Slashdot Mirror
Domain: pcworld.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to pcworld.com.
Comments · 2,312
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Re:PC WORLD
PC World has long been a Microsoft yellow journalism rag. It's just Microsoft Corp.'s Department of Monopoly Security at work.
As the in-house Linux columnist for PC World, I can tell you that I'm not employed just to be a token alternative view. The publication I work for views Microsoft with a skeptical eye when appropriate. We are not a Microsoft shill. And I have come to discover over the years that the geeks who immediately dismiss us as such typically do not read our magazine, because we're not geared toward geeks -- we're geared toward folks who need more help with technology than geeks do. So we may not be your magazine. But we work hard to be impartial. We are not bought and paid for by Uncle Bill, and anyone who says we are is not paying attention to our coverage, either in print or online. -
Re:PC WORLD
PC World has long been a Microsoft yellow journalism rag. It's just Microsoft Corp.'s Department of Monopoly Security at work.
As the in-house Linux columnist for PC World, I can tell you that I'm not employed just to be a token alternative view. The publication I work for views Microsoft with a skeptical eye when appropriate. We are not a Microsoft shill. And I have come to discover over the years that the geeks who immediately dismiss us as such typically do not read our magazine, because we're not geared toward geeks -- we're geared toward folks who need more help with technology than geeks do. So we may not be your magazine. But we work hard to be impartial. We are not bought and paid for by Uncle Bill, and anyone who says we are is not paying attention to our coverage, either in print or online. -
Re:PC WORLD
PC World has long been a Microsoft yellow journalism rag. It's just Microsoft Corp.'s Department of Monopoly Security at work.
As the in-house Linux columnist for PC World, I can tell you that I'm not employed just to be a token alternative view. The publication I work for views Microsoft with a skeptical eye when appropriate. We are not a Microsoft shill. And I have come to discover over the years that the geeks who immediately dismiss us as such typically do not read our magazine, because we're not geared toward geeks -- we're geared toward folks who need more help with technology than geeks do. So we may not be your magazine. But we work hard to be impartial. We are not bought and paid for by Uncle Bill, and anyone who says we are is not paying attention to our coverage, either in print or online. -
Re:PC WORLD
PC World has long been a Microsoft yellow journalism rag. It's just Microsoft Corp.'s Department of Monopoly Security at work.
As the in-house Linux columnist for PC World, I can tell you that I'm not employed just to be a token alternative view. The publication I work for views Microsoft with a skeptical eye when appropriate. We are not a Microsoft shill. And I have come to discover over the years that the geeks who immediately dismiss us as such typically do not read our magazine, because we're not geared toward geeks -- we're geared toward folks who need more help with technology than geeks do. So we may not be your magazine. But we work hard to be impartial. We are not bought and paid for by Uncle Bill, and anyone who says we are is not paying attention to our coverage, either in print or online. -
Re:PC WORLD
PC World has long been a Microsoft yellow journalism rag. It's just Microsoft Corp.'s Department of Monopoly Security at work.
As the in-house Linux columnist for PC World, I can tell you that I'm not employed just to be a token alternative view. The publication I work for views Microsoft with a skeptical eye when appropriate. We are not a Microsoft shill. And I have come to discover over the years that the geeks who immediately dismiss us as such typically do not read our magazine, because we're not geared toward geeks -- we're geared toward folks who need more help with technology than geeks do. So we may not be your magazine. But we work hard to be impartial. We are not bought and paid for by Uncle Bill, and anyone who says we are is not paying attention to our coverage, either in print or online. -
Re:PC WORLD
PC World has long been a Microsoft yellow journalism rag. It's just Microsoft Corp.'s Department of Monopoly Security at work.
As the in-house Linux columnist for PC World, I can tell you that I'm not employed just to be a token alternative view. The publication I work for views Microsoft with a skeptical eye when appropriate. We are not a Microsoft shill. And I have come to discover over the years that the geeks who immediately dismiss us as such typically do not read our magazine, because we're not geared toward geeks -- we're geared toward folks who need more help with technology than geeks do. So we may not be your magazine. But we work hard to be impartial. We are not bought and paid for by Uncle Bill, and anyone who says we are is not paying attention to our coverage, either in print or online. -
Re:PC WORLD
PC World has long been a Microsoft yellow journalism rag. It's just Microsoft Corp.'s Department of Monopoly Security at work.
