Building a computer is easy

 

On the first look the task of building a computer from electronics components is a demanding task. the problem is, that a relais has to be used as the main memory an other components are used to create the logic unit. It will takes many hours until the system is running. But, in compaarison with the task which is required after the computer was built, the hardware task is the easier one.

To make the situation easier to understand let us assume not a physical computer is created but only a virtual machine which can execute a program. The simplest possible machine is a brainfuck interpreter. It is a basically a computer but realized as a software program. Similar to building a computer, on the first look the task o creating such a machine seems to be very complicted. The interpreter has to fetch the next instruction, it has to analyze if the word is known and then the processing step follows.

But a short look into existing brainfuck compilers and interpreter will show that the task can be realized by a single person within a small amount of time. It is possisble to create such a machine and fix all the bugs.

The paradox situation is, that after the interpreter is ready the more complicated tasks wasn't adressed yet. An interpreter which is able to execute a program is useless if no software is available. That means somebody has to write the code which is executed on the machine. This task is the more challenging one. The amount of possible software is endless, in contrast there only a few possible ideas how to create a virtual machine. The chance is high that the principle is the same for a physical machine. That means, there are only 8bit computers, 16bit and some other types. In general the layout is the same, and if someone creates a computer from scratch he will come to the same design like in previous attempts. But suppose someone has built a homebrew cpu and all the parts are working great. What can this machine do? n case of doubt the only thing what the machine will do is to run a calcuator program or can figure out the prime numbers from 0 to 100. Everything else needs to be created first in software.

Sometimes it was mentioned that assembly programming is an easy task. From a hardware perspective, this is correct. In contrast to plug in cables manual assembly instructions are an elegant way to program a computer. But the same language will become hard and even unusable if the idea is to create a certain application for example a computer game or a text processing software. That means, the computer is no longer used as a simple machine which runs a program but the idea is to program a useful application for the machine. In such a case a low level hardware oriented language will become a bottleneck.

How to become an A-Blogger

 

The traffic to weblogs is categorized into A,B,C. C blogs have low amount of traffic, B-Blogs are read by more people and A-Blogs are international relevant blogs which stay in competition to existing large online portals and forums.

Technically the traffic is measured by the blogging software which is recording the amount of visits on each day. In the screenshot the traffic from this blog is shown. It has a very low traffic of 3 visits per day. That means, literary nobody is reading the blog and no one has subscribed to the RSS feed or is motivated to comment something. Somebody may ask what is wrong with the blog. Does it has content? Yes a lot of content was posted over the years. The blog consists roughly 500 posts and many of them are equipped with self created images. The language is English so in theory the world can read the content.

It is very common for a blog to receive only a low amount of traffic. The reason is, that the internet has millions of different blogs and they are listed in the search engines in the last position. So nobody will find them. For example, one of the postings is about the C language. But if a random visitor is typing in “c language” into google, he won't see my blog because it is located on position 2 million and 321.

Why promoting Linux is a bad idea ...

 

The existing computer industry works great. The hardware vendors are producing fast quiet laptops and the software industry provides secure affordable applications. If the customer trust the companies he will in return modern technology which allows him to write documents, play games and watch videos. The only disturbing element are so called Linux users who think they have more knowledge about computing than even the hardware vendor.

A typical Linux user will claim, that a certain notebook has a loud fan. This is simply not possible and the only reason why the fan is on is because something is wrong the user. He is not allowed to install alternative operating systems. Linux users are doing the wrong actions and then they are complaining about so called hardware malfunction.

Normal users which are running only the preinstalled Windows operating system have no such problems. The games on their PC are running smoothly and they doesn't hear any noise. The reason is that these customers have more knowledge about computers. They trust the experts on the field and doesn't try to use their acquired amateur knowledge for ideological arguments.

The best thing what hardware vendors and software companies can do is to ignore Linux users at all. A discussion which operating system is better or if a certain hardware is working together with Linux won't produce an added value but it is a dead end. If Linux users are interesting in understanding how computers are working they should solder together their own computer but they not allowed to spread a bad mood in the online support forums.

How to make Windows 10 compatible with Linux

 Most users have the understanding that they have to decide between Linux which is open source and Windows which is not. The users think that have to remove the existing Windows partition from their harddrive otherwise they can't become part of the Linux movement. A more softer transition is described in the following blog post.

Instead of arguing for or against certain operating systems the better idea is to investigate the software which is installed. A typical LInux distribution is shipped with preinstallation of the following software: gcc, python3, firefox, Libreoffice. What Linux users are doing is not interact with Linux itself but they want to run these programs. The reason is that the mentioned software is powerful and comes free of charge.

What speaks against the attempt to install these programs in Windows instead of running LInux? Right, it works great. All of the software plus extra programs like gimp are available in a windows 64bit version. It can be installed with a simple mouseclick. After the software was installed it will run the same way like the Linux version.

