XP Service Pack Does the Impossible

Peyna writes "This article over at C|net discusses the upcoming Microsoft Windows XP service pack, which will contain the normal bug fixes, but more importantly, will make XP more modular, allowing you to override their default products. I assume this means Internet Explorer and possibly some other apps as well."

Comments

Re:The 3rd parties are still screwed

[mccalli]

3rd party apps will appear as choices if they are coded so that they interface with XP to appear as choices...perhaps even having to use some shared library from MS.

Well of course.

How else am I, as the operating system, supposed to know that this completely unknown executable you've just stuck on the drive handles foodlewidgets unless you tell me that it handles foodlewidgets?

No conspiracy here people. Move along now...

Cheers,
Ian

Re:You don't pay for it, you don't use it

[Oculus Habent]

I agree.

The simple fact is software, music, art, etc, can only be free if we live in one of two types of societies:

1. Communism/Socialism: If the government has the ability to support people who are furthering the minds of the people/state, then art, music, and software can be free to us, even if we are not free oursleves.

2. Social Democracy: This concept is much harder for Americans than others, as it is contrary to pure capitalism. We would have to support those who make a contribution to our state, but whose contribution should be free. In this model, the government funds artists, music costs are virtually non-existant (you would still have to pay "cost" for physical media, and a "artist tax") and we can get all the music and software for nothing.

The US is a social/capitalist democracy, and very often we are living in the No Man's Land between the two sides.

Sorry for the rant.--
Freedom of Information doesn't mean that information is free.

Re:Biting the hand that pirates it

[Rogerborg]

• Not that any /.ers would use pirated software

Pirated? I dunno about that, I have a shared copy of WinXP Pro, probably with one of "those" keys. I'll pay for it when my refund arrives for the OEM copy of Win98SE that I was forced to pay for on my laptop (now running SuSE), i.e. the 2nd of Never.

If any Microserf are reading, the only reason that I still boot to Windows is to play games. Offer me a stripped down OS that presents an API subset limited to DirectX, OGL and enough of the WinAPI to let me install and start a game, at a reasonable price ($30) without any idiotic licensing or activation crap, and I'll buy it. Short of that, forget it. Every dumbed down "Telletubbies" new Windows version, every curate's egg upgrade, every bluster and threat and waved MicroFist just brings me closer to the point where I'll wipe the Windows partition and take my chance with WineX. When that happens, you lose any chance of getting any more money out of me, ever.