As the in-house Linux columnist for PC World, I can tell you that I'm not employed just to be a token alternative view. The publication I work for views Microsoft with a skeptical eye when appropriate. We are not a Microsoft shill. And I have come to discover over the years that the geeks who immediately dismiss us as such typically do not read our magazine, because we're not geared toward geeks -- we're geared toward folks who need more help with technology than geeks do. So we may not be your magazine. But we work hard to be impartial. We are not bought and paid for by Uncle Bill, and anyone who says we are is not paying attention to our coverage, either in print or online. -
Piracy = Theft (again)I love reading the debates on Slashdot on whether piracy is theft, I really do. They have given lots of insight into the true meaning of the word theft.
I don't think making copies available is theft, but Microsoft does:
"We consider downloading this code, or making it available for others to download, as theft," the company says in a statement.
Actually the "jerk" who lifted the original copy is guilty of theft, not the pirates. Slashdot posters have convinced me of that time and time again. Microsoft still has all the copies except the one lifted from the plant. Piracy is piracy, theft is theft. (Or is it? he he)
Think this has anything to do with this announcement? -
Re:How about....Beware: the "human bus connector" concept has been patented by Microsoft.
But since we're talking about future development: how far are we from the day when we can read spinal impulses and then make "our body" react to them?
I'm thinking about people who can't walk for spinal damages.. their impulse can be read and trasmitted to electrodes that would make their muscles move, their legs walk, their hands grab objects.
Ok.. I must stop seeing sci-fi films
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pffrt
Once again, a PC manufacturer copies something Apple did ages ago!
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Financial strategy
Just today, PC World reported, in "Sharp Displays 65-Inch LCD TV" that "Earlier this week, the company said it expects net sales and net profits to be substantially higher than those of last year based on large sales increases of LCD televisions. The company expects net profit for the first half to be $352 million."
Maybe the Sharp financial strategists aren't so foolish. They do own that market rather than ceding it to the Koreans or Taiwanese, and apparently even took the author's advice on bigger screens. -
Dead Man's Switch
Dead Man's Switch
We use our computers for almost every aspect of our lives; shouldn't they help smooth our passing as well? Dead Man's Switch can protect or pass on your data and inform key persons of your untimely demise. You can set Dead Man's Switch to perform a number of tasks if you don't log on to your computer for a specified period of time. It can send out e-mail, encrypt or delete files, and post to web sites.
Remember to reset the time allowed on the switch before you leave on vacation. You don't want to scare anybody
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/ 0,fid,23183,00.asp/ -
Sony to announce 8 layer 200 GB Blu-ray
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Re:Snail Mail Pad
Opps, how did that space get in there?
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,116989, 00.asp -
Related Story
This is big time Piracy.
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Re:Right..
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Slam Dunk for Mark Cuban
I guess Mark Cuban was right, founding HDNet, the first national HD network to broadcast all of its programming in 1080i resolution, the highest-quality format of high-definition. And isn't it a coincidence that there is a Ku band?
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Re:No anti-virus software? Then stay off the net!
Stuff it, n00b.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Come back when you have over 20 years of professional software engineering experience.
I know what you meant. I know what you said.
Apparently you do not, since you've read all kinds of things into my one-sentence that I never wrote, implied, or intended.
You should stuff it before you make yourself out to look like more of an idiot for giving bad advice and being too foolish to accept correction.
I gave excellent advice: Again with the hint: Type "free antivirus software" into Google. That was it. The whole thing. I didn't say "Search for 'free antivirus software' in Google and install the first thing you come to without doing any further research." You and your little buddies came up with that brain-damaged idea and then tried to attribute it to me. Had you actually typed "free antivirus software" into Google, you would have found links to online ratings, user discussions, magazine reviews, etc.
I was wrong.
You still are.
Now stop trolling and go away. -
...doesnt look good
Unfortunately, he will probably be convicted, since the Department of Justiucs has already made agreements with his fellow DrinkOrDie members to shorten their sentences if they testify against him. http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,109806,
0 0.asp -
Re:No anti-virus software? Then stay off the net!
So you are the guy telling people to download random software from the internet and install it. Thank you very much.
