Keeping Up Appearances
By Yvonne L. Lee
Web Techniques recently had the opportunity to interview Andy Hertzfeld, best known for his work on the original Macintosh as well as the innovative, though commercially unsuccessful, Magic Cap interface. Hertzfeld is especially ebullient when discussing how to make software easier and more fun to use. Currently, he's lending his development expertise and enthusiasm to the Mountain View-based Eazel, which is trying to make Linux the easiest operating system to use. Eazel's efforts include the free Nautilus file manager, and a set of subscription offerings to help manage your system called Eazel Services.
The software wizard—Hertzfeld's actual job title—seems especially convinced that open source is the key to removing what he calls a "lock-in" to a particular software platform, making it easier for users to select the programs and features they want to include on their computers.
"In the mainframe days, the lock-in was with the hardware. Software was free, but you had to buy the system, and hardware and software only worked with equipment from that manufacturer," he explains. "Now, with personal computers, you can buy a Dell, or a Compaq, or a Gateway. The lock-in is with Windows." Making the desktop open source will make it easier for third parties to build enhancements or bug fixes, he says.
It's source code availability that sets the Nautilus apart from other attempts, such as the Common Desktop Environment (CDE), to put a friendlier face on Unix operating systems. "CDE was based on proprietary technology, called Motif," says Hertzfeld.
The proponents of CDE released it to the public domain, in part because of the success of open source, he says.
