October 14, 2011 12:20 pm |
Dennis Ritchie
Steve Jobs’ passing was rightly lamented in the world’s media, but I wonder how many people will note the passing of Dennis Ritchie? Far fewer, I’ll bet, but arguably he was many, many times more important to IT innovation than the Apple founder.
Ritchie’s software creations and their direct descendants run pretty much everything we use online today, including Jobs’ own devices like the iPhone.
When you visit a website and your PC asks you to run Java…that’s based on Dennis Ritchie’s C programming language, a shorthand of words, numbers and punctuation. Successors like C++ also build on the ideas, rules and grammar that Mr. Ritchie designed.
He also came up with the Unix operating system which has similarly had a rich and enduring impact. Unix and its free, open-source variant, Linux, underpins nearly everything online. It powers many of the world’s data centres, like those at Google and Amazon, so much so that 70% of all web servers use it. Its technology also serves as the foundation of operating systems like Apple’s Mac OS, iOS on your iPhone, Android on your smartphone, the base system in your wifi router at home …
So, you may not realise it but Dennis Ritchie’s inventions touch your life every single day and although he may not be as well-known as Mr Jobs, his IT legacy will live on for many generations to come.
Requiscat in Pace, dmr.
October 12, 2011 8:41 am |
Blackberry is under pressure from all angles
BlackBerry users now find themselves facing a 3rd consecutive day of service disruption.
As a result, RIM, BlackBerry’s maker, whose recent financial results have disappointed investors (we blogged about it here ) is now under further pressure as it faces the prospect of losing subscribers who are disgruntled due to service quality.
Continue Reading this Post →
October 6, 2011 8:38 am |
Steve Jobs
It was with great sadness that I heard the news this morning reporting Steve Jobs’ passing.
Regardless of whether you are an Apple devotee or not, it is undeniable that Steve Jobs’ vision, creativity and innovation has had a dramatic impact on our personal and business lives. His inventions were always way ahead of the world’s technology companies and each one has spawned countless imitations .
There will be a lot written about Steve Jobs in the wake of his death but the definitive tribute and therefore the last word in this blog should come from Apple.
August 12, 2010 3:16 pm |
With Apple bringing out the new iPad, our techies were fighting over the chance to try one out, shame that the PR girl got to road test it instead……. Here are a few advantages and disadvan
tages!
There is no doubt that the Apple iPad looks sleek and impressive but is it just a must-have gadget or can I throw away my netbook? Designed to look like a large iPod touch, many criticised Apple for not bringing out a fresher look but for all iPod touch fanatics it’s a breeze to use.
The Apple iPad is small and portable and would definitely fit in my handbag which is a big tick. It is easy to carry from office to office, room to room with little effort, only weighing a small 1.5 pounds.
Battery life is around 10 hours, depending on your usage which I have to say, is much better than my netbook which lasts for about 4 hours.
It loads quickly, so no waiting around when you are in a hurry.
The e-books application is a big hit, I have to admit I love reading and to me there is nothing better than the smell of an old book, but it is probably the next best thing. Realistic page turning graphics, new releases and a large screen make the experience pretty easy.
It’s easy to watch videos, Youtube already installed and raring to go and if you need a beverage, take the iPad with you, no need to pause anymore.
So, what are the down sides?
There is no SMS application so you don’t have the ability to text.
It doesn’t boast a camera either so although it looks similar to an iPod touch, it doesn’t have all the functions.
There is no capability for video conferencing which forces it to sit in the home category rather than use in the office.
Whilst the iPad could be viewed as a portable access point for the internet it does not have Adobe Flash capability, which means not all websites are viewable.
There is no USB port.
No capability for a memory card which means if you require more memory you will have to purchase a more expensive model.
Often needing the ability to multi-task, my netbook allows me to have several screens open at one time; this is not possible on an iPad.
Being a touch typist I wasn’t looking forward to the virtual keypad, it was easier to use than I expected but I did have to rest it on my knee to type, meaning I had to look down. You can buy a wireless keyboard to use with your iPad but then again this is more expense.
WiFi is not completely stable.
There is no denying that the iPad will go from strength to strength. At the moment my choice would have to fall with my netbook in terms of functionality. As the iPad develops though, I would definitely consider investing in one in the future.
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