Ever heard of a review? How goddamned hard is it to do a little research on your own? Apparently too hard, so here' a link to a PC World review of free anti-virus software. But you're too clever to fall for that, aren't you? You figured out that Grisoft, Alwil, and H+BEDV Datentechnik GmbH (makers of AVG, Avast, and AntiVir anti-virus software respectively) are all providing free-for-personal-use anti-virus software that contains Trojan horses, viruses, worms, and malware because... because... well, just because!
It's pretty damned silly to refer to anti-virus packages which have undergone scrutiny, testing, and review in the user community and the press as "random software from the internet." -
Re:Why I didn't bother...
for starters:
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,117405, 00.asp
The thing that bothers me most about 98(or any of the 9x) is the naked filesystem. It's wide open to anyone who gains access to your system. That's the biggest security hole as far as I'm concerned. It magnifies the potential danger of any remote exploits substantially.
But given how the typical windows user sets up XP, it's probably the same game. And I'm not targeting the slashdot windows users, you, I hope to God, are not typical to what I see when I work on client machines. IMO, Win2k is the best game in town when it comes to a Windows OS. I use Suse myself though. I don't care much for XP, there is something far more breakable about it that Windows2000 didn't share IMO. I just didn't and don't see the same types of breakage with my windows2000 clients. -
Re:Windoze??
Maybe this will help
PCWorld
Looks like they were using next-generation Internet Protocol version 6 protocols, but I am not sure if that encapsulates some next generation of TCP/IP as well -
Re:We're up to 6 minutes now I guess...
If you clicked on the link to the article, or even looked at the status bar, you would realize that this post was talking about a PC World interview, while the previous post was about one of Cuban's blog posts. While the interview is dated September 2, the blog post is dated August 21. Yes, he talks about DVDs and hard drives in both, but it is not a dupe.
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Re:Now you can all stop whining. . .
Or one could just go get an Athlon 64 box, which is true 64 bit and beats the shit out of the G5. Way to see the trees and not the forest. The other poster's comment about the value of OS X and the iApps was a much better argument.
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Re:What HP just told us...
I disagree.
HP will also preinstall Apple's ITunes jukebox software on its consumer PCs and notebook systems. The company will add a desktop icon pointing customers to the ITunes online music store, HP says in a statement released Thursday."
This is obviously good for both companies. It makes it much easier for Joe Consumer to access the iTMS when he buys a PC bundled with an iPod. He's not familiar with Apple so he didn't even consider an iMac or a G5, but he HAS heard of the iPod and sees he can get a system "configured" for iPod use from HP. This is good for HP and helps define them as the home entertainment pc solution.
Besides the obvious, this is good for Apple because after Joe Consumer becomes familiar enough with the Apple brand, he may consider Apple when it is time to purchase his next computer.
As for HP's marketing tactics, it has become clear that they care more about the home entertainment market than they do about being innovators and I don't this particular move is the first sign of that. This will benefit both Apple and HP, however, it seems likely that Apple will be the real winner in the end. -
Re:You don't get it
Let me see if I can do my best to google up some of the news artcles and links that recommended against installing SP1 so perhaps you can understand the reasons why...
Windows XP SP1 problems
Windows XP Update crashes some PCs
XPdlite (contains an SP1 caution)
Forums
Hopefully that gives a general idea on the subject. I would have liked to have stuck to news sites only... but ancient articles of the web aren't as easy to find as one might expect. -
Re:I want to know too!
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37 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds
If you read the Yahoo page at http://yahoo.pcworld.com/yahoo/article/0,aid,1157
9 3,00.asp then you will see the statistic is "The research reveals 37 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds have downloaded a full-length motion picture from the Internet."
Also "24 percent of respondents reported that they had downloaded a movie online".
The 24% includes perfectly free-to-download stuff shorts like http://pocketmovies.net/ and http://www.archive.org/movies/prelinger.php
The 37%, being 'full length' is presumably meant to imply Hollywood releases, but can still include public domain stuff like the Prelinger material linked above, which includes full length movies.
It does piss me off that the MPA tries to associate every movie download as being of their copyrighted property; that's not so. -
Post text STOLEN
What's it like to watch TV on a cell phone? The TV junkie in me says it's great. I really like the idea that I can pull my cell phone out of my pocket and catch up with the latest news and sports scores in an instant.
Looks a little familiar? Cause the text is right here on this PCWorld review:http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,1 17178,00.asp
If you're going to plagiarize, make sure it isn't the first Google result. -
HP licenses iPod technologyDoesn't anyone remember that Apple did license it's iPod technology to HP so they could build and market an iTunes compatible player.
