MS Windows - most extensible

Message ID: 374239

Posted By: deepdistrust

Subject: MS Windows - most extensible

There has been some discussion over the weekend on this board about the flexibility of Linux. The Nuts are unduly proud of their ability to produce a Linux with a small footprint. The fact of the matter is, Windows can be made pretty small too. The source code is owned by Microsoft, so only Microsoft can do it, but it has been done.

Linux is, of course, changeable -- the kernel itself can be changed. The real problem is that, to do many things, kernel *has* to be changed. You can find a kernel patch for many, many things. The problem with applying these patches is that, you will lose the ability to apply your distribution maker's patches (including security updates) after that. These are destructive changes.

On the other hand, Microsoft Windows has proven its extensibility in the field for many years. You can go out and buy a piece of hardware, attach it to your PC, load its driver from a CD or from the web, and start using it right away. It is extremely easy to install additional programs on a Windows machine. A more or less predictable environment is largely responsible for this ease. These are the kinds of changes a end user is mostly likely to make, and Windows makes these kinds of non-destructive changes much easier than Lamex. Windows is the best, most extensible environment around for end-users.

This Yahoo! SCOX Message Board post has been licensed for copying and distribution under the following license:

CCL Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike v2.0.