Slashdot Mirror
Your Daily Dose of Microsoft
The European Union is considering anti-trust action against Microsoft. The Wall Street Journal ran a column today about the Windows XP registration process, which is apparently news to a lot of people who don't read enough Slashdot. IBM says Microsoft is arrogant. Microsoft's XP Beta program is a little more open than they thought. And finally, and most amusingly, one of the threat letters being sent out by the BSA on behalf of Microsoft was sent to (wait for it...) OSDN. Okay, no more Microsoft submissions today, please.
Let's extend that moratorium, please? Slashdot as a community (including some of the editors) have shown that they generally have no objectivity when discussing MS, and have nothing to add to an intelligent discussion. Can we just retire the whole subject?
You will notice on the topics area, it's the ONLY topic that isn't just a logo or a picture, it's the only insulting one. Maybe, just maybe, we can try again in a year, when the children have had a year to grow up, but let's lay off it for a while, please? Please?
It's valid code, but what about a serial number? Leaked serials won't be activated. Corporate serials won't work with retail/preview code. What you pay for when you sign up for the preview program is a serial number, not the code.
wget works too:
. iso`
`wget -U Download Manager http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro_rc1
> Sorry, my bad. Copy and paste error somewhere...
Not your bad. Slasdot *always* insert spaces in long word to prevent trolls to break page layout.
Cheers,
--fred
Front
Back
Some one pointed out to me that the comment:
Unless you have no past or current unhappy employees, you're only one phone call away from being the target of a BSA investigation.
Is eeriely like Nazi propoganda telling you to turn in your neighbor and be fearful!
Lots of testers are saying that their clients and their companies will forbid installation of any product with PA included, since (a) it could be used by a virus to shut the machine down and (b) in mission-critical applications (think: medical history, industrial automation, 911 center) having a machine that went completely offline and refused to reactivate would be an unacceptable risk.
And yes, while most talk about freezing at Windows 2000, some are talking about going to Linux.
That nice and all .. but what happens when I have a workstation down? I have a shelf wieh spare hardware on it in my office that I use to fix dead workstations.
So what happens when I start swapping out hardware and now XP stops working?
So let me get this strait: I get the machine back up now I have to call microsoft and wait on hold for a tech to give me an activation key? So meanwhile I have an office worker who is annoyed that he/she can't do anything until I have the workstation back and an employer that's losing money because we are paying one worker to do basically nothing for the next hour.
Thank GOD we don't use MS on our servers.. I don't even want to think of what would happen from extra downtime on the transaction processing system.
And no were not big so we can't negociate an "activation free" copy of windows.
Right now I'm just glad my boss has alreaddy agreed not to upgrade to XP.
No matter how educational this is, I have taken the liberty of informing Microsoft about your post. We'll see what happens next.
Anonymous (for now) Coward.
Won't they keep a log of all the IPs that have downloaded the ISO, then come after us?
Calm Down Morons
My God, what has Slashdot become? Post a direct link to a Microsoft you're not supposed to download and it gets moderated UP?
I know you all don't mind software and music pirating, but posting direct links is crossing the line.
http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro_rc1_ core.tgz
_ tools.tgz
_ drivers.tgz
_ extras.tgz
http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro_rc1
http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro_rc1
http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro_rc1
You need Visual C++ 6.0 or better, and be warned: it's a 2G (yes, 2 gigabyte) download. (Oh, and it took about 3 days to compile on my PII 266MHz too, but that's another story.)
BSA investigators to visit the accused company unannounced and accompanied by local law enforcement officials such as U.S Marshals
So the courts will grant pseudo-governmental powers to operate investigate? Is this normal? Will the US courts also grant requests for environmentalists to do research in the records of big-polluters? Will the courts grant requests for AIDS activists to do audits of BigPharm's research in order to prove that the government really funded the research on the drug they now hold patent on?
Oh, of course not, these are the interests of the community - of the people - and the *people* aren't really being advocated by their courts *or* their government any longer... silly me - I forgot.
US of America is a sick-twisted corporate run shithole. Can you people please wake the fuck up and do something about your goddamn government? P-L-U-T-O-C-R-A-C-Y : LOOK IT UP!!
-dair (NAL, etc)
Well there's still a choice as to what to use, but in this case I agree it's not yours. Fortunately, the harm that XP could cause would go to your employer, not you, should the chose to use it.
---
Why the hell do shitty software companies have the right to harass you over licenses, unless you're blatantly breaking the law? Will they keep hounding me until they've found the one unlicensed copy of Windows NT 3.50 sitting around on some long-neglected 486 in a remote office? Is that entirely legal to do? Could I sue them for pestering me too?
- A.P.
--
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
They should, you know.
- A.P.
--
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
It's not ridiculous for Microsoft to send a letter to OSDN asking them to verify their server licenses, as they do use Microsoft products for their servers. Take a look.
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
Posted by polar_bear:
Actually, I'm just pointing out that the post was one-sided. "Oh, let's quit saying nasty things about poor Microsoft." "Oh, poor Microsoft doesn't get a fair shake on Slashdot."
Keep it up. With people like you, it will never die.
And your point is...? Who said I want it to? Or are we all supposed to bend to your worldview?
You should probably find a different site to visit if you don't want to see posts bashing Microsoft. I find it extremely obnoxious on newsgroups and discussion boards for a small percentage of the population to keep posting pleas for people to quit discussing topic "x" when the majority of people obviously *want* to discuss it. If it's not to your liking, go away. Don't expect 95% of the participants to conform to your desires.
Did you honestly come to Slashdot expecting objectivity towards Microsoft? We're not talking about professional journalists, here. Please. The editors don't even know how to spellcheck or check URLs and you're expecting them to display objectivity? Sure, the editors are biased against Microsoft - that's no secret. Expecting anything different is just plain foolish.
The site is for fun, links to weird news and possibly announcements of the latest version of your favorite distro. (Of course, posting an announcement for people to download something is always a debacle b/c as soon as it's on Slashdot the server slows to a crawl...but they do it anyway...)
If you're relying on Slashdot for real "news" or objective coverage or a "realistic" view of the tech world - you're in the wrong place. People also come here to express their opinions. Sorry that other people's opinions don't meet your expectations.
Posted by polar_bear:
Actually, in the story, IBM acknowledges that they were of a similar bent years ago.
IBM does seem to be doing the Right Thing(TM) by GNU/Linux and other Open Source projects.
If Slashdot and Microsoft are both still around in ten years, you might well be seeing Microsoft accusing company Y of being anti-competitive and arrogant if they've lost their monopoly by then. And Slashdot (or another site like it) will be posting links to those articles.
I think that people within IBM actually do believe in Open Source, though. It's really hard to say that a company believes in anything, b/c it's just a conglomeration of the people who work their and make its policy - which can change, of course.
Posted by polar_bear:
I'm responding to your request for other people to stop posting their opinion, and the comments about people "growing up" and whatnot. That's a clear evaluation of other people's opinion rather than stating one of your own about the topic at hand.
Bye bye.
...and have the BSA audit Microsoft! I bet they haven't paid for any copy of Windows that they have!
:^)
Slashdot's first reaction to VMware
speak about one-sided reporting. as a european, the anti-EU subtitles are sticking in my eye. yeah, sure - we have less refined laws than the US has. riiigghht. we have DIFFERENT laws. not everytime something is different, you, my dear american friends, own the superior version.
especially the "just being too big could be illegal" part is just ridiculous. and that from someone whose country has COPA, DMCA and retroactively-extending copyright terms.
that said, it is specifically BECAUSE of these differences that any EU investigation would be a Good Thing(tm). in your court jokes, M$ could have gotten off the hook by legalese and winding their way through the legal loopholes and restrictions. as a matter of fact, I think their arrogance cost them more than anything else.
over here, it won't do them much good specifically BECAUSE the investigators have more freedoms. they won't get away because they can piss off a judge so much that he makes the mistake to speak too much in the news.
and their "free software is a virus, a cancer" approach will only get them deeper into the shit given that pretty much every politician here has by now said something pro-variety and pro-free-software on TV. while politicians are readily available on the open market, they are known to not usually make immediate 180 degree turns on things they've said in public.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
That's exactly what will happen. From a Wired article: "But if a company refuses to cooperate, BSA can and will ask a federal judge to grant a court order allowing BSA investigators to visit the accused company unannounced and accompanied by local law enforcement officials such as U.S Marshals."
Scary as hell. What would be really interesting is someone like OSDN refusing entry, then being searched. Would make a hell of a headline and could be just the sort of thing to make ordinary users realize the clout MS carries through its BSA organization.
Yes, the EU's propaganda machine would like you to believe that. Now go back and ask your friendly neighbourhood commissioner how many EU countries even have plans in place to ratify Kyoto. I'll save you the trouble: 0.
The GE-Honeywell merger block merely shows that the EU hasn't outgrown protectionism. You're going to get your clocks cleaned by the open economies of the world. I can only hope that the UK isn't stupid enough to join.
So there will be an increase in the number of times the XP CD from work gets a lift from the office to the employees house.
I can just see it now.
Benefits Package - Dental, Health, Vision, Volume-Priced version of Windows, Employee Discounts
I'm sorry - but I don't see where the BSA should be able to install any software on a machine at my company.
"Yes...this is the main server for my companies 24x7 OLAP money-machine...go right ahead an install some software I know nothing about - no problem answering Yes to the "Reboot?" question."
But when you buy the product in the store you don't get to see the license until you have already payed for the product.
The sad truth is that no, you don't always have the choice. While I've been running Linux as my only desktop OS since 1992, it's not always an option. We've been pushing hard to get Linux on the desktop at work, and have had to concede that it just isn't there yet. It's very, very close, but not close enough to risk the business on. Among other things, we need a decent office suite. With 100% MS compatibility. Yes, StarOffice, Applix and PerfectOffice all come close, but we need to be able to read every file that people send us. We need a word processor and spreadsheet that handle not just the plain documents, but the ones with embedded VBA as well. We need a good shared calendar solution with palm sync, and it has to work cross platform. We have Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris and Tru64 desktops. And no, a web front end isn't usually appropriate, even if it's usually good enough in the short term. We need to be able to handle Visio files, and MS Project files. And some people will have to stick with Windows because certain essential apps only run on Windows. VNC was considered for them, but it only supports a 1:1 mapping, and we want multiple users logged onto a single NT server. Citrix is an option, albeit expensive. Yes, I am sticking with a Linux desktop, but the rest of the company just aren't ready for it yet. Given time, perhaps, but in the short term, we're using Mac OS X as a means of at least getting Unix to the desktop, and we'll take it from there...
"The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike." -- Delos B. McKown
I have been covering Microsoft's FUD War against the GPL, Linux, and open source software. Currently, it's a collection of links to articles about their efforts, although one news story that I wrote does contain a minor (and hopefully funny) editorial. The FUD War coverage is at: linuxppc.org/fudwar/. Cheers,
-- haaz.
Consumers. This "registration" bulls**t is going to piss off a lot of ordinary people. It's not like they don't have alternatives, too. *Cough*Apple!*Cough* *Cough*
;-)
Well, you know that days before XP will be on the shelf, you will be able to find some "applications" that will remove this registration BS... astalavista baby
--
"Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
After installing XP it will ask you for a product ID. If you don't have it, it will expire within 14 days.
Although cable is similar, "expensive water" at least allows competition. A new company is able to produce bottled water without having to reverse engineer and risk lawsuits or buy licenses from the already existing water producer.
I think you'll find that a license without any documentation actually isn't worth the paper it's not printed on.
--
Niklas Nordebo | niklas at nordebo.com
The wheel is turning but the hamster is dead.
The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
Personally, I'm waiting at least 60 days after XP hits the shelves to upgrade from 2000. Why?
And Michael, exactly how self-important are we feeling today? "...people who don't read enough Slashdot"?! I'm guessing that means "the unwashed heathens who haven't yet accepted Richard Stallman as their Lord and Saviour". Do you honestly think anyone with an open mind wants to hear all your venom? The only reason you're still included on my home page is because without your non-MS-bashing articles, Slashdot looks thinner than Technocrat during a slow week.*
Pro-Linux != Anti-Microsoft. Don't make me get out the clue stick. (Although I must say that this karma burn has been quite theraputic.)
*: With apologies to Bruce Perens.
We're not scare-mongering/This is really happening - Radiohead
This sig intentionally left blank.
Wow! Speaking of needing a dictionary...
I would expect so much more from an AC. But you're probably a Canadian AC - half as smart and no balls.
Have a nice day, ehhhhhh?
"You're gonna need a bigger boat." - Chief Brody
>Why do I need a 600MHz processor and 128MB of
>RAM just to run a simple desktop environment in Linux?
Because the gnome and kde developers are both more interested in making web browsers than in creating efficient desktop systems.
I'm an American living in Canada, and I think I can be fairly objective about the situation. Canada has 30 million people. That's like the population of California. Of *course* Canada isn't treated as an equal partner to the USA. The only countries with a population similar or greater in size to the USA are second and third world countries with limited economies at present. The only sign of something in the near future that will be a real competitor to the USA is the EU.
Your reply only galvanizes my point, you are fixated and one-dimensional. Who was taling about economics? Who the hell is talking about being a 'competitor'? Economics is the last thing of importance in the world, life, love, health, happiness, peace, nature - then (maybe) money(economics).
Well, we were talking about business, which means we *were* talking about economics. Secondly, all those benefits like peace and happiness that you are talking about can only be created by spending money, something which the government of Canada understands quite well.
Anyone got a mirror?
"No, please, have you no mercy? Don't turn me over to the Boy Scouts of America!"
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
Hey, if you think the Borg are scary, wait'll you get a load of their lawyers.
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
It's widely suspected that Microsoft uses secret API calls and undocumented functions...
I used to work at Microsoft as a developer. This is just a widely circulated rumour. We used MSDN as our dev reference, just like everyone else. Think about it. Microsoft employs ~10000 developers. It's probably a good bet that at least one of them is disgruntled.