Hardly monopolistic behaviour I would say.
Apple is well within their right to choose who they want to license their technology to. If they don't want to license their tech to Real, they shouldn't have to worry about Real breaking it.
From a business standpoint, it makes sense to license your DRM to players and not to competing stores. As much as we may love open source and open standards, technology companies do need to make a profit to keep operating.
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Re:Not that new.You don't need a Google search to make an example -- Google itself is an example! In a 2002 PCWorld interview, Google's Eric Schmidt revealed the following:
At Google, for example, we found it costs less money and it is more efficient to use DRAM as storage as opposed to hard disks--which is kind of amazing. It turns out that DRAM is 200,000 times more efficient when it comes to storing seekable data. In a disk architecture, you have to wait for a disk arm to retrieve information off of a hard-disk platter. DRAM is not only cheaper, but queries are lightning fast.
It doesn't specifically mention that the DRAM in question is in a hard-drive format, but I do remember that when I read this interview for the first time, I was already aware of such devices and had assumed that's what Schmidt was talking about. -
Re:Yes, well...Yes, you can programmatically disable the firewall (just as you can in Linux), and yes you need administrative rights. This story is just an attempt to spread FUD about a feature who's goals are misunderstood.
From an article on PCWorld.com:
Microsoft admits that, in some cases, malicious code could indeed switch the firewall off. However, this isn't so much a flaw as a limitation on the role firewalls should play in a company's security system, according to Microsoft.
"An attacker could misuse that (administrative) capability," says David Overton, a Microsoft technical specialist. "But you're already in a compromised state, if you're at that point." He says Windows Firewall is designed to stop malicious transmissions to the PC, rather than protecting the PC once it's been infected.
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Google wiretap laws
http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/33906
7 1
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117270,0 0.asp
They are just trying to look like the good guy to the FCC. Mabe in hopes the FCC backs them in beating State Taxes! -
Someone better tell
that to MS as they are going in the opposite direction.
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Regclean
Regclean works wonders. It's incredible how much a few messed up registry keys can bog your system down.
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My fav
My favorite embedded device has always been the Windows CE gas station pumps. Because something like pumping gas, ordering Big Macs, and asking for directions all at the same time was just too vital a service for people not to utilize.
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little more info on that
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Re:Exactly the point
>Remember the NSA keys in the Windows NT crypto
>libraries?
I agree with the rest of your post, but I gotta call bullshit on this part.
This article explains more about "NSA Key" in Windows NT and leading cryptologists such as Bruce Schneier have debunked the possiblity of the NSA using it for spying on users. (As there are much easier ways to go about doing it) -
Re:Modern crappy keyboards
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Re:Well THAT's a silly question.
Well, I wouldn't be too sure they're going to drop it next year. Penn State has a contract through 2005.
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Re:35 new models?
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Re:The GrudgeYou're behind the curve. Microsoft have recently started cutting back on employee benefits. "Tightening their belt" as Ballmer put it in his annual memo to staff. Companies generally have one of two possile reasons for doing this:
1) They are running out of cash.
or
2) Their revenue projections are showing trouble ahead.
Clearly (1) doesn't apply as they have $55 billion. So the answer is (2). They are having to seriously slash their prices to compete on large contracts with Linux quotes.Microsoft is not unassailable. As regards browser market share, the market share figures have started to slip for the first time in more than 5 years.
20 years ago, IBM seemed to some to be in an utterly dominating position. Their dominance had a rise and a fall. So will Microsoft. The signs that they have already passed their peak are there to see.
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Hoist by their own petard?My favorite part of the PCWorld article is this:
Robert Duncan III, a technologist at Bacone College, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, switched to Firefox recently, attracted by the software's wide variety of plug-ins and new features, as well as the fact that Mozilla is less integrated with the computer's operating system than is Internet Explorer.
"Since Mozilla is completely isolated from the operating system, I know that if the browser gets completely hijacked and obliterated that the program is not going to completely destroy everything I've got on disk," he said.
If this argument takes hold and people use it as a reason to switch to other browsers, it will be very interesting to see if the folks in Redmond hold to their "party line" about the impossibility of separating the Internet Exploder from the Operating System...
