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{subhead} The insignificance of different computers{def}{p}
Article by David Falksen
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The Computer
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The Issue
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I find it interesting how people can become OS androids. Many are so
comitted to their platform that the OS almost becomes an obession or
religious cult. Though there is nothing unusual or abnormal about such
individuals, it can make one ask the question, "Does it really matter
which Operating System is used?"
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In an industry where some companies want individual users to think a
particular OS is the only way to go and to think that if you don't get
their OS, then you will miss the excitement, reality is somewhat
different. Fear and intimidation is a pshycological method that many
individuals have used throughout history in order to heavily encourage
people to follow their lead and to conform with their ideologies. Naive
people may believe that companies in a free enterprise system would not
use such tactics, but with a little observation, practices such as these
can be easily found in many industries.
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Computers have become a major part of our lives. As the 20th Century
comes to a close and as the 21st Century prepares to begin, we find that
computers enhance our lives in such a way that to not have one would
mean mean a loss in productivity. The little silicon miracle has enabled
companies to grow to a point where today's companies may be the largest
organizations in known history. Computers enable people to organize
finances, compare data, store information for quick retrieval, share
resources, share computing power, be entertained, create opportunities,
control electronic devices, and a lot of other things.
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Getting the Job Done
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Despite all the hype and brainwashing that can occur, there comes a
point in time when one wonders what is really needed to get a job done.
What type of technology is really necessary to keep track of financial
data? What type of software is necesary to store data. For the large
Corporation the computer may be required to process large amounts of
data, to prove it will not become obsolete or discontinued, to allow
room for future growth, to increase productivity, to share resources, to
reduce expenses, to generate funds, etc..
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For the average user the requirements tend to be smaller and less
demanding to accomplish basic tasks of finance, word processing, data
storage, entertainment, Internet browsing, data entry, and the like.
Both corporate and home users usually use computers for such tasks, so a
computer has to perform these basic tasks. The home user can purchase a
computer of any kind that can accomplish basic computing tasks and that
will continue to improve with technology.
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The Bottom Line
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No matter which computer the average individual purchases, it will
accomplish any desired task. Amiga and Macintosh computers are often
degraded and looked down upon. However, for the average computer user,
both corporate and home, both computers are capable of efficient
productivity. Amiga is often considered by some as a toy while Macintosh
is sometimes considered as a kid's computer. These uninformed
individuals have no idea that Macintosh is widely used in the publishing
industry because of its great desktop publishing capabilities. They also
do not know that NASA uses the Amiga to control some of its rocket
technology and to monitor mission critical data sent back by spacecraft.
Both of these systems are quite capable of handling a broad range of
computational tasks. OS/2, developed and maintained by IBM, is used in
banks and government agencies for critical transactions and data
management.
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Issues
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Use
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People have argued since the early 1980's which computer is best. Some
like the IBM-PC while others like the Macintosh and still others like
Amiga. Sun, Motorola, IRIX, Intel, Gateway-Amiga, and SGI manufacture
hardware technology that are quite capable of accomplishing a vast array
of computational tasks. What determines which is more suitable is
dependent upon the task to be accomplished.
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Quality
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The combination of quality hardware and well coded software has a
significant impact on the efficiency of productivity. A fast computer
processor will not perform well if the Operating System and software is
bloated, buggy, or not streamlined. Likewise, software that is efficient
and well designed that runs of hardware that cannot handle the tasks is
also inefficient. The potential buyer of a computer should keep this in
mind when purchasing a new computer.
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Compatibility
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The issue of which software to use for common tasks is obsolete.
Standard datatypes such as GIF, JPEG, HTML, RTF, WAV, and lots of other
types are readable on any modern computer. Virtually every new
productivity software sold on the market can read datatypes from
competing products. Word Perfect software can read MS-Word datatypes
while MS-Word can read Word Perfect datatypes. A user running Linux can
use StarOffice to import and export MS-Excel files while the Amiga
computer can do the same thing. OS/2 users have the same capabilities.
Keep this in mind the next time someone tells you that software
compatibility among platforms can be a complicated task. Complication is
often and usually blown out of proportion.
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Emulation
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Many Operating Systems and platforms can emulate another. MacOS can
emulate DOS. Unix can emulate Windows. Amiga can emulate MacOS. In
addition to software emulation, most OS's can read a variety of disk
formats. MacOS, for example, can read MS-DOS format; Unix can read
MS-DOS; Amiga can read MacOS and MS-DOS. Such capabilities help to
increase cross-platform compatibility.
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Software
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How much software that is available on a computer is often mentioned.
Some platforms have more software than others. However, how many Word
Processors does one actually need? The average computer user needs only
one spreadsheet program to do calculations. All Operating Systems and
computer platforms have at least a couple of productive applications
such as spreadsheets, databases, word processing, graphics, desktop
publishing, etc.. Some software companies, such as Star Division, have
created integrated applications that run on a wide range of platforms;
this makes using one Operating System or platform instead of another
less significant.
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Development
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Continual development of hardware and software technology is important
for any computer. Hardware manufacturers and software developers for
most platforms continue to enhance and improve on their products.
Windows, OS/2, MacOS, BeOS, AmigaOS, Unix OS's, and others continue to
improve. Even the Amiga, which has been through some rough roads after
Commodore went bankrupt and before being acquired by Gateway 2000, has
continued to advance with new technologies. Apple continues to enhance
their Operating System and adopt new microprocessor technologies.
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Where To Go From Here
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The standardization of datatypes, continuous development of hardware and
software, and emulation help to create an environment where individuals
can freely choose which Operating System and computer platform to use
with little concern. The computer is a means to an end. All computers
can provide the basic needs for most users. Some computers are better at
some tasks than others. Computer users should know what is needed and
what is available to accomplish the desired task. A high quality product
can help save time, money, and effort.
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Do not allow others to make decisions for you or for your company. Get
all the facts. Know what is available. Talk to different users of
different Operating Systems and platforms. Analyse the strengths and
weaknesses. Find out about developing technologies and how you may be
able to use them. Speak with salespeople of different systems to get a
balanced overview. Make an informed decision based upon the gathered
information.
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Operating System Web Pages (in Alphabetical order):
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o Amiga{p}
  o My AmigaOS page - {link http://www.flash.net/~dfalksen/amigaos}http://www.flash.net/~dfalksen/amigaos{end}{p}
  o Amiga, Inc. - {link http://www.amiga.com}http://www.amiga.com{end}{p}
o BeOS - {link http://www.be.com}http://www.be.com{end}{p}
o Linux - {link http://www.linux.org/dist/english.html}http://www.linux.org/dist/english.html{end}{p}
o MacOS - {link http://www.apple.com}http://www.apple.com{end}{p}
o OS/2 - {link http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/}http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/{end}{p}
o Windows - http://www.microsoft.com/windows
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Copyright © 1999 David Falksen. All Rights Reserved.{p}
Email: {bold}dfalksen@flash.net{nobold}{p}
WWW: {link http://www.flash.net/~dfalksen}http://www.flash.net/~dfalksen{end}