Operating Systems Web Plan; Their Function and History

Introduction:
Defining terms: The operating system consolidates a lot of basic functions of the computer, such as input-output, file management, scheduling, and the automatic configuration of the system at boot-up. Advantages to customer (acting as an intermediary between user and machine) and programmer (preventing duplication of effort by handling many routine activities)(1)(3)

Main Body
First Paragraph
Origins of the OS: BESYS, MULTICS and UNIX at Bell Labs to make computing easier. CP/M and its offspring, QDOS and MS/PC-DOS. PCs would not have been a viable consumer product - or a useful business tool - without an operating system. Accretion of other elements into modern OSes. e.g., GUI, drivers, basic utilities and apps., browser.
Second paragraph
The Politics of the OS: Origins of Linux/GNU after the 'privatization' of UNIX. Philosophical issues. Linux and Windows today. DOS/Windows rise to dominance: Death of CP/M. More importantly, the decline of OS/2 and the end of IBM's power. Monopoly power: The API and bundling of software: leveraging tools to control the PC Industry. Integration of IE into Windows: More holistic view of computing, but also a powerful weapon against rivals. The importance of the MS Antitrust case.(2)
Third paragraph
The future: commoditization of the OS, Microsoft and others are seeking to dominate the web services instead.
Conclusions
OSes were a powerful driving force in the development and spread of computing. Their importance to the functioning of hardware still mean they are a powerful tool for shaping people's computing experience. This may be about to change. Summary of what mentioned in the main body.   TOP

References
1.Introduction to Operating Systems
2.The Microsoft Antitrust Trial and Free Software
3.8-Bit Operating Systems

Differences and similarities between Steve Job & Bill Gates
It is interesting to stop and think about the computer we are using today. How it was developed and the driving forces behind it. Here we are going to focus on two major players and how they affect the microcomputer industry - Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Steve Job (Apple). It is hard to imagine a world without these two companies, and the products they introduce to our modern life. Apple was founded by Steve Job and Steve Wozniak and its main objective was to build a machine that would be easy to operate as any household appliance, on which it would be "user friendly". Microsoft was founded by Bill Gate and his friend Paul Allen. Its main objective was "a computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software". From another hand, both Gates and Jobs - with their similarities and differences - are probably the two key personality in the story of the microcomputer.

Main personal similarities
»Both of them were the founders and CEO's of their companies.
» Both of them were the most influential characters in shaping their companies.
» Both of them were young with a dream and ambition when they start their career.
» Both of them became millionaire before the age 30.
» Both of them become a legendary figures in computing industry.
» Both of them can lead and empower their teams to get the best result form them.

Main Personal differences
» "Gate is a strong leadership who understands the technical issues of computing."
» "Jobs has nothing but style", he is often criticized for not being technically proficient.
» Gate was always interested in the business aspect while Jobs believed that they were creating a computer that would have a great impact on the world.
» Gate's step down from his position as CEO was a tactic plan used by Microsoft.
» Job's losing position as CEO was a management decision.
» Gate never left Microsoft.
» Job left Apple in 1985 and came back later.

Companies similarities
» The personality of both companies is formed by the personality of their founders.
» They define a way of working in PC industry. (very formal culture, young talented employees, intellectual creativity, incredible success)
» Horizontal management structure.
» Both companies gain a high loyalty from their employees.
» Microsoft and apple both have collaborative projects with IBM.
» Both companies have their ways up (GUI for Apple/Ms-Dos Microsoft) and down (Jobs out for Apple/Antitrust case for Microsoft). These ways fit to sigmoid curve.
» Together they make computing more friendly and easier.
» GUI is now dominant in the computer industry with Windows and Macintosh OS.

Companies Differences
» Apple for Hardware and software products, while Microsoft is specialized in software products.
» The deal of the century between Microsoft and IBM was formed the basis of Microsoft success.
» Apple success came from the efforts of its hardworking staff.
» Many of Microsoft products gain technological superiority and society acceptance.
» "MS is a hugely successful software company, with a reputation for producing good, but often not very innovative." ( MS often took an existing product and adopted it to MS product.
» Apple gained its reputation from the long research and developments of new means of computing. (GUI, WYSIWYG, Desktop metaphor...etc)
» Microsoft is a good example that initiates a new curve on a regular basis, e.g. moving into areas like CD-ROMs.
» The success of Apple and its subsequent decline seem to fit the Sigmoid model quite well.
» Apple employed people as "evangelists" to spread the world of Macintosh.
» Microsoft It typically employs very keen, young programmers who work long hours.