--Mark -
Re:Moz vs. IE
There's afunny bit about the article - "Once people start examining the features of Mozilla versus Internet Explorer instead of looking at a brand name . . . I think they'll see there's a lot more value".. So the article links to a review of Steve Bass's browser comparisons.. He doesn't demarkate between IE broswer shells and true standalone browsers at all and he didn't like Mozilla or Firefox because it looked like "corporate Netscape". HELLO?!?! Theme Manager! You can make it look like IE!
Liked the article, thought the followup linkto was asinine. -B -
Informative IE Links - IE Bashing Extraordinaire
This browser warning page thoroughly trashes MSIE, but every phrase is linked to a news article that uses the exact same verbiage in order to demonstrate that it isn't just anti MS FUD - It's the honest truth. It's designed and maintained for webmasters to deliver to the IE-using visitors to their webpages. You can read the source code for some more information about that. In case you're curious, here's a paste of the text and links that it has - This should prove quite effective with anyone you're trying to convince to stop using IE:
Warning!Your web browser - a version of Microsoft Internet Explorer - may not function properly on this website, and could have a large number of problems that allow hackers to hijack it with viruses. These viruses could be used by criminals to secretly take over your computer, download child-pornography, or to commit acts of terrorism and fraud. You may automatically update it now with Microsoft's available patches, however, there is a possibility that a necessary patch will not be available due to Microsoft's somewhat sluggish development schedule.
The US Department of Homeland Security strongly suggests that you stop using Internet Explorer immediately.
There are several standards-compliant web browsers that you may use instead of Internet Explorer. Please install one of them as a replacement.
If you suspect that your computer is already being used for criminal activity, it is critical that you seek help from a computer professional in your local area. You may also try one of the free web-based virus scanners that are available.
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Graphics capabilities are dangerous
Busting the Biggest PC Myths
Check out the second one on page 4. Holy Geebus of stupidity!
Note to John Ashcroft: raid Pixar tomorrow; they've become too powerful. -
Toys for the richAt $6000, what a deal. Just hook that baby up with your Blue Light Special and you'll rule your block with an iron fist.
Now, if there were only something worth watching on TV... Oh, the TdF is coming up, but usually the resolution is on par with VHS, unless they do something vastly different this year.
I'm still happy with my 1.3 megapixel 500:1 contrast 17" LCD. Anything wider and I get some weird feeling my head needs to be stretched. Has anyone else noticed something like that? There was something about a big convex display that didn't cause that sort of sensation.
And that 3840x2400 resolution should give your graphics card a workout trying to render your FPS games at biggie frame rates. At what pixel density do you fail to notice a difference in image quality, anyway? I turned on one pixel on my monitor and can hardly even see it!
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PC World - DOS is dead
PCWorld has an article on tech myths that mentions DOS and its derivatives.
"IDC's best guess is that about 1000 new copies of all DOS flavors--MS-DOS, PC-DOS, and the rest--were installed last year. This year? Effectively zip. "There's still some life in it for real specific purposes," says IDC analyst Dan Kusnetzky, "but there's zero growth in usage." -
Stars!
Stars! (the name includes the exclamation mark)
Fantastic, detailed strategy game for win 3 and later (runs perfectly on wine). Design your race. Design hundreds of warships on an individual component basis and conquer the universe. Lots of micromanagement of planetary production and population movement too.
However, sadly the AI can't stand up to an experienced player, so once you've learnt it (which will take a month or two) to get a challenging game you have to go multiplayer.
Free demo here for instance.
Advance Wars / Fire Emblem (on GBA) are also very good. But not sci-fi themed. -
Note not fixed!!! New hole, found updated report.
I was sure I had read something that was really not fixed. Here is the better link, dated June 11th - note that the attack is similar to the one that was fixed, but is not the same and is still unpatched!! What I had read in the first place was the security message board they are referencing, though I still cannot find the original post I had read.
My original message sounded pretty alarming because that is the kind of thing that scares the crap out of me. Just a month ago I was actually fooled into clicking on a fake eBay email, despite being incredibly wary of theses sorts of things - and if I can be fooled knowing what to look for how many other people are being taken by these exploits? I didn't get a fake address as I was using Safari. That's why I say in all seriousness that it really is too dangerous to use IE in general, becuase there are just too many holes like this being found all the time, as well as (like I said) not really knowing that any given copy of IE is being patched all that studiously.