Thread: minimum hardware requirements for small postgres db

--As of February 20, 2013 10:50:12 AM -0300, Paul Smith is alleged to have
said:

> I seek an open source RDBMS with close adherance to ANSI standards, good
> free graphic design tools for drawing of the ER Diagram, validation of
> the ERD model, and generation of the SQL required to build the DB.
>
>
> I only want to design a few small DB Apps using about 20 tables, for
> single-user offline environment, hopefully runnable on Nettop class
> hardware under WinXP or Win7 32bit.  
>
>
> I want to access the db via a Forms driven GUI and a Report-writer with
> features comparable to old versions of Access, but preferably also
> open-source.

--As for the rest, it is mine.

While Postgres would probably work for you, I suspect it's probably
overkill.  I'll let others answer your direct question, but I want to
suggest that you take a look at SQLite as something likely closer to your
needs:  <http://www.sqlite.org/>

Not saying Postgres isn't great - it is.  But sometimes you need an
industrial-grade nailgun, and sometimes all you need is a hammer.

Daniel T. Staal

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> I seek an open source RDBMS with close adherance to ANSI standards,
> good free graphic design tools for drawing of the ER Diagram,
> validation of the ERD model, and generation of the SQL required to
> build the DB.

Database design and development tools are (imho unfortunately) not
included with the PostgreSQL project.

There are a lot of free ones (besides commercial ones) listed here that
work with PostgreSQL:

http://www.databaseanswers.org/modelling_tools.htm

On "weak" hardware, I would avoid anything that's Java-based.

> I only want to design a few small DB Apps using about 20 tables, for
> single-user offline environment, hopefully runnable on Nettop class
> hardware under WinXP or Win7 32bit.
>
> I want to access the db via a Forms driven GUI and a Report-writer
> with features comparable to old versions of Access, but preferably
> also open-source.

LibreOffice Base comes with a native PostgreSQL driver.

If you want to implement "real" applications, there are a bunch of
database RAD frameworks available for Python:

using PyQt (& Sqlalchemy):
Pypapi: www.pypapi.org
Camelot: www.python-camelot.com
Qtalchemy: www.qtalchemy.org

using PyGTK:
Sqlkit: sqlkit.argolinux.org (also uses Sqlalchemy)
Kiwi: www.async.com.br/projects/kiwi

using wxPython:
Dabo: www.dabodev.com
Defis: sourceforge.net/projects/defis (Russian only)
GNUe: www.gnuenterprise.org

Pypapi, Camelot, Sqlkit and Dabo seem to be the most active and best
documented/supported ones.

On "weak" hardware, wxpython (Dabo) and GTK (SQLkit) will probably
be more suitable than PyQt.

Sincerely,

Wolfgang

This e-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous e-mail messages attached to it, may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, distribution, review, copy or use of any of the information contained in or attached to this message is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify us by reply e-mail, and destroy the original transmission and its attachments without reading them or saving them to disk. Thank you.

Thanks for your advice.  It is very interesting you were able to run pg on a SD card in a RasPi !    In addition to Wolgang's last reply, that confirms I was misinformed last year when I originally settled on pg as my 1st choice, hsqldb being 2nd choice, but then rejected pg in favour of hsqldb, as told the former needs stronger hw than I use.

A friend of mine who works mainly on Windows installed a virtual Linux
Machine (i think with VirtualBox) to make use of linux applications.
However, i don't know if postgres would like this...

