fandomhigh | Basic Computing Class #3 [Tuesday, Period 3, 1/22]

When the students arrived at the computer lab, they would have found a PC running Linux, a PC running Windows, and a Mac set up at the front of the room. "Good morning, everyone," said Mike with a weak smile. His voice didn't have the same level of enthusiasm from past weeks and he looked troubled.

"The operating system we'll be working with most often in this class is Microsoft Windows, and there's a good reason for that," said Mike. "Windows is the most popular operating system in the world and it's the one you're most likely to encounter as you use computers for your other classes here in Fandom. Microsoft also makes products like Microsoft Word and Excel, which you'll probably need at some point in your time in high school, not to mention college and beyond. However, there's some major downsides to jumping on the Microsoft monopoly."

Mike started listing some of the problems with Windows on the board as he spoke. "First off, Windows is expensive. The suggested retail price is about $199 for the Vista basic home edition or $99 if you're upgrading from a previous version. When you buy a new PC, you already have the operating system installed and it's reflected in the cost of the PC. If you want word processing software like Word, you have to pay extra. Second, critics complain that Vista was released too early. It's not been fully tested and a lot of your programs and peripherals may not working properly with it yet. Third, because Windows is so universally used, it's a major target for scammers, hackers and virus-makers. And fourth, Vista includes Digital Rights Management that's been problematic. Of course, you can always stick with the Windows XP operating system, which works just fine, but good luck finding a new computer that doesn't already have Vista installed."

He was frowning when he came to the end of his monologue. "So, what are the alternatives to Windows? The most obvious choice is the Mac." He gestured to iMac, which was on the right side. "Apple's OS X operating system is much more stable and hasn't had the backwards compatibility problems that Vista users faced. There's also some who feel Apple's operating system is more intuitive and user-friendly. And let's face it, their commercials are a lot more fun," he added with a grin.

"That doesn't mean that Mac is necessarily better. You'll still need word processing software like Word, which Microsoft makes for Mac. Your Macintosh machine will only run Mac software, so you really can't use Windows when you need it. And just because the hackers usually target Windows doesn't mean that Macs aren't occasionally hit. If you ask around, you'll find some very devoted Mac users, but you'll also find people who've had problems with their Macs," said Mike, adding to his list of pros and cons on the board.

"Alright, last but not least, we've got Linux. It's open source software so it gets tested by a multitude of users and most distributions are free. Another advantage to open source software is that when a power user finds a problem, he or she can go into the code and fix it. Linux is also a lot smaller than the Windows operating systems and some versions can even fit on a small flash drive. You can also install Linux and Windows on separate partitions on the same hard drive to get the best of both worlds. Go ahead and run Windows, but you can switch to Linux when needed." From the geeky smile on Mike's face, it was probably clear which operating system was his choice.

"Granted, there's a downside to Linux. It's not for the casual user and definitely a lot tougher for beginners. Even with a wealth of Linux users out there who can help with tech support, it's not as intuitive as Mac or Windows," admitted Mike.

"So, now that we've covered the basics of the three operating systems and their pros and cons, which do you think is the best choice for you?" asked Mike. "Feel free to come up here and check out each operating system for yourself before you decide."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

With your geekiest icon.

Cimorene of Linderwall

Cassandra Cain.

Sora

Ferris Bueller

Listen, take notes, talk amongst yourselves.

Cimorene? Was beyond lost.

"How are you doing so far, Miss Cimorene?" asked Mike, taking a quick moment to check in while the other students were examining the computers.

"I can click the machine on." Cimorene informed him.

"That's a good place to start at," said Mike, grinning. "This should make some more sense once you find a reason to use the computer, like having to write a paper for a class."

Cimorene blinked. "Why can't I just write it by hand?"

"Typing it may be easier on your hands for a really long paper," suggested Mike. "Plus the computer can always print out a second copy if you need extras and it looks a little neater than a handwritten paper. Some of your teachers may prefer a paper that's typed instead of written by hand."

"I have very neat handwriting." Cimorene informed him, a little put out.

"Really? That's very good! Personally, I've got terrible handwriting," said Mike, smiling. "Of course, it's up to your teachers and if they don't mind handwritten papers, then word processing isn't for you. We'll be covering lots of other computer applications this semester, so you'll find other uses for a computer. Is there anything in particular that you needed to get from this course?"

"Figuring out what that thing is." Cimorene said. "I thought this was a math class."

"Well, in a sense, computers do use math to do just about everything," said Mike. "They just do calculations are are a lot more complex than we can handle."

Cassandra tried to pay attention, but the truth was that he'd lost her at "operating system".

Mike stopped when he noticed that Cassandra had a look similar to the way Delinda or Sam would look at him when he went off on a tangent. "Am I making sense, Miss Cain?" he asked worriedly.

"Um..." she answered helpfully. "What is... 'Windows'?"

And that would be Mike face-palming when he realized he never explained what an operating system was. "I'm sorry. Never ask a computer geek to explain something simple," he said jokingly.

"Windows is an operating system, meaning it gives your computer directions based on what you ask the system to do. So, if you want to access a file, you click on an icon and the operating system tells the computer to pull up that file and open a program to display the file. If you want to print something, the operating system will communicate between your program and your computer. Am I making sense?" he asked.

Cassandra nodded slowly. She... sort of got it. A little bit.

"Good. Feel free to let me know if you're not understanding something, and I'll do my best to help you out," he added with a smile. "I have a feeling, though, that you might want to start out working with a Mac. They're just a bit more user-friendly for a beginner."

Another nod, she would try that. Of course that was probaby still going to be a step down from the system Barbara had set up for her back in Gotham. Having a system that was good at interpreting intentions meant that she wasn't exactly used to how literal most computers were.

Sora was looking fairly lost too. He understood opertating system, point for him, but everything else flew right over his head.

Then again it might have been because he was picturing viruses like heartless and all that other stuff.

Where was Tron when you needed him?

After working with Windows, Macintosh and Linux, which operating system works best for you? Share your pick with the class and be sure to explain why you've made your pick.

He looks like he could use the distraction today.

So, I'm writing this on a PC running XP. I have an older machine that I want to install Linux on but haven't found the courage to attempt it, and I'm planning on buying a MacBook in the future rather than take a chance on a new laptop with Vista.

Oh, and in the interests of full disclosure, XP crashed on me while I was working on this post.

Basic Computing Class #3 [Tuesday, Period 3, 1/22]

Sign In [1/22]

Re: Sign In [1/22]

Re: Sign In [1/22]

Re: Sign In [1/22]

Re: Sign In [1/22]

Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Re: Lecture [1/22]

Discussion [1/22]

Talk to Mike [1/22]

OOC [1/22]