Differentiation Contd.

3. Portability
Its easy for OSS to be ported to other devices and platforms with relevant expertise from contributors as they make necessary modifications.
Whereas the PS vendor has expertise only in the current platform or device they are dealing in. They generally don’t give any thought to increase the portability until its heavily profitable for themselves.

4. Compatibility
As he contributory nature of OSS requires that the standards and specifications be kept open so that additions and/or modifications can easily be done.
On the other hand a business sense dictates that products from different PS be incompatible to each other and hence increasing the cost of trading into other PS and acting as an artificial competition barrier.

5. Impact of Negative Business Practices
OSS products can be supported by users having expertise in the required field whereas the PS can only be supported by the vendor hence giving it the power to perform negative strategies. Example, they can give the PS for free or very low cost in the beginning to ward off competition and then increase the cost later.

6. Response Time
Only a PS vendor can modify its PS code in case of any attack or to add any new feature in response to the public demand. Whereas OSS having a decentralized nature of development is continuously upgrade with new incremental features. Users can also upgrade and customize the software as per their requirements, themselves or with help of any knowledgeable person.

A look on both types of softwares

1. Longevity
OSS, as allows modifications by any one, can survive in its current form for quite a long time. Users need not worry about lack of vendor support or feel compelled to upgrade.
On the other hand a PS is supported and maintained totally and only by the vendor . So in that case is total life is straight linked to the life of the vendor or the company, or what they chose for it.

2. Quality
As OSS is open to all hence can be reviewed by anybody and hence there are lot more chances of the bugs getting discovered and healed. As more people see the code and check it out and implement different things to it(mean additional codes) more the functionality(errors/error freeness) will be discovered.
Whereas PS are given to only a specific group of people to be reviewed and hence doesn’t have a peer review(rigorous review).
Example:
Experts and now as you also know that Linux has fewer bugs than windows and is much more stable. (http://news.com.com/Security+research+suggests+Linux+has+fewer+flaws/2100-1002_3-5489804)

HI!!

Hi everybody I am back with the OSS....
Actually was quite busy with the house chores since Easter is here already.
And also to tell you what I saw 300 and It was a damn nice movie with stunning visuals man.

Now to continue....

For whom and why?

Open source software as you have already read refers to software that has a open source code for everybody who wants to see it and append to it.
It’s also for the people who are falling low on money and want software for cheap and also as they are free from the monetary hassles of Proprietary Software(PS)- I mean free from any legal implications over using it or distributing it. And also most of the times they are free of cost!!

Its also better for developing countries with low computer penetration and users not in mood or incapable of buying costly softwares as these can be easily modified as per the users demand with some local expertise. It can also be made available in some local languages as per the needs.

Open Source Software

So now I am starting it up with open source software. Here are some common terms that we will be using:

Paid Software: A software that is bought under a fee and has limited support
according to the
fee.
Free Software: Software that is available for free without any kind of
fee.
Source Code: The human readable text that is written in the syntax of
the programming language and consists of the logic and commands of the
program.
Compiler: A program that prepares a source code and converts it into
machine readable form.
Binary/Executable: This is created from the source
code by compiling it. In this form, the program cannot be read by
humans.
Open Source: Software whose source code is available.
Closed Source: Software whose source code is not available to general users for
editing.
Proprietary Software: This means that the software as a proprietor.
But this term is generally used for paid, closed source software. We shall
continue in the same vein. The opposite would be FOSS(Free Open Source
Software).
Commercial Software: Commercial software means software used in
commercial enterprises. But the term is also used for closed source software or
paid software. A non commercial software usually applies to software that is
used for non profit purposes and only for personal use.
Vendor: Vendor refers
to a software creator/owner and seller.

Me, Myself

About Me!
Hi there I am Raphael from India and am starting this blog trying to make it a place of knowledge and information about one or the other topics related to computers and softwares. Might be boring for a few but sure do check in for some special entries in which I will also be giving some wonderful tweaks and other things and sometimes some game reviews that I get from some technology magazines and also some reviews on some wonderful gizmos.
Keep Checking!!