Bloat, looks and more looks
Bob Marr has written an interesting piece on why Linux needs a diet. And he's got a very good point: While it used to be true that you could run a Linux system on an older machine, this is no longer the case with modern Linux installations. Personally I agree with Bob that Linux development should focus on lesser features done faster and more reliable rather than trying to do it all and end up like Microsoft Windows. It's a good read, check it out. Via Slashdot.
Why God, why?
Speaking of operating systems, I've long felt that Mac OS X is probably the best desktop operating system out there at the moment. For me the only show-stopper is wanting to stick to my existing hardware. But some people really go over the top... it's about more than eye candy, you know? A good operating system isn't defined just by how it looks. I guess I can only repeat myself saying Why God, why?
It Looks too real.
The human brain is a complicated thing. I'd estimate we have disovered less than one percent of what is to be known about the brain to this day. One brain-dependent thing which I stumbled upon today was this: In 1978, the Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori noticed something interesting: The more humanlike his robots became, the more people were attracted to them, but only up to a point. If an android become too realistic and lifelike, suddenly people were repelled and disgusted.
It seems this applies to computer games as well. Also via Slashdot.