jody

On Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 7:13 AM, Paul Smith <paul.smithy987@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks for your advice.  It is very interesting you were able to run pg on a
> SD card in a RasPi !    In addition to Wolgang's last reply, that confirms I
> was misinformed last year when I originally settled on pg as my 1st choice,
> hsqldb being 2nd choice, but then rejected pg in favour of hsqldb, as told
> the former needs stronger hw than I use.
>
> Regarding yours and Gavin's recommendation I change to Linux, I have made
> such an investment in Windows ever since it overlayed DOS, use so many
> Windows dependant programs, it would be a major investment in time to start
> again in Linux.
>
> I have monitored the progress of Linux, particularly Ubuntu over the
> decades, and sadly have always found some reason not to change.  I stopped
> using big desktops years ago due to travel needs, and read a big problem
> using Linux on new laptops/nettops was lack of Driver support from
> manufacturers ... causing lots of headaches.  Recently, I read the change of
> 'Desktop' to Unity needs maturing. I do realise open-source encourages
> healthy creativity, and so diversity, but just the other week I read
> 'fragmentation' of Linux into so many flavours causes big problems
> supporting Apps.
>
> Another reason your mention of pg on RasPi was so interesting, is I am
> thinking to buy something smaller than a Nettop, to use primarily as a
> media-streamer to TV, but also be a 'backup computer'  in case my Nettop
> breaks - as it just has.  The choice on ARM hw has to be Linux or the
> Android fork. If ARM, I was thinking of the Tegra3 based OUYA, unless a T4
> or other faster SoC alternative becomes available.  So following the news on
> development of Ubuntu for ARM devices with interest.
>
> So as per my last post to Wolfgang, I will install pg once my Nettop
> repaired or replaced.
>
> Thanks,  Paul
>
> On 21 February 2013 15:00, Matt Musgrove <MMusgrove@efji.com> wrote:
>>
>> I regularly use PostgreSQL on a system with an Atom processor and 4GB of
>> RAM and running CentOS (no problems even on the one box with only 2GB of
>> RAM). I have even tinkered with PostgreSQL on a Raspberry Pi with 256 MB of
>> RAM running off of an 8 GB SD card.
>>
>>
>>
>> I agree with everyone else that moving to Linux will be a wise decision
>> both for security and usability.
>>
>>
>>
>> HTH,
>>
>> Matt
>>
>>
>>
>> From: pgsql-novice-owner@postgresql.org
>> [mailto:pgsql-novice-owner@postgresql.org] On Behalf Of Paul Smith
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 7:50 AM
>> To: pgsql-novice@postgresql.org
>> Subject: [NOVICE] minimum hardware requirements for small postgres db
>>
>>
>>
>> I am having difficulty finding documentation stating the minimum hardware
>> requirements to run pg under Windows. (I did look in the FAQ & User Manual)
>>
>>
>>
>> I seek an open source RDBMS with close adherance to ANSI standards, good
>> free graphic design tools for drawing of the ER Diagram, validation of the
>> ERD model, and generation of the SQL required to build the DB.
>>
>>
>>
>> I only want to design a few small DB Apps using about 20 tables, for
>> single-user offline environment, hopefully runnable on Nettop class hardware
>> under WinXP or Win7 32bit.
>>
>>
>>
>> I want to access the db via a Forms driven GUI and a Report-writer with
>> features comparable to old versions of Access, but preferably also
>> open-source.
>>
>>
>>
>>  If Atom class nettop not sufficient, would like to know the minimum class
>> of CPU, RAM, GPU required.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you in advance for any assistance
>>
>> This e-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous e-mail
>> messages attached to it, may contain confidential information. If you are
>> not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it to the
>> intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure,
>> distribution, review, copy or use of any of the information contained in or
>> attached to this message is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this
>> transmission in error, please immediately notify us by reply e-mail, and
>> destroy the original transmission and its attachments without reading them
>> or saving them to disk. Thank you.
>
>

> Regarding yours and Gavin's recommendation I change to Linux, I have
> made such an investment in Windows ever since it overlayed DOS, use
> so many Windows dependant programs, it would be a major investment in
> time to start again in Linux.

You can run (almost) all Windows application on Linux using WINE. You
don't even need a Windows license for that and yes, it's legal. Besides,
some Linux distributions go a far way to "emulate" Windows
look-and-feel. I don't know whether they even try to emulate the
horrible cursor-animation-syndrome of Windows, however.

> I have monitored the progress of Linux, particularly Ubuntu over the
> decades,

Honestly, I wouldn't use Ubuntu.

> and sadly have always found some reason not to change.  I
> stopped using big desktops years ago due to travel needs, and read a
> big problem using Linux on new laptops/nettops was lack of Driver
> support from manufacturers ... causing lots of headaches.

For a resource-constrained Netbook, I would use a specific
netbook-distribution, these usually come with drivers supplied by the
hardware manufacturer. Wikipedia lists a few. Some manufacturers sell
their netbooks even with Linux pre-installed now.

