Moment of truth

When all is said and done, which OS would YOU bet your life and employment?

Would you feel better about air traffic controllers using Linux, Solaris, Windows, AIX, or etc?

Would you feel better about your bank using PostgreSQL, MySQL, DB2, Oracle, or MSSQL?

Would you want your car running Linux or WinCE? (WinCE sounds line wince, which is appropriate.)

Experience has shown me that all points lead to an open source solution, whether it be a *BSD or a Linux distribution. The software does a damn fine job, and makes possible incremental upgrades instead of massive roll-outs. I find myself going to Sourceforge more so now than ever. Major (proprietary) software purchases involve weeks of linguistic kung-fu with vendors to determine suitability of the software, and even then, the product often lacks some major functionality, and cannot be made whole by any means. The vendors are no help in this area, because it is in their best interest to hide the shortcomings of the product. Open source projects list everything for all to see, and I can immediately size up a potential solution.

If by 'feel better,' you mean 'feel safer,' then here is the order in which I would place them:

AIX, Solaris, Linux, Windows

I would prefer PostgreSQL, without a doubt. It performs better than MySQL, but is better documented and a /hell/ of a lot cheaper than Oracle or DB2.

I would want stripped-down and fast assembly-coded firmware managing my cars functions. Screw the embedded operating systems, those are for stupid people with cell-phones that take 2 minutes to 'boot up.'

As an RTOS there's not too much to complain about WinCE.

None of the above.

None of the above. ANY database for online statement viewing. NO database for actual transaction handling (it should be done the old mainframe way - generational merge files. For online transactions? Keep a transaction log in any database

Oh man, I'm sure glad no one does it that way.

Yuck, Wince is a real pain.

Computers have done a lot for cars. 35 years ago 100,000 miles was the lifetime of a car, high mileage meant 20 mpg and no power, and horsepower was between 180 and 280 for V8s with 4 barrel carburetors.

These days, a computer controlled V6 can go 200,000 miles, get 240 to 280 horse power, and get 30 mpg. A high performance computer controlled 4 cylinder with a turbo, can eat the average 1967 muscle car for breakfast, get better mileage, and last longer.

hmmm... reminds me of that article about NASA desperately chasing old 8086 processors for the shuttles...

employment?

Neither, I would use Tandem and what ever OS Tandem uses.

Probably Oracle followed by PostgreSQL, MySQL, then right, right, right at the end, MSSQL, however, if MSSQL can 'lose' my creditcard balance, and it is unretrievable, thus, I don't need to pay, I'm all happy

Neither. QNX RTP.

Matthew Gardiner

Actually, that's what my employer does.

All new cars need a computer with an OS. For one thing it is required to put out the 'P' codes for emission testing. Also, there aren't anymore carbs, new cars are all fuel injected. Fuel Injection was made possible by having a good computer controlling the fuel and air. It has always been known that fuel injection was superior to carbs, but without computers the mechanics was too difficult for anything but professional diesel vehicles.

Well, neither of my cars ( a 1972 Charger w/440 and an 1969 Coronet 440 'One of 200 Factory Rod' have computers. But if I can get around the pollution rules, I'm going to install computerized fule injection on the Charger. It has torqued out at just under 400HP at 10mpg. With fuel injection, I should be able to get that HP at about 15-20MPG. Nice on cross country trips. The OS will be LinuxRT, thank you very much.

Dude!! I have a 1987 Pontiac Firebird. I built a new engine for it. A bored out 350 small block with a stroked cam. Right now I am running a holley double pumper. 0-60 < 5 sec

I am SOO thinking about either throttle body fuel injection or a full-boat solution where I have to replace the intake manifold. The OEM car computer is, how should I put this, completely isolated from the engine. (It wouldn't know how to deal with it anyway.). I have been toying with replacing it with an industrial PC and a could data acquisition cards.

Have you priced a Hemi for the Charger? Lets face it, a Charger isn't a Charger without a Hemi.