Cruel and Unusual Desktops

This is going to sound very mean, but I think it needs to be said. I've had a long career as a poweruser, not just from a casual computer user point of view, but as an engineer. Everything I've focused on has been to learn how the internals of technology work. You can say I'm a geek, that would be extremely accurate.

But most people aren't, and just need a simple tool. And Microsoft has done a pretty good job of bringing that to the masses. But we're getting to the point where we're moving beyond that, and we want more. Even the casual, normal Joe everyday user is expecting more. Even the user who only requires a simple tool is asking for more.

I think this is where Windows as a desktop environment fails us. Yes, I'm a big Linux user, and yes, I've worked in places where a nicely, fined-tuned group of Windows admins have made it a pleasure to work with. But not everyone has those resources.

So I think it's time we leave Microsoft behind, desktop-wise. I'm impressed by Apple's products. I'm in no form an Apple fanboy, but it seems they've been doing things right, and it's showing. I think there's a special place for Microsoft software, and that's virtualized in a sandbox environment, on Linux servers or Mac desktops.

I'm not a fan of the iPad, but I know a few people who own one. I've managed Mac Minis and administrated Mac OSX server. I would recommend a normal user get a Mac or iPad over any type of Windows desktop machine. I think many of the problems with security, as a society, stem from poor desktop management. Some of that is the end user, some of that is the operating system. It's just a bad habit that's easy to get into and difficult to get out of.

I stay secure by practicing good habits. "Good" is relative, and as I define it, just means avoiding the bad technology loopholes. And you see people making the same mistakes everyday.

So I honestly think next time someone asks me what computer to buy, I will ask them, "Well, are you an engineer?". If the answer is yes, they probably wouldn't have asked in the first place, but when the answer is most likely "No", I'll point them in the direction of an iPad or at least a Mac Mini, probably the only Apple product I would ever consider buying.