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One of these things, is not like the other.

"Microsoft's IE8 browser includes a keystroke-logging search suggestion tool similar to the one that Google modified Monday after coming under fire from users. Unlike Chrome, IE8 Beta 2 doesn't enable the feature -- which some have compared to a keylogger -- by default. One privacy expert said that was a "huge difference.""
http://www.cw.com.hk/article.php?type=article&id_article=2277

Although they evidently used XP for that presentation, the real IT infrastructure that makes the Olympics run is mostly Unix according to this Computer World Hong Kong article.

Its a known issue in the industry. Seems like Intel & AMD go back and forth locking and unlocking their chips.

as long as they're going to steal it, we want them to steal ours

First dose is free. Now it's time to pay...

There's a reason why China has Red Flag Linux and been trying to push its own tech (CPU, wireless etc). They still remember the days of opium and gunboats.

Like the PIII Coppermine CPUs that wouldn't even boot sometimes.

Or the randomly rebooting PII Xeons.

Or the voltage problems with certain PIII Xeons.

Or the memory request system hang bug in the PIII/Xeon.

Or the PIII's SSE bug whose 'fix' killed i810 compatability.

Or the MTH bug in the PIII CPUs that forced Intel customers to replace boards and RAM.

Or the recalled, that's right, recalled PIII chips at 1.13GHz.

Or the recalled (there's that word again) Xeon SERVER chips at 800 and 900MHz.

Or the recalled (that word, AGAIN?!) cc820 "cape cod" Intel motherboards.

Or the data overwriting bug in the P4 CPUs.

Or the P4 chipset bug that killed video performance.

Or the Sun/Oracle P4 bug.

Or the Itanium bug that was severe enough to make Compaq halt Itanium shipments.

Or the Itanium 2 bug that "can cause systems to behave unpredictably or shut down".

Or the numerous other P4/Xeon/XeonMP bugs that have been hanging around.

Yes, I did consider the possibility that there might just be some basis for the belief that Intel's products are superior. Having considered that, in light of the mountains of evidence to the contrary, I shall now proceed to laugh at you.

Ha ha ha.

Now go away, or I shall mock you again.

Given that a windows desktop server can cost several thousands of dollars to buy software for, before you pay someone to actually install and configure it, are they saying it cost them several thousanddollars to get the linux server working?

Takes me less than a day to get a working, configured server linux server... (two if I download all the software).

Ongoing costs? Yes, they did have to read the manual for the linux software... But i'd have to read the manual for the Windows software if I wanted a non-default config.

As for the "case studies" I wonder how much it cost M$ to send someone out to walk them through the changeover? Might not have cost that customer, but It sure didn't come out of Bill's pocket!

Interesting Facts: Giga Research is a wholly owned subsidiary of Forrester Research, who changed their policy on paid-for product comparisons as a result of at least a similar study, if not the one touted in the advert.

In their defence (or perhaps not), Forrester did find that MP3s are good for the music industry...

Meta Group will say anything: (not that I don't like the idea, but wouldn't you try to "correct" a firm saying this about you?)
By 2006 or 2007 Linux will be running on 45% of new server
again on eeek (I notice that has a HP ad on it) er, eWeek - but I like the typo better :-)

IDC - well.... IDC: Microsoft breakup would benefit the industry and a quote from here
"IDC has also published research in the past that shows some companies replacing Unix systems with Linux can save twice as much as those that move from Unix to Windows".

"With each version of Office it gets harder for Microsoft to move customers up," said Michael A. Silver, vice president and research director at the research and advisory firm Gartner Inc.

Therein lies the devil, ladies and gentlemen. Microsoft had the victory, but has no other business model than to sell Windows and Office (all other products fail to generate enough revenue to sustain the company). They have failed to move people over to a continuing license model, and with Linux slowly moving across the landscape like a juggernaut, Linux and products like Open Office will be "good enough" for Joe User and Ma & Pa Small Business. If Microsoft cannot come up with other solid revenues other than Windows and Office, they will lose.

Torvalds was right: "We want to take over the world but we don't have to do it by tomorrow - its OK to do it by next week, or even next month"

At around the same time, however, the operating system was ridiculed by one of Microsoft's key developers for containing 63,000 known defects and bugs. The first service pack was released less than six months later. The latest service pack apparently has about 675 bug fixes.

I was a subscriber about 5 years ago of Hong Kong telecom's Video on Demand which delivered VHS quality content to your televsion. I watched a total of 3 or 4 movies in the 2 years I had it (it was also Hong Kong's first broad band internet service).

The strengths that VoD has are
* Access anytime
* Access "anonymously" (atleast the store owner does not know your perverted viewing habits, which I must mention I do not have!)

The strenths of DVD are
* Its everywhere now...
* Its cheap -- US$50 players can be found (they sell for US$20 here on the border in Hong Kong)
* Its international and not legislated by telco / Disney / whoever
* Its collectible. I have two 300 DVD players stacked with DVDs I've purchased over the last 4 years for the simple reason that I love movies and want to keep them around for a bit.
* You can pass your DVD along to friends to watch
* Progressive SCAN + DTS / Dolby 6.1
* Amazing data transfer rates
* Rentals are getting cheaper. In the US you can rent using Netflix (quasi anonymous again)

A big weakness with the VoD service that I had subscribed to was the ability to watch the movie again in a couple of days time (or pause and continue watching the next day) as the "rental period" was 24 hours.

I really don't think VoD is going to replace DVD. It has potential in the pr0n industry for ummm impluse viewing, but not in the mainstream world. Sorry... been there done that, paid the bills and don't see myself going back.