Ladies and Gentlemen of GS: Am I misunderstanding the concept of deduction here?

Question

Ladies and Gentlemen of GS: Am I misunderstanding the concept of deduction here?

Answer 1

No, they way you used deductive logic is right, but your premises didn't include how software [the OS, in this context, based on your link], hardware are manufactured and integrated.



Usually, hardware is manufactured in sterile environments [remember those and back and forth arguments/discussions about manufacturing chips in the movie Disclosure? Something like that.] With H/W, while they are being manufactured and assembled, there are two states - the combined product either works, or it doesn't. All faulty components are sent back to testing, or they're destroyed, so ultimately the "machine" that comes out HAS to be working. After the machine reaches the end-user, H/W failure is usually related to how the user uses it. For instance, too much dust settling in some of the parts can damage the system, and cause a crash. The DVD drive, for instance, is usually the first to go in most systems, simply because it's exposed to dust and other particles that might affect it's functioning.



The software, on the other hand, goes through regular development and testing cycles, however, there are several places where the programmers could go wrong. They could miss handling certain error conditions; they could over look handling certain program behavior; memory faults; memory/buffer over flows - there are several such issues that programmers continuously over look even after 30+ years of developing Operating System software. Developers of Unix/AIX/Linux based OS are able to successfully overcome these mistakes - at least that has been their track record. Attribute it to how they develop their software.



So given that there are so many errors [like those you'd come across in Windows based systems] that are still left unchecked when the final product is churned out to the end user, it's not surprising that there are more software crashes than hardware crashes. Crashes that don't have to do anything with what users do. This is what causes so much frustration among users, particularly for those users who are still dependent on "user friendly" Windows based systems.



Your article discusses several such issues caused solely by software issues like looping, deadlocks, and overflows.

Answer 2

Some software errors are indeed caused by hardware malfunctioning (Ex: the BSOD in Windows). Also poorly written drivers (software which informs the hardware how to operate) might cause both software and hardware errors.



BA: There is nothing perfect in this Universe, the Universe itself wouldn't have expanded otherwise.

Answer 3

"Since software runs on hardware shouldn't it stand to reason that the failure rate of hardware and software are the same?"



No.

Answer 4

I think software sounds prettier than hardware. Hehe :)



BA: Perfection does not exist amongst bodies, however God is not a mere body. He is the supreme soul, IMO.

Answer 5

No because software can fail independently from hardware.



See every version on windows

Answer 6

your software can have problems without there being a problem with your hardware and vice versa, and either one can cause your computer to not do what you want it to. they are separate things.

Answer 7

I’m not especially interested in computers except in the most casual sense so I’ll skip to your BQ.



Deductions are NOT predictions. Deduction is a way of stating that a certain outcome is necessary given the premises are sound. I think what you are really asking is the problem proposed by Epicurus and later refined by Hume:



“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?

Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing?

Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing?

Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing?

Then why call him God?”