4 ms·
I agree completely. Lately everyone seems to be convinced that we're witnessing the death of the desktop computer, but I wonder if this could be partly due to
by actf 14y ago
I agree completely.
Lately everyone seems to be convinced that we're witnessing the death of the desktop computer, but I wonder if this could be partly due to the lack of options in this market. Apple and Microsoft have both dropped the ball here. Apple has eliminated hardware options that power users are looking for, while Microsoft still doesn't provide a decent POSIX environment or even a passable terminal.
I honestly wonder what the world would look like if Microsoft were to suddenly switch focus and deploy a version of windows with full POSIX support built in, a decent terminal, a first class package manager, and a decent app store. Instead they are removing features like the start button that confuse existing users, and adding a Metro UI that power users don't want.
Maybe I'm just getting old and cynical, but I think we would be witnessing stronger desktop sales if Apple and Microsoft were providing options that users actually wanted.
- ubercow13 14y agoPowershell isn't a passable terminal?
- jiggy2011 14y agoSo, basically you want MS to make a Linux distribution?
- actf 14y agoI'm not sure if you're being serious or just sarcastic, but no - that's not at all what I'm suggesting. OSX provides a POSIX environment, and OSX is obviously not a Linux distribution. In fact Microsoft already provides SUA (Subsystem for Unix Applications) which is basically a POSIX environment, but iirc SUA is only available in certain versions of Windows, and only as a download from Microsoft, post installation. So no I'm not in anyway suggesting Microsoft re-architect Windows as a Linux distribution. I'm suggesting that Microsoft make POSIX tools an integral part of the OS, like they are in OSX. For example, making bash the default shell, providing cmdline tools like powershell cmdlets to manage the system from the command line, providing a useable terminal etc. Basically similar to what cygwin and msys provide today, but better and with deeper integration in the OS.