--
#include <malloc.h>
--
#include <malloc.h>
free(your.mind);
MS is trying to become the next RedHat. It is obvious that this is a ploy to appeal to our natural desire for free software!
:)
Yes Sir, they are runing Windows 2K.
;)
You would think that they know better
--fatboy
I thought that only members of official government police agencies (like the FBI and Police) could obtain search warrants.
The protests about Kyoto are great because of their breathtaking display of European hypocracy. Not a single country any of those protesters are from has signed the treaty or has any plan to. No country with an operating economy has even considered it thanks to common sense. And yet they act offended when the US displays the same common sense.
Well, according to my (crummy) memory, MS was already working on windows 1.0, and (honestly) if IBM came up to me and said, "that's great that you *own* DOS, now why don't you help us write a competing product and then give it to *us*", well I would probably make sure that said competing product was a buggy, unmaintainable (that's where the assembly part comes in) POS.
I'd say they pretty much succeeded. IBM had to rewrite most of that code as I recall.
Mind You, I've read the scenarios created by the Finnish ministries of environment, industry and finance. There are different scenarios for compliance with Kyoto treaty and non-compliance ("Lets just continue as if nothing happened"). Compliance scenarios include both stupid ones ("Lets reduce use of energy") because the green party always wants to see those, but also different ways of keeping up with the requirements and assumed growth of energy use.
In the end, there are scenarios that don't cost all that much - the cheapest one was roughly EUR 250 / person in the timeframe 2001-2010. Or about 50/person/year (assuming that the costs are spread over five year period).
And, some parties (including some corps) have already started acting as would be needed to comply with Kyoto treaty, whether ratified or not.
For USA, compliance would actually save money in the long run - just upgrade Your old, non-economical facilities to new, economical and environmental ones. Savings come mainly from the facts that upgrading to environmentally sound facilities while upgrading to economical ones is pretty cheap, and that it would create lots of activity in the environment industry, thus more work, more jobs, and the money stays in the country. Not to say that it would ease dealing with the green fanatics (unlikely that it would help with the ecoterrorists, but most other environmentalists would react positively).
Now, it would be clear that if US ratified the Kyoto treaty, all EU countries would, too. But, as the pollution of USA is actually more than the whole EU, the treaty is pretty much meaningless unless USA complies. Even if EU did everything required, unless USA complies, too, pollution wouldn't lessen much.
However, as we like living in such conditions that we can safely breath the air, EU commission has long been working on different environmental directives that, even if Kyoto treaty isn't ratified, will work towards the same end. However, as that's not global and won't affect USA, it only means that the responsibility shifts mainly o USA, as its share of the global pollution will grow from the current roughly 30% (with population of about 4% - that's eight times the average).
And no, I'm not an environmentalist, left wing radical, or alike. I'm capitalist, pretty much right wing for Finland. But, I still think we should try to be efficient in use of resources, not wasteful. The technology for efficient, clean, environmentally sound production in about any industry You can name exists and is already reasonably cheap. Of course we can do better, given time and new inventions, and I'm not requiring all companies to upgrade to bleeding edge technology. However, not using clean technology where such is available is stupid. Just try to see a little farther than the bottom line of the next quarter or next year.
The EU is really about protectionism, and I'm sure you'll see more and more of these sorts of attacks on non-EU companies (see the recent Honeywell-GE merger squashing). At least with the US attacking Microsoft it appears impartial and unbiased (well ignoring all the $ going to politicians), but when the EU attacks MSFT it looks a little bit like they're trying to stop the flow of money leaving the EU en route to Redmond.
I do remember hearing a long time ago that that MSDOS was bought in. They paid for one license, and whoever sold it did not plan it too well, missing the redistribution terms of contract. Hence MS buys *one* piece of software, then cleans up reselling it verbatim to everyone else.
:)
mod me down if you know better.
mod me up if you've heard this too.
mod off if you don't know what the hell I'm on about.
True enough, but I don't think needlessly obfuscated fine print really holds up.
for heck's sake, cigarettes carry a HUGE "this will kill you" warning, but that geezer managed to sue Philip Morris for his terminal cancer. If a defence that you can't understand five words holds up in court, then the EULA does not stand a chance.
Boy, do they *need* that microsoft tax on new PCs to keep this scam running! if *all* users knew they could copy the software, and *not* chew an extra hundred on the cost of their machine, I think we'd be looking at a very different playing field. We'd all bitch about Be or someone else... naaaaah.
Who ever thought we'd be saying this ten years ago, but...
GO IBM!!!!!
Rob
I don't give a rat's ass about Windows XP, but the fact that the link works is interesting - and displays a lack of any true authentication for downloading the ISO itself. There's likely some serial #s or keys or some other shit involved in actually installing Windows XP, so I doubt stealing it will be quite as easy as just downloading the image.
And for those who are just interested, like me, use wget's "--spider" option to test out the link without actually downloading a single byte of it.
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
On the other hand, 20 years ago when you paid to license IBM mainframe software, you received:
o The runnable object code
o The complete, buildable source code
o Printed manuals that completely documented the internal logic of the software.
The source code was a zero-cost option. If you wanted it, you just asked for it.
Ever heard of an upgrade dipshit?
domc
Of course IE for Solaris is an abomination and I only used to see if it would run. And Star Office isn't any great shakes (though I hear Open Office is making great strides), but it works well enough for looking at Word and Powerpoint files (most of the time).
...
--
I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations
And I'd be a Libertarian, if they weren't all a bunch of tax-dodging professional whiners.
Berke Breathed
Thanks for the link on Prosper - I may give it a try. Have you tried PPower4? Its a java postprocesor for use with LaTeX that makes snappy pdf presentations.
...
--
I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations
And I'd be a Libertarian, if they weren't all a bunch of tax-dodging professional whiners.
Berke Breathed
Unreal. 1433 is open? This had better be PortSentry or some "yeah, everything is open, thanks for scanning me, now you're blackholed" type product, or else it could be really bad. Wish I had a machine with Windows on it so I could fire up enterprise manager and look around.
You'll notice of course, that this is NOT an OSDN server, it's hosted by someone else, probably someone who does outsourced jobs.whatever.com for a living.
I like music
Read the news much? Though the FTC cleared it, the EU barred the merger of GE and Honeywell, even though they're two american based company's. First time that's ever happened, probably not the last time, at the rate the corporates are merging...
Yahoo keeps getting pushed around by the French courts... etc, etc, etc. It's a global market, if you want to play, you've gotta play by all the rules, otherwise every company would just incorporate in Iraq or Cuba or something...
This is what I have been wondering about: once
Windows XP goes mainstream after its store release, will the activation line be a toll-free number?
Somehow I would doubt it based on the number of
copies that will eventually come out and since
Microsoft's tech support has always been a
long-distance call. If it is not toll-free, then
that means Microsoft is forcing you to pay for
something they cause to happen on your machine. That seems a little overboard to me. I hope if this happens at least MS will act truly disgraceful and try to get some kickbacks from the phone company for all that long distance traffic.
Seems like they have pulled the .iso file.
I've tried using wget, and changing the user-agent in konquerer, same message.
"Fortune, Fame, Mirror Vain, Gone Insane..... But The Memory Remains...
"Fortune, Fame, Mirror Vain, Gone Insane..... But The Memory Remains...
Downlaoding right now..... oops! never used wget before.
"Fortune, Fame, Mirror Vain, Gone Insane..... But The Memory Remains...
"Fortune, Fame, Mirror Vain, Gone Insane..... But The Memory Remains...
That argument about "lawyers expenses" is merely one further reason to hate and despise Adobe. It will be quite a long time before I ever recommend any of their products to anybody for any purpose (unless, perhaps, it had some chance of harming the company).
Caution: Now approaching the (technological) singularity.
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
I suppose I could go on the "move to open software" cursade, but even the most Linux-friendly professor I can think of taught his class about
how the Linux kernel works using PowerPoint. He offered his notes for download off his webpage... which means I'd need PowerPoint to view
them. (Actually, since other people in that class read Slashdot, I'll admit that he was cool enough to have copied the slides into PDF format, but
still... the point stands that if he hadn't done that, I'd need to grab a Windows machine to view the class notes.)
A worthwhile point.
Something I think about sometimes is why people continue to use PowerPoint instead of something like Flash. Flash is cheap, more capable, and the SWF format is reasonably open...
--
Tweet, tweet.
Join the club! We've been actively boycotting The Behemoth since late 1996.
== Paul Rickard, Editor of The Microsoft Boycott Campaign ====
This is how it starts... Microsoft will practically give the product away to make sure all Windows users upgrade to it, then they pull the noose tight and start raising annual license fees and charging more for services. Before you know it you're paying Microsoft $50 a month just to use your computer and there are no alternatives because all the competition went under when everybody was buying Windows for $10.
== Paul Rickard, Editor of The Microsoft Boycott Campaign ====
Imagine the millions of DM German lawyers could make by sending those threatening letter "services" as one did recently about an alleged trademark issue, but instead threatening about insufficient licenses for Microsoft products.
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
Why is everyone putting an extra space in their URLs?
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
Maybe if the URL is put inside an href tag like this it will be OK. Then you can right click on the link, use "Copy Link to Clipboard" or whatever, and paste it into wherever you're going to download from.
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
Where have you been? Windows has always crippled the PC it is installed on, and brought down the entire computer.
--
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
How long do you think it will take Microsoft to sue Slashdot under the DCMA for these trolls posting links to copyrighted information?
-S
Scott Ruttencutter
We Apprentice Developers and Designers
Heh, I still have hope for the children of tomorrow...
Bryan R.
Bryan R.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
Shallow? Ouch, I thought my vision was rather deep, now shallow. ;-)
/. folk would be able to "fix" a bad WinXP registration mess. My whole point from the beginning was that the majority of users wouldn't.
I can see your point, but my original comment on all of this was from a much larger stand point, not just of Slashdot readers.
I do agree that most
Bryan R.
Bryan R.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
Ah, but you vision is too narrow. If you are Joe Blow grandma who's first computer was running WinXP, for all intent and purposes, you computer has ceased to function.
Bryan R.
Bryan R.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
...that by installing WindowsXP, you give Microsoft lease to cripple your machine? OK, I can see it in OfficeXP, fine. But when you give a company the ability to bring down your entire computer, that is just stupid. I have read about Microsoft, I have heard from Microsoft reps that it is painless to get the key to register and open you computer back up, but have you CALLED Microsoft recently? I would be scared that I wouldn't be able to open up my computer until the phone lines were a little less congested. This is dumb, really really dumb.
Bryan R.
Bryan R.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
The more you tighten your grip Lord Vader, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
// EvilJohn
// Java Geek
Less Talk, More Beer.
Maybe we should give MS what they want. Let's turn in everybody from the dog catcher to our state legislature. Just flood their 800 number with every conceivable organization, school district, business and public figure.
Let's have their lawyers knocking on the doors all over the country. Think of all the good will that would be spread.
photosMy Photostream
But if enough companies, cities, and school districts get audited, people will start comparing notes. Make sure you have turned in everybody in the yellow pages, then maybe MS will get the bad press they deserve.
write a "Helpfull Hanna" letter to your local newspaper letters to the editor, warning of the random audits, and point out the different ways they can stick it to them. You like you said, or if they cannot find the paperwork. Or if one computer crashed and they had to reinstall the software, did they install the correct disk on the correct machine?
Spread the seeds of doubt, a little paranoia is good for them.
Most of all , have fun. Subversion can be fun if done right.
Imagine thousands of companies and organizations getting audited. Turn in those organizations that are most loved and respected in your community. Go after the major employers too. turn them all in.
photosMy Photostream
Since the code is up there with no attempt at protection, I can only assume that this counts as "published" source code.
But mistake on Microsoft's part.
A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
There is no reason they would say no to installing a beta (or RC) on more than one PC. So, sure, they will "override" without asking too many questions.
Try this scenario with the final version and good luck.
This is really offtopic, but I'm going to ramble on anyway...
1. Comparing the US's attempts to enforce embargos on communist countries run by dictators to the EU's implied goal of protecting European businesses to the detriment of US business is COMPLETELY INVALID.
2. Take the GE/Honeywell merger for example. Historically, the litmus test for US regulators is whether how a merger/etc will impact consumers. The EU takes a totally different course - looking at how the merger will impact European businesses. See this article for more details. Historically, European companies held down by socialist governments can't compete on a level playing field with US companies. By blocking the GE/Honeywell merger the EU was protecting the largely government-financed Airbus.
3. If the Europeans want to go ahead with Kyoto, why haven't they ratified it?!?! If Kyoto is aimed at protecting the enviroment and not holding back the US economy why are third world countries like china exempt? Not one senator voted for the treaty. And it's good that they didn't - their job is to protect Americans and our interests - and Kyoto isn't in America's best interest.
Supposing someone installs XP in a virtual VMWare, or Plex86 machine, and then cloned it several times.... Hmmm...
I think I'll just install IE6 on a Win95 VMWare machine in since I only need it for testing web pages :-)
Check out MKDoc a mod_perl CMS
Fortunately, I have no real need for such software...
In the meantime, I treat my software purchases as purchases and agree with myself that I'll only use one copy at a time. So far, no vendor has disagreed with me (as if they know I exist...)
It looks like European revenues are more important that I thought, accounting for almost 3.8 billion in revenue.
If France gets in on this, it could get crazy, they're pretty serious about this stuff.
Tsk tsk tsk....
Don't you know that you're only supposed to buy new systems from a major OEM, and have it preloaded with all the software you ever plan to use?
Besides, 1.5 years into the 3 year time period you mentioned, the new versions of everything will be out and you'll have to upgrade or the only people you can exchange documents with will be the people in your office.
Goddamn MS licensing is a pain in the ass.
"That's Tron. He fights for the Users."
the same clowns are bringing you .NET
Microsoft appears to be actively trying to work over the home consumer for more money.
Microsoft appears to be actively trying to work over the business consumer for more money.
