Just When You Thought It Was Safe....

In Greek mythology, Achilles was considered the most invulnerable mortal man. However, he did have a vulnerable spot - his heel. With Apollo's help, Paris was able to expose that weakness and kill Achilles by shooting him in the foot with an arrow.

What does that have to do with computer science and technology? The story of Achilles should be a lesson that the manufacturers and the engineers of other operating systems that are NOT Windows should learn. For years, Windows (and its predecessor, DOS) was vulnerable to viruses, trojan horses and worms. Other operating systems, such as Apple OS, Linux and Unix, appeared to be impervious to these threats. In fact, these OSes often bragged about their invulnerability to these threats. Although some operating systems are less vulnerable to viruses and other malicious attacks than Windows, there is no invulnerable operating system. A virus writer has recently found Apple OS's Achilles heel.

In this recent article from Yahoo! News, a new virus has been discovered on the Apple OS. It is quite interesting that experts have warned about vulnerabilities in the Apple OS earlier this year, yet Apple seemed to ignore those threats.

Linux is not necessarily impervious to attacks. In 2004, Forrester Research concluded, based on their research, that Linux is not necessarily more secure than Windows. In fact, although Windows's flaws were more severe, Microsoft was quicker to repair security holes than the leading manufacturers of Linux. (The article can be found in LinuxWorld - Forrester Questions Linux Security)

Why are these supposedly impervious operating systems being attacked? As Linux and Apple OS begin to grow and gain a bigger profile, they becomes a larger, more visible target to the villains.

Windows or Linux? Peforming An Objective Comparison

In IT, we are always hearing about the debate about which network operating system (NOS) is better - Windows or Linux. Many IT professionals have their favorite, and many of them will vehemently defend their choice. Some of the reasons to support one operating system over another are valid: performance, ease of use, and security. Other reasons are trivial, such as a personal bias against the manufacturers of the other operating system.

As an IT professional, you may be approached by a client or your employers on advice for choosing a NOS to use for your infrastructure. When making a decision, it is important to not be influenced by the arguments. It is better to do an objective, business-oriented approach to deciding which network operating system to choose.

Consider the following factors when performing your research:

• Cost
  How much will the NOS and the implementation of this infrastructure cost your company or client?
  


• Reliability
  How often does your NOS "crash"? What will be the Time to Repair?
  


• Time to Launch
  How quickly will the employees or client learn the NOS?
  


• Security
  How easy is it for a hacker to break in to your network?
  


• Hardware, Software, and Network Capability
  Will it work with what you have now? Will you need new drivers, equipment, etc.?
  

I have written and published an evaluative essay between the Microsoft Windows NOS and the Linux NOS. There was no particular Linux manufacturer that I chose in the comparison, since there are number of manufacturers, but the data applies to nearly all of the Linux manufacturers. You may read a PDF version of the essay here: The Window or the Penguin? A Comparison of Windows and Linux

To be a good IT decision maker, don't just use my document exclusively when making your decision! Make sure you research other sources to help you come to a conclusion.

Macs Do Windows Part II

As mentioned in the previous post, Macs Do Windows, Apple has released a new product, called "Boot Camp", that allows Mac users to dual boot between the Mac OS and Windows on the Mac. While this could hurt the business of the other PC manufacturers, such as Dell, Gateway and Hewlett-Packard, this could actually help Microsoft's business. After all, there are more machines that can now run Windows.

So what does Bill Gates and Microsoft have to say about Apple's new discovery? Actually, they have been unusually silent. In an interesting commentary by David Radin, he explains why Microsoft may be mum about this.

David Radin: Microsoft finds Apple move hard to swallow

So, what do I think about this move? Here is who I think are the winners and losers of "Boot Camp".

Winners

• Apple - Now that Macs can support dual-booting between Windows and Macs, more people may consider purchasing Macs over a PC.


• Microsoft - Many applications are written for the Windows environment, which, in my opinion, is the reason why more people are not switching to alternative machines (Macs) or alternative OSes (Linux). Now that Macs can support Windows, more Mac users may start purchasing Windows to use.

Losers

• PC Manufacturers, such as Gateway, Dell and Hewlett Packard - Graphic designers and artists choose Macs over PCs to do their work because the graphic technology is better on a Mac.


• Software Engineers - Software engineers will have to be aware that some of their users may be running Windows on the Mac. They will have to take the Mac system into consideration for their development.

Is Oracle Getting in the OS Act?

According to today's article from AP, Oracle is considering launching their own version of Linux, and they're eyeing up Novell for acquisition as a possibility to get Linux.

Novell has its own version of Linux called SuSE.

Read the article here: Article on Oracle and Linux

This is an interesting development, since Oracle specialized in database software. The potential acquisition of Novell is also interesting - it seems that Oracle is competing more with Red Hat than powerhouse Microsoft.

Macs Do Windows!

No more emulators! The latest technological release from Apple will allow Mac owners to install and run Windows XP directly on their Mac. A beta, called Boot Camp, is available today.

To learn more about it, read the article and download a copy of bootcamp here: http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

Welcome to My Mwalimu's Corner!

Hello, and welcome to My Mwalimu's Corner! This is a supplemental blog to My Mwalimu (http://www.mymwalimu.org), a free, interactive computer programming tutorial.

This blog will talk about computer programming and information technology topics that aren't convered on the main web site.