> Recently, I read the change of 'Desktop' to Unity needs maturing. I
> do realise open-source encourages healthy creativity, and so
> diversity, but just the other week I read 'fragmentation' of Linux
> into so many flavours causes big problems supporting Apps.

Distributions come and go, some have been around for quite a while now.
Suse should have close to 20 years of age now, I think...

Sincerely,

Wolfgang

> I seek an open source RDBMS with close adherance to ANSI standards,
> good free graphic design tools for drawing of the ER Diagram,
> validation of the ERD model, and generation of the SQL required to
> build the DB.

Just stumbled over this:

http://www.pgmodeler.com.br/

Haven't tried it out myself though.

Sincerely,

Wolfgang

Thanks for alerting me to that.  I am about to embark on travels for a week with limited access to internet.   I looked at the site, it clearly is very early in the life of pgModeler at 0.4 and the site accordingly has little documentation in terms of even a specification or feature list.  It sounds like it could become just what I want.   Googled it, but no reviews as yet. 

Yes, I do remember Gary Kildall, S100 Bus, breadboarding and hex keyboard programming and am glad to have left it behind long ago.  I just want my computer as a tool, and to look under the bonnet as little as is necessary, hence my attraction to the Windows environment for its onset, where the most obvious UI choices are clearly presented.   I try not to pour money into anything, have not invested in new MS software for a while now, and will probably not invest in Windows 8 judging for the initial reviews.  will be offline for maybe a week now due to travel.

Thanks for your advice.  It is very interesting you were able to run pg on a SD card in a RasPi !    In addition to Wolgang's last reply, that confirms I was misinformed last year when I originally settled on pg as my 1st choice, hsqldb being 2nd choice, but then rejected pg in favour of hsqldb, as told the former needs stronger hw than I use.

Regarding yours and Gavin's recommendation I change to Linux, I have made such an investment in Windows ever since it overlayed DOS, use so many Windows dependant programs, it would be a major investment in time to start again in Linux.

I have monitored the progress of Linux, particularly Ubuntu over the decades, and sadly have always found some reason not to change.  I stopped using big desktops years ago due to travel needs, and read a big problem using Linux on new laptops/nettops was lack of Driver support from manufacturers ... causing lots of headaches.  Recently, I read the change of 'Desktop' to Unity needs maturing. I do realise open-source encourages healthy creativity, and so diversity, but just the other week I read 'fragmentation' of Linux into so many flavours causes big problems supporting Apps.

Another reason your mention of pg on RasPi was so interesting, is I am thinking to buy something smaller than a Nettop, to use primarily as a media-streamer to TV, but also be a 'backup computer'  in case my Nettop breaks - as it just has.  The choice on ARM hw has to be Linux or the Android fork. If ARM, I was thinking of the Tegra3 based OUYA, unless a T4 or other faster SoC alternative becomes available.  So following the news on development of Ubuntu for ARM devices with interest.

So as per my last post to Wolfgang, I will install pg once my Nettop repaired or replaced.

Thanks,  Paul

On 21 February 2013 15:00, Matt Musgrove <MMusgrove@efji.com> wrote:

I regularly use PostgreSQL on a system with an Atom processor and 4GB of RAM and running CentOS (no problems even on the one box with only 2GB of RAM). I have even tinkered with PostgreSQL on a Raspberry Pi with 256 MB of RAM running off of an 8 GB SD card.

 

I agree with everyone else that moving to Linux will be a wise decision both for security and usability.

 

HTH,

Matt

 

From: pgsql-novice-owner@postgresql.org [mailto:pgsql-novice-owner@postgresql.org] On Behalf Of Paul Smith
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 7:50 AM
To: pgsql-novice@postgresql.org
Subject: [NOVICE] minimum hardware requirements for small postgres db

 

I am having difficulty finding documentation stating the minimum hardware requirements to run pg under Windows. (I did look in the FAQ & User Manual)

 

I seek an open source RDBMS with close adherance to ANSI standards, good free graphic design tools for drawing of the ER Diagram, validation of the ERD model, and generation of the SQL required to build the DB.

 

I only want to design a few small DB Apps using about 20 tables, for single-user offline environment, hopefully runnable on Nettop class hardware under WinXP or Win7 32bit.  

