What is Digg?70 Comments
- DotNetWill, on 06/24/2009, -10/+26Very strange article. The author is comparing two very different and incompatiable things.
Could it be the fact that Linux is OSS and as such the developers of these super computers can modify it to work specifically with their systems and eek every bit of performance out of it? Or that the sheer number of processors and amount of memory means general purpose OSs don't scale particularly well? I highly doubt these guy run Ubuntu 9.04 or another distro.
It's pro Linux and anti MS just for the sake it. - inactive, on 06/24/2009, -5/+20Be prepared to see tons of postings about how you can't compare the OS's and that Linux sucks.
- EthylAdded, on 06/24/2009, -0/+8I agree, the author is comparing an extremely flexible, powerful, open operating system family, with a limited, weak, closed and expensive one. Of course Linux is going to have enormous speed potential, how it could it not?
- craigly, on 06/24/2009, -0/+8No, if you had read the article, you'd understand they're not comparing it to an OS that is meant for "wide public use." They are comparing apples to apples - supercomputers only.
- cowninja, on 06/24/2009, -0/+6Microsoft has an HPC system: http://www.microsoft.com/hpc/en/us/default.aspx .
Regardless of the OS, the interconnects is where the speed is at. - LucasHenderson, on 06/24/2009, -3/+9Yes, cause this article was totally about boot times.
- rchargel, on 06/24/2009, -0/+5They were comparing probably customized Linux distros to Microsofts MPC line (which is a highly customized version of Windows for supercomputers).
- Sabin8, on 06/24/2009, -1/+6You can always boot, which is what I do. I only go back to windows when I want to play games, but I spend most of my time using Ubuntu because it just does what I need it to do much better and faster and in some cases Windows can't do what I need it to. I also run a virtualbox of XP in Ubuntu just in case.
- cowninja, on 06/24/2009, -0/+5http://www.microsoft.com/hpc/en/us/default.aspx
Microsoft does have an HPC product. Universities are standing up clusters now and time will tell if it can compete. - Leviathan433, on 06/24/2009, -2/+7You're right - It can do more.
- Sabin8, on 06/24/2009, -4/+8RTFA before you sound like a jackass.
- inactive, on 06/24/2009, -0/+4I share your pessimism, but i fail to understand why these can't be compared.
If you have a choice of OS's to use on a supercomputer, and those choices include BSD, linux, and Microsoft HPC, why is it unfair to use linux? HPC is the only thing that windows has to support any type of supercomputing, just as a slightly modified unix kernel is used for the linux distros they use.
It's like looking at automobiles. You have a choice between a cavalier (HPC), a corolla (BSD), or a ferrari FXX (linux). The choices may not be fair, but they are still the choices and therefore merit comparison. - rchargel, on 06/24/2009, -0/+4That's not exactly true. Most "supercomputers" use one of a group of standard architectures. Usually that means the x86_64 architecture (I think the article said over 80%, that's Intel + AMD), but it could also be x86, Itanium, or even the PS3 chip. There are also a group of 64bit IBM chipsets. Because Linux is open source, it can be compiled for any chipset (so can BSD). Microsoft's HPC Server 2008 is compiled and tuned for the x86_64 chipset. It's also important to note the MS's HPC is highly customizable and tunable (at least for a Windows based system). You are right though in that it cannot compete with Linux in terms of customization and performance. It takes a lot of hardware just to run Windows. Don't worry though. Eventually MS will do what Apple did and just write their OS on a *nix kernel and get rid of that crappy Win32/Win64 kernel and NTFS file system.
- morepowerr, on 06/24/2009, -1/+5I would have to say over all linux is use far more then windows. Because it is use in so much more then just PC's. I would place beat that every one use something with linux in it every day with out even knowing it.
It is in places like home phones,cell phones, TV's, DVD players,mp3-4 player. self check out cash registers. ATM's. And in millions embedded thing. From watches to microwaves.
Windows thing is desktops and that is about it. - whodathunk, on 06/24/2009, -1/+4"The Linux on those machine just ISN'T the Linux you will run on your machine at home."
It's not Ubuntu, but it's the same Linux, written by the same people, and compiled from the same sources with the same compiler as what is in your machine at home... - craigly, on 06/24/2009, -0/+3Gotcha, but I respectfully disagree with the fact that it's anti-MS just for the sake of it. If you want to compare a supercomputer to a supercomputer, you get a list together of all the supercomputers you can find. MS' offering just happened to be at the bottom of the list. With the high visibility of the company, it was only natural to to mention this fact. OTOH, MS is in the infancy of its supercomputer offerings, so it will be interesting to see how it stacks up in a couple years.
