tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/personal-computer-9415/articlesPersonal computer – The Conversation2022-12-05T13:28:04Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1789732022-12-05T13:28:04Z2022-12-05T13:28:04ZHow does a television set work?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471483/original/file-20220628-14509-wm9mhu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=46%2C0%2C6205%2C4168&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The TV in your home is very different from the television sets of just a few years ago.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/boy-watching-television-royalty-free-image/77748497">moodboard/Image Source via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
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<p><strong>How does a TV work? – Caden, age 11</strong></p>
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<p>Look at your modern-day TV, and you see nothing less than a technological miracle. </p>
<p>Scientists began experimenting with the concept of television <a href="https://bebusinessed.com/history/history-of-the-television/#">more than a century ago</a>. But decades would pass before the Radio Corporation of America <a href="https://www.rca.com/us_en/our-legacy-266-us-en">brought it to the public</a> at the 1939 World’s Fair. More time passed before TV sets were in stores – and even then, it took awhile <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/television-in-the-United-States/The-late-Golden-Age">until most people had one</a>. In 1950, fewer than 10% of Americans owned a television. By 1959, that number had grown to 85%. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471490/original/file-20220628-14181-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black-and-white photograph of a mother and her two children watching television in the living room." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471490/original/file-20220628-14181-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471490/original/file-20220628-14181-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=774&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471490/original/file-20220628-14181-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=774&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471490/original/file-20220628-14181-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=774&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471490/original/file-20220628-14181-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=972&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471490/original/file-20220628-14181-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=972&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471490/original/file-20220628-14181-80kt8g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=972&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">In the 1950s, television sets were bulky and the picture was in black and white.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mother-and-children-watching-television-royalty-free-image/81774789?adppopup=true">H. Armstrong Roberts/Retrofile RF via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>During the ‘50s, TVs were expensive, screens were small and the picture wasn’t always crystal clear. </p>
<p>What’s more, early TV programs <a href="https://clickamericana.com/topics/science-technology/vintage-television-sets-from-the-1950s">were in black and white</a>; color wasn’t in wide use until the mid-1960s. </p>
<p>Viewers didn’t have a lot of choice, either. Instead of hundreds of channels to choose from, most cities offered only three or four. </p>
<p>And DVR didn’t exist. Programs appeared on a specific day at a particular time, and if you missed it – you missed it. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.uml.edu/engineering/electrical-computer/faculty/weitzen-jay.aspx">As a professor</a> of electrical and computer engineering, I am amazed by the remarkable advances of this technology in only a few decades. </p>
<p>Yet whether an early television with a 5-inch screen, or one of today’s smart TVs <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/samsung-tv-the-wall-biggest-screen-weve-ever-seen/">that practically cover the wall</a>, your set still has three primary functions: to receive audio and video data; to use that data to present the viewer with sound and a picture; and to provide the viewer with a way to set the channel and the volume. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472411/original/file-20220704-26-oton67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Against a blue sky and white clouds, a TV antenna sits on top of a house." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472411/original/file-20220704-26-oton67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472411/original/file-20220704-26-oton67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472411/original/file-20220704-26-oton67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472411/original/file-20220704-26-oton67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472411/original/file-20220704-26-oton67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472411/original/file-20220704-26-oton67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472411/original/file-20220704-26-oton67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A rooftop antenna receives the TV signal sent by the local television station.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/residential-tv-antenna-point-into-beautiful-blue-royalty-free-image/1128664587?adppopup=true">Tim Allen/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
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<h2>Radio waves, transmission towers and antennas</h2>
<p>Early TVs worked with <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Analog_television">the use of “analog signals”</a> – essentially radio waves containing both the picture and sound of a television program.</p>
<p>Simply put, here’s how it worked: Using a giant transmission tower, the local television station repeatedly sent those radio waves through the air during the broadcast day. Antennas on the roofs of buildings and homes in the community <a href="https://itstillworks.com/outdoor-tv-antenna-work-4795028.html">intercepted those waves</a> and, through a cable, transported the signal to the television sets inside. </p>
<p>There, the TV unscrambled the signal and turned it into a picture with sound. What you saw and heard wasn’t as sharp as today’s TVs, but it was good. </p>
<p>By 2009, TV stations replaced analog signals with digital TV signals, <a href="https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/television/353844#:%7E:">which is the standard used today</a>. HDTV, or high-definition television, has an amazing picture quality compared to earlier TVs. Digital signals are still transmitted using radio waves, but the TV picture is <a href="https://innovationkidslab.com/birthday-binary-code-kids/#:%7E:">encoded in binary</a> – that is, a series of 0s and 1s. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472636/original/file-20220705-14543-5300vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="On a black background, the blue numbers '1' and '2' illustrate the binary code." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472636/original/file-20220705-14543-5300vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472636/original/file-20220705-14543-5300vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=274&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472636/original/file-20220705-14543-5300vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=274&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472636/original/file-20220705-14543-5300vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=274&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472636/original/file-20220705-14543-5300vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472636/original/file-20220705-14543-5300vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472636/original/file-20220705-14543-5300vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=345&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">An illustration of binary code, which is the way digital signals are transmitted to your television.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/binary-code-background-royalty-free-image/1317329445">fotograzia/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Bits, bytes and frames</h2>
<p>Modern digital TV uses different information streams. For example, one stream is for the picture; another stream is for the audio.</p>
<p>Pictures are created by <a href="https://nsufl.libguides.com/virtual-stem/pixels#:%7E:">basic units called pixels</a>. Your TV screen has tens of thousands of pixels, and each one has a “color index” and an “intensity.” Basically, three colors – red, blue and green – form other colors in various combinations, and the picture is ultimately created from all the pixels together forming an image. Just like mixing paint to make any color you wish, varying the amount and intensity of each of the color pixels creates the desired image.</p>
<p>Groups of bits are formed <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Byte#:%7E:">into larger units called bytes</a>. They are the communication link between the content you are watching and your TV. <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Modem#:%7E:">A modem</a> packages and unpackages this information; at its heart, every TV or cellphone is based on a modem. </p>
<p>The packaged information can be transmitted over the air or sent via fiber or cable, where they come into your TV via a cable box. Streaming TV, a service that has become very popular, <a href="https://techjury.net/blog/what-is-streaming-tv/#gref">takes data from a computer network</a>.</p>
<p>Then it’s up to you, the viewer. Your modern digital smart TV has an interface that allows you to control all the functions. Basically, a smart TV is a computer, large monitor and receiver all in one package. </p>
<p>In the future, there will be more merging of the functions of your cellphone and TV. The TV will be a screen for your cellphone, for example. Also expect more <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/Virtual_reality">virtual reality, augmented reality</a> and <a href="https://kids.kiddle.co/4K_resolution">ultra-high definition TV</a>. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BnmLC0QXugI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">“Watch Mr. Wizard,” one of early television’s most popular programs for kids. This episode aired in 1962.</span></figcaption>
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<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178973/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jay Weitzen receives funding from. DoD, NSF, Commscope, Airvana</span></em></p>Pictures and sound, flying through the air to a box in your house? Back in the 1940s, it seemed like a miracle.Jay Weitzen, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UMass LowellLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1087172018-12-13T11:44:56Z2018-12-13T11:44:56ZAnthill 32: the ‘mother of all demos’ when computers first got personal<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250269/original/file-20181212-110243-1liuso1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> <span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It was a year of huge social upheaval around the world. Amid the protests, outrage and uprisings, other momentous events took place in 1968 that continue to shape the world 50 years later. </p>