What Apple and Microsoft do for the industry
The Apple I lead to the Apple II. The successful Apple II has been described as "the Volkswagen of computers". There were three main factors in the Apple's II success. One reason it had an open system that allowed for add-ons like modems. The second was that after 1978 the computer came with the Wozniak engineered disk drive. Lastly, Apple develops a spread sheet that only ran on Apple computers. After the failed Apple III and Lisa computers, Apple introduced the Macintosh. Jobs designed it to compete with the PC. the Macintosh, the first truly user-friendly computer, with its mouse, icons, and pop-up menus, was hailed by Jobs as being "not just great...but instantly great".
In its early days Microsoft (Tref-O-Data), completed the first computer language for personal computers called BASIC. which was released with the new Altair computer. In 1981 Microsoft won the rights to BASIC which they had written and began the evolution chain that all software programs would follow, updating old programs while developing new projects on the  site. Microsoft was constantly on the search for was to make the personal computer more accessible to more people. In 1982 Microsoft came with Multi-Tool for DOS, later named Microsoft Word. they worked closely with the big names in hardware, first with IBM in the earlier years of BASIC and DOS, and later with Apple. In 1993 the first law suit came. A little known company called Stac Electronics filed suit for a patent violation for the inclusion of  some files compressing programs in MS DOS 6.0. The FTC came clean on Microsoft, but the trouble was just beginning for Bill Gates. Soon after the Justice department started its own investigation into the possible illegal monopoly of Microsoft in software manufacturing.

Conclusion
As a result, Bill Gate and Steve Jobs prove that technology is not alone sufficient in the computer industry. As a survival men and companies of the PC industry, they do not only create the standards of the industry but they also found the base standards of our modern life.        TOP
  

Advantages and disadvantages of computer conferencing
Some people think that online conferencing/learning will save the planet. Others think they are the first spark in the humanity relations. I am not sure about all that, but from my own humble experience I faced some kind of both advantages and disadvantages in using computer conferencing as a medium for supporting learning.

Advantages
◊   On line learning/conferencing are more convenient and offer more individual attention: The biggest advantage of an online conferencing is that my classroom and tutor (theoretically) are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Every thing is almost available to me. I can get announcements, access notes, review assignments, discuss questions, chat with fellow  students and study at any time I want. If I need help, I will explain what I am trying to do and what went wrong in plenty of detail, and give any error messages or references that might help. After that I will be very confident that I will receive the answer sooner or later. Because I have a direct pipeline to my tutor via e-mail, I can get the question(s) answered directly. Many students (am one of them) are not comfortable in asking questions at class because for fear of feeling stupid. The internet hopefully eliminates that fear. Then our opportunity to learn is enhanced.
◊  Online courses help you meet interesting people: Many of us do not really take the time to get to know our fellow students, especially in large classes as the class that I am attending. I might be too busy or I am just plain shy. An online course with its conference - as T171- provides the opportunity to get to know other students via chat rooms and mailing lists. I have had friends from study groups online, meeting at the local university cafeteria. Even if I converse online, it gives me a type of interaction with other students and other people that just isn't practical in the time-limited classroom.
 
Disadvantages
◊  Online learning require you to be responsible for your own learning: Only me is responsible for my own learning. The tutor can not force it on me. He/she can't make me study. He/she can share a little knowledge and experience, showing us a few tools and hope we get it. The spark and desire to pursue our dreams must be ours! So, the real disadvantage to an online learning is that you might not own up with. You might not take the responsibility for your studies and your goals. You might get behind it and never catch up with. To overcome this problem we must realize the importance of doing things on time or even a head of time. That self-realization propels our success in an online conference learning. The motivation of study comes from us, it is something that is called student-centered learning. So, the student must take the responsibility of his/her studies. Or in short, YOUR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON YOU!.        TOP