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[nybuck]

...I don't believe that it is Windows, Solaris, or Unix that freezes in our home automation setups...  It's ActiveHome Pro, the unsigned drivers for the VA12A, etc...   

[Brandt]

I used windows growing up most of my life and it's always been more and more bloated, which drives the hardware industry to keep it running. I don't really care for that. I like lightweight well coded fast operating systems that have had it's code re-factored many times from the ground up. In windows, I hear there is some old code left in there that not even MS knows what it does anymore.

Besides I wouldn't want to say my home is "Powered by Windows". I think a "Powered by Linux" sticker sounds better 

It seems that most enterprise servers that companies with large data centers use are Unix based and there is a good reason for that 

[dave w]

In windows, I hear there is some old code left in there that not even MS knows what it does anymore.

Vista is supposed to be 50 million lines of very tight, compact, efficient code. 

"Gates Law": The speed of software halves every 18 months. (the inverse of Moores Law).
Microsoft and Intel and AMD have a nice business arrangement. Windows gets more inefficient so Intel and AMD has a new market for more powerful, more expensive processors. The cycle repeats about every 18 to 24 months.

But I stand by my original statement that AHP's user dissatisfaction is an AHP problem not a Windows problem.

[Knightrider]

Gee, I've tried not to get in on this, but.........

How often do you Linux guys have to reboot?  For me on windoze it's about every 3 weeks.

How many viruses attack Linux (or OSX)?

To me, its about keeping competition alive.  If we all ran MS systems, MS would never grow.  I love Firefox, which it seems that IE is playing catch-up to.

We can't all work for Mr. Gates, and the open source community keeps the spirit of innovation alive.

BTW,  I was using Solaris way back in my days of education, and thought to myself "If only Windows 3.[sic] worked like this......"   

I hear that Win 7 does.


My kids once brought me a copy of Umbutu, but I never had the guts to try it.  (Same goes for the copy of Vista my wife bought me -- it's still in the shrink wrap.)

My hat is off to you guys that keep making automation work with the other OS's.

[HA Dave]

My hat is off to you guys that keep making automation work with the other OS's.

I am with you on that Knightrider Having a free OS available for tasks like HA... is a good thing. I predate windows myself. I have played with Linux... but it has been a few years ago.. I am sure it has improved. 

I can understand why foreign born American hating socialist bad mouth American Corporations.... I just don't understand the self-hatred.

[Brandt]

You shouldn't have to reboot windows, just like you should have to reboot unix/linux. It's just a matter of stopping and starting services in order to maintain uptime 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_service

[dave w]

BTW,  I was using Solaris way back in my days of education, and thought to myself "If only Windows 3.[sic] worked like this......"   

I hear that Win 7 does.


My kids once brought me a copy of Umbutu, but I never had the guts to try it.  (Same goes for the copy of Vista my wife bought me -- it's still in the shrink wrap.)

My hat is off to you guys that keep making automation work with the other OS's.

I guess I should apologise to all for taking this off track, but it is good conversation.

Knight, keep the cellophane on Vista and tell your wife it is my fault. Vista is the epitome of (useless) Windows Bloat.  BTW if you remember Windows 3.x did you ever use GEM by Digital Research?

Yes, all those using other OS's have standing ovation from me also.

[pconroy]

How often do you Linux guys have to reboot?  For me on windoze it's about every 3 weeks.
How many viruses attack Linux (or OSX)?

I hear that Win 7 does.


My kids once brought me a copy of Umbutu, but I never had the guts to try it.  (Same goes for the copy of Vista my wife bought me -- it's still in the shrink wrap.)

I had one Linux system that had about four years of uptime on it, before I just decided to kill the whole system. 

My latest Ubuntu boxes usually go months, but if they release some patches that require a reboot, then I just go ahead and reboot.  I think I've rebooted my Ubuntu installs twice last month for patches.

No system is immune from virii - we all know some of the most famous worms/trojans etc started life on UN*X boxes.  Windows is just a larger installed base and presents a more effective target for virus writers.  But, Bill initially did some things that made it easier to infect a Windows box: the initial release of ActiveX was down right criminal IMHO.   It's much mo' safer now.


