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[OM] Re: Help! Moron needs computer advice.

Subject: [OM] Re: Help! Moron needs computer advice.
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 14:38:35 -0800
Steve Dropkin wrote:
> Winsor Crosby wrote:
>> There is an interesting article in the NY Times this morning about  
>> Windows going from 18 million lines of code in XP to 50 million lines  
>> in Vista.
>>     
> By the time Vista actually is available for purchase, Walt will be 
> shopping for another computer. No worries there. :-p
>   
I too expect the delay recently announced to be only the first.

The problem is not just the sheer size of the project and number of 
lines of code. It is almost certainly also a problem of lack of careful 
modular design, clearly defined interfaces and discipline in enforcing 
them. It is just so easy when things get overwhelming and behind 
schedule to take shortcuts and do things that make assumptions about the 
internal structure of other parts of the project, bypassing the 
interface. Then those folks go making assumptions about your internals. 
Then you both make changes, and everything starts to get really 
squirrelly. Then you have joint meetings to try to straighten it all out 
without going back to basics, but its all patchwork, smoke and mirrors. 
Multiply that two section problem by many sections and you end up with 
many of the contemporary big apps that slowly leak memory and get tied 
up internally until you have to restart to untangle them.

Vista will undoubtedly be released before really ready for prime time, 
but patched together well enough that it works much of the time and well 
enough that it's hard to know where to pin the problem when oddities 
happen. And then the treadmill of patches, ala XP, will commence. AND, 
it will add so much functionality when it works that most of us will end 
up putting up with it.

La la la, la la la. La la la, la la la. La la la la life goes on...

Moose



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