What most users are interested to do is not to switch to open source but they want simple become python programmers. Let us describe the idea behind Linux in detail.. Linux is a layer between the GUI and the hardware. Usually not the end user decides about this layer but the hardware vendor. A certain company decides which bios a computer get and which hardware drivers are working fine. Does it makes sense for ordinary user to quetion the decision of the hardware vendor? It is a rheotrical question beause in case of doubt, the hardware vendor has more experts.

Let us go a step backward. It makes sense that user1 recommends user2 to install the python3 interpreter or the libreoffice suite. Because they are normal windows programs and after they have been installed the computer will look the same. The only difference is, that the user gets another icon on the desktop. In contrast the recommendation to remove Windows in general over Linux is way too much innovation. Such thing can't be undone and most users won't be happy with Linux. Linux and open source are two different things. open source means to use software tools like gcc under Windows. While Linux means that the user is replacing the entire Windows partition with something else.

the interesting point is, that the advantage of Linux is low. If python3 and libreoffice was installed in a windows environment they user won't get any additional value if he is switching to Ubuntu or Debian. But he will loose so many things for example the ability to run Windows software. Let us try to describe the situation from a different angle. Suppose, microsoft would prohibit that a user installs programming tools like notepad++, a text only browser, or a c compiler. The explanation should be that the user is not allowed to run these advanced programs. Under such constraints it would make sense to deinstall the windows OS in general and search for something which is more open. But in the reality the user doesn't has these restrictions. He can install as many open source software under Windows he likes. Because it is own computer and he is the administrator.

The main problem with Linux is that the system isn't backward compatible. That means, the software industry is producing Linux apps and the hardware industry has no PC for Linux users. Instead of trying to change the situation the more realistic approach is to regonize the situation and try to question if Linux might be wrong.

Does Windows has disadvantages?

 In a blog post somewhere in the internet some cons of Windows were mentioned. Most of the cons are wrong and it makes sense to go through the list.

1. High resource requirements: Windows isn't using more cpu ressources but less. The software is more adapted to the software and was tested. In contrast Linux is known for lower battery performance.

2. closed source. The argument was that it is not possible to troubleshoot problems because the software is close source. This argument is wrong as well. Most linux issues remain unsolved, while Windows issues are solved much faster. That is the reason why Microsoft has over one billion customers in the world.

3. pour security. Windows is by far the most secure system in the world. Window server is certified for many security applications.

Then there some minor arguments given like poor technical support and vulnerable to Linux. Point #8 on the list is interesting. It was mentioned in the blog that the price for windows is too high, while Linux is provided for free. How long does it take until somebody is familar with Linux. Right it will take years, in contrast, all the users are familiar with Windows already so the system is much cheaper.

9. Additional expenses. This argument is wrong too. The amount of freeware and open source software for Windows is much higher than for Linux itself. There is a lot of freeware available which isn't available in Debian and other Linux distros. It is up to the end user to decide to install these programs.

The point #11 on the list is funny. It is vendor lock in. The argument was the Windows forcs the user into a certain cage. The reality is, that Windows isn't supported by a single company but by all the hardware and software companies in the world. The mixing of different vendors are one of the key elements of the Windows ecosystem. Windows is nothing else than a bazar in which different companies are offering their software.

So we can say, that windows has no disadvantages. It is a here to stay modern operating system and will succeed Linux easily.

Windows for Linux users

 Sorry Linux, but your no longer interesting. The better alternative is Windows. Since a while, Microsoft Windows has become the perfect replacement for former Linux installation. It allows to run the same software and in addition all the existing Windows applications can be installed. It detects recent hardware and the performance is a bit better than with Linux. Not so much but at least this is my subjective impression.

Perhaps it makes sense to give some tipps for other Linux users who have decided to remove the Linux kernel and become a real programmer. First thing to do is to reactivate the bitlocker encryption. If Windows is the only operating system on a pc there is no need that gparted is invited to resize the partition. This will increase the security drastically.

The next step is to change the boot order in the BIOS. So that not external unsigned usb sticks are allowed to boot the computer but only the newly installed Windows 10. After these basic settings are working, the next step is to install some software in Windows. For example python3, lyx, geany and libreoffice. Like i mentioned before there is no need to use different software than under Linux. The newly installed software in combination with the powershell will transform the Win10 computer into a Linux like workstation.

Sure the first weeks the user has to unlearn some things. The program starter is not on top like in Gnome but on the bottom. But the rest is working the same. What the user will see is that the Windows machine will run much smoother and more secure than any existing Linux operating system.

Let us be honest. Linux is nothing else than an ideology and has failed to convince the poweruser with sourcecode. Most of the software was written first for Windows. And it will run on this platform more efficient than with Linux. It is some sort of joke if Linux users are trying to convince normal users that they should switch to Open Source. Because Linux has nothing to offer at all. There is no such thing like a Linux system.

