Northern Michigan University, Art and Design, Marquette, MI 49855
Linux is a very important operating system. Many web service companies including Google are based on Linux. But is Linux getting slower?
As computers grow faster and more powerful every year, computer software is given more leeway to grow as well. With each expansion of memory, programmers need worry a little less about taking up too much RAM. More processing power, meanwhile, means an excuse for better-looking interfaces, more features, and all manner of bells and whistles. Therefore software might get slower.
On the other hand, new algorithms and techniques are being developed all the time. Some programmers work hard at developing efficient code. They profile, measure, and improve. Therefore software might get faster.
We installed three differently aged versions of Linux onto one computer, and ran a series of tests on each, to determine whether software is getting slower or faster. All tests were run in GUI on a computer with an 850 Mhz processor and 256 MB RAM, which typifies a computer in the middle of the period this software was developed.
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