1) Machtelt Garrels. “Introduction to Linux: A Hands on Guide” Section 1
(only need to read section 1, but you are welcome to read the whole document)
I found this reading does not seem like it was intended for someone who isn’t familiar with computer operating systems. If someone wanted to learn what Linux was from reading the “What is Linux” section with no previous knowledge of it, there would have to be a lot more information. In the first few paragraphs, I was already wondering what POSIX, and UNIX are.
“Modern Linux not only runs on workstations, mid- and high-end servers, but also on "gadgets" like PDA's, mobiles, a shipload of embedded applications and even on experimental wristwatches. This makes Linux the only operating system in the world covering such a wide range of hardware.” With this statement in the text, I wonder how often I have come across Linux with out even knowing it. Before reading this section in Garrels’ book, if I had been asked if I have ever used Linux I would have said that I have never used it before. According to the document, Linux is “an important player on the desk top market.” I wonder if this is still a true statement, as I haven’t come into contact with it knowingly.
If our assigned reading for Linux was too little information to help me understand Linux, then the kernelthread reading had far too much information for me to understand anything about Mac OS X. I am glad the Wikipedia article was also assigned. This is the operating system that I am the most familiar with. Learning a little more about the operating system that I utilize was beneficial.
3) Paul Thurott “An Update on the Windows Roadmap”
This newsletter doesn’t focus on the more technical aspects of the Windows operating system like the other articles focused on. It was more easily understandable than the other articles because it was targeted toward the average user of the system. It also felt more like an advertisement by Windows because it didn’t discuss the negative aspects that windows is notorious for, like being susceptible to malware.
I'm right there with you regarding the accessibility of the Linux and Mac OS X articles. I have no background in computer science and I felt out of my depth when I read the articles. With the amount of reading we have to do for all of our courses, I'm normally happy if I retain 40 or 50 percent of the concepts after reading the material once. With these articles, I feel like I retained much less than that after reading them. Hopefully, after a semester's worth of reading articles like these and discussing similarly complicated, jargon-heavy topics, the more technical aspects of the topics will start to stick a little bit better. In any case, it was really refreshing to hear that I wasn't the only one who felt a little out of place wading through the technicalities. Thanks for your post!
ReplyDeleteBrittany,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the Windows article sounds more like an advertisement than anything else. Even though they try to address the problems encountered with Windows Vista, they don't really tell you just how difficult using Windows Vista was after it came out. I remember being in a class back in 2007 where people using Windows Vista could not even access Blackboard/CourseWeb. The instructor of the class made an announcement about it and those people using Vista had to use XP until the problem was fixed. While they claim Vista is compatible with a number of drivers and applications, apparently a lot of people had major problems. I like using Mac because it does not require using drivers for everything and this makes many different devices compatible with my computer.
I felt the same way about the target audience for the Linux (and Mac) readings. Not exactly geared toward non-technically trained people. But, yet, the Linux reading struck me as really... promotional. It seemed very enthusiastic and, ironically, adamant that the Linux system was taking steps to be easy for new users. 'Cause, while I understood more from the Linux material than the Mac, that's not saying much...
ReplyDeleteBrittany, I was also surprised to learn that a lot of "gadgets" we use are operated by LINUX. I had never heard of this system before and would have assumed I had never actually came across it. However, I was proven wrong as well!
ReplyDeleteBrittany and Gemma... I was also unaware of the scope and integration of Linux into our everday lives. I saw that Mozilla was listed as one of the numerous influences of Linux. I asked a friend about it and apparently Mozilla was first used with Linux and now is compatible all over. It was also interesting to read that the German Army uses Linux. I guess because its stable, tested, and mostly viruses free.
ReplyDelete