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.
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!!
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:
Sure - as soon as Microsoft can stop calling the GPL a "cancer" or "Pac-Man"-like. Or how about when they stop trying to confuse people by saying that they're "concerned" about using GPL'ed software with theirs b/c they think it might "contaminate" their code?
Yeah, there's some immature comments made here - but guess what? Microsoft isn't any better - and they're supposed to be "professionals."
...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
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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!
:)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.....
Why are you looking for "objective" discussion on the internet? There's no such thing.
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
The more you tighten your grip Lord Vader, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
// EvilJohn
// Java Geek
Less Talk, More Beer.
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.
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."
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.
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
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.
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
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
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."
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. :)
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.
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).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?
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.
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.
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.
Boy Scouts of America? Geez...Microsoft is more sinister than I thought....
Got Rhinos?
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.
"the enemy of my enemy is my friend"
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.
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,"
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
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
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.
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
n/t
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
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" :-)
"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>
Just for the record, you can have any extension parsed as a PHP file. Same with perl. For instance, in apache's httpd.conf file (or any apache conf file), add:
.ext
.ext is any extension you want. .xml, .html, .phtml, whatever. Perl is similar, I would think, if you're using mod_perl (which I don't, btw).
AddType application/x-httpd-php
Where
But then again, a header dump of jobs.osdn.com does show IIS 5...
J
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?
(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
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/
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
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?
This is redundant, but I'll reply anyways since you missed the other posts-- Slashdot adds a space to keep trolls from screwing with text formatting. The extra space is automatically inserted when the poster hits "Submit" and apperently can't be avoided. Just keep an eye out for spaces in URL's or filenames. ;)
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.
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
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
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
"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
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
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.]
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.
Way to go, IBM.
--
KMSMA (WWBD?)
GM and Ford (just two off the top of my head) seem to have no problem competing in Europe. And which "very large, very powerful, market dominating" European software companies is Microsoft competing with?
Now that Microsoft has gotten the U.S. Dept. of Justice to roll over and play dead, I think the EU may be our only hope for stopping Bill and the Gang in their tracks.
www.lucernesys.comHorizon: Calendar-based personal finance
The joke back then was "PS/2: yesterday's hardware today. OS/2: yesterday's software tomorrow."
www.lucernesys.comHorizon: Calendar-based personal finance
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.
<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
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.
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.
--
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...
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
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
Actually, I normally get the full CD set (http://cart.cheapbytes.com/cgi-bin/cart/007001068 0?nK9yJr3Y;;37). My mistake. It's 12.99 sans shipping.
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.
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
they aren't sending $100 million to tyranical dictatorship like some greedy corporate monster!
I'm an asshole, so what?