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Dan Gillmor on WinXP
A reader writes:There's a new column from Dan Gillmor on SiliconValley.com about Windows XP. The column calls for an injunction stopping the shipping of WinXP. Dan's got a well thought out list of reasons why and how it would work."
The Ideal Windows XP
No Internet Explorer It stifles competition. People can download the browser of their choice.
Java Plugin Loaded Windows XP should support Java out of the box so that people do not have to download it.
No MSN Icon on the Desktop Windows XP is already one Microsoft Product. They cannot use it to 'push' other products they produce.
AOL Icon on the Desktop AOL Time Warner should have a right to advertise on and windows desktop. After all they are not Microsoft.
Passport should be removed If people want a crappy free e-mail account or Instant Messaging they should refer to the above AOL Icon on their desktop.
Code-Signing is bad Microsoft should not be allowed to tell people what drivers/software have been proven to run under windows xp. They can find this out on their own.
Windows Activation Microsoft has no right to attempt to stop piracy. After all piracy much like death is inevetible. Any attempts to prolong life.. err I mean stop piracy should be stopped.
In conclusion I also feel that the word Microsoft should be removed from WindowsXP. After all it's just an operating system. Obviously the internet is much more important therefore WindowsXP should be labeled accordingly as AOL Time Warner Windows XP.
Just to save some time, I'm listing all the standard rebuttals that go with any Microsoft monopoly story. Please pick one:
( ) Oh, great, now every company is going to have to ask the government's permission before they add any new features
( ) Why does the government want to punish any company when they become successful? Sun, Netscape, Apple, Kodak, etc. are all just jealous of Microsoft's success
( ) If you don't like Windows, DON'T use it! It's not like their forcing you to use it
( ) I'm not a big Microsoft supporter or anything, but I like how they're giving me free stuff. Do we really want the government to force us to pay more for stuff Microsoft wants to give us for free?
( ) Oh, yeah, well Apple has a monopoly on PowerPC-based Macs as well. Try to buy a Mac without Apple's OS and see who REALLY has a monopoly
And to save time for the moderators, here are the mod points: Moderation totals: Troll=1, Flamebait=1, Redundant=1
On a completely unrelated note, remember the story that the LA Times reported back in 1998 where Microsoft "was secretly been planning a massive media campaign designed to influence state investigators by creating the appearance of a groundswell of public support for the company"? Every time I read the same tired arguments as above, I can't help but think about that story.
Insert simplistic political, ideological, or personal proselytization here.
Horse* theHorse = new Horse(theStory);
Kill(theHorse);
while (theHorse.IsDead())
{
Post(theHorse.GetStory());
Beat(theHorse);
}
Things you think are in the Constitution, but are not.
> The product that succeeds in the marketplace is by definition the best product. What a load of crap. The phone company in my area "succeeded" in the marketplace by buying out the prior phone company. Our previous service was pretty sad, but now it's even worse. But since they succeeded, they're the "best" right?
This is a hypothetical situation that may happen if MSFT achieved what they are setting out to do:
Husband: "Oh look honey, according to the news the Internet got hacked again and according to our bank statement $1000 dollars got withdrawn by an account in Siberia".
Wife: "Oh my love, this is just our modern world, guess we could call the bank and see if this is covered".
Husband: "Yes dear, as that IT consultant said on TV, the software is so complex those engineers over at Microsoft could not possibly cover every base with their QA. I am sure if they saw this they would have stopped shipment!".
Don't think that is much different from the current virus excuses.
Matt
It's a troll because you actually dared to critizise Microsoft. Anybody who says anything negative about MS gets modded down. You can easily get you karma back up by doing a "sure windows used to suck but I haven't rebooted my W2K box in a year and XP is even better" post. While you are at it also mention that "I love linux but I gotta have my (fill in the blank) app and windows never crashes anymore". These two formulas are guaranteed to get you a +5 from all the MS employees who troll slashdot and mod up pro-MS posts.
Really try it sometimes it works every time.
War is necrophilia.