 

I want to access the db via a Forms driven GUI and a Report-writer with features comparable to old versions of Access, but preferably also open-source.

 

 If Atom class nettop not sufficient, would like to know the minimum class of CPU, RAM, GPU required.

 

Thank you in advance for any assistance

This e-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous e-mail messages attached to it, may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, distribution, review, copy or use of any of the information contained in or attached to this message is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify us by reply e-mail, and destroy the original transmission and its attachments without reading them or saving them to disk. Thank you.

Microsoft is on the way out: it has already lost the mobile & servers wars to Linux, and with Metro it is trying hard (& succeeding) in losing the Laptop&Desktop wars!  So Linux is the future.  In 20 years Microsoft will be as well known as CP/M (http://www.digitalresearch.biz/CPM.HTM) is now - at one stage CP/M was the dominant O/S for business use.  I predict that the start of the demise of Microsoft will be well established and common knowledge by Christmas 2014.

So I suggest you have a migration strategy, as pouring more money into Microsoft is beginning to be counter productive.  The Microsoft ecosystem is already fragmented, if you look carefully.  Some major games companies are already abandoning Microsoft in favour of Linux.

I am typing this on a Linux Laptop from ZaReason: http://zareason.co.nz/Verix-530.html
You could look at: http://zareason.com

I currently use the Mate Desktop Environment in Fedora 17.


Cheers,
Gavin

A friend of mine who works mainly on Windows installed a virtual Linux
Machine (i think with VirtualBox) to make use of linux applications.
However, i don't know if postgres would like this...

jody

On Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 7:13 AM, Paul Smith <paul.smithy987@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for your advice.  It is very interesting you were able to run pg on a
SD card in a RasPi !    In addition to Wolgang's last reply, that confirms I
was misinformed last year when I originally settled on pg as my 1st choice,
hsqldb being 2nd choice, but then rejected pg in favour of hsqldb, as told
the former needs stronger hw than I use.

Regarding yours and Gavin's recommendation I change to Linux, I have made
such an investment in Windows ever since it overlayed DOS, use so many
Windows dependant programs, it would be a major investment in time to start
again in Linux.

I have monitored the progress of Linux, particularly Ubuntu over the
decades, and sadly have always found some reason not to change.  I stopped
using big desktops years ago due to travel needs, and read a big problem
using Linux on new laptops/nettops was lack of Driver support from
manufacturers ... causing lots of headaches.  Recently, I read the change of
'Desktop' to Unity needs maturing. I do realise open-source encourages
healthy creativity, and so diversity, but just the other week I read
'fragmentation' of Linux into so many flavours causes big problems
supporting Apps.

Another reason your mention of pg on RasPi was so interesting, is I am
thinking to buy something smaller than a Nettop, to use primarily as a
media-streamer to TV, but also be a 'backup computer'  in case my Nettop
breaks - as it just has.  The choice on ARM hw has to be Linux or the
Android fork. If ARM, I was thinking of the Tegra3 based OUYA, unless a T4
or other faster SoC alternative becomes available.  So following the news on
development of Ubuntu for ARM devices with interest.

So as per my last post to Wolfgang, I will install pg once my Nettop
repaired or replaced.

Thanks,  Paul

On 21 February 2013 15:00, Matt Musgrove <MMusgrove@efji.com> wrote:

I regularly use PostgreSQL on a system with an Atom processor and 4GB of
RAM and running CentOS (no problems even on the one box with only 2GB of
RAM). I have even tinkered with PostgreSQL on a Raspberry Pi with 256 MB of
RAM running off of an 8 GB SD card.



I agree with everyone else that moving to Linux will be a wise decision
both for security and usability.



HTH,

Matt



From: pgsql-novice-owner@postgresql.org
[mailto:pgsql-novice-owner@postgresql.org] On Behalf Of Paul Smith
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 7:50 AM
To: pgsql-novice@postgresql.org
Subject: [NOVICE] minimum hardware requirements for small postgres db



I am having difficulty finding documentation stating the minimum hardware
requirements to run pg under Windows. (I did look in the FAQ & User Manual)



I seek an open source RDBMS with close adherance to ANSI standards, good
free graphic design tools for drawing of the ER Diagram, validation of the
ERD model, and generation of the SQL required to build the DB.



