Why not? What if we can download and use a perfectly legal Win XP like Operating System, instead of paying some $300 (~ Rs. 11,500/-) for it? We can soon have it, if you choose to spend 3 minutes (plus 5 minutes to read this post) now.
A Windows NT-like free OS is in the works, but not quite here yet. Right now it is in Alpha stage, meaning it is not for everyday use; What I am talking about is ReactOS [http://www.reactos.org].
If you want to put in your 3 minutes to make such an OS possible but don’t want to be bored by me any further, skip to the last section - How to vote / support ReactOS.
;-)
Begin Bore
Windows NT is still around and its forthcoming avatar will be Windows 8. Windows NT ‘kernel’ despite what Linux users say, is in the opinion of some far ahead of the Unix/Linux which are of 1970/80s design. Windows NT is a 90s design and until a new OS comes around completely written from scratch, it will remain the latest.
The problem with Windows is the Win32 implementation - in simple terms the layer where the user interacts with the NT kernel. To put in my 2 cents worth, Windows 7 is only slightly better than XP; Except for some eye candy (with Aero/Glass effect) and strengthened security there is nothing which Win 7 will do better for an average user. And Windows 8 looks as if it is Win 7 worked over by Steve Jobs (may he RIP).
:-P
For a more complete reading on what, why and when, you can read
Almost an year back, I had ripped into the DRDO for blathering about developing ‘our’ (meaning India’s) own cyber-attack-proof-Windows-like-OS. You can read it at ‘Attack of the Clone-OS’, where I had asked why doesn’t DRDO join with ReactOS and take it further?
As ReactOS is Open/GPL software, DRDO need not even ‘join’ in its truest sense. They can just announce a ‘fork’ from the present ReactOS - maybe call it ChandOS - a play on the Sanskrit word Chandas meaning Vedic meter.
(BTW there is already a fork WOOS - a Spanish initiative - which will be soon available to public)
If not DRDO or any Government initiative, why not a private initiative by the body shoppers who made so much money by riding the IT wave or Bollywood superstars making movies which primarily rely on CGI?
If you are like me (not rich and program-impaired), you can help by spreading the word and voting for ReactOS as below.
End of Bore
So what’s new now?
On 18th I was alerted by the ReactOS team (as everyone registered with them were) that the German bank ING has opened a competition to support ‘foundations’. They propose to give Euro 1000 to each of the top 1000 foundations and the top 1000 will be chosen by open voting with an email ID. The last date is 15th of November 2011. The press release is at ReactOS website. All you need is an email ID.
Every email ID will have 3 chances to vote and all 3 votes can be to the same foundation. What I am asking everyone reading or chancing upon this post is to please vote for ReactOS. The instructions on how to vote can be found there; also being reproduced here for ease:
How to vote / support ReactOS
------------------------------------------
You can easily increase our chances by voting on the following website:
https://verein.ing-diba.de/sonstiges/33378/reactos-deutschland-ev
Here is the complete voting procedure:
You may also share this, so that we can get as many people as possible to vote for us.
Let's get ReactOS among the top 1000!
Cheers and thanks for your support,
Aleksey Bragin and Colin Finck
in the name of the ReactOS Team and ReactOS Deutschland e.V.
--------------------------------------------
For the record, I have no connection - commercial, personal or otherwise - with ReactOS team.
So, what are you waiting for? Push in your 3 votes and spread the word.
A Windows NT-like free OS is in the works, but not quite here yet. Right now it is in Alpha stage, meaning it is not for everyday use; What I am talking about is ReactOS [http://www.reactos.org].
If you want to put in your 3 minutes to make such an OS possible but don’t want to be bored by me any further, skip to the last section - How to vote / support ReactOS.
;-)
Begin Bore
Windows NT is still around and its forthcoming avatar will be Windows 8. Windows NT ‘kernel’ despite what Linux users say, is in the opinion of some far ahead of the Unix/Linux which are of 1970/80s design. Windows NT is a 90s design and until a new OS comes around completely written from scratch, it will remain the latest.
The problem with Windows is the Win32 implementation - in simple terms the layer where the user interacts with the NT kernel. To put in my 2 cents worth, Windows 7 is only slightly better than XP; Except for some eye candy (with Aero/Glass effect) and strengthened security there is nothing which Win 7 will do better for an average user. And Windows 8 looks as if it is Win 7 worked over by Steve Jobs (may he RIP).
:-P
For a more complete reading on what, why and when, you can read
- the ReactOS website,
- the ReactOS wikipedia page, or
- a 2006 review of ReactOS.
Almost an year back, I had ripped into the DRDO for blathering about developing ‘our’ (meaning India’s) own cyber-attack-proof-Windows-like-OS. You can read it at ‘Attack of the Clone-OS’, where I had asked why doesn’t DRDO join with ReactOS and take it further?
As ReactOS is Open/GPL software, DRDO need not even ‘join’ in its truest sense. They can just announce a ‘fork’ from the present ReactOS - maybe call it ChandOS - a play on the Sanskrit word Chandas meaning Vedic meter.
(BTW there is already a fork WOOS - a Spanish initiative - which will be soon available to public)
If not DRDO or any Government initiative, why not a private initiative by the body shoppers who made so much money by riding the IT wave or Bollywood superstars making movies which primarily rely on CGI?
- Why not Nandan Nilakeni who is out to bamboozle the Government and ultimately the citizens of India by forging (no pun intended) ahead with the UIDAI (You Die) Database or Aadhaar (Aa Bail Mujhe Maar) ID Cards?
- Why not Narayana Murthy who has suddenly woken up to the dangers of having 2 power centres in the Government and poor quality of students from IITs?
- Why not Shah Rukh Khan whose release of RA.One-The Game is a first for Indian Gaming/Movie industry?
- What’s the matter with these guys -
- are they too poor or
- can they not gather programmers or
- can they not initiate such a project?
If you are like me (not rich and program-impaired), you can help by spreading the word and voting for ReactOS as below.
End of Bore
So what’s new now?
On 18th I was alerted by the ReactOS team (as everyone registered with them were) that the German bank ING has opened a competition to support ‘foundations’. They propose to give Euro 1000 to each of the top 1000 foundations and the top 1000 will be chosen by open voting with an email ID. The last date is 15th of November 2011. The press release is at ReactOS website. All you need is an email ID.
Every email ID will have 3 chances to vote and all 3 votes can be to the same foundation. What I am asking everyone reading or chancing upon this post is to please vote for ReactOS. The instructions on how to vote can be found there; also being reproduced here for ease:
How to vote / support ReactOS
------------------------------------------
You can easily increase our chances by voting on the following website:
https://verein.ing-diba.de/sonstiges/33378/reactos-deutschland-ev
Here is the complete voting procedure:
- Open the link above
- Click on the orange button "Stimme abgeben" (= Vote)
- Enter your E-Mail address and solve the captcha, then hit the button "Absenden" (= Send)
- You will receive a confirmation E-Mail where you have to click the first link.
- Finally click on "Stimme abgeben" again and you're done.
You may also share this, so that we can get as many people as possible to vote for us.
Let's get ReactOS among the top 1000!
Cheers and thanks for your support,
Aleksey Bragin and Colin Finck
in the name of the ReactOS Team and ReactOS Deutschland e.V.
--------------------------------------------
For the record, I have no connection - commercial, personal or otherwise - with ReactOS team.
So, what are you waiting for? Push in your 3 votes and spread the word.
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