- Dermbrau, on 06/24/2009, -2/+5If I had a second computer I would definitely go Linux but the reason I use Windows isn't because I think it's the best OS or the most powerful, it's because it has the largest library of compatible software. I can't use the Adobe Suite in Linux and sometimes I like to play games. Linux doesn't really cover me. I could use a Mac but I never felt the huge mark up for a Mac was worth the small speed advantages these programs get with the OS. I could use WINE but if I spend my whole time using WINE then whats the point of using Linux?
For these reasons alone I'd use Linux as a back up OS - inactive, on 06/24/2009, -3/+6He didn't create the article, thanks
- xdevit, on 06/25/2009, -0/+2I think it comes down to... people do not just download an iso of UBUNTU Home and put it on a supercomputer. Most all supercomputers run *nix yes but most all are pretty much ~90% custom. Which is not something you can really do with Windows. If MS gave whomever was building sed supercomputer the source code then they could adapt it to their needs.
- LoveDub, on 06/24/2009, -0/+2You've heard of Gimp? Aside from a few interface issues, it works as well as Photoshop. And you don't need to buy a zillion filters or brushes to get special effects.
- craigly, on 06/24/2009, -1/+3Windows 7 has nothing to do with this article which is comparing apples to apples. It's all about supercomputing. Windows 7 is not designed for supercomputing.
- SeverTomorrow, on 06/24/2009, -1/+3Push button, thanks
- DotNetWill, on 06/24/2009, -0/+1They are incomparable because one is an open source product that you can freely modify and the other is a closed source product that you have no control other. It's frankly amazing that anyone would choose Windows at all
- zip000, on 06/24/2009, -0/+1When I had a lower end computer, I used linux exclusively - for about 4 years. I put together a decent fast computer recently so I put Windows on it to play some games.
That's pretty much the only reason I can see for me to use Windows at this point. Linux has everything I need for everyday use and a plethora of options for things that I only do occasionally. The only weak point is in gaming, and that is just because the games were built to run on Windows in the first place. I know I can get things working mostly in Wine, but right now having a small Windows partition for gaming is just easier. - Leviathan433, on 06/24/2009, -1/+2Form blazing sword?
- MattBD, on 06/24/2009, -0/+1Apple wouldn't license OS X to run on other companies hardware, and can you imagine an Apple supercomputer? "The new Mac Hyper - a supercomputer to match your other Apple hardware!" - doesn't really sound likely!
- jemka, on 06/24/2009, -2/+3I agree. When I developed my home supercomputer for word processing and viewing the internet, Linux was the obvious choice. Even my Mom can use the supercomputer because I changed the icons to make it look like Windows. So she THINKS she's using a supercomputer based on Windows, but really it's Linux FTW!!!!
teehee - electronicdream, on 06/24/2009, -0/+1Crate article, thanks
- rchargel, on 06/24/2009, -1/+2Agreed. Linux is not for everyone or every situation. I do use Linux as my primary OS (I have a virtualbox instance with XP for Visual Studio .Net development). But I am a software engineer (Eclipse and GCC don't require windows), and I don't play PC video games. I don't run Photoshop, I use GIMP instead. Do I think GIMP is equivalent, not even close. If Adobe made a Linux version of Photoshop I would buy it immediately. I would love to see more proprietary software for Linux. I've often wanted to see a special Debian repository for proprietary software that you either pay a subscription for, or a per-application fee. Unfortunately, as most Windows/Mac people point out, this will probably not happen until there is at least a niche market for their products on Linux (remember that Photoshop existed on Mac before it did on Windows, even when Mac was less than 1% market-share). It is also unfortunate that most Linux users are dead set on destroying Linux before it even really gets off the ground. They do this by protesting anything that isn't FOSS, "how dare you try to sell software for Linux, it should all be free." They also give the majority of us a bad name by persisting with their snobbish fanboyism.