I only want to design a few small DB Apps using about 20 tables, for
single-user offline environment, hopefully runnable on Nettop class hardware
under WinXP or Win7 32bit.



I want to access the db via a Forms driven GUI and a Report-writer with
features comparable to old versions of Access, but preferably also
open-source.


If Atom class nettop not sufficient, would like to know the minimum class
of CPU, RAM, GPU required.



Thank you in advance for any assistance

This e-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous e-mail
messages attached to it, may contain confidential information. If you are
not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it to the
intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure,
distribution, review, copy or use of any of the information contained in or
attached to this message is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this
transmission in error, please immediately notify us by reply e-mail, and
destroy the original transmission and its attachments without reading them
or saving them to disk. Thank you.

You might find running a MIcorosoft O/S under KVM in Linux more useful.

Regarding yours and Gavin's recommendation I change to Linux, I have
made such an investment in Windows ever since it overlayed DOS, use
so many Windows dependant programs, it would be a major investment in
time to start again in Linux.

You can run (almost) all Windows application on Linux using WINE. You
don't even need a Windows license for that and yes, it's legal. Besides,
some Linux distributions go a far way to "emulate" Windows
look-and-feel. I don't know whether they even try to emulate the
horrible cursor-animation-syndrome of Windows, however.

I have monitored the progress of Linux, particularly Ubuntu over the
decades,

Honestly, I wouldn't use Ubuntu.

and sadly have always found some reason not to change.  I
stopped using big desktops years ago due to travel needs, and read a
big problem using Linux on new laptops/nettops was lack of Driver
support from manufacturers ... causing lots of headaches.

For a resource-constrained Netbook, I would use a specific
netbook-distribution, these usually come with drivers supplied by the
hardware manufacturer. Wikipedia lists a few. Some manufacturers sell
their netbooks even with Linux pre-installed now.

Recently, I read the change of 'Desktop' to Unity needs maturing. I
do realise open-source encourages healthy creativity, and so
diversity, but just the other week I read 'fragmentation' of Linux
into so many flavours causes big problems supporting Apps.

Distributions come and go, some have been around for quite a while now.
Suse should have close to 20 years of age now, I think...

Sincerely,

Wolfgang

I too avoid Ubuntu like a plague.  Ubuntu is based on Debian which is very good, if I get fedup with Fedora, I might go back to Debian.  Ubuntu's parent company does not contribute much to the Linux kernel compared to Red Hat, and Ubuntu keeps compromising User's privacy for commercial gain.  Also twice I got excited about what appeared to be Ubuntu sponsored features, to find out later that they were Red Hat projects.  I tried using Ubuntu once as the company had standardised on Ubuntu, I found it less configurable than Fedora - fortunately, I was allowed to install Fedora.

I've heard the Debian 'unstable' is considered more reliable than any Microsoft 'Gold' release!  Mind you, that is hardly surprising.

My background in computers goes back to the dominance of COBOL & FORTRAN, I wrote my first program in BASIC in 1968.  So I have been tracking O/S's for over 40 years! 

ADAPT OR DIE! :-)


Cheers,
Gavin 

Yes, I do remember Gary Kildall, S100 Bus, breadboarding and hex keyboard programming and am glad to have left it behind long ago.  I just want my computer as a tool, and to look under the bonnet as little as is necessary, hence my attraction to the Windows environment for its onset, where the most obvious UI choices are clearly presented.   I try not to pour money into anything, have not invested in new MS software for a while now, and will probably not invest in Windows 8 judging for the initial reviews.  will be offline for maybe a week now due to travel.

On 22 February 2013 16:36, Gavin Flower <GavinFlower@archidevsys.co.nz> wrote:

On 22/02/13 19:13, Paul Smith wrote:

Thanks for your advice.  It is very interesting you were able to run pg on a SD card in a RasPi !    In addition to Wolgang's last reply, that confirms I was misinformed last year when I originally settled on pg as my 1st choice, hsqldb being 2nd choice, but then rejected pg in favour of hsqldb, as told the former needs stronger hw than I use.

Regarding yours and Gavin's recommendation I change to Linux, I have made such an investment in Windows ever since it overlayed DOS, use so many Windows dependant programs, it would be a major investment in time to start again in Linux.