While it's easier for me to code on a Linux box, mostly because of familiarity with the tools - I really like the fact that Linux let's me prolong the life of my old hardware.

Up until last year, my home automation servers had been a 150MHz Pentium laptop from 1996, a 300MHz laptop from '98, a 400MHz laptop from 2000 and a 800MHz desktop from  2002 or so.

I can find these on craigslist for $20-40, and the load and run Linux just fine and run more than fast enough for something like "heyu".




I splurged last year, spent $75 for a nice 2 GHz AMD desktop that now runs my home automation stuff. 

[Brandt]

  I spent $99 on a 1.2Ghz 512MB Sheevaplug recently. I really want to get into linux based text to speech and voice recognition, and while it can do it..it's awfully sluggish.

[HA Dave]

I've mentioned several times before that I use an old "saved from the trash" P3 XP machine (up graded from 98).

I upgraded the PC's RAM with memory I purchased used at the computer repair stall at the local flea market. I've often mentioned that any dry (no rain or snow) "trash day" can be a great time to find a Home Automation PC. Many people already have an excellent computer for Home Automation.... gathering dust in a closet.

I use windows XP, X10's AHP (suite), BVC, WeatherAloud, and BlueWatch. I also use a great human-sounding computer voice (Kate16) who [er... which] I don't think is available right now.

Some think my Home Automation is a hobby of mine. They may be right. But if I had to create all the software needed by myself... my hobby would be programming.

[pconroy]

Some think my Home Automation is a hobby of mine. They may be right. But if I had to create all the software needed by myself... my hobby would be programming.

Touche!   

[HA Dave]

Touche!   

Thanks... but I have nothing to actually win.

I wasn't born yet when Otto Frederick Rohwedder came up with the idea of selling pre-sliced bread.... but it was still a big deal when I was young [did you know he started his bakery in the middle of the depression].

In my lifetime... the big advances for mankind has been [DOS] the Windows Operating System [which made the decades old computer invention useful to the people]. And the ubiquitous cell phone. I don't know who invented the cell phone [I am afraid he might be as remembered as Otto]. But he or she should have a statue along side a statue of Bill Gates... in every town square in America.

[nybuck]

As argumentative as I can be, I gotta agree with you all today.

Bill Gates didn't make a PC, but he sure did make it a heckuva lot more user-friendly... and I never used an Apple computer, but I hear that's what he is emulating...

As far as Apple, or other operating systems, I'm sure they are great - and may even be better than Windows...  But I can get any software I want for Windows...  Not so sure you can say the same for Unix, or Apple for that matter.  I often see "Why can't I use the CM15A on my Unix machine?" posts...  That says it all.  Bill cornered the market - and Apple will have to settle for the Ipod and Iphone market......  (which I refuse to buy as well)   

As far as the cell phone, I remember when I was a kid, someone said "One day you will dial a phone number and get the person you want, regardless of where they are."  I remember thinking that was a completely crazy statement.  Now no one would question it...  And my uncle said that one day a TV set would sit on the wall like a painting...  Now we have them, too. 

Good day to all, and happy 2010.   

[dave w]

As far as the cell phone, I remember when I was a kid, someone said "One day you will dial a phone number and get the person you want, regardless of where they are."  .... And my uncle said that one day a TV set would sit on the wall like a painting...  Now we have them, too. 

I said the same thing about getting movies on your cell phone...I just don't get it. 'couse I didn't get putting cameras in cell phones either. But when I hit the deer, the cell phone got me help and picture documentation. Maybe some day I will try watching GWW on a two inch screen. Just color me "Old Geezer" I guess. And for you young tykes, that is "Gone With the Wind".   

[Dan Lawrence]

You shouldn't have to reboot windows, just like you should have to reboot unix/linux. It's just a matter of stopping and starting services in order to maintain uptime 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_service

NOPE.  You do have to reboot Windows whenever an update (could be one, could be 14 or 15 updates) from Microsoft is downloaded.  BTW, regardless of what day of the week you set for updates on the MS site (could be Saturday at 2:00AM) they still send them when they want to. I've MS updates delivered on a Sunday morning. 

Also NEVER use Wikipedia as a primary scorce EVER.