Linux vs. Windows?

Question

Why wouldn't a group of programmers be able to figure out the source code for Windows? I understand that Linux is an open source code that is constantly being changed and updated and given away free, and Windows is closed source that cannot be changed or constantly updated. But why couldn't somebody figure it out?

Answer 1

Because:

1) Reverse Engineering windows is against its license agreement, and therefore illegal.
2) Windows is total crap, there'd be no point on doing it when better tools are available.
3) There is ReactOS, which looks like windows, runs windows applications, is much smaller than windows and it's more stable than windows.

And on a side note:
GNU/Linux systems are Free as in Freedom, not Free as in Free Beer! Some corporations charge for Linux, such as Red Hat and Novell.

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After reading some of the answers:

Congratulations to jaxicle. For he has expressed the truth. Magnificently put. Free Software is indeed the way to go.

Answer 2

Idea is really cool.
But let me tell you one thing, if we make Windows as an open source, then what will be diffrence? Even in Linux we are getting GUI, and overheads are also less. So we can use and enhance the Linux.

But on the other hand we already have Windows which is widely used for corporates and home users.

BUT ANYWAY IDEA IS REALLY NEW....Lets form Group in Yahoo and start as ORG.

Saint Kabir

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Because Windows is garbage and why bother?

Micro$oft wants to guard their "secret" OS, and OS (and I don't care which one it is) that is pure unadulterated junk. The only.... ONLY OS they ever made that was above-average was 3.11 and that was eons ago it seems.

I've steadily over many years and many computers and trials and tribulations and the "blue screen of death" over and over and over again have become such an anti-M$ person, it is unfortunate and many others I talk to and converse with feel the same way.

Even my parents, whom I have installed Ubuntu for this past week, who are nowhere near computer literate and can only do the basics, got sick of Winblows fast.

So why should a bunch of people even try to figure out and decompile a piece of junk? It's like trying to restore the Titanic... it isn't going to happen now, you raise it now, and there isn't going to be anything left when it gets to the top.

Same with Winblows... nevermind that the source is supposedly locked up tighter than... well, I won't go there.

Linux, no matter what form it takes, hopefully takes over the giant in my lifetime. It's sad, when people whom aren't schooled or well-versed in computers think that Windoze is the only game in town.

Every client I have, i try and educate. I fix computers and do design and programming for a living, and have done so for the past 11 years professionally and even longer for friends and family... Windows it junk I cannot stress it enough.

I bet I get blasted and a lot of thumbs down from the Ballmer wannabes and the MCSE certified folks who think ASP is the best thing since sliced bread when its a monolithic language that is dying and should be buried with the dinosaurs.

Linux and open source, that is the way to go.

I know I'm on my soapbox about this, but let's face reality folks, Windows is the source of millions of people's problems, anger, frustration and who knows what else.

I've taught my parents how to use Ubuntu in a month, what would have taken them longer in Windows. Mind you it is the basics, and any installs they want I did for them already so they aren't doing anything advanced except for web browsing and email.

I guess someone could figure it out, but I guess my point is being.... why bother?

Why pay for something that you have ti update constantly with "security updates" and "critical updates" it seems every other day? Why bother when you're trying to surf and do email and chat online when you get a prompt every 5 minutes saying you need to reboot?!

Linux you can just grab the new kernel, update via the terminal, tweak it to your liking... what can you do with Windoze? Change your desktop wallpaper and change the skin color from silver to green or blue? (Yes I realize, there is a lot you can do, but I really couldn't care less).

I got sick of Winblows years ago, I use Ubuntu Linux 90% of the time. The only time I use Winblows is when I am doing web sites because I have to.

I don't know why people just don't say "We're sick of Windows and paying for below average crap."

Vista is bloody awful, XP was junk, 98 was garbage, 95 was crap, when does the cycle end for M$?! IE 7 is junk. IE 6 was a curse upon the earth and a plague to web developers and designers worldwide and had 45,000 different Service Packs with it and a trillion security updates, IE5 couldn't find an identity and had about 500,000 versions... IE 4 was an abomination...

Like I said and to get back to the point... Why bother figuring out Windoze and its many, many, many faults.

Use open source and Linux and save yourself some headaches.

OK, I'm done... I'll check back to see what the Bill Gates Fan Club members have to rebut or refute my post. Bring it on MCSE'ers! By the way... I think those certs are a joke. My 9-year-old daughter can figure out how to fix Winblows and loves to use Linux on her laptop... lesson learned.

Answer 5

They have.
XWindows on Linux is an open source version of the WIndows environment. As close as you can legally get. For many people its close enough to be the same.

Now if more people will shift over to writing things for it like cool apps and games, then we can dump windows as our desktop machines.

Answer 6

It has sorta happened, A group of developers created an OS that look and operates like windows. It is called ReactOS. It has no windows Code in, but behaves like it (It is Alpha and Buggy, but can be downloaded from ReactOS.org)

Answer 7

What do you mean "figure out". Figure out what?
There are a plethora of operating systems out there, so I'd say there are quite the bunch of programmers that already figured out how to make an operating system.

Other than that, I don't think I understood that question.

Answer 8

because its Microsoft, and $$$$$$$$ windows all about $$$ which is good to some extend but it makes bad when comes to security because Windows has no security.

and why you think Windows being known as crap for years, how you think its being cracked different types of security or OS holes.

Answer 9

business is business