<p>In this episode of The Anthill podcast, we feature a story from <a href="https://heatandlightpod.com/">Heat and Light</a>, a podcast series by our colleagues over at The Conversation US, focusing on seven key but lesser known stories that shaped America from the year 1968. This one is about a demonstration in December that year, which became known as the “mother of all demos”, and played an important role in the development of Silicon Valley as we know it today.</p>
<p>Heat and Light host Phillip Martin interviews Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the University of Washington, about what happened when Douglas Engelbart <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-1968-computers-got-personal-how-the-mother-of-all-demos-changed-the-world-101654">took to the stage</a> at San Francisco’s Civic Auditorium in December 1968 to demonstrate a prototype of the mouse. It was the first time computing got personal. </p>
<p>We’re always keen to hear what our listeners think about The Anthill. So we’ve created a short survey to gather your feedback and help us plan future podcasts at The Conversation. You can <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NFYDXJK">find the survey here</a>. And you can always email us at podcast@theconversation.com or find us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthillPod">Twitter @AnthillPod</a> – we’d love to hear from you. </p>
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<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-anthill/id1114423002?mt=2"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/233721/original/file-20180827-75984-1gfuvlr.png" alt="Listen on Apple Podcasts" width="268" height="68"></a> <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVjb252ZXJzYXRpb24uY29tL3VrL3BvZGNhc3RzL3RoZS1hbnRoaWxsLnJzcw%3D%3D"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/233720/original/file-20180827-75978-3mdxcf.png" alt="" width="268" height="68"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-conversation/the-anthill"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/233716/original/file-20180827-75981-pdp50i.png" alt="Stitcher" width="300" height="88"></a> <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Technology-Podcasts/The-Anthill-p877873/"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/233723/original/file-20180827-75984-f0y2gb.png" alt="Listen on TuneIn" width="318" height="125"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://radiopublic.com/the-anthill-GOJ1vz"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-152" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/233717/original/file-20180827-75990-86y5tg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=268&fit=clip" alt="Listen on RadioPublic" width="268" height="87"></a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/265Bnp4BgwaEmFv2QciIOC?si=-WMr1ecDTsO_6avrkxZu8g"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237984/original/file-20180925-149976-1ks72uy.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=268&fit=clip" width="268" height="82"></a> </p>
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<p><strong>Photo:</strong> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Douglas_Engelbart%27s_prototype_mouse_-_Computer_History_Museum.jpg">Michael Hicks</a> via Wikimedia Commons</p>
<p><strong>Music:</strong> “By Grace” by Podington Bear, found on <a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Inspiring/ByGrace">FreeMusicArchive.org</a>, licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/">CC0 1</a></p>
<p>“Motions” by Rafael Krux, found on <a href="https://freepd.com/upbeat.php#LinkToRevealHideComments">FreePD.com</a>, licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/">CC0 1</a></p>
<p><strong>Archival:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv85FSf_6vw">Mother of All Demos - The Mouse</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARJ8cAGm6JE">HAL 9000: “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that”</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARJ8cAGm6JE">The First Microprocessor TV Commercial</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgkyrW2NiwM">Deactivating Hal 9000 HD (COMPLETE)</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSvT02q4h40&t=35s">Apple accused of failing to protect workers</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az6JMnyBKck">The 68’ Salute</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juwGJCTOSYQ&t=27s">It was my mistake’: Facebook CEO speaks out on privacy scandal</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM0KNvVGmkU&t=12s">Jeff Bezos: The $100 Billion Dollar Man | CNBC</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2LMEJgXE84">The Disruptors: The ‘Uber effect’ on the Taxi Industry</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufNNuafuU7M">New video shows moments before fatal self-driving Uber crash</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xERXusiEszs&amp=&t=141s">The Little Rock 9 - Arkansas 1957</a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108717/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
It's been 50 years since the first prototype for the mouse was demonstrated in San Francisco. This the story of how it changed Silicon Valley – and the world.Annabel Bligh, Business & Economy Editor and Podcast Producer, The Conversation UKPhillip Martin, Podcast hostLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/827082017-08-22T12:30:29Z2017-08-22T12:30:29ZGrowing role of artificial intelligence in our lives is ‘too important to leave to men’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182759/original/file-20170821-27201-1twvwtq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Google</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>I must <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kzbm4a/employees-anti-diversity-manifesto-goes-internally-viral-at-google">not have got the memo</a>, because as a young lecturer in computer science at the University of Southampton in 1985 I was unaware that “women didn’t do computing”. </p>
<p>Southampton had always recruited a healthy number of women to study computing in our fledgling department, and a quarter of the staff were women, but the student lists for the new academic year showed that quite suddenly, or so it appeared, we’d achieved the unenviable record of having no female students in that year’s intake. </p>
<p>Many women made important contributions to computing in its early decades, figures such as <a href="https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/misc/obituaries/sparck-jones/">Karen Spärck Jones</a> in Britain or <a href="https://www.biography.com/people/grace-hopper-21406809">Grace Hopper</a> in the US, among many others who worked in the <a href="http://www.bletchleyparkresearch.co.uk/research-notes/women-codebreakers/">vital field of cryptography during the Second World War</a> or, later, on <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/09/us/hidden-figures-nasa-trnd/index.html">the enormous challenges of the space race</a>. But it had become clear that by the mid-1980s something fundamental had changed.</p>
<p>We found that UK university admission figures revealed that the number of girls studying computing had fallen dramatically compared to the number of boys: <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-IIHCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA33&dq=Where+Are+the+Girls+Now?+wendy+hall&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA1rvc4ODVAhWKKsAKHVqNBmAQ6AEIJjAA">from 25% percent in 1978 to just 10% in 1985</a>. This trend has never been reversed in the years since, at least in the developed world, and we live with the consequences today.</p>
<p>What happened in the mid-1980s that caused this turning point? I contend that one of the main reasons was the arrival of personal computers into the mainstream – the first IBM PCs but also computers from companies such as Sinclair, Commodore, and Amstrad: home computers that were a world away from those used in the specialist worlds of science and engineering, and which were <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/10/21/357629765/when-women-stopped-coding">marketed from the very beginning as “toys for boys”</a>. </p>
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<p>There was very little you could do with PCs in those days other than programme them to play games. The British government had, with the best of intentions, backed a programme to put a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/jan/10/bbc-micro-school-computer-revolution">PC into every secondary school</a>, but without providing for the necessary teacher training. This meant that the only people who used them were the self-taught PC programmers – mostly boys whose father had bought a PC at home. This only served to reinforce the stereotype that “girls don’t code”, a spurious claim that still reverberates today and which has directly led to the male-dominated, “tech-bro” computing industry with an entrenched, unequal gender balance in which the sort of views heard from <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/james-damore-interview-video-2017-8?r=US&IR=T">James Damore</a>, the Google staffer fired for his “Google memo” recently, are common.</p>
<h2>Different culture, different effects</h2>
<p>The story is very different in the developing world. Here, by the time PCs became cheap enough to be used in schools and bought by parents for use at home, technological progress meant they were much more interesting machines altogether. In countries outside the West, where girls didn’t know they “weren’t supposed to code”, they are as excited as the boys about the career possibilities opened up by computing. When I visit computer science classrooms in universities in India, Malaysia, and the Middle East, for example, I often find that over half the class is female, which leads me to conclude that gender differences in computing are significantly more cultural (nurture) than biological (nature).</p>
<p>Much has been written over the last couple of weeks on this issue following Dalmore’s now infamous memo. I would absolutely agree that men and women are different in the way that we think and in the things that interest us, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-neuroscience-can-tell-us-about-the-google-diversity-memo-82455">those differences should be celebrated</a>. But to conclude that accepting this implies we should accept the lack of diversity in the computing industry is to completely miss the point: it is precisely because we are different, and that all of us, men and women alike, now use computers and mobile computing devices in almost every aspect of our daily lives, that we need greater diversity in the computing industry. From those differences will come a broader characterisation of the problems we face, and wider range of creative approaches to their solution.</p>
<h2>Too important to leave to men</h2>
