Kopec Explains Software

Bugs in computing systems cost billions of dollars and millions of hours of lost productivity each year. In this episode we break down bugs. What are they? What causes them? How can they be prevented? And how are they fixed? We talk about the different types of bugs including hardware bugs, design bugs, and software bugs. We discuss software engineering methodologies to prevent them, safer program...

The Macintosh is one of the oldest mainstream computing platforms still in use. Its operating system has had to evolve through multiple difficult transitions to stay relevant. In this episode we discuss the history of the Mac's operating system. Or perhaps we should use the plural "operating systems," since the Mac has really been through two distinct eras with very different operating systems. Fr...

We discuss the history and software infrastructure behind podcasts. Podcasts are distributed using RSS feeds and MP3 files. They are hosted on web servers and podcast feeds are indexed by podcast directories. A podcast player connects to a podcast directory when you search for shows, and it connects to RSS feeds to find new episodes of shows you subscribe to. When you play an episode, your podcast...

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a data-interchange format that can be used as a meta file format: A format for defining other file formats. Commonly used in Web services for transmitting the results of API calls, it also underlies everything from Microsoft Office's file formats to RSS, the format of podcast feeds. You use XML based file formats every day, even if you don't know it. In this epi...

Today, by some measures, C is the most popular programming language in the world. The early history of C is deeply intertwined with Unix. But C, a relatively simple language, grew well beyond its roots to become fundamental to the development of modern operating systems, essential libraries, device drivers, programming language implementations, and so much more. In this episode we discuss the hist...

Video game distribution has always been split between two different value chains: console games and PC games. In this episode we discuss why console games have historically been distributed differently from PC games. We get into the different kinds of restrictions that each market has faced, and how online distribution has evolved. Then we talk about GameStop. We provide a little background on the...

"Information Technology" and "Computer Science" are often confused. But they are really two different disciplines that both involve working with computers. In this episode we explain the differences. We also delve into the multifaceted meaning of the term computer science. We hope to give listeners a better understanding of what someone who works in IT does, versus what someone who works in CS doe...

Unix is the most influential operating system of all time. In this episode we discuss its history, its evolution, and its philosophy. We trace Unix from its origins at Bell Laboratories, through the Unix Wars, and into the dominance of its clone, Linux. We talk about its relationship to the C Programming Language, the four points of its philosophy as outlined by McIlroy, and its future. Join us fo...

PowerPoint has completely changed the way that we communicate. But where did it come from? In this episode we discuss the origins and impact of PowerPoint. We go through the product's history including what it displaced, its development by a startup company, and its evolution under Microsoft. Then we go into some of its criticisms and provide some tips for making great slides in the age of online...

What is cybersecurity? This week we are joined by Professor Duane Dunston of Champlain College, an expert in cybersecurity. Duane explains the field from multiple perspectives. He helps us understand the threats, how they are mitigated, and the roles of practitioners in the field. He differentiates between the scale of threats to organizations versus individuals and leaves us with some tips to imp...

The original Apple Macintosh, often referred to as the Macintosh 128K, was a revolutionary device because it brought the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the mouse to the general public. Released in 1984, the Macintosh 128K was not the first computer with a GUI and a mouse, but it was the first to be priced within the realm of possibility for regular users. Despite its significance, the original...

Each week we make a software-related technical topic intelligible. We aim to help you develop an intuitive understanding of each subject, instead of emphasizing formal definitions. Join us as we learn about the wide world of software. Follow us on Twitter @KopecExplains . Find out more at http://kopec.live

Are you thinking about learning computer programming? In this episode we provide some tips for aspiring programmers. What programming language should you choose? What learning resources should you use? How should you setup your environment? What are some good habits as you learn? What kind of mindset should you have? All of this and more tips for overcoming some early hurdles. Show Notes Episode 1...

When software gets sufficiently complex it needs a database management system to store, structure, and query its records. In this episode we talk about what a database is, the models behind the most common kinds of databases, and some of the different use cases for each. We concentrate on relational databases, but we also discuss some so-called "NoSQL" databases including document-oriented databas...

Napster was the first popular peer-to-peer file sharing service. It introduced a generation to MP3 files and digitally swapping music. Created in 1999 by two teenagers, Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, Napster would go on to upend the music industry and kickstart the online music revolution. But its success would be short lived. The first incarnation of Napster was forced into bankruptcy by legal ch...

We take spreadsheets for granted, but they were actually an incredible innovation that transformed small business. In this episode we talk about the history of spreadsheets and why they are so important. We cover the first popular spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, which was the "killer app" for the Apple II. Then we talk about Lotus 1-2-3 and why it displaced VisiCalc. We finish with Microsoft Excel...

Throughout the three decade history of the Web various browsers have battled for supremacy. In the 1990s it was Netscape Navigator versus Microsoft Internet Explorer. More recently, Google Chrome has dominated Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Apple's Safari. In this episode we dive into the history of the browser wars. We look at the various periods of web browser development, and identify how...

Apple is transitioning the Mac from Intel's X86-64 based microprocessors to its own Apple Silicon built on the ARM64 instruction set. But the Mac has already been through two other similar transitions! In this episode we discuss the transitions and how they affect software. We delve into the 1994 transition from the Motorola 68K line to the Motorola/IBM PowerPC, and the 2006 transition from PowerP...

The IBM PC, released in 1981, set the standard for personal computing for decades. In this episode we discuss why it was so influential. We talk about IBM's market position and strategy for the PC, as well as choices the company made in terms of both hardware and software that made a standard possible. We discuss Microsoft's role in creating DOS, CP/M's failure, and how PC compatible clones worked...

Through the history of computing, user interfaces (UIs) have evolved from punch cards to voice interaction. In this episode we track that evolution, discussing each paradigm and the machine that popularized it. We primarily focus on personal computer UIs, covering command-line interfaces (CLIs), graphical user interfaces (GUIs), touch-screen interaction, and voice interfaces. We also imagine the f...

Digital images can be broadly categorized into two kinds: bitmap and vector. In this episode we provide the listener a general understanding of how both bitmap and vector images work. We start with the basics, by explaining pixels, but then we talk about a standard color model, and some specific file formats that most people are familiar with. We finish our discussion by talking about smartphone c...

Linux is the foundational piece of software in the majority of computing systems in use today, including most Internet servers, Internet-of-Things devices, and all Android smartphones/tablets. Yet, despite being ubiquitous, most people don't really know what it is. In this episode, we build on our prior episodes about Operating Systems and Open Source Software to give listeners an overview of Linu...

Email is the most important communications technology of our time. In this episode we explain how it works behind the scenes. We talk about how email clients talk to email servers, including protocols like SMTP, IMAP, and POP3. We discuss email's format, security, and ecosystem. We touch on spam filters, and end with a call-to-arms about keeping the email ecosystem open. Follow us on Twitter @Kope...

Encryption enables online payment, secure communication, identity verification, and so much more. In this episode we discuss what encryption is, what it does for us, and we go over some of the different types of encryption. We explain the purpose of a key, and try to provide an intuitive understanding of public key cryptography. We also discuss some practical tips around passwords. Finally, we tal...

In 1975, the Altair 8800 powered by the Intel 8080 ignited the personal computer revolution. In this episode, we discuss the pivotal forces that made computers accessible to normal people, and enabled the creation of companies like Microsoft and Apple. We discuss some of the major computers of the late 1970s and some of the important software products. We cover the period of 1975-1980. This episod...