2012 August 15 archive at Robert Pogson

Archive for August 15th, 2012

Insightful Comment on “8″

Published by Robert Pogson August 15th, 2012 in technology. 43 Comments

Found in the Register’s Forums:

“Prior to seeing the article on Windows 8, I had installed and spent some time with Windows 8. It is a disaster. I will not be fighting my way past that ridiculous start screen and the capricious, arbitrary and fantastically irritating UI changes. Will they be an improvement if I shut down for a few weeks and try to train away 30 years of reflex arcs? Who cares? I have better things to do with my time.

I already use Linux for most of my servers. If Metro is the future at Microsoft, then I am going to switch to Linux for the Desktops and for the remaining servers as well.”

see the full comment at The Register The usual Total Fail.

This comment came in response to the announcement of a bunch of vulnerabilities fixed in that other OS and Adobe’s software for that other OS. On top of all that “normal” angst, the radical change in UI is unwelcome by many. M$ has clearly over-reached. They have cowed most OEMs and retailers for decades and now they are attempting to add more burdens to the end users in order to bypass the grumbling loyal OEMs, ISVs and retailers who have supported M$ for so long. The dam holding back FLOSS on retail shelves is crumbling. Breakage will be great but a better world awaits. Enlightenment has its costs but no one wants to return to the Dark Ages of IT.

- Robert Pogson

People Really Love Small Cheap Computers

Published by Robert Pogson August 15th, 2012 in technology. 14 Comments

“China produced 621.021 million handsets in total during January-July 2012″

Wow! That’s multiples of the count of Wintel PCs. IDC reports 40% are smart phones. We know that share is increasing and has already surpassed Wintel. We know that people are doing more than talking with them. This is the biggest assault on the Wintel monopoly since the early days when all hope was extinguished by various lock-ins.

A clue to understanding the phenomenon is that notebooks continue to leave other formats of x86 PCs in the dust. People value mobility and compact systems. The smart thingies are the epitome of that. Even if people only rarely move station, they want that capability. Others are always on the move (e.g. restless youths and salesmen) and love to remain connected for the networking effect. Further evidence of that is tracked in Wikipedia’s statistics. 20% of their activity is mobile and that share is increasing. A year ago it was 10%. 100% per annum growth is a definite sign of disruptive technology.

see China turns out over 621 million handsets in January-July.

- Robert Pogson

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.