My desktop computer has improved considerably from a system with limited capability for running graphics to a modern multi-core processor capable of running many graphical operating systems concurrently. It use to be challenging to run just one desktop environment, but today a modern processor can easily virtualize many environments at the same time. A modern computer can run Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X on the same desktop.
(more…)
Microsoft is hot on the trail of protecting you from yourself. There are a litany of security precautions being added to popular applications, these are introducing additional confirmation steps before a requested action can take place. One example is when you attempt to install a new program on Windows Vista and there is a succession of confirmations. Do you want to open this file? Do you want to allow this program to run? Every option has the default setting marked to abort the desired operation, so you quickly learn to pick the non-default buttons when performing this kind of task.
A few years ago, the advent of DHTML and the now infamous IFRAME tag made it possible for a single HTML document to contain inline references to alternate content. Since these locations could be embedded within a floating window, it was then feasible to render aggregations of content from multiple sources.
(more…)