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

Fear ???

[C0vardeAn0nim0]

fear of law suits billy ?

And all this time...

[Black Aardvark House]

Some of the more significant changes, such as those allowing consumers and PC makers to override Microsoft's default products, are a direct response to the continuing antitrust case against the Redmond, Wash.-based company.

...they swore they were doing nothing wrong.

This service pack almost sounds like an admission of guilt to me. Are they doing this out of goodwill...or fear?

No more updates for pirates

[wik]

Microsoft has made a horrible mistake in this update. It disables further updates/patches for users who run XP with pirated activation numbers. I think this is horribly irresponsible, because the people who pirate are probably never going to pay for the full product. As a result, not only will they suffer from not having security udpates, but the rest of the internet will suffer from their vulnerable machines when the next Code Red comes around.

Personally, I do not run unlicensed software, but the people I know who do pirate software are more than willing to run a vulnerable machine, rather than pay money to keep from being a public nuisance.

Modular, eh?

[Swannie]

Why should we believe that it will continue to work after it's been modularized? I think we all know that Windows can work without IE, but it seems to me that Microsoft is going to use this as a way to say, "See? People de-install the Internet Explorer module, and Windows becomes (unstable|doesn't work)! I told you so!"

Classic Microsoft manuevering if you ask me... but then I'm a cynic. :)

Re:Modular?

[delta407]

You don't need a service pack, just fdisk.

Microsoft loves the fake settlement

[Lewis Mettler, Esq.]

Microsoft loves the fake settlement.

Microsoft can continue to bundled products as it damn well pleases requardless of what the product does.

Microsoft can force users to run the Microsoft product simply by providing data files, formats, etc., that only its crap can support.

And, all developers know that all systems will be preloaded with the Microsoft brand of middlewear and key applications.

Microsoft could not ask for more if they wanted to.

The fake settlement was written by Microsoft to solidify the monopolies in browsers, media players and messaging. Under the fake settlement, Microsoft has more power than before the law suit was even filed.

level playing field?

[neoevans]

"Microsoft's chief rivals have complained that the changes being made to Windows XP do not go far enough to ensure a level playing field in the computer software market"

Level playing field? Is this communism?

I like Windows XP. I like having a browser integrated into the OS. I can open a URL from the same window I open my File Manager console from. I like that.

And no matter how many different browsers I try, I like IE. It seems as though all of the other browsers are mostly just trying to keep up with it (with the exception of Netscape 7, which is quite nice). I think if MS added a few power features in XP, such as being able to create .ISO files and a decent Media Player (although I haven't replaced WMP because again, I like OS-integrated software), I wouldn't need to use anything but Windows XP.

Quit fighting it and conform. Resistance is futile...

Re:Please Can you Stop the Headline as Commentary?

[TobyWong]

Yeah when I read your comment, I thought...

--Does he think he's funny?
--Is he really that stupid?
--Does he dress and feed himself?