- chadsmith729, on 06/24/2009, -2/+3Classifications when comparing Operating Systems:
1.) Home Users
2.) Business Users
3.) Enterprise / Corporate Users
4.) Servers
5.) High computing servers
6.) Network controllers
7.) Mail servers
8.) Super computers
I think there needs to be a standard out there that will keep the classifications together. Like they do for cars, they have compacts, sub-compacts, suv's, trucks, heavy duty trucks, ect. - falafelkiosken, on 06/24/2009, -0/+1I don't think scientists use rar on their computers...
- rchargel, on 06/24/2009, -0/+1Or, it means that people simply write your product off as some geek thing, so you have to explain, hey it's not just a geek thing, this actually works. That said, as a longtime Linux/Unix user, I still wouldn't say it's ready for prime-time. Ubuntu 9.04 is close to being something I might give my Mom, but we need some repositories and/or RPMs for proprietary software like Photoshop before we can be truly competitive on the desktop market.
- morepowerr, on 06/24/2009, -1/+2the last year or so I have just used the 7zip-rar plug.
- craigly, on 06/24/2009, -2/+3Why is the OP getting dugg up? In his 2nd sentence, he asserts something that just isn't true. If you read the article, you'd understand that it is comparing supercomputers to supercomputers. Sure, they're quite likely incompatible with each other from a hardware perspective. I'll grant you that. Once again, if you read the article, it is not comparing a Windows desktop system to a Linux supercomputer, which is what you probably assumed.
- DivineMonkey, on 06/24/2009, -1/+1I'll have to give that a shot, rar really sucks lately.
- dvcoolfuel, on 06/24/2009, -1/+1Im about to boot my XP virtual machine to do my tax, this is the first time in 12 months that I have used it, Linux (Ubuntu) does everything that I need to do.
- Sabin8, on 06/24/2009, -10/+10People saying "who cares" cue.. 3... 2... 1... go. If you don't understand the implications of this then stfu... *****.
- Sargel, on 06/24/2009, -1/+1That's just your perceptron of this guy. I'm sure not everyone holds the same perceptron as you. Personally, i think your perceptrons of this article and author are weak.
- s32843, on 06/25/2009, -1/+1Switch from Windows to Linux only is not easy. I don't think many of people can do it smoothly. My personal experience: read a good book first. That will save you lots of time. The reward of using linux is huge: you don't need worry about virus any more.
- ModernDayDarwin, on 06/24/2009, -5/+5The world is full of apples and oranges comparisons. This is kind of like looking at a custom built race car compared to my Toyota and saying therefore my Toyota is a POS.
- rrife, on 06/24/2009, -1/+1So do you prefer Linux over Windows? Please tell us how you really feel.....the description wasn't clear.
- tao52nyc, on 06/24/2009, -3/+2Yeah, that and the 0.8% market share. Must make you proud.
- rpeters, on 06/24/2009, -4/+3Sure, to the 1.12% of people who use it.
- seekretive, on 06/24/2009, -12/+11Awesome article, just one of the many reasons Linux is a great operating system.
- EntropyFan, on 06/24/2009, -5/+3It is just fan-idiot drivel.
FTA: Only BSD, with a single representative on the list, trails Windows.
So the fact that MS has only 5 entries makes it a failure? Ok, what about OSX and Apple, with no entries what so ever?
Now I suppose OSX is just a cut and paste job from BSD, so that makes it a worse failure then MS?
I'm betting there will be a long list of excuses as to why that isn't so. - TheTaoOfBill, on 06/24/2009, -5/+3Not that I really give a crap about Linux, but if you don't care don't click it. Why do you need to announce that other people's interests are lame. I'm sure linux fanboys get enough of that in real life.
- norman619, on 06/24/2009, -4/+1Linux is a great server OS. I use it on my file and media servers. SinceI like to use all my applicatiosn and love playing PC games Linux will never be on my desktop as a primary OS. Linux has its place like everythign else. The fanboy would have you believe that place is everywhere when that clearly is not the case.
- bigteebo, on 06/24/2009, -5/+2But can they play YouTube videos on high def without problems?
- xtreme571, on 06/24/2009, -4/+1i havent used linux much other than once in a while to try out new distros, so of course i would find windows easier as i've been using them for last 10 years or so. i've installed linux and windows 7 on my laptop, compared both of them. Windows seem to be a bit faster for me, maybe its just that i'm use to it.
Linux still has a long way to go to be familiar to many end users. Netbooks running linux are bringing it to end users, but it's still a long way until people get to know linux.
(By many end users, i mean people who buy laptop from best buy and just start using it as it is, and trust me there are many people like that) -
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