The Operating System is Dead

I’ve posted in the past about my daily use of WindowsXP, Linux and my preferred OS, Mac OS X. When I think about what I’m interested in doing with any of my computers (photo work; video & audio editing; print/web/blog publishing; using my iPod; surfing the Web) I realize that these tasks simply perform better under Mac OS X. It’s also a more elegant OS with a “fit and finish” that is far superior to Windows or every Linux distro I’ve ever experienced.

I’ll admit that there is more software for Windows but I will submit that I strongly believe an OS choice no longer matters — and that the OS is dead (or at the very least a moot point). With the release of alternative applications (like NeoOffice in the screenshot at left) it makes using a non-Windows OS a lot easier for those that need to interoperate with users of alternative OS’es (like Windows). The release of NeoOffice for Mac OS X provides a free, robust alternative to Microsoft Office — arguably the killer app required for cross-over OS use — and makes it easier to use the platform *you* want vs. the ones your friends tell you that you should buy.

What other reason is there to state the OS no longer matters and is dead? Just about anything interesting and meaningful is available on the Web and, thank God, people have become smart enough (most of them anyway) to actually embrace open standards vs. tying their offerings to a specific OS-centric model.

Don’t agree about the “interesting and meaningful” quip above? Well then…how often do you buy a piece of software that’s standalone for your computer? If you *do* use a piece of software, how many do you use in isolation on your computer vs. those that gain A LOT of additional value through an internet connection (consider Quicken and the value it gets from a ‘net connection)? Would you buy a multimedia CD-ROM of the Encyclopedia Britanica or use one available via the Web that can be instantly updated when information changes? How about news? Blogging? Collaborating with family and friends on something like Yahoo Groups?

I rarely buy software anymore but spend money monthly on Web-based services. How about you?