Perhaps we should mention some important facts from computer history. Not Linux has invented the PC industry but all the games and C++ compilers were created in Windows and for Windows. That means the most advanced OS in the world is not the penguin but it is preinstalled on all the PCs in the world. For example, the latest edition of Windows contains of the speech engine Cortana, a powerful full text search in all the files and has a builtin Firewall. All these features are missing in Linux and there is no plan to introduce it. Basically spoken, Linux is some sort of fail pattern and it makes sense to remove the OS from the harddrive.

Describing the Linux failure landscape

 

The Linux online forums have to handle a lot of request from disappointed users. The typical situation is that a certain Linux distribution isn't working with a concrete piece of hardware. And nobody in the forum knows the exact reason or can fix the problem upstream. Instead of explaining what each single case was let us give a birds eye perspective about linux compatibility in general.

The overall situation has nothing to do with init scripts or kernel modules but the problem is located on a time line. A hardware vendor releases a product to the market and is selling the product for 2-3 years. During that time, the product won't work with Linux for sure. That means, the touchpad of the notebook isn't recognized and the graphics card can't display even standard VGA signals. The only way to run the hardware is the Windows operating system.

If the product delivery was stopped after a while and was replaced by a new product it is possible to write open source hardware driver for the product. This results into kernel patches. Without these hardware driver, the linux kernel can't recognize the device. Until the newly written hardware drivers are put into the kernel and shipped to normal Linux users it will take another 2 years. So we can say, that after a certain period Linux works great with the hardware.

The critical time span are the first three years. If a product is sold, no Linux support is available. And if the product is outdated, it will run fine in Linux. Which customer likes to run Linux on brandnew devices? Right nobody because the customers are aware of the problem.

Let us summarize the situation a bit: most (90%) of all the Linux bug reports in online forums are about recent hardware. It is very unlikely that somebody finds a problem with outdated hardware because if the product is 5 years and older the chance is very high that it will run out of the box with Linux. So basically Linux provides something nobody was asking for.

New stories about the revolutionary year 1992 in computer history

 

Most computer history today is told in a linear fashion. The idea is, that all the technology which is available today was invented in the mid and late 1980s. So modern technology is nothing else but a faster Apple II computer and a Commodore Amiga with more RAM.

The problem with this story is, that it ignores the turning point of 1992. This date was a milestone in computer hardware and very important the internet age has started. From a hardware perspective the year 1992 was the transition period from former 16 bit home computer to modern 32 bit PC. Here are some facts. The Atari ST which was a typical 16bit homecomputer was first released in 1985. That means 7 years later the hardware was available widespread but at the same time it was a bit outdated. In contrast a intel 386SX chip in a PC with the windows 3.0 operating was a modern computer in that area. The main difference is that the 386SX PC is a 32bit system and has a built in hard drive while the Atari ST not.

The year 1992 was at foremost the end point of the 1980s computer generation That means all the Amiga 500, Atari ST machines, the commodore 64 and the MS-DOS based 286'er has become obsolete. Instead a more modern 32bit IBM PC compatible architecture was perceived as the new standard. The interesting point is that such a drastical decline never happend again since that area. That means everything what was invented after the year 1992 is valid today. This splits up the computer history into at least two periods. The time until the year 1992 which was equal to 16bit hardware, low resolution graphics, floppy drives and no Internet. And the time after 1992 which is equal to cheap PC compatible hardware, GUI operating systems, high resolution games and of course the WWW.

From a hardware perspective there is a large difference between a 16bit Atari ST and a 32 bit IBM PC. The later one can be described as a workstation. That means it is not a home computer but a professional computer with built in harddrive, an ethernet connection and the ability to run multiple applications at the same time. In contrast a 16bit homecomputer has to be treated as a toy. It is some sort of gaming console.

There was a big difference before the year 1992 and after that date. Before this time the question for every computer nerd was how to build and and program a computer. What was available and common at this time were radio, TV screen and electronic ocmponents like transistors. What was not available was a computer. So the average computer nerd was happy if was able to build such a mschine from scratch and type in a program from a magazine line by line. After the year 1992 the situation has changed because since then computer technology was available. Every store has provided standard pc hardware and software which was ready to use. The computer has become part of daily living and was used for some practical applications like text processing and game playing.

It is interesting to see that around the year 1992 the articles in the computer journal have become trivial. It was common before the year 1992 that tutorials were published how to program a computer in assembly or how to build something by hand. In contrast the magaine after 1992 have tested existing software and made recommendation which hardware somebody should buy.

Before the year 1992 computer was a hobby and an adventure, after that date, computing has become trivial. This is not the same that computers went out of fashion but it means that the amount of possibilities has increased drastically. In the computer all the technology from the decades ago were aggregated. The unix operating system was ported to PC hardware, the video games were published only for PC hardware and the device has become the default tool for graphic designer, musicians, programmers and even for supercomputing applications.