Microsoft appears to be actively trying to work over other businesses who have made products for the Windows platform in order to move into another market.
Microsoft is scrambling to throw mud at a competitor that they can't buy.
Microsoft has recently been investigated by the SEC for manipulating their earnings reports in order to keep their stock price growing.
It's a well known fact that one of the biggest draws of working for Microsoft is the phenomenal growth in stock options.
Let's see? Is there a pattern here? I submit that Microsoft is running scared. Their company is a house of cards. They have to sell more liscenses to keep the stock price growing, which is what keeps their developers in house, which is what enables them to develope products that need to sell to keep their stock price growing...
Unfortunately, the basic computer that most people need got cheap a year or two ago, and they don't see a need for another one. The PC craze has died down. VERY few people actually by WinXX. For most it comes pre-installed, and they never change it. Even businesses are saying, "What the hell do we need a FASTER PC to act as a glorified typewriter for?!"
Face it. The curtain has opened and the Wizard has been exposed as a sham. The little boy has snickered and now everyone admits that the emporer has no clothes. Microsoft is quickly falling from its pedastal as the golden boy of the information age. The execs surely realize that their current moves are tarnishing their PR, but what else can they do? The stock price has to keep going up, else the bubble will burst. Their tell themselves, in extreme arrogance, that they are the golden boy and that they are above reproach. No other company could get away with this, but We are Microsoft, the World depends on us.
It makes watching their downfall that much more interesting.
PS-Yes, I know. The company is setting on tons of cash. But 1)how much of it is real, and 2)how long will it last after revenue drains to practically zero when the hardware guys find that they can pre-install Linux/FreeBSD without paying the M$ tax and without customers revolting. (or when they find that they MUST install Linux/FreeBSD because their competitors are doing it and selling hardware for 10% less!!)
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
This is why it is also going into the Xbox, .Net, all sorts of technologies. The more pies it has its fingers in, the more it will hurt all of us if we stop them.
--The basis of all love is respect
Except you failed to answer the other poster's arguments. Mainly that if they don't bother to use any GPL software, GPL doesn't effect them. Yea the kernel is GPL and the libraries are LGPL or BSD. This doesn't effect software vendors in any way shape or form. Oracle, Inprise both support Linux. If GPL was so bad, why do they release products for linux that are not covered by GPL? Could it be that they are just going to where the users are going? And they even support GPL if it prevents another competator from locking them out of the marketplace and dominating or fragmenting their market. Using Linux does not force GPL. Using a license is the choice, Stallman doesn't like you choice so bloody what? Who died and made Stallman god? He's not buying their software I bet. So get over you're GPL sucks rocks argument. Real people just don't care.
I seem to remember that in the UK it is illegal to put anything in computer software that causes it to become disabled.
But then this is just my faded memory.
there is actually a class file for latex called proper that when converted to a pdf can be used to make presentations. it has the standard stuff for presentations: slide transition, having bullets slide in, themes, etc. i wouldnt suggest you go out and learn how to use latex in order to make presentations, but if you are interested in a wordprocessor also it's not a bad idea. the nice thing about pdf's is there is a viewer for almost any os.
the link above provides some screen shots and if you download the tarball you can also check out an example.
use LaTeX? want an online reference manager that
-- john
lets see...
i voted, and not for a democrate or a republican. i also vote for the house and senate. it hasn't really helped much. then again i'm only 26. perhaps it will get better with time?
once our corporations have invaded your country i'll start commenting on how you need to do something.
really though most us citizens are quite happy with sitting in their comfortable homes watching who wants to be a millionare. i dont know how to change them, any suggestions?
use LaTeX? want an online reference manager that
-- john
IIS is a webserver. Exchange is MS's email server product.
I knew there was a reason the called this version of the software Windows XPloit.
nosig today
When a court invalidates the license, it is wiped out. In these cases, the terms of the contract are set when the consumer buys (not licenses - BUYS) the software. The license is legally viewed in these instances as an illegal attempt to introduce terms into a contract (the sale) that already exists and is set. Result: the consumer owns the software and can install it on as many machines as s/he likes and do with it what they will.
Thus it would appear that corporate entites would be the most interested in having this done. There are considerably more corporate entities as consumers of software compared with those producing software.
The GPL does NOT prevent you from writing proprietary software. It only kicks in when you borrow code from GPL programs.
Which copyright would do anyway (though depending where you were the ratio of "borrowed" code to that you had written yourself might be an issue).
Something just hit me.. Suppose you go along with the Microsoft activation thing.. Suppose you install Windows XP and activate it. Now suppose you also install Office XP and activate that. Now suppose that it's 3 years later and you have 10 pieces of Microsoft software on your machine, all activated.
Now suppose you do a major upgrade on your computer.. enough to cause the activations to think they are on a different computer and thus de-activating themselves. Sure, you can call Microsoft.. but you have 10 pieces of software that are all de-activated. Activating it will be a MAJOR pain in the ass!
Now suppose it's not just one machine. What if you're a system admin in a company with 150 workstations and they all upgraded on the same day.
What am I missing? It can't possibly be THIS bad can it?!
Sure you can copy it. It's a hassle, but it's legal.
What you can't legally do is provide that copy to others for profit. However you can lend the original to third party. You can sell the original to a third party. This is true for books, music, movies, magazines, everything except software. That's why I'm not convinced that the "non-transferable" clauses, e.g., what MS is using to attack the used computer stores, would withstand a court challenge, esp. since the older software (which is often required for these older systems) is no longer for sale at any price.
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. -- H L Mencken
That's not true. If you have a license to use a copyrighted work, you have a license to use that copyrighted work. The fact that you cannot find the appropriate paperwork does not mean you are not licensed and have to pay up. The BSA may try to confiscate your copies (and a bone-headed judge may permit this), but until they prove that you have no license, you will not owe them any money. Of course, the standard of proof in a civil case is only a preponderance of the evidence, but still, it is their burden to prove.
-Steve
Democracy is a poor substitute for liberty.
Your site on 24.10.128.108 times out so I wonder if I don't really have to crack it (please distinguish between 'hack' and 'crack') because someone already did? :-)
And please note that just because an OS doesn't crash that doesn't validate it as being 'good' because there is more to an OS being good eg. the programming API.
Oh yea Robert Novak is unbiased and is capable of thinking rationally about these things. No wonder you posted as an AC even you know you are full of shit.
War is necrophilia.
cos it was a troll and offtopic besides. It deserved to ged modded down. Just because you are an idiot republican it does not mean eveybody is out to get you.
War is necrophilia.
What's the sense of asking people to crack your machine if you are going to firewall it. You might as well ask them to crack the firewall.
What good is an OS which times out regularly?
War is necrophilia.
They probably won't let you talk to Balmer, Allchin, Mundie etc. The top end of MS is nothing but a bunch of lying assholes.
War is necrophilia.
Steve
Interestingly enough, from what I can remember about contracts and who are allowed to enter into them, a person under 18 years old is not allowed to enter into a legaly binding contract. Specifically, I remember a few years ago when going to college, if you were signing your housing licence, and were under 18, your parents had to sign also.
So next time you need to throw that pirated copy of Windows2000,98,95... or whatever on. Go find your local 15 year old script kiddie, Johnny, and have him click "I Agree". When the BSA comes busting down your door, thell them. "Johnny wasn't old enough to enter into a contract, tough shit buddy"
Steve
Few years ago the office next door to my sister's work was invaded by several M$ drones, backed up by Federal Marshalls. (And no, they didn't have any pirated M$ anything.) So yes, it DOES happen. :(
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
If that is true, find the code that does it, isolate it and tell the world. There have been lots of people looking for it and non has found it yet.
Nazis blatantly lied to suposed allies to gain resources for war: America? No
Wrong, play again.
US has been telling Australia that it needs to produce more Uranium and the goverment is doing its best to keep a large number of Uranaium mines open even though they are an envriomental disaster. thats all for Uranium that is not needed.
See, you can buy it... $10. And then you don't even have to crack it.
r .a sp
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/preview/orde
Oh, and I meant BSA in the subject, not BSD. I think I've been doing too much flaming today...
--
SecretAsianMan (54.5% Slashdot pure)
Washington, DC: It's like Hollywood for ugly people.
All this threatening language coming from the BSA (I heard it myself on the *radio* yesterday) is a bit interesting, especially the talk of BSA "investigations" or "audits". Aren't they just another corporate (non-government, non-law-enforcement) entity? HTF can they investigate or audit companies unless the companies agree to it?
What would happen if the BSA called my company, and I told the BSA guy to leave me the fuck alone and then hung up?
--
SecretAsianMan (54.5% Slashdot pure)
Washington, DC: It's like Hollywood for ugly people.
Let me get this straight. The most amusing thing you could come up with was to call a customer service line and ask about licensing open source products? Didja ask if their refrigerator was running? Did they say yes? Didja ask 'em to go catch it?
As my older brother used to say: cute, but not funny.
Next time someone wants to call Zones, or Softchoice or hell, even the BSA, give them a real world example to start the giggling. Tell them you have 100 users and you need licenses for 100 copies of Outlook, 15 copies of Excel, 50 copies of Word, 10 copies of Access, NO copies of Publisher, and 5 copies of Powerpoint. Now...is that all Office Standard, Office Pro or Office Seriously Diluted and Preinstalled on the Dell for the Home User?
How many points per copy, per package, per user, per workstation? How much per point? Now, now! No fair using the scientific calculator.
I'd love like all hell to comply to licensing...well, maybe not "love." I'd do it without much complaint. And somewhere in my desk drawer is a proposal from a reseller to get my company up to compliance. The bottom line was $20,000. And even in all that licensing mumbo-jumbo, there still was no guarantee that I didn't have a missed workstation, or a missed application that would instantly put me out of compliance.
*shrug* I'll get in compliance, as soon as I figure out exactly what that means and how much to hit up the boss for. In the meantime, 3 letters from the BSA, each with a different "truce number," 1 dated last year, and all 3 addressed to different people at this company. Am I to believe that these are NOT mere direct mail advertisements?
Consigned to flames of woe.
HAH. Been to Milwaukee Wisconsin recently?
2 20 62101a.asp
0 06 1901a.asp
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wauk/jun01/phantom
http://www.jsonline.com/news/OzWash/jun01/dump2
Those are the small ones. They dumped like 1.3 or so MILLION gallons into lake michigan. We're so smart..lets build a 2 billion dollar holding tunnel and then just let rainwater AND sewage flow in the same system. Every time it rains the same thing happens. It failed, they won't accept it.
the last line of the licence usually says something along the lines of:
well.. we're forbidding you to do lotsa stuff, but we may not be allowed to forbid it in countries other than the US. most people do not live in the US, but what rights they have that contradict the licence is not made clear.
//rdj
No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness.
--Sheikh Abd-Al-Kadir, 1587
> I'm sure that the majority of multiple-PC families have been buying a single copy of each
> version of Windows and installing it on all their PCs.
Not to support MSFT, but this just isn't true. Most people buy home machines with Windows already installed, and pay for it with the Microsoft tax buried in the price of the machine.
This is one of his central arguments, and it doesn't make sense.
All opinions expressed herein are not my own; I haven't had free will since last year when aliens ate my brain.
of winxp don't require the activation. they show up as already activated (thank god, for those of us that have to work with it). now if joe techie gets his 'trial-ware' from work as most joe techies do, then it's the same old story. but all it really does is stop a few home users from handing out his cd, that he most likely paid for to begin with, to his buddies. Bill's gonna have to build another silo for all that extra money he's savin.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur
*click* *ch-ch* *clack-clack*
You were going to do what, son?
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
C: "Hello, Mr. Lasiewski? This is Chuck from the BSA. We're calling to inform you that we kicked your son out of the Boy Scouts because we discovered he was gay."
L: "Uh... but my son is not in Boy Scouts."
C: "Oh shit! Sorry... I mean, We're calling to inform you that we discovered that your son is using a pirated version of Windows XP..."
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
Disclamer: I use and love Linux and despise Microsoft.
Ok, say that I wanted to move my entire office of 500 desktops to something other than Windows. The typical "Office" type applications are covered, but what about the other things? DBA tools (ER-Win, DB Artisen, etc.), Programmer tools (Powerbuilder, Visual Basic, Delphi, etc.) and all the other specialized stuff that we have to use?
Sure, I can use free or open stuff (Perl, Java, C/C++, etc.) for future development but what about my current software? The stuff my company runs on is expected to last 5-7 years!
Also, what about a desktop? If we go Linux (were most app. support is) then we don't really have much of a standard desktop. I mean KDE and Gnome are good, but they are not up to the functionality of Windows. If we go some other route (BeOS, or some other X86 OS) we not only give up desktop functionality but we loose a lot of application support.
When is someone going to make a decent, simple, non resource hungry desktop for Linux?!?!?!--
Later...
KangarooBox - We make IT simple!
More great news! I heard on a hacker mailing list, that Debian's stuff isn't protected either.
I snuck into the Debian site, and I got lots of good stuff. Programming tools, games, an OS that works, a couple of desktop environments, networking tools, server apps, ... gigabytes of cool stuff. Way more complete than that Microsoft ISO image.
Ignore the XP crap, and grab the good stuff before someone notices.
OSDN uses Windows 2000 as its web server.
Shouldn't they check the license compliance on that?
--
What happens when you outlaw guns
I used wget. It works fine. :)
Of course you'll still need a CD key to initially install... then you'll need to activate...
------------------------------------
"but he never calls anymore. :-("
Spoon not. Fork, or fork not. There is no spoon.
Here is the secret link to download from to bypass the need for a download manager:
s o
http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro~1.i
I think it would be great if /. created a Microsoft section. Just like the sections for books and bsd, everyone who seems to thrive on the latest news about MS could get their fix, while the rest of us who are freaking sick of hearing about how Joe Blow thinks his new copy of XP sold his birthright to his brother for the rights to a wma file can enjoy a less MS-centric news hour.
I can barely get it up on 128 Megs of ram and still be productive. Talk about inflated.