I have monitored the progress of Linux, particularly Ubuntu over the decades, and sadly have always found some reason not to change.  I stopped using big desktops years ago due to travel needs, and read a big problem using Linux on new laptops/nettops was lack of Driver support from manufacturers ... causing lots of headaches.  Recently, I read the change of 'Desktop' to Unity needs maturing. I do realise open-source encourages healthy creativity, and so diversity, but just the other week I read 'fragmentation' of Linux into so many flavours causes big problems supporting Apps.

Another reason your mention of pg on RasPi was so interesting, is I am thinking to buy something smaller than a Nettop, to use primarily as a media-streamer to TV, but also be a 'backup computer'  in case my Nettop breaks - as it just has.  The choice on ARM hw has to be Linux or the Android fork. If ARM, I was thinking of the Tegra3 based OUYA, unless a T4 or other faster SoC alternative becomes available.  So following the news on development of Ubuntu for ARM devices with interest.

So as per my last post to Wolfgang, I will install pg once my Nettop repaired or replaced.

Thanks,  Paul

On 21 February 2013 15:00, Matt Musgrove <MMusgrove@efji.com> wrote:

I regularly use PostgreSQL on a system with an Atom processor and 4GB of RAM and running CentOS (no problems even on the one box with only 2GB of RAM). I have even tinkered with PostgreSQL on a Raspberry Pi with 256 MB of RAM running off of an 8 GB SD card.

 

I agree with everyone else that moving to Linux will be a wise decision both for security and usability.

 

HTH,

Matt

 

From: pgsql-novice-owner@postgresql.org [mailto:pgsql-novice-owner@postgresql.org] On Behalf Of Paul Smith
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 7:50 AM
To: pgsql-novice@postgresql.org
Subject: [NOVICE] minimum hardware requirements for small postgres db

 

I am having difficulty finding documentation stating the minimum hardware requirements to run pg under Windows. (I did look in the FAQ & User Manual)

 

I seek an open source RDBMS with close adherance to ANSI standards, good free graphic design tools for drawing of the ER Diagram, validation of the ERD model, and generation of the SQL required to build the DB.

 

I only want to design a few small DB Apps using about 20 tables, for single-user offline environment, hopefully runnable on Nettop class hardware under WinXP or Win7 32bit.  

 

I want to access the db via a Forms driven GUI and a Report-writer with features comparable to old versions of Access, but preferably also open-source.

 

 If Atom class nettop not sufficient, would like to know the minimum class of CPU, RAM, GPU required.

 

Thank you in advance for any assistance

This e-mail transmission, and any documents, files or previous e-mail messages attached to it, may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, distribution, review, copy or use of any of the information contained in or attached to this message is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify us by reply e-mail, and destroy the original transmission and its attachments without reading them or saving them to disk. Thank you.

Microsoft is on the way out: it has already lost the mobile & servers wars to Linux, and with Metro it is trying hard (& succeeding) in losing the Laptop&Desktop wars!  So Linux is the future.  In 20 years Microsoft will be as well known as CP/M (http://www.digitalresearch.biz/CPM.HTM) is now - at one stage CP/M was the dominant O/S for business use.  I predict that the start of the demise of Microsoft will be well established and common knowledge by Christmas 2014.

So I suggest you have a migration strategy, as pouring more money into Microsoft is beginning to be counter productive.  The Microsoft ecosystem is already fragmented, if you look carefully.  Some major games companies are already abandoning Microsoft in favour of Linux.

I am typing this on a Linux Laptop from ZaReason: http://zareason.co.nz/Verix-530.html
You could look at: http://zareason.com

I currently use the Mate Desktop Environment in Fedora 17.


Cheers,
Gavin

With Microsoft & Apple O/S's, I feel like I'm flying blind and have feelings of claustrophobia.

I was predicting that Microsoft's Window 8 O/S would be a bigger disaster than Microsoft's Vista, long before it came out.

The oldest program I can remember that I got paid for writing, was to put files on an IBM labelled magnetic tape from files on 5 track paper tape...  I think it was an HP 9000 minicomputer.

The very first program I wrote was to display a graph based on feeding complex numbers into sines & cosines in BASIC,  on a machine the size of a filing cabinet with about 5K of memory.