Comments on: Bad news for MicroSoft fanboys http://eddie.niese.net/20100727/bad-news-for-microsoft-fanboys/ What keeps me ticking & what keeps ticking me off Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:34:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Karel http://eddie.niese.net/20100727/bad-news-for-microsoft-fanboys/comment-page-1/#comment-1705 Karel Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:40:52 +0000 http://eddie.niese.net/?p=2420#comment-1705 Using end-consumer focused OS's for machine-only purposes is always a bad idea. We've had loads of examples: Windows PC's in operating theaters that fell pray to infections, Windows boxen in cash dispensers, and so on. So far it's always Windows that craps out (coincidence? hah...). But I wouldn't even be comfortable with a Ubuntu user-desktop system running on it (and updating itself regularly, or trying to). What you really want, is one of those embedded OS's - possibly based on Linux but not necessarily. Motto: If you want a job done well, get dedicated tools. Not the next-best crap from BestBuy. And get someone who knows what they're doing and who understands the tools. That's also one of the problems with Windows in machine-only systems: You can make a Unix box bark or purr as you like, but with Windows there just is no getting around the GUI, you're stuck with it. You don't have scripting, you don't have advanced OS features, but you do have to hit "are you sure [ok]" a gazillion times. How are you supposed to do unattended drag and drop during emergency situations? "Warning! Your drill is overheating. Are you sure? Press OK to continue." Using end-consumer focused OS’s for machine-only purposes is always a bad idea. We’ve had loads of examples: Windows PC’s in operating theaters that fell pray to infections, Windows boxen in cash dispensers, and so on. So far it’s always Windows that craps out (coincidence? hah…). But I wouldn’t even be comfortable with a Ubuntu user-desktop system running on it (and updating itself regularly, or trying to). What you really want, is one of those embedded OS’s – possibly based on Linux but not necessarily.

Motto: If you want a job done well, get dedicated tools. Not the next-best crap from BestBuy. And get someone who knows what they’re doing and who understands the tools. That’s also one of the problems with Windows in machine-only systems: You can make a Unix box bark or purr as you like, but with Windows there just is no getting around the GUI, you’re stuck with it. You don’t have scripting, you don’t have advanced OS features, but you do have to hit “are you sure [ok]” a gazillion times. How are you supposed to do unattended drag and drop during emergency situations?

“Warning! Your drill is overheating. Are you sure? Press OK to continue.”

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