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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
August 15, 2008
/ 14 Menachem-Av 5768
The end of operating systems?
By
Mark Kellner
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I often tell people that my experiences with every version of Microsoft Windows -
going back to 1.0, which I purchased at the very first Staples store in Cambridge,
Mass. - resembles my pre-marriage dating life.
Before I met Jean, I'd find myself dating this or that young woman. Things would
go along well for a time, and then I'd hear those much-dreaded words: "It's
not you, Mark, it's me."
The syntax is different, but just about every version of Microsoft Windows with
which I've worked for 22 years has ultimately issued the same message.
A couple of recent developments, then, raise an interesting question: Is there
finally to be an end to Windows as we know it? The answer: perhaps, and perhaps
sooner than we think.
Recently, a gaggle of journalists, led by the very-well-sourced Mary-Jo Foley of
ZDNet.com, have written about "Midori," code name for the "next" operating
system planned by Microsoft, one that will have an architecture devoid of any
Windows "legacy code." The details are sketchy, of course, since the project is
housed in the firm's "skunk works" where only the most advanced - as in,
"somewhere down the road" - projects lie. But the thought is that computing
will more and more take place in the Internet "cloud," or network, and that
we'll all collaborate and interoperate together, IM'ing "Kumbaya" to each
other, perhaps, instead of singing aloud.
Ironically, that sort of collaboration is available right now, albeit on computers
running some sort of operating system and a Web browser, due to a rather interesting
collaboration in real life: a group of Israeli and Palestinian techies have formed
G.ho.st, which offers a "virtual computer" online. Sign up, create a user
profile (your i.d. and password), and you can log into this "Global Hosted
Operating System" from anywhere and get your work done. Oh, and for good measure,
the package includes 3 Gigabytes of e-mail storage.
The desktop in this thing is icon-rich, with pictures of files, functions and
programs. I could, for example, upload an Excel spreadsheet from my work computer
and open it up in G.ho.st, and the macros apparently worked. However, in printing,
some of the headers were truncated, which made a normally nice-looking document
appear sloppy. It's early days, however.
Part of the appeal of G.ho.st is its collaborative functions: you can work with
others across boundaries and borders - penetrating "walls" as a real ghost
does, but via the Internet. Right now, the collaboration extends to file sharing and
instant messaging, but if everyone is in the same "cloud," it's not a bad
setup.
And you can't beat the cost: G.ho.st is free to individual users. I imagine the
firm will "monetize" its work, at least in part, by offering site licenses and
customization to large enterprises.
Most of the commands are consistent with Windows commands, but some aren't: it
seems a mouse click is the only way to close a window, not the Control-W that many
of us are familiar with. Response time, for launching applications and for working
within those apps, seems more than reasonable. The "Zoho Editor," or word
processor, started in the blink of an eye; relatively fast typing on my part
didn't overwhelm it.
I'm not sure I'd be ready to commit an enterprise to this system, not without a
lot more testing and usage. There may be other reservations users will develop,
given that everything is run from, admittedly, one of the more volatile parts of the
world. But given the determination of its top two executives: Zvi Schreiber, an
Israeli, and Palestinian Tareq Maayah, I wouldn't be surprised if this project has
far more than a G.ho.st of a chance.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Mark Kellner has reported on technology for industry newspapers and magazines since 1983, and has been the computer columnist for The Washington Times since 1991.Comment by clicking here.
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© 2008, News World Communications, Inc. Reprinted with permission of The Washington Times. Visit the paper at http://www.washingtontimes.com
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