<p>For 30 years I have tried to encourage more girls to consider careers in computing, and it is so disheartening that the number of women working in the computing industry stays so resolutely flat. At around 15%, the proportion of women applying for computer science university courses remains far below what it was in the 1970s.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182791/original/file-20170821-27160-1vyw440.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182791/original/file-20170821-27160-1vyw440.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182791/original/file-20170821-27160-1vyw440.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182791/original/file-20170821-27160-1vyw440.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182791/original/file-20170821-27160-1vyw440.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182791/original/file-20170821-27160-1vyw440.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182791/original/file-20170821-27160-1vyw440.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/182791/original/file-20170821-27160-1vyw440.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ucas.com/file/84091/download?token=6JHRUQl5">UCAS</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I am convinced that it is not the girls that must change, but rather society’s view of “computing” and the whole culture of the computing industry.</p>
<p>With the advent of artificial intelligence, this is about to get really serious. There are worrying signs that the world of big data and machine learning is even more dominated by men than computing in general. This means that the people writing the algorithms for software that will control many automated aspects of our daily lives in the future are mainly young, white men. </p>
<p>Almost by definition, machine learning algorithms will pick up on any bias in the data they are given to learn from, and it is very easy for bias to be unwittingly introduced into those algorithms by their designers. As Spärck Jones once said of computing, this is “<a href="http://www.bcs.org/content/ConWebDoc/10791">too important to be left to men</a>”: for the good of society, we cannot allow our world to be organised by learning algorithms whose creators are <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/women-in-artificial-intelligence/">overwhelmingly dominated by one gender, ethnicity, age, or culture</a>.</p>
<p>As co-chair of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/17-million-boost-for-the-uks-booming-artificial-intelligence-sector">UK government’s review of artificial intelligence</a>, I am very keen to ensure that as we establish programmes to extract the most economic value from AI for the country and increase the number of jobs in the industry, we ensure that greater diversity is at the heart of it. If we fail to do so – as one of the more enlightened men in the computing industry said to me recently – we risk ending up living in a world that resembles a teenage boy’s smelly bedroom.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82708/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Wendy Hall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Despite claims of scientific differences, the real reason behind the lack of women in computing is cultural, not biological.Wendy Hall, Professor of Computer Science and Director, Web Science Institute, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/625332016-07-21T20:05:28Z2016-07-21T20:05:28ZApple is taking its first steps towards a more comprehensive post-PC world<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131024/original/image-20160719-13871-1ivan8w.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Apple-developed lessons help students learn to code on the same device the code will be used on.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apple.com/newsroom/2016/06/swift-playgrounds-app-makes-learning-to-code-easy-and-fun.html">Apple</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Hands up if you’ve heard of Swift Playgrounds? No, it’s not some new start-up providing quick playdates for bedraggled parents, although that might be interesting.</p>
<p>Swift Playgrounds is the new <a href="http://www.apple.com/swift/playgrounds/">programming tool</a>, introduced by Apple in June at its annual <a href="http://developer.apple.com/wwdc/">Worldwide Developer Conference</a>, based on the Swift programming language the company introduced a few years ago. </p>
<p>What makes Swift Playgrounds interesting is that it provides a first-party computer programming platform that can be run entirely on an iPad, no computer required.</p>
<p>While Apple has been slowly <a href="http://www.imore.com/new-multitasking-features-are-coming-ipad-part-ios-9">adding features</a> to the iPad over the past few years, this represents a pretty significant step change for Apple.</p>
<p>It means the company is starting to acknowledge that these machines – famously called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdSQbVFobu4">post-PC devices</a> by the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs – are now powerful enough to be used to write apps for use on the same device.</p>
<p>That means it may not be long before these devices can be used totally without a personal computer for everything, from writing content to developing apps.</p>
<h2>They might be Swift, but they’re not the first</h2>
<p>Of course, Apple is not the first company to launch programming tools for the iPad.</p>
<p>Universities such as MIT have been developing tools such as the <a href="https://scratch.mit.edu">Scratch visual programming language</a> for the iPad for a number of years. This gives primary school and middle school students a platform to develop their own games. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131025/original/image-20160719-13868-li4ue3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131025/original/image-20160719-13868-li4ue3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131025/original/image-20160719-13868-li4ue3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131025/original/image-20160719-13868-li4ue3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131025/original/image-20160719-13868-li4ue3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131025/original/image-20160719-13868-li4ue3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131025/original/image-20160719-13868-li4ue3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131025/original/image-20160719-13868-li4ue3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Creative experimentation in Swift Playgrounds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apple.com/newsroom/2016/06/swift-playgrounds-app-makes-learning-to-code-easy-and-fun.html">Apple</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But what makes Swift Playgrounds significant is that in using the same programming language as iPad apps themselves are developed in, <a href="http://www.apple.com/swift/">Swift</a>, it gives insight into a future where iPad apps could be written on iPad themselves, and published from that same location.</p>
<p>It’s not a great stretch to envision a future where digital natives could potentially develop and run totally new apps using only post-PC devices. They would never have to touch a personal computer for anything at all.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, Steve Jobs, ever the visionary, predicted this possibility back in 2008 in an interview with Apple journalist Walt Mossberg at the D8 conference. At D8, Jobs described a future where he likened iPads to cars, usable by the majority of people, and PCs to trucks, required by only those with specialised needs. </p>
<p>With the introduction of Swift Playgrounds, Apple is acknowledging that more and more users only need a car, and that perhaps trucks are becoming more and more rare.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YfJ3QxJYsw8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<h2>Moving between digital devices</h2>
<p>This change is a good thing, because <a href="http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2843349">research work</a> I conducted with colleagues at Central Queensland University shows that while many of our students, regardless of their age, are comfortable with technology, they are not as comfortable with changing between devices.</p>
<p>Specifically, our work found that digital competencies do not transfer well between devices. Their comfort with one device does not translate to comfort with another.</p>
<p>The introduction of Swift Playgrounds and the potential for app development on iOS devices suggests that this preference will eventually be catered for, which is a good thing given our findings.</p>
<p>Perhaps we are finally pushing towards a world of truly pervasive computing. Rather than being locked behind a desk for some tasks, or finding ourselves desperately missing the keyboard we left at home, we are able to use <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-apple-watch-and-pervasive-computing-can-lure-you-into-leveling-up-your-fitness-59045">whatever computing device</a> we have at hand to complete whatever task we need to complete.</p>
<p>After all, as long as the device has the right buttons and the right inputs, then why not be able to use it for anything we need to do with it?</p>
<p>What’s more, why don’t we make it so that our progress on tasks transfers seamlessly between devices? That way we can pick up any device and simply continue with the work that we started earlier.</p>
<p>Ben Thompson, of Stratechery, called this concept <a href="https://stratechery.com/2015/apple-watch-and-continuous-computing/">Continuous Computing</a> back in 2015 when he envisioned a world where we move seamlessly between devices to get our work done.</p>
<p>Apple’s announcements at WWDC this year certainly indicate this is the direction they are heading. This should be applauded and I am hopeful for our digital native students. </p>
<p>While we can’t stop them from having an iPhone or an iPad continuously in their hand, it’s good to know we are working towards a world where they can drive these devices confidently to do what they need, moving seamlessly between devices as the need arises. They don’t need to find themselves behind the wheel of an unfamiliar truck-style PC. </p>
<p>Which raises the question, what will other tech giants such as Google and Microsoft do now to catch up and avoid being left behind in any post-PC world? After all, more safe post-PC driving can only be a good thing!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/62533/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Cowling does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If you’re creating an app for an iPad, then why not create it on an iPad too. Is Apple’s Swift move to do this just another step towards the end of the personal computer?Michael Cowling, Visiting Project Scientist in Informatics, University of California, IrvineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/458202015-08-23T19:44:41Z2015-08-23T19:44:41ZWindows 95 two decades on: but why all the upgrades?<p>It’s been 20 years since the launch of Microsoft’s <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/history#T1=era4">Windows 95</a> operating system, which changed the way we interacted with computers. But what was it that was so special about the software and why all the upgrades over the years?</p>
