speakers, DVD-RW, AMD Athlon 2800+, cost about $1000 Australian dollars.

Now sure, this computer isn’t a laptop, but it can run two OSes really fast at the same time, and does everything I could ever want it to do in no time at all. But when Vista comes out, this machine will struggle and suffer under the weight of tonnes of dynamically linked libraries (dlls). So actually, the delay in a release of a new OS has meant that hardware has improved and become cheaper. The delay has also meant that hundreds of thousands of applications are available for windows.

So how has this opened the door for more widespread adoption of computers? Well it means cheaper computers, with better support, more reliability (hey, they’ve had ages to patch it!) and a familiarity which is rivalled by no other long lasting operating system (except maybe OS X which has had 4 releases that all resemble eachother strongly!).

Now compare this to Ubuntu. Every six months a new version is released, and support typically lasts for only 18 months after each release (one year after the next version is released). Is this really helpful for a market? The best attempt, I feel, at a linux distribution for everybody is the upcoming Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop. It is a release aimed at a longer term lifecycle (probably 3-5 years). The longer lifecycle means that the next OS has more time to be created, modified, tweaked, stress tested and stabilised.

As much as I do love my Ubuntu, the last version made experience, first hand, the shortcomings of a short testing cycle. Unforseen problems with the installer and kernel, including installation CDs which wouldn’t even boot up on one of my friends computers, really doesn’t made Ubuntu seem polished at all!

All in all, a long release cycle allows an OS to become more widespread. It gives application developers more time to create progams for it, users more time to become familiar with it, and hardware vendors lower specs to make computers for. Everything here leaders to cheaper, faster, familiar computer for your average joe, which in the long run means more money for software companies, and a higher proliferation of computer skills in the world.

Flock seems great!

Just heard about the web browser Flock! I’m sure I’m a bit behind the times, but for your modern day blogger/photo poster this is absolutely fantastic. It links together your flickr and blogging accounts and makes everyday task handling with these tools better.

The technology is built off firefox, and the only problem I can see is that it doesn’t support all of firefox’s extensions!

The following is a picture I added to my entry just by dragging it from my computer into the message. Flock did all the linking and uploading for me!

 

technorati tags:flock, web, browser, blog, photo, flickr

Blogged with Flock

What does the future hold?

In countries all over the western world, patriotic citizens cry the benefits of a democratic society. One with freedoms and rights, pleasant living conditions and elected leaders. But is this fashion of living really sustainable? Surely, such a generous lifestyle cannot be continued for thousands of years, without mining the world free of resources?

I find it interesting that people are disgusted at the Chinese government for the power the hold over their people. A country of 1.3 (?) billion people can only survive if personal freedoms and rights are repressed (relative to our society) for the betterment of their entire society. The thinking of many asian people, which is to look to the future and the success of their children, is a key ingredient in such a policy. Take for instance the one-child policy. Without a doubt, if such a bill was passed in any western country there would be riots and turmoil. How can someone take away our right to have children? It doesn’t seem to be fair or just.

It is here that the problem lies. In our western society we love our rights, we put up with our few responsibilities (which are just the tau or kama associated with having rights, and not infringing on other peoples rights), and the thought of being given extra laws and restriction seems disgraceful to a democratic society. But look to the future as the Chinese government is doing. China just has too many people for the resources they are actually sitting on. A birth control policy is the only way they can drop their population to within a sustainable range. By putting up with restrictions to their freedoms now, the Chinese people will have better rights (possibly) and a higher standard of living in two or three generations time.

So what lesson should we learn from this? Well, the future of our society may not be all fun and games. Eventually we may need to sacrifice some of our freedoms, and the finer things in life, to make room for a more sustainable way of life. Wants will probably be the first thing to go. First, I imagine, we will receive rations (fuel rations, junk food rations, land rations) and then eventually these things will be gone.

Next to go will be our rights to land. A more densely populated society is far more efficient in terms of infrastructure, hence less resources are required for more people.

Finally I believe freedoms will go. Perhaps not to the extent of removing democracy, but curfews and other such restrictions will probably need to go into place to ensure a safe environment with such a high population density. Eventually government terms can be expected to be lengthened to allow governments to look more towards the future in their goals, and provide better for the people of tomorrow, not just worry about whether they will be voted back in at the end of their term.

But will the world actually turn out like this? Who knows. China is a prime example of how high populations are managed, especially in a world like ours, and they may demonstrate the form of government for tomorrow. Of course, some nuclear war or even global warming could knock us out first, but if we are to survive on this planet for many millenia to come, then I firmly believe the only possible way is to limit freedoms, lower consumption and aim for the future instead of today.

Welcome to my blog

Hello and welcome to my weblog. As this is my first post I thought it would be best to tell you a little about the actual purpose of my little corner of the interweb. 

 For years now I have been using computers and surfed (does anyone even call it that anymore) the internet. I've read about other peoples ideas, tried out programs and services, and as of recently begun travelling more and more around the world. My blogs greatest merit will be the portrayal of a point of view on the world through the eyes of a young man growing into an adult. 

As of this first post I am an 18 year old man, using linux (Ubuntu 6.06) as my primary operating system. I regularly commute between Australia, Hong Kong and China, enjoying the clashes of culture and varying perspectives of different people. I enjoy thinking how to solve the worlds problems and as of recently have begun to formulate some very strong ideas about how the leaders of tomorrow need to act to sustain human life on this planet.

 My posts, however, wont focus purely on the hypothetical future, but also technology that interests me here and now. I'm sure there willbe regular posts regarding linux, google and mozilla, but I'll be looking at these tools from the perspective of a human being with a busy life who wants to get some actual work done, not sit around sifting through mailing lists, in a clumsy attempt to adjust my screens resolution to widescreen.

Last of all, my blog aims to entertain an audience who can read my views on contemporary issues and formulate their own (perhaps in agreement, perhaps not!). I would like to encourage comments and discussion which doesn't necessarily agree totally with me. 

 Thanks for reading my first post and I hope you return soon.