The perfect operating system....

Sounds like something that is a relic of the past to me.

The modular idea is not a bad one, but to have to purchase each and every one is excessive. Having a DVD with the CORE OS (with GUI) on it as well as tons of extras that can all be installed (like W7 is now, but with options of features to install, all included), with the apps like paint or WMM, etc up for sale instead.

Automatic updates is a necessity. Security updates and such NEED to be automatically installed. There are those that DO NOT like Auto updates, and if they want to NOT install security updates, then so be it...

The last part would be covered by both the modular part, as well as the core of the OS being extremely small.

~Lordbob

CommonTater said:

Ok, lets see if this one gets some creative thinking going....

Think about the perfect operating system... what would it be like?

I have my own subjective opinions about what a perfect OS should be, but I currently know what the perfect OS is -

"Impossible to Achieve"

For me it would be totally modular.

Buying the latest version would give me the core OS, the multitasker, the driver interface and a "load up" tool. nothing more.

From there I would add what features I wanted... and only those features I want. Don't need CD burning... don't install it! The extra modules would be either downloaded (have your credit card ready!) or purchased on separate disks.

The idea has merit, but the purchasing aspect of extras does not.

A central, absolute, logically itemised clean and easy to use GUI where free components can either be downloaded or ordered via physical media (cost for physical media to be minimal)

Essentially something like what the varying package managers in Linux distros do - but much 'less confusing and straight forward for every one'.

It would have an easily replaceable User Interface... and hopefully there would be several different ones available. One for gaming, one for corporate, one for home use, etc.

That would be nice.

Again, you can achieve something similar with different Linux window desktop environments / window managers etc - but it would have to far less 'bug free' and easy to implement for the masses.

The most common Drivers would be provided on the DVD or available for download, but they would not be bundled into the install. Only those actually used would be installed. If I have removeable drives etc. that are not present during the install, it should prompt me for the disk or download them... it should not waste my machine space with a ton of crap that gets installed "just in case".

Agree %100 there.

It should be progressive.

There should be no big leaps, such as between Windows 98 and windows 2000... these changes should be driven by hardware and should be made available as user directed updates... {sic}

Development should be progressive continuing to build upon and improve the core OS incrementally over time so that at no time do I have to reinstall an entirely new OS.

To a degree, that has already happened, albeit in a different method to what you have outlined. A core OS is continually developed and updated.

The last fundamentally different OS change was from XP to Vista. Prior to that, a lot of core and refined elements made it from one OS to the next right up to and including XP.

However as hardware evolves, so too does the way an OS needs to interact with the hardware. We are already limited by outdated methods that do not fully utilise the hardware to it's full potential as it is. So a perpetually progressive OS would only be possible if hardware technology progression was to be 'frozen'.

It should be tidy

New options and features should be available as they're developed but they should not be bundled. It should be possible to improve the OS in bits and pieces to suit my needs replacing older modules or versions and completely removing the previous ones without bloat or clutter on the hard disk. Updates and changes as the OS moves along should not cause undue growth in the OS. Moreover, it should be possible to completely remove features that are no longer needed; don't need networking... just uninstall it and get back the disk space.

Once more, I have to mention Linux, for to a certain level, that does already occur.

However, unlike Linux - the process should again be straight forward and much more user friendly.

Just to clarify, I am not purporting Linux distros (blanket coverage) as being candidates for a 'perfect OS', because they simply aren't.

Anybody want to add to the list?

Not really :)

If I were part of a paid Think Tank, or there was even a slim chance that any ideas/input would be utilised, I would put a lot more productive thought into it. Since neither category is applicable...

So with that in mind and unrealistic as it is, the 'Perfect OS' would be:

• one that runs flawlessly on any hardware and at all times
• would be easy to use for a 'nanna never touched a computer' user
• conversely it could be as complex, flexible and rewarding for the most tech minded users.
• Contain intuitive 'fanboi' blockers
• Completely and utterly Free

Since perfection is impossible to achieve, and everyone's definition of perfection is different - that is why there can never can, nor ever will be a 'Perfect OS'

smarteyeball said:

CommonTater said:

Ok, lets see if this one gets some creative thinking going....

