Here's the real scoop. I would pay for Majel, but I would not pay for Siri.

Ok so it's just 99.9% that won't code. Most users just want to get their work done and whatever platform that is easiest to use at that time will be their favorite. If mainstream media says that Mac or Windows is better or easier users will flock to it. I really doubt that most users understand that OSX is UNIX, and they don't care either.

We should all be prepared - if you are a non believer I suggest you read Pride and Predjudice and Zombies, the clear "bible" in this area. Better safe than missing all your brains.

More to the point of using native code vs high(er) level languages, the usual complaint here is garbage collection that takes arbitrary amounts of time and possible stalls the applications. I think the real issue is not language, but compiler design. With current multiprocessor systems threading can cover up a ton of garbage collection and make high(er) level languages APPEAR to be more efficient. Compilers should take care of this for us. From a developer quality standpoint, the developer that can churn out high quality code (no bugs, does what was intented) in the shortest time is the winner. What language is used or is currently popular depends on speed to develop with and how slow the application can be to still run acceptably. That's whay better compilers and run time libraries are expensive. The rest of us get lowest common denominator systems from M$ and open source, and have slow, memory hogging and leaking applications to show for it. As developers we should be aware of what we are doing, try to use the right tool and bitch like crazy to language and compiler developers that we need better tools.

Ray Milland or Rosey Grier?

I fully agree. When you get down to the actual, usable OS with applications that work, Microsoft is the hands down winner. I have to wonder how many of the Linux crowd have completely moved away from Windows? I bet 90+% have at least 1 Windows box available "just in case". The last PC I put together with Ubuntu was not usable for the same reasons most Linux is not usable - no drivers for my stock standard recently purchased hardware. Just try to get an nVidia card to work right the first time. I last tried Jaunty, and it was great. Up and running in about 15 minutes without a reboot - it found my network and my network printer, but when I tried to use them, I had to change all of the networking back to IPV4. After I did reboot, Jaunty never did figure out the GeForce 9500 card again. I would not waste the dime on this book.

I love audio books for non-technical. I can get them from the Library for free most of the time, and I play them in the car when I'm going to and from work. e-Reader books are very difficult. I'm not going to take an e-reader into the bathroom. Technical books need to be on paper. Prefereably with a spiral binding so they open flat, and non shiny paper.

It's not like he invented BASIC, he just adapted it for the PC. BASIC was invented at Dartmouth by Kemeny and Kurtzas in 1963. Bill Gates was 8 at the time.

But the voices in my head are much louder.

Stationary Platform InteRplanITary

I'd be amazed if any product could meet the 99 to 100% perfect model even without a deadline. In my experience with business, scope creep is the norm and projects are never complete or on time. IMHO, if someone wants to become a "great" programmer, they need to have good business sense and know when and when NOT to code. I call these people Analysts and that's where most "good" programmers end up. Moderate to marginal programmers end up as Coders, and that's fine as long as they are not the ones developing specifications. Even the great programmers (analysts) are only that in a vertical market. If I took any programmer and dropped them into an alien development environment they would be terrible for months or years. I think that salary is balanced against the various levels of expertise, ability and business sense that is displayed. However, it never hurts to blow your own horn, or make a problem, then fix it, in order to get a raise.

I have to agree there! I've downloaded Linux distro's since before the 1.0 kernel and even helped support a SCSI device driver for a while. In every case there's some piece of hardware on my system that is not supported very well. Currently, it's my nVidia graphics cards. In the past it's been audio, video, printers you name it. I don't call these Windoes related requirement, I call these computing related. If I have a piece of hardware that I buy at Best Buy, it should be supported under Linux. Until the distro's get there, Linux will continue to be a geek OS. Sorry, but true.