<p>Windows 95 was Microsoft’s big push into the world of <a href="http://www.britannica.com/technology/graphical-user-interface">graphical user interfaces</a> for its operating system. <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/history">Previous versions of Windows</a> required users to provide input predominantly by using the keyboard, with a mouse click only here and there. Windows 95 introduced Microsoft users to a world where everything was “point and click”, with the mouse was used as much as possible and the keyboard only used where necessary.</p>
<p>It’s <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/uk/go/32106">been argued</a> that the free games packed with Windows 95 – Solitaire, Minesweeper (a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/bill-gates-was-a-microsoft-minesweeper-addict-2015-8">favourite of Bill Gates</a>), Hearts or FreeCell – were all designed to teach us how to use the mouse for click, drag and drop actions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92383/original/image-20150819-10868-bozg7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Playing Freecell, everyone’s favourite distraction on Windows 95.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/reprehensible/171797019/">Flickr/reprehensible</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Windows 95 screen was composed of a number of icons and other images, rather than a collection of text windows. Documents could now be edited by highlighting words with a mouse, and clicking to cut or paste.</p>
<p>Opening, copying and saving files could now also be performed by pointing and clicking. This made everyday computing tasks more intuitive and more efficient to perform, and users of the system responded favourably to it. </p>
<h2>The battle with Apple</h2>
<p>For Apple users, this appeared to be nothing particularly new. Since the launch of the <a href="http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_classic/specs/mac_128k.html">Macintosh</a> in 1984, Apple had been providing interfaces with similar functionality.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y0CRWAz09r8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>From the perspective of 20 years later, it seems natural that Microsoft would seek to overcome a perceived technological advantage in favour of its main competitor by introducing a similar development of its own.</p>
<p>This was no simple effort though. Graphical user interfaces, particularly for an operating system, require significantly more storage and processing power than text-based ones. Storing images takes vastly more space than text.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92472/original/image-20150820-32485-ym567.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">All you need is a simple click to open programs on Windows 95.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jpasden/5447816379/">Flickr/John Pasden</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A simple task such as opening a file by clicking on an icon requires display monitors that can show sufficient detail, which in turn requires greater processing power. This means that a “point and click” system is only possible with a particular level of hardware development. Accordingly, Windows 95 (or in fact any version of any operating system) can be considered as a showcase for what can be done with the hardware of the time. </p>
<p>Users took to Windows 95 quite quickly. And as with many technological developments, the success of the system led to raised expectations, so that graphical interfaces became the norm and anything less became unthinkable.</p>
<h2>The need for upgrades</h2>
<p>Had technology and user expectations remained static, we might still be using Window 95 today. But developments in microprocessors, storage and networking
inevitably led to an expanded variety and range of applications.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92517/original/image-20150820-7228-owkbas.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Look at all those discs needed for Windows 95.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/programwitch/7488906888">Flickr/K Latham</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This in turn raised user expectations to new levels, and drove expansion into previously unexplored territory. This means it’s unlikely that any operating system will ever be the final word, but rather will be one more step in a never-ending chain of development. </p>
<p>It is easy to forget how different today’s computer use is from that of 1995. Perhaps it is an accident of history that Windows 95 coincided with the rise of the internet, but its use at that time was primitive by today’s standards.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=561&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=561&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=561&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=705&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=705&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92644/original/image-20150821-15942-191byvz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=705&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>This was a time before Facebook (founded in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/facebook/info?tab=page_info">2004</a>), Twitter (founded in <a href="http://twitter.about.com/od/Twitter-Basics/a/The-Real-History-Of-Twitter-In-Brief.htm">2006</a>) or other social networks. Internet banking was still at least a decade away. Mobile phones (large and cumbersome by today’s standards) were not ubiquitous, and were used mainly for making phone calls (how novel).</p>
<p><a href="http://www.csiro.au/en/Research/DPF/Areas/Wireless/Wireless-technologies/WiFi">Wireless internet connections</a> were still a twinkle in the CSIRO’s eye. <a href="http://www.google.com/about/company/history/">Larry Page and Sergey Brin</a> met at Stanford in 1995 but it would be a couple of years before they even register <a href="http://www.google.com/">google.com</a>. Internet use typically meant sending and receiving electronic mail, or perhaps exploring the brave new world of the world wide web using the <a href="http://www.wired.com/2010/04/0422mosaic-web-browser/">Mosaic browser</a> (but without the benefits of search engines).</p>
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<p>Connection to the internet at home was chiefly by dial-up modems, which meant that many fledging web sites were largely text, as if there were too many images, it would take too long to download them. The idea that photos, let along videos, would be routinely exchanged over the internet sounded like science fiction (particularly as photographs were still typically taken on film-based cameras rather than digital ones). </p>
<p>The game-changing nature of the internet meant that computing became an increasingly important part of everyday life. This made it inevitable that Windows 95 would need to be upgraded with in a few years.</p>
<h2>Through the next Windows</h2>
<p>And that’s how it’s been over the past 20 years. The twin pressures of technological innovation and expanding applications have ensured that there have been several new versions of Windows since 1995 (some of which, it must be said, were <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-best-and-worst-windows-versions-ever/">more memorable than others</a>). </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92489/original/image-20150820-32485-lzuhh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92489/original/image-20150820-32485-lzuhh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/92489/original/image-20150820-32485-lzuhh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92489/original/image-20150820-32485-lzuhh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92489/original/image-20150820-32485-lzuhh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92489/original/image-20150820-32485-lzuhh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92489/original/image-20150820-32485-lzuhh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/92489/original/image-20150820-32485-lzuhh0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Windows 10 event in Sydney. The upgrade is available free to many existing Windows users.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://news.microsoft.com/?attachment_id=215993">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>It is now unremarkable to upload videos to sites such as Facebook, or to pause a movie playing on a laptop in order to pay bills online, tasks that were a pipe dream when Windows 95 was launched.</p>
<p>A further driver for change, which is largely invisible to the average user, is that a typical computer now contains multiple processors. This increases the processing power of the machine, but significantly complicates the architecture of the operating system, which needs to be able to exploit this extra capability whilst still remaining simple to use for the average person.</p>
<p>Annoying as it may have been to upgrade from say Windows 98 to Windows XP, sometimes upgrading to a new version of the operating system is simply the price of progress.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/windows-10">Windows 10</a> is still in its infancy, but so far it seems to have the hit the mark. It may not have to deal with floppy drives or dial-up modems, but there is still a lot more going on under the hood than in the days of Windows 95 all those years ago.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Harland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Today marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Windows 95 operating system. What was it that made the operating system so special, and why all the upgrades over the years?James Harland, Associate Professor in Computational Logic, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/454012015-07-29T19:58:31Z2015-07-29T19:58:31ZMicrosoft CEO faces biggest test yet as he charts new course with Windows 10<p>Today, July 29, is an important date for Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO. Twenty years after Bill Gates <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xzuir2_microsoft-windows-95-launch-at-microsoft-1995_tech">introduced</a> Windows 95 to the world, he is launching another version of the ubiquitous software that promises an equally seismic shift. </p>
<p>This is not just another update to the <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era0">PC operating system</a>. It marks the manifestation of Nadella’s <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/sweeping-changes-at-microsoft-nadella-s-vision-is-in-full-effect-1297967">bold vision</a> for Microsoft to look into the future and deliver next-generation experiences for individuals and enterprises. </p>
<p>It’s a huge challenge, and it is still uncertain if he’ll succeed. He has to seamlessly weave together devices, software applications and cloud services from both Microsoft and its partners to build a vibrant ecosystem that’s capable of vying against the ones orchestrated by Apple and Google.</p>
<p>Skeptics wonder if Windows 10, offered as a free upgrade, can help it regain its position at the top. Investors <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/29/what-windows-10-means-for-microsoft-investors.html">worry</a> if his ideas of shifting the business model from charging for software to earning fees for services on the cloud will make it go the way of IBM’s similar, painful transition. Others wonder if he can win with a vision of “mobile-first, cloud-first” without a credible mobile operating system or sizable share of the online storage market?</p>