Think about the perfect operating system... what would it be like?

I have my own subjective opinions about what a perfect OS should be, but I currently know what the perfect OS is -

"Impossible to Achieve"

For me it would be totally modular.

Buying the latest version would give me the core OS, the multitasker, the driver interface and a "load up" tool. nothing more.

From there I would add what features I wanted... and only those features I want. Don't need CD burning... don't install it! The extra modules would be either downloaded (have your credit card ready!) or purchased on separate disks.

The idea has merit, but the purchasing aspect of extras does not.

A central, absolute, logically itemised clean and easy to use GUI where free components can either be downloaded or ordered via physical media (cost for physical media to be minimal)

Essentially something like what the varying package managers in Linux distros do - but much 'less confusing and straight forward for every one'.


That would be nice.

Again, you can achieve something similar with different Linux window desktop environments / window managers etc - but it would have to far less 'bug free' and easy to implement for the masses.

Agree %100 there.

To a degree, that has already happened, albeit in a different method to what you have outlined. A core OS is continually developed and updated.

The last fundamentally different OS change was from XP to Vista. Prior to that, a lot of core and refined elements made it from one OS to the next right up to and including XP.

However as hardware evolves, so too does the way an OS needs to interact with the hardware. We are already limited by outdated methods that do not fully utilise the hardware to it's full potential as it is. So a perpetually progressive OS would only be possible if hardware technology progression was to be 'frozen'.

It should be tidy

New options and features should be available as they're developed but they should not be bundled. It should be possible to improve the OS in bits and pieces to suit my needs replacing older modules or versions and completely removing the previous ones without bloat or clutter on the hard disk. Updates and changes as the OS moves along should not cause undue growth in the OS. Moreover, it should be possible to completely remove features that are no longer needed; don't need networking... just uninstall it and get back the disk space.

Once more, I have to mention Linux, for to a certain level, that does already occur.

However, unlike Linux - the process should again be straight forward and much more user friendly.

Just to clarify, I am not purporting Linux distros (blanket coverage) as being candidates for a 'perfect OS', because they simply aren't.

Anybody want to add to the list?

Not really :)

If I were part of a paid Think Tank, or there was even a slim chance that any ideas/input would be utilised, I would put a lot more productive thought into it. Since neither category is applicable...

So with that in mind and unrealistic as it is, the 'Perfect OS' would be:

• one that runs flawlessly on any hardware and at all times
• would be easy to use for a 'nanna never touched a computer' user
• conversely it could be as complex, flexible and rewarding for the most tech minded users.
• Contain intuitive 'fanboi' blockers
• Completely and utterly Free

Since perfection is impossible to achieve, and everyone's definition of perfection is different - that is why there can never can, nor ever will be a 'Perfect OS'

SONG is the perfect OS. And the author is Sting. "To search for perfection, is all very well, but to look for heaven, is to live here in hell."

Be happy with what you have. If you're not ask nicely. Perfection is an enterprise of idiots, selection is the enterprise of nature, and Seven is the enterprise of the masses and as such will bend toward the will of the former two.

CommonTater said:

Buying the latest version would give me the core OS, the multitasker, the driver interface and a "load up" tool. nothing more.

From there I would add what features I wanted... and only those features I want. Don't need CD burning... don't install it! The extra modules would be either downloaded (have your credit card ready!) or purchased on separate disks.

not sure about paying for features seperately, fair enough say "if you want them download them" but they should be included in the price of the original OS and thus free on the download page.

