IEEE Spectrum May, 2012 - 54

from within Tracker. No other operating system has so successfully implemented a database-like file system.

Fortunately, Haiku can build off
work already being done by the thousands of developers who work on Linux,
FreeBSD, and other open-source operatFor all its capabilities, Haiku does lack ing systems. Haiku already makes use
some key things that users have come of FreeBSD's network- and wirelessto expect. For example, most operating card drivers through a special translasystems today have interfaces that are tion interface. Work is also under way to
hardware accelerated. That allows fancy incorporate the new Gallium3D system,
graphics like window shadows, trans- which looks to be the future for videoparent window borders, and thumb- card drivers on Linux.
nails of window contents to be handled
W hat 's more, ma ny of Ha i ku's
in a fast, efficient way using video cards. strengths will likely never be matched
Users of mainstream operating systems by the leading operating systems, or at
also have a huge array of applications least not anytime soon. Linux applicato choose from. Haiku at the moment is tions aren't designed for multithreaded
limited to the few applications created use to the same extent as Haiku's and
specifically for it or left over from BeOS. thus can't take full advantage of modAnd like other open-source operating ern multicore hardware. With its Snow
systems, Haiku suffers from a lack of hard- Leopard release of OS X two years ago,
ware drivers. Modern video cards, printers, Apple added a new technology, called
and other components are complicated- Grand Central Dispatch, that makes it
they're like miniature computers in their easier for applications to use multiple
own right, and they require complex pieces threads. But there's still just one thread
of software, called drivers, to work. The for the application's user interface, and so
driver acts as a bridge between the oper- the "beach ball of death" persists.
ating system and the hardware. But these
The latest release of Windows 7 is
days there are so many types and brands a big improvement over its predecesand models of hardware that it's hard for sor, but it still has many issues, such as
open-source developers to keep up.
widespread interface inconsistency and

Candidates in
2012 Election

HE IEEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS has
received the names of the following
candidates to be placed on this
year's ballot. The candidates have been
drawn from recommendations made
by regional and divisional nominating
committees. In addition, the names
include candidates for positions in
the IEEE Standards Association, IEEE
Technical Activities, and IEEE-USA.
For more information on IEEE elections
and candidates, please visit http://www.
ieee.org/elections or e-mail corp-election@
ieee.org.
Electronic ballot access and paper ballot
packages will be mailed on or before
15 August to all IEEE members who are
eligible to vote as of 30 June. To ensure all
ballot packages are delivered to the proper

IEEE PRESIDENT-ELECT, 2013
J. Roberto B. de Marca
Tariq S. Durrani

NA * IEEE SPECTRUM * MAY 2012

just plain information overload. The
control panel alone is enough to give a
user a migraine. Windows is also huge:
A bare-bones installation of Windows 7
Ultimate will consume 20 gigabytes of
storage. Even if you include the dozens of free applications that come with
Haiku, installing the operating system will cost you only about 700 MB-
one-thirtieth the real estate required
for Windows 7. And as for being a free
and open system, neither Windows nor
Mac OS will ever be either.
Ultimately, Haiku represents a different way of viewing your personal
computer. If you think that software
shouldn't be riddled with bugs and
incompatibilities and inefficiencies, if
you hate being forced to swap out your
hardware and software every few years
because "upgrades" have rendered them
obsolete, and if you find that the idea of
using an operating system that's fast,
responsive, and simple is refreshingly
novel and appealing, then maybe, just
maybe, Haiku is for you.
o
post your comments online at http://
spectrum.ieee.org/haiku0512

DIVISION I
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013
Alfred E. Dunlop
Rakesh Kumar
Ellen J. Yoffa

REGION 2
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013-2014
Gerard J. Christman
Timothy P. Kurzweg
Emilio M. Salgueiro

DIVISION III
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013
Harvey A. Freeman
Byeong Gi Lee

REGION 4
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013-2014
Robert C. Parro
Bernard T. Sander
Hamid Vakilzadian

DIVISION V
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013
James D. Isaak
Susan K. (Kathy) Land
DIVISION VII
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013
Wanda K. Reder
Noel N. Schulz
DIVISION IX
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013
Jerry C. Carroll
Jae Hong Lee
Marina Ruggieri

REGION 6
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013-2014

Thomas M. Coughlin
Paul J. Kostek
REGION 8
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013-2014
Saurabh Sinha
Costas M. Stasopoulos
REGION 10
DELEGATE-ELECT/
DIRECTOR-ELECT,
2013-2014
Kukjin Chun
Ramakrishna Kappagantu

IEEE STANDARDS
ASSOCIATION BOARD
OF GOVERNORS
MEMBER-AT-LARGE,
2013-2014
Wael W. Diab
Philip C. Wennblom
IEEE STANDARDS
ASSOCIATION BOARD
OF GOVERNORS
MEMBER-AT-LARGE,
2013-2014
Paul Hearty
Robert S. Oshana
IEEE TECHNICAL
ACTIVITIES VICE
PRESIDENT-ELECT,
2013
Vincenzo Piuri
Jacek M. Zurada
IEEE-USA
PRESIDENT-ELECT,
2013
Gary L. Blank
Clarence L. (Lee) Stogner
IEEE-USA
MEMBER-AT-LARGE,
2013-2014
Dee S. Fultz
Ron T. Ogan

SPECTRUM.IEEE.ORG

http://http:// http://spectrum.ieee.org/haiku0512 http://www http://www.ieee.org/elections http://SPECTRUM.IEEE.ORG

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Spectrum May, 2012