I recently installed it on a Pentium 133 with 48MB of ram (even though that's well below MS's specs). Runs far better than 98 ever did...pretty snappy little machine now. Of course I keep the services down to a bare minimum, proving that the core OS isn't half as inflated as IIS, SQL, Exchange, MTS, etc.
Redhat costs $2.99 on cheapbytes for the 2 cd version.
If you get the CDR version, which comes out before the pressed version, you have to pay $4.99, for the extra cost of medium and labor.
Why lie? Trying to make MS look better. fool.
but this command is far simpler to comprehend.
- wget -U "Download Manager" http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro_rc1
. iso
(wget --help. your best friend)....anyone else noticed what webserver jobs.osdn.com is running? .ASP.
I'll give you a hint: last I checked, PHP and Perl don't have filenames with an extension of
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?
Easy does it!
This comment has been submitted already, 276865 hours , 59 minutes ago. No need to try again.
http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph/?mode_u=off&mo de_w=on&site=jobs.osdn.com&submit=Examine
Note that there's a salient difference between www.osdn.com and jobs.osdn.com, which is why I didn't refer to the former.
Also, I'm still wondering why my karma's fluctuated from 16 back down to 10 without any moderation of my posts one way or another? Not being paranoid, just pointing out it's a wee bit shady.
Easy does it!
This comment has been submitted already, 276865 hours , 59 minutes ago. No need to try again.
Don't kid yourself; IBM is embracing open source only to the extent that it can give them an advantage over MS in the marketplace. Not that I think that's bad; but let's be clear about their motives.
Yes, IBM is what we call a "corporation." they do what they do for a thing called "profit."
But seriously, you've brought up a good point: IBM is embracing open-source because it is the best solution to their problems. But while it may be just another piece of the puzzle, they absolutely can't afford to lose control of the operating system (they've been burned by this in the past). Linux works perfectly in this regard. I think it's fantastic that we have industry heavyweights like IBM behind Linux, but the open-source community has to be ok with the fact that IBM supports us not because they intimately care about Linux, or that they're moved by the social ramifications, but rather that Linux help IBM provide a great solution for their customers. This means that we have to accept the fact that IBM will dump Linux in a second if something better comes along.
Of course as long as Linux is a viable and useful operating system that isn't controlled by any one vendor then we have nothing to worry about ;). We might as well get as much use out of our newfound friend as possible, especially if they're helping to diffuse the FUD spread by Microsoft ;).
- j
Once they have an excuse to kick the doors down, they will always find something. Could just be that copy of Word on the long-unused Windows 3.1 partition of the secretary's machine, but by God they'll find something. And when they do, you'll pay them. Generally in the fashon of having $50 worth of nickles pulled out of your ass.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
*sigh*
there really needs to be a "-1 Not Funny" mod choice
*rolls eyes*
I think you went too far for it.. try:
"NEW! Windows XP! And the XP stands for Xtra Pain!"
I want to know what gives the BSA the right to audit any company. What happens if a company refuses to co-operate?
"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." Bill Gates Yeah Right!
Suppose I tell him no, you can't enter, and call the police to have him arrested for trespassing. What's he going to do, get a search warrant? On what grounds? These are the questions I'd like to see answered.
I use 1.5.3. The -U option is not available with that one.
Looking for a great online backup: Green Backup
wget --dot-style=mega --header="User-Agent:Download Manager" http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro_rc1. iso
H.
Looking for a great online backup: Green Backup
Most people don't think of their PC operating system as a 'service', any more than they think of a book that way. Your average person doesn't see anything wrong with updating his 2-3 home computers with the same upgrade, just as there's nothing wrong with buying one copy of a novel and sharing it among his family members.
From the article: But many industry observers fear that .Net is a way of turning the open standards-based Internet into yet another Microsoft proprietary format.
.Net in their attempt at doing so.
Of course it is. Microsoft has said, at least internally, for years that the only way to win the war against Linux was to make the standard protocols of the internet proprietary. I believe
You're wrong in the sense that Microsoft goes out of their way to insure businesses don't have single copies running on more than one PC-- they have seminars, educational flyers, etc, etc. But for consumers, eg: home users, they don't really do anything to educate them that they're only supposed to use one copy of their operating system per PC.
I don't really see your point. The educate businesses because of the amount of money they could lose to companies. The educate users through the EULA. Now they are actually doing something to back up the EULA. So I still don't see why I'm wrong.
Does it really violate the law though? If you don't register, or re-register, they aren't really disabling the computer, they are disabling the operating system, which in turns disables the computer. I can see where it would be really annoying to have to re-register if you modified your hardware configuration, but I don't see where it would be illegal. I'm not sure of the exact details of what kind of information they are collecting, but it doesn't look like they would be violating privacy laws. If people have other options, alternative OSes or even not upgrading, I don't see a legal problem either. They are buying into the license. The last Microsoft product I bought was Windows 2000, and I think the seal on the CD says not to open the package unless you agree to the terms. It seems that they give you the option to opt out before you commit to not being able to return the software (assuming stores let you make returns with the package open, but the CD seal in tact).
Actually, anyone under the age of 18 is considered an infant in the eyes of the court and the contract is therefore not legally binding. Have your kids install it.
First, the company has never really educated home users about the one-PC policy for Windows. Sure, it's in the fine print, but few people read that. Microsoft has extensive programs to educate corporations about the policy, but in 10 years of reviewing Windows, I can't remember a single major Microsoft consumer ad campaign devoted to the topic. As I write this, I'm holding in my hand a colorful cardboard sleeve containing a copy of Windows 98. Nowhere does it say "for use only on a single PC." Even now, Microsoft isn't preparing the public for the coming crackdown.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't putting something in the fine print, education enough? When the user hits "I Agree" or "I Accept" or whatever it is, aren't they legally agreeing to whatever is in the fine print that they just agreed to, whether they actually read it or not? Why is it Microsoft's fault that the users don't read the fine print? Why do they have to prepare anyone for the crackdown? It's in the license, it's always been in the license. They are finally doing something about it and now people are upset? That doesn't make sense. If you are going to violate licenses, at least accept the fact that one day you will either be caught or that you will eventually have to comply with the license.
Even the US authorities have the obligation for cooperation with European law, you probably don't believe this, but I know indside information which says that PayPal is tresspassing bank laws in my country - if they don't fix that within a limited amount of time, they will be prosecuted in the US for doing illegal things in my country. Non-US-laws can kill PayPal, and I know you think PayPal is safe in the US - forget it - that's what I thought too. What EU can do against PayPal - they can do that to Microsoft too.
European companies held down by socialist governments can't compete on a level playing field with US companies
This is utter bullshit. The reason why US companies can play on a big level is because US laws, economy and US area spans more than 260 million people. The USA has more than 260 million citizens who live under the same law, who use the same currency, who watch the same marketing campaigns on TV. Why the fuck do you think everybody wants to get into China? It is because a lot of people live their under the same conditions. That's what the whole EU is about. Every time a company introduces a new product, the legal stuff is tailor made for each country, legal standards in a wide area are cheaper.
In the current political climate you see that the US is losing friends, not only adolescants as yourself shouldpad yourself for the US being such a great country with your American dream. But what you forget that in the US, millions of people die from hunger, so you're not that rich after all. What you also forget is that the US is economically very dependent of its friends - the same friends the US is losing right now.
--
Bizar technology?
You can also download Microsoft source code here. BTW the parent of this post should modded as funny, not as informative.
Boy Scouts of America? Geez...Microsoft is more sinister than I thought....
Got Rhinos?
I wish I had some mod points for this.
Good stuff!
The Linux flavor of your choice running WINE?
Just a thought...
And it wont affect computer savvy people, who will just find out the code needed for unlimited installs. So basically, it will only affect stupid people. Wasnt this a dilbert?
You're a Genius. Thats my plan too, except I drink Hacker-Pschorr, because of the hacker in me.
"To stay angry at Microsoft, here's your daily dose of truth."
;)
Go on. Show me how I'm wrong.
History:
Win3.1 dead by shortly after the introduction of 95, forgoten with sneers after the introduction of 98.
Win95 dead shortly after the intorduction of 98. forgoten after introduction of win2k.
Prediction:
Win98 dead already, forgoten after introduction of XP.
WinXP dead on demand, forget it now. If it's anything like SMS, the dinky MS desktop manager I have to use at work, it's going to suck very often every day in the end.
The upgrade train rolls on, so long as people are afraid to put anything but that familiar MS junk on their machine. And why is it familiar? Because it's the same garbage they released in 1993 with a few changes to break other people's code!
Friends don't help friends put MS on their machines.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
And I need to view this Microsoft PowerPoint presentation...
There's probably a powerpoint viewer downloadable from microsoft's web site. I got the 98 version a couple of months ago. Maybe that'll work for you and other out there.
To-do List: Receive telemarketing call during a tornado warning. Check.
"the enemy of my enemy is my friend"
One O/S to find them.
One O/S to bring them all...
and in the darkness bind them.
In the land of Redmond where the shadows lie.
P.S. Maybe it's time to change the BillBorg icon to SauronSteve...
You're using her as bait, Master!
I know my desktop box would cause problems... I wanted Win '98, but it came from the OEM with NT on it...
--Fesh
--Fesh
Kill -9 'em all, let root@localhost sort 'em out.
Linux doesn't suck. I am so sick that it hurts from constantly hearing about how Linux isn't ready for the desktop. The majority of Linux desktops aren't very mature, but I don't hear you bitching about the fact that Windows (XP,2000,ME,98,98SE,95) is great at 1 thing only (segmentation faults) and basically OK at all the others (Ease of use, etc, etc). I for one am happy that when my GUI crashes (almost never regardless if I am using KDE or Gnome or Enlightenment that day) it doesn't take down my DNS, my web server, or anything else important for that matter. It's just a matter of a CTRL-ALT-BKSP and a startx at the bash prompt. Plus now that Tribes2 is out for Linux, I really think we have a killer app on out hands :)
Not true if you change hardware that much. You have 14 days to activate XP. So change more than 3 parts of hardware a bit more than twice a month and you are set.
Why do you need to talk to Balmer, Allchin, Mundie, etc? You're just activating the damn OS for crying out loud! They might by crazy, maybe dead wrong, but they don't want to ship crap and they'll tell you that.
Also as far as copyright issue with the leaked code, would MS have any protection in this case or is it required that there be minimal protection of the IP before any of the laws apply?
"You can now flame me, I am full of love,"
This whole registration thing is really going to piss off the public. So if Red Hat and other Linux distros can put together a very smooth graphical installer and improve the ease of package installations then Linux might have a chance at taking a bite out of Microsoft's desktop market share.
-Will someone please help me off of my soapbox?
"A plan fiendishly clever in its intricacies"- Homer Simpson
Actually I saw windows being installed with both IDE and a SCSI Raid array two weeks ago and it went pretty smooth. I am surprised that 2000 would mishandle CD-ROMS
This Wiki Feeds You TV and Anime - vidwiki.org
Mandrake's installer definitly kicks ass, and red hat's works really well too, but Mandrake 8's installer, painless and pleasant as it may be, crashes on me all the time. I have it going behind me right now for the third time, and I think this time it will take. Anyway, linux is really kick ass to install and use now thanks to the afformentioned, and all the great stuff KDE is doing. It just needs more software vendor support for people to start switching over I think.
This Wiki Feeds You TV and Anime - vidwiki.org
RedHat costs about 3 hours of downloading if you have good bandwidth
Red Hat Linux 7.1 is on 4 CDs. That's 2.6 GB. Divide by 3 hours and get 0.25 megabyte/s. That's faster than even T1, which runs at about the speed of a 1X CD-ROM. Who has the money for that kind of bandwidth in a private residence? And who has the money to move house to an area with broadband whose hardware, software, and TOS are compatible with your Free OS of choice?
Will I retire or break 10K?
Yes, the registration process sucks, but as I learned this morning, not every member of Microsoft is an asshole (at least the guy I spoke to). I didn't have to "pay" for an extra license (to test their beta, I know, but it's a pretty good OS. Hasn't crashed on my yet)
Gee, it hasn't crashed since this morning? Wow, I'm impressed, that really is the sign of a "pretty good OS". Sign me up for two copies of MoreTroubleThanIt'sWorthXP!
My other
For all you KDE users, you can use the User Agent tool in Konquerer to get it...that worked fine for me!
Unstable Apps: Our Android Apps Don't Suck
Binary code
Gee, if this DB doesn't contain any personal info, why bother encrypting it? No-one should be able to mis-use it, right?
They would need to get a court order to do the audit. Unless your silly government gave them extra powers.
How many people love playing with new hardware and consistently swap bits between their various machines. I think we will need to call them up at least 5 times a month - depending on how may toys we buy.
If that doesn't waist their time enough, we should take them to small claims if their hold times become too long at a peak time.
We could all arrange a time to do some group upgrades and all call in for the new install number. That would be fun.
-Elendale
IANAT (I Am Not A Troll)
The Guerrilla News Network has a story up about how far Corporate America is willing to go to buy "justice", and how willing the courts are to sell it to them, even at the expense of their own credibility.
The question is, though. Exactly how can we impose accountability on federal judges who are appointed for life, and who have the power to control access to their own courtrooms, the very place where final arbitration of the law must inevitably occur?
What influence can the European Union have on an american company like microsoft?
Sure, Microsoft sells billions of dollars of software in Europe each year, but I hardly see what kind of "punishment" the EU could inflict to Microsoft.
-Ban their Microsoft products? Then it would pose some serious problems to european businesses and their competitivness.
-Impose an extra tax on Microsoft Products? As Microsoft is a monopoly, I guess people will still buy their products even if it's more expensive.
I really have no clue on how the EU could force Microsoft to do something against its will.
!
^_^
The BSA could be a double edged sword - used as a tool to inspire companies to move to open source software. ;)
:)
For example, I'm sure there's been a medium to large size company in your past that was not interested in adopting 'free software', but was more than willing to turn a blind eye to the occasional licensing over step with windows/office...
