Over the years operating systems have been raising their standard in graphics so much that to run a current OS like windows vista, you need a hardware bolstering a minimum of 512mb - 1 GB of RAM. Such requirements are extremely high and limited to only a few.
Yes most hardware has gotten faster and cheaper, following Moore’s law well, but the software keep getting heavier with every new generation agreeing with Gate’s law. This is all good progress if we just want to stick with business as usual. Every competitor in the computer industry are tied up in a power struggle, with each one vying for the most sales by offering more and more of speed and overloading graphics.
I see this as a blind trail, because no one pauses to asses the situation. What if we take a new look at the way we think we want our software and hardware to be. The One laptop per Child program initiated by Nicholas Negroponte has shed some light on what could be done with the PC. It was designed for developing countries, but it might well be just what the so called developed world needs. It careful and purposeful design created a reasonably modern laptop with all the necessities for the price of just $140. That is impressive. Now think of all the US households that could benefit from that especially those that can barely buy a PC. It goes to prove that less is truly more.
Back to Operating Systems, consider all the power it takes to run all those unnecessary overdressed OS graphics, now replace all that with a more basic graphic layout. You would end up with an OS that consumes less space and uses less power to operate. I would prefer a bare bones operating system that uses less power and leaves room for more demanding applications. Windows Vista is the epitome of OS graphics overload, and even newer versions of Linux are following this trend. It would be refreshing to see a bare bones Linux based OS with modern compatibilities, but with less OS graphic workload.
Tonami Playman is a computer science student at Knoxville college. He is an avid information consumer and contributer in computer and automotive circles.
Source: www.isnare.com