<p>This is a critical moment for Nadella. Microsoft has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/windows-monopoly-is-getting-destroyed-2013-7">stumbled</a> repeatedly in recent years as it’s struggled to compete with Apple and Google in the worlds of smartphones, search and wearables. While Windows still <a href="http://time.com/3975115/microsoft-windows-10-share/">dominates</a> desktops with a 91% share, its presence in the fast-growing mobile market remains stuck in the single digits (just 2%). </p>
<p>Coming 19 years and 11 months since the launch of Windows 95 – an operating system that revolutionized the industry at the time – Windows 10 provides a fresh opportunity to do it again. </p>
<p>I’ve been studying the strategies of companies in the digital sector for the last two decades. My research suggests there are six things Nadella will need to do to win – and he’ll need to do them well and with conviction, confidence and speed.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Bill Gates launches Win 95.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A broader scope and working with partners</h2>
<p>First, it’s important to redefine the scope of Microsoft’s platform. Most look at Windows 10 as PC-centric, when in reality it is broader than that. </p>
<p>The future is not about computers, laptops and mobile phones being treated separately. It is about a digitally connected world with about 50 billion devices linked to the so-called internet of things. The platform for the internet of things is still evolving, and Microsoft is in a good position to become the essential building block it in a way that defines how we live, work and play. </p>
<p>He can do this by inviting the software development community to treat Windows 10 Universal Applications <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2015/03/02/a-first-look-at-the-windows-10-universal-app-platform/">Platform</a> as their primary gateway to build apps that scale across devices of varying shapes and sizes.</p>
<p>The next step is clarifying the role of first-party hardware in Microsoft’s strategy. As it pursues this plan to become the key gateway to the internet of things, managing the inevitable tensions between the devices it continues to create and those of its partners will be tricky. </p>
<p>Nadella will need to convince hardware partners that its continuing efforts in that direction, such as the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us">Surface3</a> tablet or the much larger <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-surface-hub/en-us">Surface Hub</a> collaboration screen, are meant only to showcase its vision and not as serious competition to the breadth of devices possible for Windows 10.</p>
<p>Third, in the same vein, a willingness to inter-operate with competitors will be important. Unlike previous CEO Steve Ballmer, Nadella has so far shown more openness to work with companies that could be considered Microsoft’s rivals.</p>
<p>Two key elements of that strategy include: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>demonstrate that the announced relationships with <a href="http://www.adobe.com/news-room/pressreleases/201504/042915AdobeMicrosoftTransformMarketing.html">Adobe</a>, Salesforce and Box are more than symbolic gestures</p></li>
<li><p>gain credibility with the chief information officers at major enterprise customers by showing how their IT roadmap could be predicated on seamlessly integrating Microsoft and non-Microsoft offerings.</p></li>
</ol>
<h2>Stores need a rethink</h2>
<p>A fourth element involves reimagining Microsoft’s <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/locations/">stores</a>. Like Apple’s, they need to become experience destinations where customers can get a sense of Microsoft’s vision of how devices, software and cloud will come together. </p>
<p>But that’s where the comparison with Apple’s stores ends. Microsoft’s, by contrast, should be organized to demonstrate how consumers can connect their devices with partners’ applications and access content and services in the cloud.</p>
<p>Other ways the stores could be used include educating individuals so they can better protect against identity theft and fraud and explaining what happens with data from wearable devices like Microsoft Band and others. Helping people understand how their information is used in different situations will build trust with consumers by helping them make informed choices.</p>
<h2>Energizing engineers and capturing value</h2>
<p>Fifth, Nadella needs to energize his engineering team to help him deliver on the connected experience underlying his plans. </p>
<p>He has inherited an organization notorious for infighting, particularly under his predecessor. For his strategy to work, he has to get the engineering team to cooperate across the three parts of his strategy – software (Windows), apps (Office) and the cloud (Azure). </p>
<p>Nadella has designed his new organizational structure and designated his leadership team. But, he has to keep a watchful eye on how the teams work to overcome the dysfunctional culture that existed during Ballmer’s “<a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/business/2012/08/microsoft-lost-mojo-steve-ballmer">lost decade</a>.” This means that it’s important that innovations such as the HoloLens holographic computer and the Cortona voice-activated assistant not become standalone businesses – as happened with the Xbox – but are integrated with Windows 10 and the promised connected experience. </p>
<p>Lastly, Microsoft’s biggest challenge lies in its ability to effectively capture value in its new ecosystem. </p>
<p>Apple’s cash register is in its devices, from which it takes a 30% cut of every app, album or newspaper subscription purchased through its stores. Google’s cash register is in advertising. Can Microsoft successfully shift its cash registers from retailers, where it simply collects revenue from hardware and software sales, to the cloud, where it can more fully monetize the value of its services over a customer’s lifetime? </p>
<p>Chris Capossela, Microsoft’s chief marketing officer, recently laid out the four <a href="http://www.winbeta.org/news/chief-marketing-officer-chris-capossela-tries-convince-world-microsoft-different-brand">stages</a> of monetization for individuals: acquire, engage, enlist and monetize. </p>
<p>Acquire is getting individuals to use free apps such as Office for iPad or OneNote for Android. In the engage stage, individuals get committed and locked in to such apps, while in the enlist stage, they invite other users to create what are known as positive network effects. The final proof is in the monetization stage: what’s the revenue per user and how can it be protected and expanded? </p>
<p>Similarly, for enterprises, the cash register shifts from multiyear license fees based on the number of users to include security, services and enterprise app stores. Simply put: cash registers in this ecosystem are complex to design and control. </p>
<p>Microsoft’s ability to consistently show growth in revenues and profits at scale by leveraging the Windows ecosystems for individuals and enterprises is Nadella’s biggest test.</p>
<h2>Finding a new formula</h2>
<p>Nadella recognized early on that for too long, Microsoft had operated with the outmoded formula that the PC was at the hub. </p>
<p>Early last year, he <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/21/business/satya-nadella-chief-of-microsoft-on-his-new-role.html">remarked</a> in an interview with The New York Times about the need to go beyond the old formula: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Now, it is about discovering the new formula. So … how do we take the intellectual capital of 130,000 people and innovate where none of the category definitions of the past will matter? Any organizational structure you have today is irrelevant because no competition or innovation is going to respect those boundaries.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Recognition of the challenges ahead is an important hallmark of a good leader. Beyond July 29, he will be tested for his ability to respond to the challenge by pulling his internal organization and external partners in alignment to put Microsoft as a distinguished leader in the “mobile-first, cloud-first” world.</p>
<p>Gates innovated by making the Windows software and Office applications central to the first wave of productivity at work and home. Ballmer failed to adapt to the shift to mobile. Now Nadella hopes to regain Microsoft’s relevance in an increasingly digital world. </p>
<p>We are still in its early stages. Nadella’s success will depend on his ability to pull together the energy of 130,000 Microsoft employees but also several hundred thousand software developers to believe in the future of Windows beyond personal computers and laptops.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/45401/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>N Venkat Venkatraman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Satya Nadella hopes he can do with Windows 10 what Bill Gates managed to do with Windows 95 almost 20 years ago.N Venkat Venkatraman, Professor of Digital Strategy , Boston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/452252015-07-28T04:48:12Z2015-07-28T04:48:12ZMicrosoft wants to win back your support with Windows 10<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89875/original/image-20150728-7662-vfy9xr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Things should look a little more familiar on Windows 10.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126940499@N05/15457852442/">Flickr/download.net.pl</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The latest version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system will begin rolling out from Wednesday (July 29). And remarkably, <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/windows-10-upgrade">Windows 10</a> will be offered as a free upgrade to those users who already have Windows 7 and 8.1 installed.</p>
<p>That the upgrade is free is an interesting move and comes off the back of much <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-microsoft-dropping-support-for-windows-8-1-25712">criticism over Windows 8</a>. Interestingly, the software giant has also skipped over any planned version 9 of Windows.</p>
<p>So what does this mean for Microsoft and the <a href="http://news.microsoft.com/bythenumbers/index.HTML">1.5 billion people</a> it says use Windows every day? Can the company restore some of the consumer and user confidence <a href="http://www.cnet.com/au/news/microsoft-responds-to-extreme-windows-8-criticism/">it has lost</a> in recent years?</p>
<figure>
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</figure>
<p>Under Satya Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft is transforming itself into a “<a href="https://redmondmag.com/articles/2015/07/01/gaming-matters.aspx">productivity and platforms company</a>”. This is a bold re-invention of the company as it seeks to secure its future in a market moving steadily towards <a href="http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/the-pros-and-cons-of-cloud-computing.html">cloud-based services</a> and mobile devices powered by Google’s <a href="https://www.android.com/">Android</a> and Apple’s <a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/">iOS</a>. </p>