One of two things will happen: 1) they end up spending a lot of money paying fines and buying licenses, or 2) they pay their fines and start looking for free software alternatives...
Either way - it could be entertaining.
BlackNova Traders
US Marshalls would be the ones to come because it is what the job consists of. Making sure orders of Federal Judges are followed is what they do. The Marshall himself has no interest in the case. The judges are the ones who can allow Federal, State or Local employees into your company. I own a small printshop in the mid-atlantic area. I do own all of my software. I would not without a court order allow anyone into my computers. EVEN FOR JUST A GLANCE. At the same time the judge can order this and I will follow ANY court order. That is why the GPL and changing our current system is so important. Our laws on copyright and patent are outdated and unable to deal with information in the age we live in. I do not even pretend to know the answers, I just know that GPL and reform seem to make me feel a whole lot better.
- Thanks to IBM we're aware that IT world has changed with the Internet
- How can he say that proprietary model is not viable anymore now while at least a huge company in Redmond seems in pretty good health?
- Nothing prevents Microsoft to try to connect to things using
.Net. I actually though that was all the whole stuff was about.
The only valid point is the single platform restriction. Still, I do not think is enough to make their business model un-viable, installed based is way big enough for them to continue making a lot of money.Does anybody think Microsoft is loosing money with MS Office?
...is my friend.
Besides, ever since that idiot who came up with the AS/400 and the PS/2 left IBM, their Research Division has gotten back into business, and has graced the world with some really cool inventions. What has Microsoft done for us lately?
A lot of the defendants of Microsoft explain that without Windows' dominance, it never would have become profitable for companies to spend millions on software development -- basically, we wouldn't be where we are now. That's fine, but what has Microsoft done for us -lately?- With the rise of the Web and Java, we don't need a single company to dominate the OS market any more to have progress -- in fact, such a thing is a major hindrance to progress.
IBM, on the other hand, has -lately- been a big friend to the open-source movement and technology development.
I like what IBM has done for me lately. And I hope they kick Microsoft's asses.
> I suggest asking the store where you purchase it
:-)
> to examine a copy of the license before you
> buy.
Ummm, good luck!
I was considering buying academic copies of Windows '98 & Office but knew the license restricted use in a "commercial" situation. Although I would be using it most of the time for personal use I wanted to know if the occasional freelance work I did was okay.
I asked at the campus shop, looked at the Microsoft website (which only listed eligibility criteria) and wrote to the New Zealand MS office and nobody could/would show me a copy of the license. MS pretty much said "Buy it. Then you'll know what the license says."
Actually MS finally said buy the non-academic copy and then you know you'll be okay. Okay...
So I bought a non-academic copy of Windows '98 and borrowed a CD of StarOffice--that's what they wanted me to do wasn't it?
All this makes me wonder what the legal status is if you buy an academic copy, graduate and start a business using that copy...
n/t
hehe, someone modded this informative, when it should be fun :-)
Is it a good idea to download this (even though it's possible and rather easy). Since Conxion is in bed with MS, is it out of the question that they are tracking IP addresses so they have a little bit of evidence of people stealing their code. And- oh my god!- the people stealing the code are all open source supporters! "This is the kind of people who are supporting open source! Criminals!" Seeing as Microsoft is embroiled in all kinds of court cases right now, you all might be playing right into their hands, and don't be too surprised (or mad) if you receive a call from the US Court of something or other because you and a few hundred other individuals are Exhibit J (or something).
Lack of eloquence does not denote lack of intelligence, though they often coincide.
Let's just hope history doesn't repeat itself here.
Monkey sense
The answer would be that there is an attempt at protection (DMCA anyone?), namely the User-Agent thing. It's as effective as DeCSS and Microsoft's previous attempt to make you accept a license before seeing the Kerberos extensions.
Monkey sense
The Mongrel Dogs Who Teach
You forgetting somthing, cell phones, internet, cable TV etc were NEVER one off payment or free things, if it had been rent from the start people would be swallowing this shit, but coz they never have had to before, and there are alternatives there is gonna be one big stink(TM) Other factor is all those SERVICES you listed cost the company money to keep providing, whereas once u have software, is costs the company nothing to have you running that software (directly). The other fact is that software in its currant form is a PRODUCT, not a SERVICE, microsoft want it to be a service so they make more money, while there are viable alternatives i think they are in danger of shooting themsleves in the foot with a shotgun. (please!!!)
Smooth installations? Check out the latest Mandrake or RedHat installations. Very simple. Very user-friendly. Plus they're customizable.
Package management? Check out Ximian's latest manager, Red-Carpet. Makes life 80% earier!
Now, before I possibly get flamed, these comments aren't just my opinion: they're also the opinions of a few of my co-workers. These co-workers were linux-bashers, until I "showed" them how to install RedHat 7.1 (red: Handed them the CD, and watched them boot said CD), then updated to the current Ximian GNOME.
Now, one of them is switching (almost) their entire home network over to Linux (except for one computer for games), and the other is asking our Technical Strategist and MIS why we don't use Linux more (both the TC and the MIS still firmly believe that Linux takes a week to install, and another week to setup, and is still lacking good server apps, like web servers, mail servers, etc...)!
I have 98se on a box at home ... it does all my MS stuff fine... Upgrade? never.
;-)
... sure I have to reload the whole thing every 6 months... that's the "price" I pay
-- www.globaltics.net
Political discussion for a new world
I run 3 machines here at home all of which are currently using Win98/2000. They are family machines and it's just easier than having to teach little bro and mom how to use linux. Sounds to me like these machines are going to be staying with Win98/2000 for a while if this XP registration BS keeps up! There's no way that I'm going to shell out $300 for 3 copies of XP just because some moron at Micro$soft has a pinecone stuck up his ass *cough* Gates! *cough*... This is REALLY out of hand. You'd think that they'd at least allow a small liscence of up to 5 computers or something. What's even worse is that once I'm at college with all the hardware swapping/testing and misc. other stuff that goes on I'm regularly formatting my Win98 partition and reinstalling. So of course there is nothing more that I'd like to be doing than having my weekly phonecall to the dumbass M$ tech support people trying to explain to them how I formatted my drive 'again' and need a registratoin code because their software is a piece of crap. I had second thoughts about XP when I found out that they were dropping support for 3dfx cards, of which I have 2 (not M$'s fault I know... Blame nVidia for that one!). But with this news I really doubt that an upgrade to XP is going to happen anytime soon! looks like 98 and 2000 are going to have to hold their own for a while.... "What's the difference between a catfish and a micro$oft lawyer?" "One's a scum sucking bottom dweller, the other's a fish" :-)
I'm not sure how this works. What was the $10 for? Did you pay $10 and they sent you a copy of the XP beta cd? Because when you pay like $2.99 for a linux distro, you're just paying for the labor and the cd. If you're going to download an iso, thats free.
Yeah, and I just love sifting through warez sites and pr0n popups to get my OS working.
Do you remember when Windows ME came out? Wow, crowds of people went out to go upgrade. Do you think any of them knew the difference between ME and 98? NOPE. Basically, it exists, so everyone goes to buy it. Even though it is essentially a re-release of 98 with some extra multimedia stuff that I garrantee none of them will ever use, or even know about. They only notice the ME splash screen when they boot up the computer, and that makes it all worth it. Then they go brag to their their other computer illiterate friends, "Yup, I now have Windows ME! Millenium Edition! What do you have? 98?! PFFT!"
Now just think. The GUI is different! XP! There will be a huge rush to the stores when this comes out. The future of computing! Everyone will be so amazed. Many won't even know it looks different, but buy it anyway. Close to none will know the troubles of registering, and re-registering. They'll find out when they get home and open the box. And since then, every new computer you see advertised will be bundled with Windows XP. The simple truth is, it will sell millions of copies no matter what they did to it.
Hmm.. and the X-box. I'd like to say people would be smart enough to say "Hey, if I spent that much money on a geforce 3, I'd have a better computer than that!" But sadly, nope, its been hyped up for years. I was hearing about how great it was going to be before they even thought up what hardware it would run on. There are millions of people waiting for its release.
I'd really love to agree with you. I'd like to tell you that everybody knows Microsoft is a big pushy monopolist, and arent going going to put up with it anymore. But the truth is, as sad is it may be, people actually respect Microsoft.
Hehe, Don't kid yourself. For most users, they won't know enough to notice any difference from 9x. "Hmm.. that start bar is a different color."
Many of us made the NT jump years ago, and it's not a big deal, but if you are one of the teaming masses that has been suffering with Win 9x for years because you're too cheap or too ignorant to buy NT, having an affordably priced version will be nice.
Well, personally, I suffered with Windows 95 for a few years before switching to linux. To some of us, an affordably priced version of NT might be nice. But I have spoken to intellegent people who have been stuck with Win 9x for years. They tell me they can't stand xp, and that it's too bloated with cartoon characters telling you about their new features. They reinstalled Win 98. For serveral reasons, XP is not just an affordably priced version of NT. It takes a rather huge step towards locking users into Microsoft software that NT doesn't.
But anyway, 'affordable'? Am I the only one that finds it incredibly strange that Microsoft wont even release a price estimate for XP yet? Its even more strange that you'd call it affordable. I think the only thing about price I've read is, "It is expected to be priced at around $300."
I'll always wonder how Gates could hate the 286 so much but still allow OS/2 to be written in Intel 286 Assembler when he knew for a fact C would be better
The 286 target of OS/2 was purely an IBM requirement (they had promised a fancypants OS for the AT computer). Microsoft did figure out how it to do it, but they were acting pretty much as a outsource shop for IBM.
When I hear the word 'innovation', I reach for my pistol.
The original planned ship date of OS/2 was something like 1985, only a year or so after the AT shipped. The 286 bit came directly out of the requirement that it would run on a AT (and it did).
Obviously the marketing when it was launched was tied to that of the PS/2, and there was "OS/2 Extended Edition" that only ran on PS/2s. It probably did play a big factor into IBM stupidly delaying i386 machines.
When I hear the word 'innovation', I reach for my pistol.
To reply to myself with a sidenote to the root poster.
A year or so ago I was digging through a used bookstore and found "Inside OS/2" by Gordan Letwin (sp) of Microsoft. There's a fairly involved explaination on the hoops one had to jump through to implement a protected mode OS on the 80286 that was still compatible with 8086 software. My guess is that the OS kernel was written in ASM due to technical difficulties with the CPU (and speed on the aforementioned ATs). Anyway if you care about OS/2 1.x enough to still be complaining about it, it's a start.
When I hear the word 'innovation', I reach for my pistol.
"You can download the source here" ...
<joke>
Is this what Microsoft terms "shared source"?
if it is, we were wrong all along, they do like sharing the source.
</joke>
For the activation, I agree with you. For the "one copy, one computer", unfortunately not. Is that something that is automatically implied by shrinkwrap software, as you get one (set of) disks? How many packages (short of GPL and related) aren't one purchase, one copy? Hell, even the Borland Book Liscense was install anywhere, only one could be used at any given time.
But for "one computer" is it contract law or copyright law?
It's considered a normal restriction when you buy a book that you can not copy it. How is shrink-wrapped software any different?
IANAL, if what you say is true, can't any company audited by MS tell them to FOAD?
Close to what I was saying, but let me rephrase.
You get software shrinkwrapped (be it Windows or something else). Isn't using two copies at once equivalent to distributing for profit (it's a loss you didn't incur)?
IMHO, anything that restricts what you mention(transfer, lending, etc) should be an invalid license.
And this is news.
Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?
Can you imagine being in a jungle somewhere, trying to call in for an evac when your laptop suddenly declares that you need to register XP again?
That brings up an interesting question: How does Product Activiation (PA) work for laptops? I've always assumed MS could get away with PA on desktops because most home users don't change their hardware (excepting peripherals). In fact, PA could go a long way to deterring users from opening the case (No User-Serviceable Parts Inside). There's an odd remedy to the PC downturn: sales being artificially buoyed by the fact that you can't upgrade a processor/video card/hard drive without buying a new OS. Anyway... Unlike desktops, laptops change hardware configuration constantly. Do any XP beta-testers know how AP works with laptops?
I remember when IBM got nailed for antitrust. Among other things, Apple petitioned to force IBM to stop the preditory practice of giving computers to schools.
I'd rather have someone respond than be modded up.
And as a monopoly, they may wind up under regulation similar to how public utilities are regulated.
I can see this as an acceptable solution to the Microsoft problem.
Microsoft under the control of a panel of tech savvy bureaucrats (say, a panel of 25 or 30 Non-Microsoft Technology Experts) who have to approve every tweak and change in the software in advance of deployment, with public hearings and all the rest. And who could force a recall at any time.
This would be entertaining to say the least.
Check out the Vinny the Vampire comic strip
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
I received one of these "you are a criminal" letters at the ISP I work for, so I called up the BSA at (888) NO-PIRACY and had them remove us from their mailing lists. I asked where they got our name and address, and they said they purchased the list from Dun & Bradstreet. I gave DNB a ring at (800) 234-3867 and had them remove us from their lists. I asked the operator if there was a space to note the reason for the remove request and she said yes, so I made sure she noted that I had been offended by a mailing the BSA did using their lists.
Thanks to the BSA, software piracy is NOT A CIVIL violation anymore, it's a CRIMINAL one. The burdens of proof are much stricter in criminal cases. A guilty verdict must be UNANIMOUS instead of the easier "preponderence of the evidence" (i.e., over 50%) allowed in civil trials. Looks like the BSA made its job that much harder, eh?
ok, who has the URL for wxp_pro_rc1.iso?
(Or you may pick off the bill for big penalties tomorrow.) Software piracy is illegal. And the BSA is cracking down."
This is something I really dont understand. If the BSA has a reasonable suspicion that i am using unlicensed software, they can petition the local authorities or whomever to actually raid my facility and do an audit themselves. Where is it, and under what fucking authority that they repute to have that the BSA will do an audit? If the "BSA" ever sent this thing to me Id send them a letter telling them to go piss up a tree - when I see some authorized, sanctioned agency I might give it the time of day - not some corporate shill group which purports to have some kind of legitimate authority.
