Comments on: The new toy http://bit-player.org/2007/the-new-toy An amateur's outlook on computation and mathematics. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:17:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on The new toy by: Paul http://bit-player.org/2007/the-new-toy#comment-1568 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:13:25 +0000 http://bit-player.org/2007/the-new-toy#comment-1568 I don't even know how to be patient for an innovations. I would think we are in better position to put up with OK software during a hardware boom. Perhaps someone should scuttle the hardware vessel or give over the control of hardware and software over to one entity in Mars, wait five years then migrate, Or design a computing (not just a computer) super-model. A sexier OS may follow. To make a short story longer, The arrival of competitions such as UHT packaging, or pull-key opening cans, has not wiped out the good old can-openers. Yet, can-openers designs seem to change every other year or so and the "innovations" do not seem to occur at any university of can-openers (or socks and underwear). Who actually consumes OS innovations at the moment? I don’t even know how to be patient for an innovations.

I would think we are in better position to put up with OK software during a hardware boom.

Perhaps someone should scuttle the hardware vessel or give over the control of hardware and software over to one entity in Mars, wait five years then migrate,

Or design a computing (not just a computer) super-model. A sexier OS may follow.

To make a short story longer,

The arrival of competitions such as UHT packaging, or pull-key opening cans, has not wiped out the good old can-openers.

Yet, can-openers designs seem to change every other year or so and the “innovations” do not seem to occur at any university of can-openers (or socks and underwear).

Who actually consumes OS innovations at the moment?

]]> Comment on The new toy by: brian http://bit-player.org/2007/the-new-toy#comment-1567 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:12:13 +0000 http://bit-player.org/2007/the-new-toy#comment-1567 @Anonymous: The real root of my rant is not the decision of the OLPC group to go with Linux. I agree that was a prudent choice and, given all the circumstances they faced, perhaps the only realistic choice. I simply ask this: When will we <em>ever</em> get a chance to try building something newer and better? Will we still be using Unix-derived software 10 years from now? In 20 years? Fifty? Is Unix the end point of systems-software research in computer science? If OLPC couldn't break away, even though the XO has no requirement of compatibility with older software, what future project will be able to set out on a wholly new path? @Anonymous:

The real root of my rant is not the decision of the OLPC group to go with Linux. I agree that was a prudent choice and, given all the circumstances they faced, perhaps the only realistic choice. I simply ask this: When will we ever get a chance to try building something newer and better? Will we still be using Unix-derived software 10 years from now? In 20 years? Fifty? Is Unix the end point of systems-software research in computer science? If OLPC couldn’t break away, even though the XO has no requirement of compatibility with older software, what future project will be able to set out on a wholly new path?

]]> Comment on The new toy by: Anonymous http://bit-player.org/2007/the-new-toy#comment-1566 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:23:33 +0000 http://bit-player.org/2007/the-new-toy#comment-1566 If the computers have Internet access, then each computer is like an encyclopedia and then some. Teach a man to fish... Without Internet access, I don't see much point. One really has to know where these computers are going, though. There is a huge variation in developing countries. Of course kids will master that kind of wizardry. They will also teach their parents, probably. Your rant on Unix seems out of place here. "OLPC offered a rare opportunity. It was a chance to start fresh, to throw away the past, to build a computer that has no legacy code to run; there was no need to worry about backward compatibility. But that’s not the way the project evolved." This is your own personal grudge. For the kids it is definitely not worth delaying the project for years to remake an operating system. Mac OS X proves that UNIX works very well for a modern OS. Additionally, building off an existing OS makes software that much easier. You could easily lose five to ten years, and ultimately everything when funding fell apart, trying to use this opportunity to get computing out of its "horrible rut" instead of devoting the project to the people it is meant for. If the computers have Internet access, then each computer is like an encyclopedia and then some. Teach a man to fish… Without Internet access, I don’t see much point. One really has to know where these computers are going, though. There is a huge variation in developing countries.

Of course kids will master that kind of wizardry. They will also teach their parents, probably.

Your rant on Unix seems out of place here. “OLPC offered a rare opportunity. It was a chance to start fresh, to throw away the past, to build a computer that has no legacy code to run; there was no need to worry about backward compatibility. But that’s not the way the project evolved.” This is your own personal grudge. For the kids it is definitely not worth delaying the project for years to remake an operating system. Mac OS X proves that UNIX works very well for a modern OS. Additionally, building off an existing OS makes software that much easier. You could easily lose five to ten years, and ultimately everything when funding fell apart, trying to use this opportunity to get computing out of its “horrible rut” instead of devoting the project to the people it is meant for.

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