<p>Nadella sees it as necessity to broaden the company’s scope of operations beyond its current family of products and conventional modes of delivery. The market does not leave him with much choice if the company is to stay in the game, if not be a leader.</p>
<h2>After Windows 10 it’s just Windows</h2>
<p>For decades, the latest release of Windows has been a major event in itself. But that is set to end.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/features">Windows 10</a> will be the last <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/05/08/microsoft-windows-10-last-windows/">numbered version</a> of the operating system. After Windows 10, it will simply be known as Windows. And you will get your updates incrementally from from the cloud via a subscription service. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89873/original/image-20150728-7646-8o2iw2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many Windows users will have noticed the upgrade notification appearing on their taskbar.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://news.microsoft.com/?attachment_id=213483">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In what it is calling a “<a href="https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2015/03/02/a-first-look-at-the-windows-10-universal-app-platform/">platform convergence strategy</a>”, Microsoft is creating a unified operating environment for phones, tablets, ultrabooks, laptops, desktop computers and Xboxes. All will be integrated by Windows 10, and increasingly so with the later Windows. </p>
<p>The platform convergence strategy allows the creation of <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/21/windows-10-makes-microsofts-dream-of-universal-apps-come-true/">universal applications</a> that can run on any platform with Windows 10. </p>
<p>Surprisingly, applications that have been developed to run on Android and iOS devices will also be able to run on Windows 10, albeit once they have been converted to make them compatible. Still, this will open up a vast number of potential applications to run across Windows platforms.</p>
<h2>Focus on gaming</h2>
<p>Microsoft’s <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/09/microsoft-minecraft-mobile/">acquisition</a> last year of the hit game <a href="https://minecraft.net/">Minecraft</a> for US$2.5 billion is a measure of how seriously Nadella and his strategists take mobile gaming.</p>
<p>Minecraft is a hugely popular open world game that gives players the freedom to create create and manipulate an on-line world made of Lego-like blocks. The move will establish Microsoft in the booming world of mobile games as well as further popularising the Xbox gaming console. </p>
<p>But the question on many people’s minds is whether the personal computer itself is <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/computing/193469-windows-10-is-great-but-it-wont-stop-the-pc-from-dying-and-taking-microsoft-with-it">dead</a>, and along with it Microsoft?</p>
<p>It’s not the first time we have heard such <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/news/426222/the-personal-computer-is-dead/">dire predictions</a>. It is true that PCs are today part of a more complicated personal computing environment, but it is a stretch to declare the PC dead.</p>
<p>There is only so much you can do with a phone or a tablet. For serious work or fun, a full-spec laptop or desktop is still the machine of choice and will remain so. For example, I am writing this article using a laptop.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/89868/original/image-20150728-7662-esxt67.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Microsoft’s latest upgrade of Windows will be free for many users.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericksli/19691620619/">Flickr/Eric Li</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The new digital economy</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/internet-of-things">Internet of Things</a> is expanding, with embedded sensors and data gatherers becoming <a href="http://readwrite.com/2011/07/17/cisco_50_billion_things_on_the_internet_by_2020">pervasive</a>. </p>
<p>Open platforms and operating environments that feed data into the cloud and allow people to derive value will be an important part of the new digital economy. With traditional jobs under threat from automation and artificial intelligence, imagination and creativity will be more important than ever. </p>
<p>Microsoft’s strategy to diversify and integrate its platform offerings and move its services to the cloud while opening itself up to using its competitor’s apps would seem to be a bold but rational response to the current challenges; one that stands a good chance of succeeding. </p>
<p>There will no doubt be loud complaints from those who claim to speak for all of us. But in the end if a computing environment delivers value and allows people to live their lives as they please, then that platform is likely to succeed, particularly when it has the muscle and know-how of a well-established company behind it.</p>
<p>How Google and Apple respond will be very interesting, but competition is a good thing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/45225/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>After Windows 8 flopped, Microsoft is betting big with a free upgrade to Windows 10 and a new strategy to keep the brand alive in a changing technology landscape.David Tuffley, Lecturer in Applied Ethics and Socio-Technical Studies, School of ICT, , Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/257122014-04-22T20:04:34Z2014-04-22T20:04:34ZWhy is Microsoft dropping support for Windows 8.1?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46778/original/sg4mr8mg-1398137781.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Get ready for another update of Windows.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/119783566@N06/13039952124/in/photostream/">Flickr/Jake Rains</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In a move certain to raise the ire of users of Microsoft’s Windows operating system the software giant has announced that next month it will <a href="http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2014/04/02/windows-8-1-update-important-refinements-to-the-windows-experience.aspx">cease support for Windows 8.1</a>.</p>
<p>But that operating system is barely eight months old and already an upgraded version of the <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/history#T1=era9">Windows 8</a> system that <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-continues-to-fail-7000016222/">failed to impress</a> many users since its release in 2012.</p>
<p>Microsoft has this month already killed off support for the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-end-is-nigh-for-windows-xp-are-you-ready-24104">long-lasting Windows XP</a> system, so why is it ending support for Windows 8.1?</p>
<p>The aim is to force users to install <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/whats-new">Windows 8.1 Update</a>, thus establishing it as the new service and support baseline for users. The Update is actually a cumulative collection of all that has already been released for the Windows 8 operating system plus some new improvements for desktop users.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46780/original/fjj6xqh8-1398139004.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The original Windows 8 was aimed more at tablet users and touchscreens.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.microsoft.com/global/en-us/news/publishingimages/ImageGallery/Images/Events/2012/Windows8GA/DemonstratingWindows_Web.jpg">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Microsoft traditionally releases any security patches to its operating system and software on the first Tuesday of the month – known as <a href="http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Microsoft-should-scrap-Patch-Tuesday">Patch Tuesday</a>.</p>
<p>The software giant is urging all Windows 8 and 8.1 users to upgrade now as any patches released in next month’s Patch Tuesday on May 13 “<a href="http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2014/04/02/windows-8-1-update-the-it-pro-perspective.aspx">will be dependent on Windows 8.1 Update</a>”. No Update means no further security patches will be installed. </p>
<p>That means people who stay with standard Windows 8.1 will find themselves in the same position as Windows XP users after Microsoft <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/end-of-support.aspx">ceased support</a> earlier this month after 13 years. </p>
<h2>Why not just upgrade?</h2>
<p>Getting users to upgrade to newer, more secure versions of Windows has always been a problem for Microsoft. Today, more people are still using the <a href="http://www.howtogeek.com/184604/why-have-most-windows-8-users-not-upgraded-to-windows-8.1/">older Windows 8 than 8.1</a>, even though the later version is free and is an improvement on the old. </p>
<p>Why are people slow to install upgrades? Probably because they are busy and the update process is a disruption to their work-flow, taking time and enforcing a re-boot. The user then has to re-open their applications and re-load their work-in-progress. People probably think, “I’ll do that later” but they seldom do. </p>
<p>But for 8.1 users, the longer they leave it to upgrade, the more they risk being hacked. </p>
<h2>Windows 8.1 Update is an improvement</h2>
<p>The irony is that regardless of how authoritarian Microsoft’s efforts have been to get people to upgrade, this new release is an <a href="http://www.techradar.com/au/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1-1161745/review">improvement</a> worth having.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QKTlOYjmiZo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Introducing the Windows 8.1 Update.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is one that most users are likely to appreciate once they have installed and got used to the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/windows-81-update-8-tips-to-avoid-headaches/d/d-id/1204553">changed setup</a>. </p>
<p><a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/whats-new">New features of Update</a> include the default booting of users without touchscreens to the desktop and the default use of desktop applications.</p>
<p>The sensitivity of those pop-up “hot corners” has been reduced, recently installed apps are highlighted and generally a much improved user interface for keyboard and mouse users.</p>
<p>On the technical side, the size of the installation package has been halved from 32Gb to 16Gb. Being leaner, Update also performs faster on older hardware while reducing the minimum RAM from 2Gb to 1Gb.</p>
<p>Windows 8.1 Update is probably the version that Microsoft should have released from the beginning. If it had, then Windows 8 may not have received so much <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/just-how-much-do-people-hate-windows-8-7000013319/">harsh criticism</a> and disappointing user uptake, being variously <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows-xp-users-dont-fear-windows-8-anymore/">described as an unfinished touchscreen</a> operating system aimed at tablet users.</p>