Who the hell do these people think they are?
Note: When I sent this letter saying to 'f-off', I would also include some ambiguous language, nothing to implicate myself, just make it clear that I am not denying having any unlicensed apps running - and invite them to come look. Let them waste some time and legal fees only to find all my GNU/Linux.
target of a BSA investigation. This is not a traffic ticket.
Your right - traffic tickets are documents created by my sanctioned authority, in my democratic community - and the BSA means nothing to me and can go to fucking hell.
Official Notice to the BSA from SubtleNuance:
Under the authority I have granted myself, I am hereby notifying your group, that you should remove all non-European-styled receptacle covers from your facility. The older and unapproved 'standard' receptacles and covers will be removed from your facility within 47.1231 hours, or I will be forced to begin an investigation. If found with unapproved receptacles in service after my official grace period I have given myself the mandate to nipple-twist and belly-slap your legal dept., every Wednesday afternoon until you are in compliance.
Consider yourself duly notified.
Not-so-humbly yours-in-self-delusion, SubtleNuance.BR>
Using Linux as an OS does not decimate any commercial viability of any software, except for two things: there are very few Linux machines out there (small market), a large segment of the current Linux market prefers Free Software-- which causes those looking at the Linux market to wonder if they will find any buyers, since people are not used to buying Linux software. But neither of these are inherent in Linux, nor are they static.
Oracle releases products for Linux now-- so that part of your original post is already shown to be bunk. And there is nothing in the GPL or the LGPL which prevents software firms from developing software for Linux and retaining control over their software. It merely prevents software that is GPL from being used in proprietary solutions.
The big software firms (other than Microsoft) are not now, nor will they ever team up in any meaningful way to support a *BSD over Linux (notwithstanding that code ported to BSD is likely to be easily ported to Linux). They, none of them, are in the Operating System business, and even if they write a killer app that is only available for their new OS, no user will ever feel inclined to switch simply to get that one app. Besides, that would be silly, to have to reinvent all the great GPL software that is currently under development, like the KDE or GNOME stuff.
If anyone is going to drive the adoption of a new OS it will be hardware vendors responding to natural shifts in the marketplace. Linux has a momentum and is being noticed by these companies, so depending on how well the inertia can maintain itself now that the tech-bubble has popped, we should know in the next year or two whether there will be a real hegemony in the OS arena, or whether the public will have to rely on the courts to keep Microsoft's antics in line.
I do not have a signature
I agree that a killer app (or more likely several of them) will cause OS migration. The problem is that no ISV is going to write or maintain a whole OS just to have a non-MS platform for their application. Even if they did settle on a *BSD for some reason, the software could be easily ported to Linux with no danger of GPL infection-- which is what I was primarily responding to.
I do not have a signature
Were no other Quickies submitted?!
sulli
RTFJ.
Pirating is illegal and the reason why ms products are so popular and how ms can get away with charging an arm and a leg is because of piracy. Bussinesses can afford to pay for it so the users who need office compadibility just pirate's instead of buying wordperfect and staroffice. Your only hurting microsofts competitors. Once they lose marketshare ms can increase the price yet again due to the herd mentality for the same products. Also the DMCA states that isp's and website owners need to censor and monitor for illegal activities. Microsoft could hurt slashdot by such actions. They already threatened them whenusiuon of Microsofts implementation of kerbos by some slashdoters.
http://saveie6.com/
Essentially it means giving away control of their software to everybody...which, as I say, is probably a good idea in a lot of instances - but from the point of view of a commercial software company, this *isn't a good thing*. Of course, the designer of the GNU GPL and founder of the project, Richard Stallman, admits that he dislikes commercial licenses and will not tolerate companies designing propreitry software.
The aim of the GPL is to ensure that users have control over the software they are using. This is an excellent thing as far as individual rights go, but it desimates commerical viability for software in 99% of cases. That is why I suspect that if something like the ISV gang-up on MS was to happen, the system that they would focus on would most likely be a *BSD variant."A few atoms won't even light a match" - Dr Jones, 1933
It's widely suspected that Microsoft uses secret API calls and undocumented functions within the operating system to gain advantages over their competitors. The WINE developers admit that they are having trouble reimplementing the Win32 API because it is so poorly documented. ISVs realize that they only have one chance at gaining ground against Microsoft products, and that's a new operating system strategy.
Unfortunately this is unlikely to be a GNU/Linux variant, due to the restrictive GNU GPL, but I wouldn't be surprised to see major ISVs (Oracle, Corel, Imprise, PCSoft etc etc etc) who have all traditionally been Windows software vendors, announcing major support for something like FreeBSD. That will be the beginning of the end for Microsoft."A few atoms won't even light a match" - Dr Jones, 1933
I say we take this topic and make a new slashbox of it! What say all of you? :)
A client of mine purchased Webtrends from Zones, and we got it in the mail. The license key in the inside of the front manual was blacked out with a marker. The key didn't work. When I called webtrends for support, they claimed it was a bad license key and wouldn't help. It was $1600.
I'm supposed to trust Zones with my licensing?
creation science book
I am bothered a lot by the de facto standard that MS Office is. Why not do something crazy, port office suites such as KOffice [not considering the technical difficulties adherent to such a port] to windblows, let it spread there, and once you got the standard right, there's no incentive for secretaries to stay on windows, linux can do it just fine. (Oh yeah, and have a client that can talk to MS Outlook too).
Maybe getting the linux tools available on windows, getting the people used to them will facilitate their moving to linux, dontcha all think?
One shall speak only if what one has to say is more beautiful than silence
Also, there's stuff in place now to disable various M$ shenanigans in older OSes. X-Setup, the open-source tweaking program for various flavors of Win, has an option to already "register" copies of Win for Windows Update use. Of course, it's at http://www.xteq.com
If using Linux is about choice, how come people complain when I choose to use Windows?
From the article:
"If you try to install the same copy of Windows on a different PC, you'll be asked to activate again -- only this time activation will fail, and you'll be advised that it's illegal to install one copy of Windows on multiple machines and told to buy another copy. The second installation of Windows will stop working."
Come on....!
Even people accepting their present subservience to Microsoft will balk at this.
This is good news everybody.
I'm developing software for Special Forces units to use in the field. Presently, it's running under Windows 2000 (their choice, not mine). Can you imagine being in a jungle somewhere, trying to call in for an evac when your laptop suddenly declares that you need to register XP again? Maybe they could get one of the business versions that doesn't require registration, but in their place, I wouldn't risk my life on it.
"If I have seen further than other men, it is by stepping on their glasses." - Michael Swaine
Really.. =) Just go look in Usenet in alt.binaries.ms-beta (I think that's the full group name, I might be missing something between binaries and ms-beta). There's no less than 5 CD keys for this release, and links to websites with HowTo's for making the CD bootable (the ISO isn't bootable, don't ask me why it's not) and how to disable the "phone home" and X day limitations.
I've found the whole situation funny and ironic, myself.. first their issue with a leaked copy of SP2 for Windows 2000, now this. (Though this really beats the SP2 leak-- SP2 was free, WinXP RC1 most definately is not free.)
All I know about Bush is I had a good job when Clinton was president.
Wow, didn't know that.. just tried it (using comment preview) and sure enough, it re-inserted the space afterwards. Bleh. Thanks for clearing up how that happened. =)
All I know about Bush is I had a good job when Clinton was president.
Weird.. I burned it to CD using Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4.xx and it auto-runs when you start inside of Windows 9x/NT/2000 but it doesn't come up as bootable after the system POSTs.
Is it possible you downloaded a different version (I suppose not since you say you're in the Preview Program) than the build 2505 RC1 that's up on this site? I know some earlier builds were bootable, so, shrug.
All I know about Bush is I had a good job when Clinton was president.
Nevermind, you're right. It is bootable.. it must have been an older release I was thinking of. Sorry for the mix-up.
All I know about Bush is I had a good job when Clinton was president.
For people who are copying/pasting this guy's URL, make note of the fact that there's an extra space in his (eg: ..._rc1. iso, note the space after the dot.. the real URL has no space). Also note that if you just try to download this file using IE or Netscape or [insert browser here] the file will fail to download because your User Agent won't be set to "Download Manager". You MUST set the User Agent correctly. 90% of people who say the link is broken or doesn't work are suffering from this problem.
All I know about Bush is I had a good job when Clinton was president.
Even now, Microsoft isn't preparing the public for the coming crackdown
of course not - that would mean that they would be educating people to the tactic - and risk having less people want to buy the software.
as long as I can run my games on ME 2K or 9X - there is no reason for me to get XP anything.
Consider these things which were, and to some degree are free, or are just another service which people are shelling out money hand-over-fist for:
TV/Cable TV $25/mo on up
Bottled water, ~$1.50 per litre
Phone/PayPhones/Cell Phones ~$35 on up
Free internet access/various ISP's who are now jacking up rates
I'd like to emphasize that there's nothing wrong with people having these conveniences and choices available, It's not hard to throw away $100/mo. now where you once had that money to put in the bank. Microsoft knows this and is trying to capitalize on people's desire to be lazy and throw money at things.
Interestingly, and not by any grand plan, I've discontinued my cell phone serivce, don't have cable, and bought a Britta filter for my kitchen faucet (otherwise my city water is horrible!) and fill water bottles/Camelback with it. Still paying for the internet thing, but will consolidate that somewhere. What do I do with the savings? Drink Paulaner Hefeweizen, of course.
-- .sig are belong to us!
All your
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Wasn't getting the source code and internal documentation an option?
IIRC, by default you only received the object libs.
--
You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you, that anyone would say that Microsoft is arrogant.
Bush's education improvements were
XP stands for "eXtra Pain".
Microsoft has always been a big pain. But, for some people, it wasn't enough. Now there's eXtra Pain for those who need extra strength suffering.
Bush's education improvements were
You have brought up a very good question. Microsoft has been found guilty, the guilty verdict still stands, it was only the remedy that was overturned.
And yet, Microsoft is acting more abusive than ever before.
One possibility is that Microsoft may have made a deal with the powerful parts of the U.S. government that are engaged in surveillance: Allow us to use Windows to spy on people, and Microsoft will be able to break the law with immunity.
Bush's education improvements were
Fact, IBM spends more on R&D then Microsoft, Intel, Sun and Apple combined.
So, i know this is troll, and i also know that calling myself a troll will get me modded as not a troll, so there. My question's simple...
Can we get the BSA to defend the GPL for us? They are, IIRC, a government sanctioned operation with some legal powers (although funded and in all reality owned by M$ and others).
Can we use the BSD to show it's true colors by demanding that they also defend the GPL, thereby pushing thier 'self destruct' button?
Just a fleeting whim...
"I've seen plays that were more exciting than this.
"I've seen plays that were more exciting than this.
Honest to god... Plays!" Homer Simpson
(wibble)
(this is not a
Funny thing though... 3/4ths of the calls I get end when I explain that no, I will NOT put a "free" copy of Office 2000 on a laptop. People come right out and DEMAND that I put a stolen copy of Office on the laptops as a condition of buying it.
The first time it happened the end of the call went something like this:
SW: You want me to buy a copy of Office 2000 and install it for you? I can do that, but I'll have to charge you for my time.
Customer: Great! So the finaly price will be, what about $600?
SW: Right, that's for the laptop, plus something for my time and whatever I have to pay for Office 2000.
Customer: No no! I'm not going to PAY for Office...
SW: Uh, mayber I'm being stupid, but I don't see how I make any money giving away software that costs as much as Office.
Customer: Yuu put a copy on every laptop you sell...
SW: Soooo, I'm supposed lose hundreds of dollars per laptop?
Customer: NO! You just buy one copy and use it on every computer you sell!.
SW: OH! So, you want me to STEAL a copy of Office for you?
Cusotmer: Well, if you want to put it that way...
SW: No, I don't do that. Do you want the laptop or not?
Customer: click
At least 3/4ths of my potential customers ask or expect me to steal Office for them. Some are even SURPRISED, that I won't do that. And no, they won't accept a copy of StarOffice as an alternative.
So, I have to say the Microsoft has something when they claim there is a lot of software theft going on. On the other hand, people would just buy it if it wasn't so DAMN expensive. On the third hand, the combination of a crack down on theft and very high prices will result in people using other product.
In a way... Microsoft's crack down on theft may go a long way to restoring the free market in Office software products.
StoneWolf
...with Win2k. I use it for my dual boot Win2k/98/Linux (suse) machine. No worries.
Ryosen
One man's "Troll, +1" is another man's "Insightful, +1".
In 1982 maybe, MS makes about a billion dollars a month and I doubt they see Mainframes as anything more then replacement targets.
Which is their other Achilles heel. They can't run on _anything_ but Intel based hardware (excluding PDAs and settops I suppose). What do you think their chances are at this point of getting their stuff to run on high-end IBM and Sun equipment? Guess why they are porting .NET to an open system? They are trying to make headway into the big-server arena but can't do it while tied to the x86 architecture. Thus, .NET is an escape valve that may still play out where their hardware aspirations have not yet (cf- problems with Unisys and the Microsoft Enterprise Server setup or whatever it was/is) and may not ever. This is a company trying to redefine itself in the midst of massive corporate and growing public hostility. Since they have never had to play nice, and may not be capable of it (organization-wide) now, it will take some skillful maneuvering to keep their $1B a month rolling in. (BTW- It's been pretty widely reported that the figures they report aren't necessarily a true reflection of reality.) Office re-sales...I mean upgrade sales, isn't saving them. The latest Netcraft report mentions that less than %25 of the Windows boxes it tallied serving pages are even W2K yet and now they want to sell everyone on XP? They _need_ to spend $1B on marketing to even have a chance. Things are far from dire for them, but the planets are reaching alignment...at least from the view in my backyard.
