April 11th, 2008
The Linux lesson Windows needs
Gartner analysts are running about in Las Vegas, hair on fire, shouting that Windows is collapsing. Or about to collapse. Or something.
This is easy to get snarky about, but there is a real issue here. With each new release of Windows, it adds capability, it adds code, and it gets bigger. It’s the Moore’s Law of Windows, Gates’ Corollary.
Windows Vista is a bigger piece of software than XP was, XP was bigger than Windows 98, etc. etc. etc. With all those dependencies there is bound to be trouble, and if you run Vista, you know what that is.
What’s the solution? Linux followers may consider me apostate for mentioning this, but just take a page from Linux’ book.
Linux is Linux, but not all Linuxes are created equal. The Linux you run on a mobile phone is not the same as the Linux you run on a blade server. The former contains only those kernel functions it needs to do what it needs to do.
That’s what all these various Linux vendors are really up to, slicing and dicing and parsing and picking what the Linux Foundation delivers into something custom made for their customers, like cooks creating meals from an ingredient list.
Microsoft has never done that. It’s tried to, with things like Window Mobile. But eventually everything it touches turns to bloatware, in the name of compatibility.
There’s your problem. Instead of looking at Windows as one product, Microsoft might do well to look at it as an ingredient list for a host of products, custom-made by Microsoft’s wizards (and its ecosystem) for your delectation.
For Linux’ sake I hope it never happens.
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist for 30 years, a tech freelancer since 1983. You can follow Dana on Twitter. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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| 04/12/08