<h2>What’s that!? Windows 8.0 supported until January 2016?</h2>
<p>One of the most baffling aspects of the Windows 8.1 Update story is that users of the original, much-maligned Windows 8 will continue to be supported by Microsoft until <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/default.aspx?alpha=Windows+8">January 2016</a>. </p>
<p>If Microsoft’s intention is to establish 8.1 Update as the “service and support baseline” why would they not insist that Windows 8 users also upgrade. Why take a hard line with 8.1 and not 8.0? It doesn’t make sense.</p>
<h2>Unforeseen complications</h2>
<p>Compounding the difficulties for users wanting to upgrade, it was announced earlier this month that the Windows 8.1 Update was <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/wsus/archive/2014/04/08/windows-8-1-update-prevents-interaction-with-wsus-3-2-over-ssl.aspx">having SSL problems</a> that held up deployment of the upgrade for a few days.</p>
<p>This issue has since been <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2959977">resolved</a>, but it could not have come at a worse time with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-heartbleed-bug-reveals-a-flaw-in-online-security-25536">Heartbleed security bug</a> creating alarm around the world with its exploitation of an <a href="https://www.openssl.org/">OpenSSL library</a> vulnerability.</p>
<p>The best advice is for all users to do a <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows/help/windows-update">manual check</a> to make sure they have access to the latest software upgrade and get it installed as soon as possible, ahead of the deadline. Simply relying on automatic updates is not enough.</p>
<h2>A race against time</h2>
<p>So the clock is ticking. With support for Windows 8.1 ending on May 13, and various problems rendering their 8.1 Update package problematic, time is running out fast for both Microsoft and those people who are trying to comply with the strong-arm directive to upgrade there computers before support ends. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46782/original/8rn2rvg4-1398139277.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=533&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many new developments since Satya Nadella appointed Microsoft CEO.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.microsoft.com/global/en-us/news/publishingimages/ImageGallery/Images/Events/2013/townhall/SatyaNadellaatOneMic_Web.jpg">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But Microsoft’s new CEO <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/ceo/index.html">Satya Nadella</a> has only been on the job since February 2014 and already we are seeing much activity at the US headquarters these days;</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2113980/microsoft-announces-office-for-ipad-extending-productivity-to-all-ios-devices.html">Office for iOS</a>,</li>
<li><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.office.officehub">Office on Android</a>,</li>
<li><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2139080/microsoft-makes-windows-free-on-iot-and-small-mobile-devices-but-not-pcs.html">free Windows</a> for phones and small tablets,</li>
<li><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/smartphone-apps/sirilike-cortana-fills-windows-phone-gap-20140416-zqvdd.html">Cortana</a> (a Siri-like AI).</li>
</ul>
<p>There will be plenty more too in the run-up to the release of Windows 9 <a href="http://www.techradar.com/au/news/software/operating-systems/microsoft-to-reveal-windows-9-at-build-2014-with-release-in-april-2015--1214491">sometime in 2015</a>. </p>
<p>With Microsoft’s <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/os-market-share.aspx?qprid=9">market share still under threat</a> from Apple, the Windows 8.1 Update mandate is a high-stakes gamble that may yet pay off for the company – as the old saying goes <em>“you have to risk going too far to discover just how far you can really go.”</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/25712/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In a move certain to raise the ire of users of Microsoft’s Windows operating system the software giant has announced that next month it will cease support for Windows 8.1. But that operating system is…David Tuffley, Lecturer in Applied Ethics and Socio-Technical Studies, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/253172014-04-07T20:10:00Z2014-04-07T20:10:00ZOpen source gives new life to old Windows XP machines<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45739/original/cmwn35zd-1396846460.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Saving your old Windows XP.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbk/1131501685">Flickr/MBK Marjie </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the sun sets on Microsoft’s <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/end-support-help">support for Windows XP</a> this may be a great time to think about trying out a <a href="http://www.fsf.org/">Free</a> and <a href="http://opensource.org/">Open Source Software</a> (FOSS) operating system for your <a href="https://theconversation.com/windows-xp-is-still-popular-so-why-is-microsoft-pulling-the-plug-24352">still-working PC</a>.</p>
<p>This is especially the case when older hardware cannot run newer versions of Windows (such as 7, 8 or <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows-8/upgrade-from-windows-vista-xp-tutorial">8.1</a>). Your only other option then is to either dispose of the old XP machine or keep it running and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-end-is-nigh-for-windows-xp-are-you-ready-24104">face potential security threats</a>.</p>
<p>But many software developers, both hobbyists and professionals alike, have contributed to a growing body of FOSS programs that now numbers in the tens of thousands. These software programs are licensed for anyone to freely download and use.</p>
<p>To simplify the downloading and installing, collections of these many software components, called “<a href="http://lwn.net/Distributions/">distributions</a>”, are available ready for users to download and start using straight away.</p>
<h2>Go Linux</h2>
<p>Many of these distributions are based on the <a href="http://kernel.org">Linux kernel</a>, which is highly regarded due to its robustness, performance, security, broad support and low cost.</p>
<p>Linux has become the dominant operating system for internet sites, powering Google, Facebook, YouTube and many others. It is also the dominant operating system powering Android phones and tablets, televisions, home routers and many other devices.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=372&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45740/original/4pt83jq5-1396846702.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If your machine can run Windows XP then it can probably run a Linux OS too.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/antonypranata/3233115536">Flickr/Antony Pranata </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over the years, Linux-based distributions have become more and more popular and any machine capable of running Windows XP is a good candidate for running a Linux distribution such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.ubuntu.com">Ubuntu</a></li>
<li><a href="http://fedoraproject.org">Fedora</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.opensuse.org">OpenSUSE</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.debian.org">Debian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://linuxmint.com">LinuxMint</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>That’s just to name a few – there are many more available.</p>
<h2>Anything Windows can do Linux can do … mostly</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=710&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=710&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45742/original/2n8mpz77-1396847260.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=710&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Firefox is one of many alternative browsers to Internet Explorer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/styleguide/identity/firefox/branding/">Mozilla</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These package together a suite of standard programs which enable you to do the types of things you would do in Windows XP, such as search the web, send and receive emails, edit and print documents.</p>
<p>For the most part the user interface and experience is very similar to what you would have experienced in Windows XP and typical alternatives to Microsoft software include:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/">Mozilla Firefox</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/">Google Chrome</a>, <a href="http://www.konqueror.org/">KDE Konqueror</a> and many more instead of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer for browsing the web</li>
<li><a href="http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/">Mozilla Thunderbird</a>, <a href="https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Evolution">Evolution</a> and others instead of Microsoft’s Outlook or Outlook Express for email</li>
<li><a href="https://www.libreoffice.org/">LibreOffice</a> instead of Microsoft Office</li>
<li><a href="http://www.videolan.org/vlc/">VLC media player</a> to play your movies and music instead of Windows Media Player</li>
<li><a href="http://www.gimp.org/">GIMP</a> for editing photos and other images instead of Microsoft Photo Editor or Adobe Photoshop.</li>
</ul>
<p>More software options are available too with many included in the <a href="http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page">Free Software Directory</a>.</p>
<h2>Easy to install</h2>
<p>In the early days installing and running Linux on a computer required considerable technical abilities but over the years this has become a lot simpler. Users can now install and configure the system desktop by following a few onscreen prompts without the need for any technical command-line interaction.</p>
<p>But before trying out any new operating system software, it is very important to backup your files to external media such as a USB device, and also to test that your backup works.</p>
<p>To install a new operating system you need to create a bootable USB device, CD-ROM, or DVD of the distribution you would like to give a go. Instructions on how to do this are available on the website of each distribution. Once you have this you simply restart the computer and during the first few seconds of the computer turning on you instruct the computer to boot off the media you created.</p>
<p>Try out the “live” Linux system for a while without installing it on your computer. When you are happy with what you see, there is normally an icon on the desktop that you can use to install the operating system onto your hard disk. Click on the icon and follow the instructions.</p>
<p>You then have the option of installing it either alongside your existing operating system, or overwriting the old system with the new.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45746/original/5yqq9brc-1396847919.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Once you get your Linux system up and running it’s just as easy as a Windows XP setup.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfllaw/380959080">Flickr/Simon Law</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once installed, updates and bug fixes of the operating system and the software you run are easily downloaded and incorporated into your system, much the same as they were with your use of Windows XP.</p>