LEXX
"Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world." - Alan Greenspan, 1999
"Wall street Journal ran a column today about the Windows XP registration process, which is apparently news to a lot of people who don't read enough Slashdot."
I think most people will be aware of the XP registration process at the time they buy the software. For example, if you buy a computer from Gateway and you choose to have Office XP pre-installed, they warn you about the registration process. No doubt retail Windows XP boxes will clearly state the policy as well.
These days MS can't misspell a word without the press writing about it, so I suspect most people will learn about the registration process at the same time they learn about the existence of XP. After all, the Wall street Journal isn't exactly a geek publication.
Especially if I sent them one copy of the GPL for every GPL's piece of software I own, a copy of the Apache license, LGPL for every LGPL's utility and library owned. (Oh.. per copy per system)... Watch them inventory that...
LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
Unfortunately this is unlikely to be a GNU/Linux variant, due to the restrictive GNU GPL...
I get really sick of hearing this. A few people from Microsoft drop the word that the GPL is what they have a beef with, not all free software, and suddenly even self-professed free software advocates are parroting the Microsoft line.
Step back and listen to what the hell you are saying for a moment. You are saying that other independent software vendors will hopefully pick up another OS instead of Microsoft to support, so that they won't all be dependent on Microsoft. But, you say, they won't choose GNU/Linux because the GPL is too restrictive.
Hello?
Let's go by that one again. They support Microsoft now. They want to go somewhere else, but... the GPL is too restrictive? How can you say that a company that currently supports software for a licensed Microsoft operating system would have any reason to find the GPL restrictive at all? OK, so they can't include GPLed code in their products without GPLing those products... but do you think that Microsoft gives them blanket approval to just freely include Microsoft code on their products? At all? Do you think they get access to Microsoft source code for free, and with no license restriction beyond making freely available any modifications they make to that code?
Those of us who are free software advocates have got to stop bashing the GPL. It is counter productive, and it feeds right back into Microsoft. Don't use the GPL if you prefer a BSD-like license... that's fine! But you are only hurting free software by adding any sort of weight to this impression that the GPL is too restrictive for anybody to actually use.
-Rob
$md5sum wxp_pro_rc1.iso
2e506997bab724350d72edea5134e84d wxp_pro_rc1.iso
"I keep looking in the want-ads under 'revolutionary' but there don't seem to be any listings.. "
I've decided that I will begin to let my three year old install software, as a minor who can't read he can't possibly agree to or become a party to a legal contract.
...or is Microsoft being incredibly stupid? Let's see... According to this article, they've managed to piss off:
The DOJ. A thick, plodding, but huge and relentless adversary with the legal power to carve up the company like a turkey if they are ever found guilty.
The EU. I don't think that they have the legal authority over Microsoft that the US courts do, but they can effectively create a "Microsoft-Free" zone named Europe where rival tech companies can flourish.
Sun. One of the biggest server and workstation manufacturers in the world. No big loss on immediate sales (Windows on SPARC? Thank God, no!), but Sun has a lot of clout with standards committees and governments like the EU.
IBM. The 800 pound gorilla. Lord of the mainframes. One BILLION dollar investment in Linux. Army of lawyers. Need we say more?
The Wall Street Journal. This kills me. The most respected newspaper in America says not to upgrade to Windows XP. Unmitigated PR disaster.
The Open Source Movement(TM). You know, this isn't as stupid as it sounds. I still think they could make a ton of money with an MS branded Linux distro and Office for Linux. Heck, I'd buy it.
Consumers. This "registration" bulls**t is going to piss off a lot of ordinary people. It's not like they don't have alternatives, too. *Cough*Apple!*Cough* *Cough*
The truly mind-blowing thing is that Microsoft hasn't tried to mitigate any of this damage. No olive branches, no buyoffs, no positive spin, no nothing. With their blind arrogance and greed they are slowly turning the entire world against them. Good work, guys! Keep it up!
This
The BSA shows up asking for documentation:
"No we didn't register our software, we ran out of toilet paper, and used the M$ reg cards for tp.
Sorry the documentation got destroyed in the fire when we were burning our old Win95 CD's. They accidently got burned too. We have them in 'online documentation' form on out server k0rn, though you'll have to figure out which images they are as there are several gigs of images.
Feel free to take k0rn over to your office and search through it."
"Hello FBI. I think the BSA is opperating a kiddie-p0rn operation.... You might also see if they have licenses for all their software that they have in a warehouse they call 'evidence'."
Sorry, my bad. Copy and paste error somewhere...
I wondered where that one crept in...
Unless MS have patched it (and it seems not), here are the instructions:
. iso - but set the user-agent to "Download Manager" (no quotes)
1) Get a download manager (I use Mass Downloader - the important thing is that it can change the user-agent field)
2) Set it to download http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro_rc1
3) Sit back while just under 500Mb is downloaded
4) Burn and install. It's apparently valid and the proper code.
[Disclaimer: this is for educational purposes only.]
What's interesting is that their European earnings went down. I don't know if that's due to number juggling or what. The US tech spending decline was only supposed to be just hitting the EU.
Is the end-goal of this anti-piracy endeavor by Microsoft to end up making more money by getting an extra $100 from home users who don't know better? They've obviously removed the activation nag in the MOLP media for Office 2000 (although it was present in my copy that I bought off the shelf), so it's not for corporations. So, let's play "what will be the likely outcome:"
1. Consumer outrage?
2. Everybody who's anybody will pirate the activation-less MOLP media?
3. The crack for disabling the activation will be released about two weeks before Windows XP goes gold?
4. All of the above.
I will also comment that this won't have a statistically significant affect on Linux marketshare--no matter how stupid Microsoft is, Linux is going to have to stop sucking before it gets on the desktop.
As somebody else pointed out, if you use XP for your small company it seems crazy that another company can lock up your server based on a license. What if other companies followed this model? You replace a componant or two on your machine and then you need to contact multiple companies just to reboot.
No thanks. We are constantly working to ween ourselves off of the MS tit. I wonder if they are going to figure the time of a downed server into their "reduced total cost of ownership" Give me a good linux distro or *nix any day.
is here
Mommy. What's a karma whore?
Way to go, IBM.
--
KMSMA (WWBD?)
The joke back then was "PS/2: yesterday's hardware today. OS/2: yesterday's software tomorrow."
www.lucernesys.comHorizon: Calendar-based personal finance
http://www.environmentprobe.org/enviroprobe/pubs/e v633.htm
quoted from the article...
"A 1980 study of typical Ontario beaches found that 69 of every 1,000 swimmers had become ill within 10 days of swimming, compared with 29 of every 1,000 nonswimmers. Even relatively clean beaches sicken swimmers. The Natural Resources Defense Council warns that Great Lakes waters that meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards will cause eight illnesses per 1,000 swimmers."
more...
http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/local/sewa18.shtml
http://www.sierralegal.org/
and the 1.6MB PDF finale...
http://www.sierralegal.org/reports/Sewage.pdf
A: None. The Universe spins the bulb, and the Zen master merely stays out of the way.
What about all the people that Microsoft will need to hire just to answer the phones from people who've upgraded their memory/disk/NIC/whatever and need their code reauthrorized? I could imagine all of these bogus phone calls adding up.
Yeah, I'm sure MS will pass these costs on, pi$$ing off its customers both when they buy the software and when they need to upgrade their machines to run the bloated XP code, which will stop running as soon as they upgrade... hee hee...
I was just going to submit The News(tm) that Microsoft really really sucks a lot ... but if you don't want any more submitions today I will try it tommorow...
Yay! Windows works great as long as you don't install any apps! Thanks! Now I can watch my computer do absolutely nothing, 450,000,000 times a second!
Music speeds up when you yawn, but does not change pitch.
This term is in the license. When a court invalidates the license, it is wiped out. In these cases, the terms of the contract are set when the consumer buys (not licenses - BUYS) the software. The license is legally viewed in these instances as an illegal attempt to introduce terms into a contract (the sale) that already exists and is set. Result: the consumer owns the software and can install it on as many machines as s/he likes and do with it what they will.
I agree that companies can legally do this. However, the manner in which it is done can have serious legal consequences. With consumer sales, in my humble legal opinion, a shrinkwrap license just doesn't rise to the level of clearly and conspicuously disclosing the terms as the law requires in many, if not most, jurisdictions.
Laws affecting technology will always be bad until enough techies become lawyers.
As for "72 hour grace period" the only things I am aware of that this rule applies to are contracts made in your home and home improvement contracts. There are probably other specialized cases as well, but not software as far as I know.
Laws affecting technology will always be bad until enough techies become lawyers.
However, as for the legal authority, I cite most states' common law of contracts. If you would like a reference for the proposition that a contract cannot be unilaterally changed by one party, look to Williston or Corbin on Contracts or the Restatement of Contracts.
Laws affecting technology will always be bad until enough techies become lawyers.
It seems to me that unless these terms are clearly and conspicuously disclosed BEFORE the sale, it is a breach of contract and an invasion of privacy to which the consumer did not consent.
Laws affecting technology will always be bad until enough techies become lawyers.
You are NEVER secure OR stable. Why are we up to 2.4.6? Why did 2.4.0 socket open/c lose/read/kernalpanic? Was that because it was "ready"? Why were there 7 count them SEVEN security exploits found in various linux packages last week? The same week that ZDNet ran an article saying "Kudos to open source" Kudos for what? Being the buggiest most insecure software that week? Why have there been BIND exploints in existance for YEARS if O.S. is so much more stable and secure? Try keeping up with Security Portal if you dare. You'll have to read about weekly exploits and bugs in Linux. (And Windows and Solaris and Cicso's NOS). You're spouting PURE unadulterated FUD there mister. Hey! Welcome to the /. community! :)
Contrary to popular belief, coding is not all free blow-jobs and beer. Those things cost MONEY!
Rememgber, the registration policy will primarily affect only home consumers. If you work at a business, then alternative versions of XP can be bought (at volume pricing) which bypass the need for this sort of activation. That's the long and short of it, M$ is out to screw the consumer.. not the big business that feeds it.
<flamebait>
30 days is a long time. I've rarely gone for 30 days without having Windows crash so bad that I needed a full reinstall anyway. How is this going to help them?
</flaimbait>
Free unix account: freeshell.org
As if this is the first time Microsoft has every blatantly ripped off an idea off of Appl... er... everybody else...
Karma: Non-Heinous
its good to see IBM standing up for something that it seems to believe in: open source. It makes me proud to be an employee.
On the contrary; the irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife. If slashdot had been around 20 years ago the object of its obsessions would have certainly been IBM. Not so long ago IBM's questionable trade practices in the mainframe industry was the subject of a Slashdot post. Yet here is IBM, complaining that a company that their market dominance helped build has turned into a monster, and is acting arrogantly.
Don't kid yourself; IBM is embracing open source only to the extent that it can give them an advantage over MS in the marketplace. Not that I think that's bad; but let's be clear about their motives.
Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
to the fatherland. It's not too late to learn German is it? I could give up my programming job and go work at the Lego factory! Maybe then I wouldn't have to worry about Microsoft anymore. And hey I could go be on Sprockets! Then I could run across the boarder to France and rub it in their noses how the US pulled their butts out of two world wars!
Now is the time on Sprockets when we dance!
<Castaway>
The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself.
</Castaway>
I don't work for MS but I find myself working with them a few times a year and I haven't met an asshole yet. The people who write the code seem like just regular folks that care about what they do. I've had to never deal with marketing though.
Linux Hackers Steal MS Software
Last week, the "free software" community showed its true colors by "liberating" thousands of illegal copies of Microsoft's new OS, Windows XP.
Techniques for breaking MS theft-prevention were discussed openly on popular Linux forum slashdot.org. This was not only tolerated, but appears to have been encouraged by the managers of the site, who made the piracy articles more visible through a process known as "moderation."
In a press conference, Bill Gates had this to say: "Not only does it reveal that what they are really after is to get things without paying for them, but that they'll take Windows over Linux, when they have the chance."
Both criminal prosecution and civil legal action are being prepared, aided by new security features in Windows XP itself and the Microsoft servers used to distribute it.
More information can be found on Microsoft's new page, Slashdot.Arrr! Pirate Central which sports a black flag with a skull over the slashdot.org logo, which resembles cross-bones, and explains how this will increase computer prices and hurt the average consumer.
--
This plus the silly idea they have, that legions of gamers are going to jump to their overpriced, uncreative X-box.
No reason to go to XP, except for a more stable OS. So, I won't go the the next Windows until 64 bit becomes the standard for PCs, and they come up with their Windows XX64. (Maybe by then Linux will be ready for the masses or MACs Unix will prove to be a better solution. They may even decide to make their OS run on Intel/AMD Boxes!)
wget --user-aget="Download Manager" http://svmsftwxp.conxion.com/download/wxp_pro_rc1. iso
Through the mud and the blood into the green field beyond...
