Reading Response 1 - Abby Keller

In Stephenson‘s article, it goes into very specific detail about computer programs evolving from the beginning of their origin. The author's use of comparisons, while vague and unclear at some points, were quite good at helping me understand what each program went through to get to where we are today, technologically speaking. A lot goes into running and supplying a program and the article helped me see that computers are much more complicated than I once thought they were. I believe that operating systems will be in our lives for a long time. I believe he raises the question of whether “the operating system business has a future, or only a past” (Stephenson 2) and my answer would be that it will continue to grow and expand into something far more powerful than what is at right now.

You can tell by the way he writes that he is a firm believer of Microsoft Company, but he still is able to elaborate on the inner workings of the Apple Company, which shows how knowledgeable he is about the subject. When he brings up the points about Macs versus PCs it was easily related to everyday life. Just take a look at the majority of people on DePauw’s campus. When coming in as a freshman we all had the opportunity to pick between a Mac computer, a PC, and a tablet. I bet if we actually went out and got some data I would say about 80 percent or more students here chose the Mac for reasons like ‘the sleek design’ or ‘everyone else has one’. Apple products have, for the longest time, been the items on everyone’s wish lists, while the PCs have been the items people get if they want a reliable product.

Both companies will continue to battle for the hearts of the public, while at the same time expanding on the technology. Who knows what the next big thing will be after the public gets bored of the Iphone/ windows phone or the Mac/PC, but all we do know is that we wouldn’t be where we are today in this stage of technology without having to go through the days of teletypes. Technology will continue to grow at an uncontrollable level, and even though something new will always be coming out, there will still always be a feud between these companies.