<p>Linux has long been extensively used for servers and so security has always been a key part of its design. Known security issues would normally be quickly fixed and updates made available and there are far fewer viruses or cyberthreats.</p>
<p>Although there are a large number of FOSS games available you may not be able run your favourite Windows game on Linux. There are some ways around this, such as <a href="http://www.playonlinux.com/en">Play on Linux</a>, which lets you run some Windows games on Linux but the latest blockbuster games will probably not work.</p>
<h2>What about help?</h2>
<p>If you are worried about support then there is a large community of users for Linux in Australia and around the world. Many local user groups exist, such as the <a href="http://clug.org.au/">Canberra Linux User Group</a>, which has monthly meetings held at the ANU.</p>
<p>Linux Australia has a list of other local <a href="http://linux.org.au/foss_in_australia">Linux user groups</a>. They are generally friendly and happy to help out new comers to Linux. There are also numerous online forums which provide help for working through problems.</p>
<p>So when Windows XP support ends rather than throwing out that old box give Linux a go – you may be pleasantly surprised!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/25317/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As the sun sets on Microsoft’s support for Windows XP this may be a great time to think about trying out a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) operating system for your still-working PC. This is especially…Robert Edwards, Lecturer and programmer, Australian National UniversityEric C. McCreath, Lecturer, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/241042014-03-16T19:35:42Z2014-03-16T19:35:42ZThe end is nigh for Windows XP: are you ready?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43831/original/7bhp98yx-1394696624.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Are you ready to say good bye to Windows XP?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23pixels/4227738446/sizes/o/">Flickr/Rowell Dionicio</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Almost 13 years after its release in October 2001 to a world still in shock after the 9/11 terror attacks, the <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2934207">sun is finally setting</a> on Microsoft’s Windows XP.</p>
<p>The operating system has been the software in many home and work PCs but for die-hard users who continue to use XP, danger that way lies. </p>
<p>All operating systems have a service life, and <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era6">Windows XP</a> has had an exceptionally long one. The problem for XP, short for extended user “<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2001/feb01/02-05namingpr.aspx">eXPerience</a>”, is that it is still being used on hundreds of millions of computers globally.</p>
<p>In February 2014, <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/report.aspx?qprid=11&qpaf=&qpcustom=Windows+XP&qpcustomb=0">just under 30%</a> of PCs around the world are still running XP, despite there being three later versions of Windows to choose from (<a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era7">Vista</a>, <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era8">Windows 7</a>, <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era9">Windows 8</a> and its tweak edition <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era10">8.1</a>).</p>
<h2>The risks of soldiering on</h2>
<p>While some die-hard XP users will be in the process of moving on to Windows 7 or 8, there will certainly be those who soldier on after the expiry date on April 8.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43929/original/9v9wvkv5-1394771135.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of many service packs that kept XP going for so long.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/priceminister/3308674184/sizes/o/">Flickr/priceminister</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After all, XP is a robust operating system that has given them <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57587252-75/microsofts-windows-xp-is-still-kickin-do-you-use-it/">many years of service</a> despite numerous patches and updates. </p>
<p>The problem for people who continue to use (internet-connected) XP after support ends will be a growing number of security vulnerabilities that will not be solved by the periodic updates and hot-fixes from Microsoft. Nor will those users be able to get technical support for any other problems they might have with XP. </p>
<p>Microsoft <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-support-help">admits</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Open to attack</h2>
<p>As in any ongoing war, when defenders withdraw from battle, attackers (and hackers) take advantage. They have almost certainly been making plans in anticipation of the day when millions of XP computers become more vulnerable. That day is April 8, 2014.</p>
<p>Microsoft’s director of trustworthy computing, <a href="http://social.technet.microsoft.com/profile/tim%20rains%20-%20microsoft/">Tim Rains</a>, issued a <a href="https://blogs.technet.com/b/security/archive/2013/08/15/the-risk-of-running-windows-xp-after-support-ends.aspx">statement last August</a> warning that security patches for later versions of Windows could inadvertently give cyber-criminals the information they need to reverse-engineer a successful attack on unsupported versions of Windows.</p>
<p>This can happen because under the skin, there is a large amount of program code in common between the different versions of the Windows operating system. So patch the code for Windows 7 and 8 and you reveal the a potential flaw in XP that won’t be patched.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43932/original/zgtb94q4-1394771331.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.microsoft.com/de-de/news/bild.aspx?id=3636">Microsoft</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is true that up-to-date XP still has reasonable capability to withstand attack, and anti-virus and malware detection software can do a good job.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the risks of being hacked will rise substantially, particularly when older iinternet browsers are still being used.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/security/sir/default.aspx">Microsoft Security Intelligence Report</a> goes into detail for those who are interested.</p>
<h2>What can XP users do?</h2>
<p>Individual users can take the obvious course of updating to a later version of Windows at their convenience (and Microsoft offers some advice <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/endofsupport.aspx">here</a>), or they might take the opportunity to switch to an alternative operating system. There’s several to choose from. </p>
<p>For those on a budget, the growing number of online retailers selling computers at close to wholesale prices is making the purchase of new or nearly new equipment surprisingly affordable. </p>
<p>For organisations though, particularly larger ones, the task of migration can be a <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/windows-xp-how-one-company-said-goodbye-to-the-ageing-operating-system-7000012896/">lengthy one</a> that requires months if not years to complete, not the days and weeks left to them before the sun sets on XP support.</p>
<p>For these folks, some timely advice for staying safe is in order. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/43937/original/rwj3m85h-1394772474.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Do nothing and your Windows XP is open to attack and the frustrating blue screen of death.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/room2593/3354412191/sizes/l/">Flickr/Barnabus Slayer of 3vil</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Crash course in managing the risk of cyber-intrusion</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://www.asd.gov.au/infosec/ism/index.htm">Information Security Manual</a>, a publication of the Australian Signals Directorate (<a href="http://www.asd.gov.au/">ASD</a>) gives some useful advice for anyone wanting to protect themselves against the threat of cyber-attack. </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Application white-listing.</strong> Where a list of verified, trusted programs is created for the PC based on the job it is required to do. If these are the <em>only</em> programs permitted to be installed on the computer, then potentially dangerous programs (including Dynamic Link Libraries or <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/41589/dll">DLLs</a>), scripts and installers) can not be executed</li>
<li><strong>Patching applications.</strong> As soon as they become available, install updates and fixes to the white-listed applications, including Java, PDF viewer, web browser, Microsoft Office and others. Older versions of internet browsers are particularly vulnerable</li>
<li><strong>Patching operating systems.</strong> Automatically download and install the latest security patches and hot-fixes as soon as they become available. The ASD specifically recommends <em>not</em> using Windows XP due to the inherent risk</li>
<li><strong>Restrict administrator privileges.</strong> Only those people whose job requires them to install and make changes to operating systems and applications should have admin access.<br></li>
</ul>
<p>If implemented, these four security measures have proved to be very effective.</p>
<p>For XP users, performing the three out of the four that are possible, plus using up-to-date anti-virus and anti-malware software, will go a long way to protecting an XP computer until you are ready to migrate to a supported operating system.</p>
<p>To get really serious about this, see the full list of 35 <a href="http://www.asd.gov.au/images/mitigation-strategies-2014.png">Strategies to Mitigate Targeted Cyber Intrusions</a> (and be ready for some fine print).</p>
<h2>The end of an era</h2>
<p>As the sun finally sets on venerable old XP, it is timely to reflect a moment on the end of an era when a single operating system dominated the market.</p>
<p>Those days are fast disappearing with new paradigms of computing (<a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/android">Android</a>, iOS, <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/cloud-computing">cloud computing</a>, wireless mobile, <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/open-source">open source</a>) taking a growing share of the overall market.</p>
<p>The folks at Microsoft must be more than a little concerned. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/24104/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Tuffley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Almost 13 years after its release in October 2001 to a world still in shock after the 9/11 terror attacks, the sun is finally setting on Microsoft’s Windows XP. The operating system has been the software…David Tuffley, Lecturer in Applied Ethics & Socio-Technical Studies, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.