IBM did indeed start microsoft, however it was Microsoft and Intel that truly had pc market dominance. IBM let the pc go... through some good and bad decisions. Yes they were the dominant force, but that lasted maybe what 5 years... before Microsoft and Intel became big enough to stop following the IBM standard and create their own. As for IBM and open source... IBM seems to sincerly support open source and not as a market domination type thing (although never underestimate IBM's dislike of Bill and friends). For better reading... see if you can pick up a copy of Computer Wars: How the west can win in a post-ibm world by Charles Morris and Charles Ferguson... it was written in '93 so its kind of old... but its got alot of good history of what went down between IBM and Microsoft.
can't sleep slashdot will eat me
First a little (brief history): IBM creates PC, needs OS decides to buy one goes with small company called Microsoft which it lets retain the rights to the OS. Microsoft goes out and buys OS off of seattle software company and sells DOS to IBM (and later Compaq and the rest of the clones), then fucks up a joint venuture with IBM to create 0S/2 (I'll always wonder how Gates could hate the 286 so much but still allow OS/2 to be written in Intel 286 Assembler when he knew for a fact C would be better). IBM gets fucked over by stupid management decisions and a very eager Microsoft that realizes that the key to the pc isn't so much hardware but software. So after 20 years of being smacked around by Microsoft's thugish tactics... its good to see IBM standing up for something that it seems to believe in: open source. It makes me proud to be an employee.
can't sleep slashdot will eat me
I have no problem with Microsoft, infact they're a smart business... but their latest decision is very very very dangerous. The PC was so popular because it was open, because you could add hardware... run whatever you wanted, and had an incredible wealth of software. This is part of the reason Apple wasn't so successful... people don't want closed systems with little software. And the feeling in my gut is that Microsoft is trying to reverse the decision that the ibm developers at Boca Raton originally released the PC under. Of course Microsoft exploited IBM in the beginning, but setting a standard which they did with DOS/Windows isn't such a bad thing. Now though, by telling people what they can and can not do with their hardware, and also what they can and cannot do with their software (how long until Microsoft kills Sun, AOL, etc software compatiblity) they are overstepping their bounds. For the love of freedom of choice, I hope they fail... otherwise, if you think Microsoft is "evil" now, give them a few years. *sigh*
can't sleep slashdot will eat me
fully functional and secure network in 30 minutes ;)
Functional??? Secure????
You're a damn idiot. Let me tell you a little something about how "secure" winbloze 2k is!
A good friend of mine who is taking summer classes at college (with a fat T1 pipe of course)had win2000 installed with IIS running and he was cracked through the hole that everyone knows about: the buffer overflow to get "root" access (of course there is no root in M$ really). I'm not familiar enough with what the patch is called that was released for it; but Jon said that he had service pack 2 on it, so he thought he was "secure" (like you dumb shit). Apparently the cracker was able to run an invisible FTP daemon on his machine and loaded down the schools network severely. The school found out and now Jon's in all sorts of trouble. Needless to say, Jon doesn't run win2000 anymore
He took the SuSE 7.1 disks that I gave him and under the GPL, he now has a STABLE and SECURE
secure and microsoft should NEVER be used in the same sentence together
In the future, everything will be instant, but the DMV will still take like 9 seconds
That when any PCMCIA card is removed the machine in the eyes of Office XP become "Different" and requires another registraition. You only get two before you have to beg.
I have been a Windows user for a long time. after dealing with my copy of O2K for a year I decided that I would try OpenOffice, and fell in love. Frankly, the main reason I shy away from Linux is none of the games I play on Windows work in Linux. I am aware of Loki Games, but have never got them to run with the same performance as Windows. Now I think that with M$ latest adventure, they're stepping on toes, and this is the chance. Linux can very easily take the market in the next year if the right moves are made. My question to the /.'ers is, what are those moves???
Its not paranoia when they are watching you...
sorry but I have to do this
...maybe magazines , movies .. I just don't think 128 megs of ram is gonna do it for you :-)
"I can barely get it up on 128 Megs of ram and still be productive."
Hmmm me thinks maybe you should try alternate methods
Boycott Microsoft.
Anybody who is that big of a monopoly and is capable of destroying freedom of privacy should be seperated. Plain and Simple. No matter how much you love or hate Microsoft, this is unacceptable and I would go so far to say it is an act of tyranny. We must not allow this to happen or, if it does happen, overcome this.
----
Just because a bunch of people believe or do something stupid, doesn't make it any less stupid.
You can get it up on 48 mb of ram but can you still be productive and still do all the things that need to be done like MS-Word, apache, a little ftp server, etc. I've managed to get it down to 30 MB, removing all the services I don't really need but that's still a lot of memory(not really since pricewatch has generic 128 mb of memory(SDRAM 133) at $10 plus $11+ shipping.
----
Just because a bunch of people believe or do something stupid, doesn't make it any less stupid.
It should probably timeout. Got a firewall running on the router as well.
Clever. Except that I installed the second on my laptop *this morning* and I've been running XP as a beta tester on my main machine for *months*. I'm not a Microsoft fan, but hey: the insults at least have to be comprehendible.
I actually thought they'd charge for the extra license. They could have made an extra 10 bucks off me.
I turned off the firewall on the router. I'm now only running the firewall built into XP. I hope to post the logs soon. :)
But I'm not too worried because:
a) By that time I will have either moved on to Windows XP or back down to Windows 2000. My Linux side of the box is still quite functional.
b) I normally upgrade my distro relatively frequently on the Linux side, and 6 months just about covers it. It's like purchasing a beta of RedHat or something.
Me - "Hi, I downloaded the Windows XP beta, but I installed it on another machine. I didn't realize you could only install it on one. Can I pay for a second CD key?"
Operator - "You installed it on more than one machine?"
Me - "Yes."
Operator - "OK, hold on."
*Another minute on hold*
Operator - "Are you just using it for testing purposes?"
Me - "Yes. Like I said, I'd be willing to pay for an extra key."
Operator - "No need. My supervisor says I can override it."
Me *surpised* "Really? Uh, cool."
Operator - "What's your installation ID?" [this is the hardware hash they display on the screen]
Me - "1098.."
Operator - "Ok, here's your new code. Ready? 2037..."
Me - "OK".
Operator - "Then click "next"."
Me - "OK. It says thank you registering your copy of Windows XP. Very nice."
Operator - "Will there be anything else, sir?"
Me - "No. Thank you very much. That was surprisingly easy. Goodbye." *click*
MY THOUGHTS - Yes, the registration process sucks, but as I learned this morning, not every member of Microsoft is an asshole (at least the guy I spoke to). I didn't have to "pay" for an extra license (to test their beta, I know, but it's a pretty good OS. Hasn't crashed on my yet), and the total process took a little less than 3 minutes. Plus, as could be seen here, the operators can easily be swayed in certain instances (note, I don't think it's going to be so easy when the "actual" XP comes out).
Still, I'm pretty happy with the OS and service. Solid. $10 is not too bad considering I normally pay $9.95 - $14.95 to Cheap bytes for the latest RedHat distro.
... how long it will be before Slashdot gets a few of these regarding some of the comments I'm reading regarding the loophole to getting XP RC1.
The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
According to many of the survey participants, they are not willing to "use software that requires me to justify my system changes to Microsoft." Others exclaimed: "They expect me to purchase their products and then get their permission to use them? I don't think so!"
This could be Microsoft's undoing, as "many participants in the informal survey declared they'd just say no to upgrades that require Product Activation. Instead, they vowed to stick with their current version of Office or Windows, or look into software alternatives such as Linux, Macintosh, Sun's StarOffice, Lotus SmartSuite, and Corel WordPerfect Office."
I also wonder how many scenarios like this we'll see:
Or even worse, computer manufacturers notice how many sales they're losing (not to mention the countless systems being returned) and decide to load their systems with Linux instead.
Hey, I can dream, can't I?
Would it be unreasonable under the Consumer Protection Act (differs from country to country) to require all providers of shrinkwrapped products with this kind of licensing to provide the full license agreement on their websites? Failing the presence of a website, would it not be reasonable for license agreements to be readily available with such products (included with the packaging but also accessible by opening the box) before the shrinkwrapped cd was opened?
It seems to me that the present license agreements are illegal in the same sense as you would not sign a lease agreement w/o first reading it no? Considering the restriction under XP is it not exactly like a lease agreement?
I believe Slashdot offers a valuable service to consumers and I applaud them for it. If you want to see a msg board site that doesn't bash all hell outta M$ lately then simply sign on to a pro-M$ msg board site. WARNING: the site may bash the GPL. While you may be tired of the so-called "bitching" and "whining" about M$ on here, I just might be tired of hearing you moan about it also. :P
Sure, registering an OS is fairly new on the consumer side of things, but companies have been doing this for server OSes for YEARS!
I have a problem with that line of reasoning.Companies that have been registering licenses for YEARS are commercial entities that make a PROFIT (directly or indirectly) by using the servers to run their business operations.
Compare this to let's say a bar that pays much higher prices to the liquor commission for their inventory which they sell at higher prices. The consumer who buys liquor pays a lower price because it IS for personal use and not for resale.
The problem I have is when the consumer (who realizes no profit or has no COMMERCIAL enterprise) is being unfairly taxed for running the o/s. YET, the business interests are given concessions (bulk licensing schemes and exemption from the PA). How is this fair and equitable business practices on the part of M$?
I believe even Joe home user will recognize the inequities and the scams inherent in this scheme and will jump ship.
Capitalism was designed to implode!
This may have worked for the first hundred, or first 1,000 perhaps. But alas, we peons of the world seemingly will not be able to download 600 megabytes of OS crap over our 56k connections. Alas. Also its illegal, and if you really want to download close to a gigabyte of OS binaries onto your hard disk, why not just go for Linux-Mandrake?
-K
Boy this is such a fun game, especially because once you start writing in this mindset it generates the very real possibility of never ending. Though if this topic caused Slashdot to degenerate into a slapfest straight out of the third grade that in and of itself would probably prove somebody's point about us, though I have no idea whose or to what end.
-K
"Jollans also disagrees with Microsoft's argument that the GPL and intellectual property are incompatible. "That is a false argument," he said. "Both (open source and intellectual property) innovate in their own ways, and you can combine them in different ways. You can take the best of breed from both." "
I guess what he means here is that big companies like IBM uses intellectual property like trademarks while the individual looses all his rights to his own work.
The best of two worlds, free labour while you have a strong trademark.
There's probably a powerpoint viewer downloadable from microsoft's web site
Yeah, but guess which OS you need to run the viewer under???
Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
Why don't we report Microsoft to the BSA? I bet Microsoft hasn't paid for all those copies of Windows sitting on developers' desks!
Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
I have read elsewhere that the US has infact spent more money than any of the countries effected by Kyoto on the Greenhouse Effect.
:)
And that is exactly the problem. I'd say that investing in _countering_ the Greenhouse Effect were a far better thing to do
Ok, let's suppose you meant to say that. Think about this: the US is by far the largest Kyoto country- some 270 million inhabitants IIRC. Japan is 2nd with 120M and Germany 3rd: 100 million. I could be off 10 million here or there, but those are roughly the numbers. Also, the per capita US contribution to the Greenhouse Effect is higher than that of any country. Now don't you think it is only right that the US spent more money on anti- Greenhouse Effect measures than any other country?
But then again, why babble about money - it's the reduction of many kinds of exhaust that counts, not the amount of money thrown at it. I remember the Italian government threw millions of $$ toward the south of the country for development -mafia made it practically 3rd world - only resulting in mafia getting richer. Now you can see half- finished bridges Italy's south that cost the government more than three finished bridges should have cost. Only to say the amount of money thrown towards things isn't exactly the best way to measure the effect of certain measures.
Hmm... gotta come up with a decent
Let me add to this. I've looked up articles, and the way M$ works on our campus I am almost sure I will get a non-activation copy of XP.
However, I have worked at plenty of small organizations that have the right to use multiple copies of Windows through site license or multiple license that uses GHOST.
The more I look into it, the more it looks like this is just customer hurassment. It won't stop big-time piracy (the non-activation copies will be instantly traded) and it will just piss off small users that aren't really costing Microsoft much money anyway. I can't understand the reasoning at all...
"Yes.. no matter what the culture, folk dancing is stupid." -MST3K
I have a question about XP. I don't have the ability to do trial runs on this, so maybe I can get some background here.
Most corps. and college labs here use utils. like GHOST and other disk imaging software to manage labs and new machines. What is going to happen to imaging with XP. Will it even be possible or will it simply lock every machine up.
I know that my department will not upgrade to XP if disk imaging doesn't work, and I'm sure there will be plenty of other bucking of the Microsoft saddle if something as basic as GHOST images begins to screw up machines.
"Yes.. no matter what the culture, folk dancing is stupid." -MST3K
...and if so, is it really as bloated as people say? Also, is it all programmed in COBOL, or is there some Fortran thrown in too?
[PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
The trick to using Windows for a long time without having to reinstall it is to install very few applications and keep it that way. I very carefully kept my installed set of applications to a minimum and Windows has run well for over a year on a single install (and I'm still using Win 95!). Another trick is to keep games and trial software off--they just pollute the registry and the DLLs. Yet another trick is to use real hardware (i.e., you pretty much have to build your own computer and not accept the junk in a pre-built system) The least reliable Windows computers generally belong to people who install all sorts of crap software that clashes due to the gross permissiveness and disorganization of the system. These systems become so unpredictable and unmaintainable that format and reinstall is the only repair option.
Healthcare article at Kuro5hin
Woo hoo!!! Go IBM, kick Microsoft's wimpy ass!!! That must be a major slam to MS. Getting hammered by the Grandfather of the computer industry, ouch, that hurts.
-Ion
they aren't sending $100 million to tyranical dictatorship like some greedy corporate monster!
I'm an asshole, so what?
Generally, MS is intelligent. It might be in the same way that the Joker or the Penguin are intelligent, but there is none the less a certain cunning. Now, though, they're being stupid. Just when they're about to go head to head with AOL, they try as hard as they can to isolate both their political connections and their consumer base. MS should be concentrating on becoming 'l33t'. AOL still has the reputation of being the newbie service, but MS could, if they tried (by being for Open Source) become much cooler. They could never replace Linux, but they can at least concentrate on getting a slightly better image. And yes, I'm writing this on Win2K, and my e-mail has 'hotmail' in it..
I didn't say that *Mac OS X* ran on Intel hardware (although, if Apple wanted it to, it could with little problem). Apple took the core OS components (a fusion of BSD with Mach) and made it open source as "Darwin", which will run on Intel as well as Mac hardware. Anything you build for Darwin does indeed run on Mac OS X (provided no platform dependencies exist).
Darwin's development is moving fast; X is installed and up, and many apps have been ported. It's nowhere close to Linux's maturity, but it's essentially a form of BSD that may help move *nix use more into the mainstream--which may create more interest in the major software makers to develop for Linux, BSD, Darwin, and Mac OS X, since they can all run the same apps with minor tweaking and recompiling (helped more if XDarwin, an app that runs XWindows in Mac OS X, is used).
Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.