The most common Drivers would be provided on the DVD or available for download, but they would not be bundled into the install. Only those actually used would be installed. If I have removeable drives etc. that are not present during the install, it should prompt me for the disk or download them... it should not waste my machine space with a ton of crap that gets installed "just in case".

agreed for myself, but what about those non techy users who dont remember where they put the disks? or get it preinstalled, they probably never ever look at those disks again, they want it to just "work"

It should be progressive.

There should be no big leaps, such as between Windows 98 and windows 2000... these changes should be driven by hardware and should be made available as user directed updates... not as "automatic updates" because most people just don't get what that's really all about.

agree with Lord bob about the updates, and smarteyeball about the rest, sooner or later the kernel will need to be rewritten in order to make use of newer technologies at a basic level, also, if its a commercial product (talking about credit cards so im assuming it is) then how exactly is the company going to make their money once you have it you have bought your OS and downloaded your modules that you want?

Development should be progressive continuing to build upon and improve the core OS incrementally over time so that at no time do I have to reinstall an entirely new OS.

see previous post about kernel rewriting

It should be tidy

New options and features should be available as they're developed but they should not be bundled. It should be possible to improve the OS in bits and pieces to suit my needs replacing older modules or versions and completely removing the previous ones without bloat or clutter on the hard disk. Updates and changes as the OS moves along should not cause undue growth in the OS. Moreover, it should be possible to completely remove features that are no longer needed; don't need networking... just uninstall it and get back the disk space.

agree 100%

CommonTater said:

Ok, lets see if this one gets some creative thinking going....

Think about the perfect operating system... what would it be like?

I have one: Linux...

For me it would be totally modular.

Linux is TOTALLY modular.

Buying the latest version would give me the core OS, the multitasker, the driver interface and a "load up" tool. nothing more.

It's called package manager, in Linux...

From there I would add what features I wanted... and only those features I want. Don't need CD burning... don't install it! The extra modules would be either downloaded (have your credit card ready!) or purchased on separate disks.

CD burning "module" under Linux, you can find aplenty, want a GUI version? They have it. Want a console version, the have a few... :)

It would have an easily replaceable User Interface... and hopefully there would be several different ones available. One for gaming, one for corporate, one for home use, etc.

Already DONE, KDE/GNOME/XFCE/Enlightment/BasicX/old CDE/and plenty more...

The most common Drivers would be provided on the DVD or available for download, but they would not be bundled into the install. Only those actually used would be installed. If I have removeable drives etc. that are not present during the install, it should prompt me for the disk or download them... it should not waste my machine space with a ton of crap that gets installed "just in case".

Already packed...

It should be progressive.

There should be no big leaps, such as between Windows 98 and windows 2000... these changes should be driven by hardware and should be made available as user directed updates... not as "automatic updates" because most people just don't get what that's really all about.

Development should be progressive continuing to build upon and improve the core OS incrementally over time so that at no time do I have to reinstall an entirely new OS.

Every Kernel release is very "progressive", rarely Linux developer makes big leaps...
Whenever a "reinstall" is needed, most of the time, the reinstalled system will be ready in less than 2 hours with all your apps already installed...

It should be tidy

New options and features should be available as they're developed but they should not be bundled. It should be possible to improve the OS in bits and pieces to suit my needs replacing older modules or versions and completely removing the previous ones without bloat or clutter on the hard disk. Updates and changes as the OS moves along should not cause undue growth in the OS. Moreover, it should be possible to completely remove features that are no longer needed; don't need networking... just uninstall it and get back the disk space.

Linux (depending on one's view) is very TIDY. I mean, if you don't want "this", remove it, you don't want "that", remove it, want console only installation? you got it, you want to run it on a cell phone, have a hack of it... It's the "perfect" OS...

Anybody want to add to the list?

You should have added very consumer market friendly (ie. Similar to Windows)... Which is the only place where Linux still fail... FOR NOW - MWAAHAHAHHAAH~~~

Ok, that last part is just a spur of my ego - please don't flame me
Well, that's my version of a "perfect" OS...

zzz2496