Microsoft wants Automatic Update for Windows

Edward Dao writes "After the embarassment of last week's blaster worm, Microsoft is weighing the possibility of automatic update. Microsoft not only wants to upload the latest patch on to users' computer but also installing it for them." This will work out really well for everyone I'm sure. Yikes! Can I at least press 'Ok' first?

Comments

This is better than OS X

[Anonymous Coward]

Many Unix geeks, particularly on Slashdot, have praised Apple's decision to base Mac OS X off of the enterprise-ready BSD codebase. However, it seems that most have never actually taken a closer look at this OS. If they had, a closer inspection would reveal that Apple's philosophy toward *nix and Linux compatibility has been one of "embrace and extend", and this is meant in the M$ sense. Wherever possible, Apple has engineered their operating system to be incompatible with industry standards. Simply put, Mac OS X is a nonstandard, bastardized Unix that bears about as much resemblance to the real thing as does, say, Windows ME.

Let's start with the windowing environment, since that is the first thing users will notice. While both KDE and GNOME are mature, stable, and accepted as IEEE standards, Apple has elected to use neither. In fact, they don't even use X at all! Their display system is a proprietary, closed-source system called Quartz Extreme. In addition to the moral issues involved with closed software, this precludes the user from running X apps. There is an untested and alpha-quality X11 emulation layer available for download, but it is emulation, so programs will be slow. Does this sound like a standards-based system to you?

Looking under the hood, it gets worse. While all other *nixes use standard ELF binaries, Darwin (Apple's name for their proprietary "Unix" kernel) does not. It uses Mach-O, an unproven format that is proprietary to Apple. The moribund FreeBSD, off which OS X is based, uses ELF, so clearly Apple went to the extra effort of "switching" (heh) simply to break compatibility. With ELF, users would be able to run most of their Lunix apps; with Mach-O this is impossible. Additionally, Apple has moved most configuration info fromhuman readable text files into a proprietary database called "NetInfo", which is much like the Windows registry we all loathe. Why? These are only a few of the ways that Apple has deliberately broken compatibility with other systems, presumably in order to lock users in to expensive Mac hardware.

When we factor in the threat to users' civil liberties that is posed by the DRM included to support the iTunes Music Store (do you really think it will end there?) it is obvious that real *nix gurus should give OS X a wide berth. Caveat emptor.

Put the blame on the ISPs where it belongs.

[nlinecomputers]

Isn't about time that we put the blame where it really belongs? On the damn ISPs! If we had decent email scanning and blocking of useless ports this shit wouldn't happen so much. Why does joe six pack need a port 135 open anyway. If you need the port you should ask to have it open otherwise most ports should be filtered by ISPs by default. Do that and hold ISP responsable when obvious virues pass through the smtp server and we wouldn't have a damn virus/worm problem.

Resistance is futile..

[Channard]

Auto updating? Never has the Slashdot Billy G Borg icon seemed so appropriate. Cue any remaining dial-up users tearing the modem cable out of their PC in an effort to stop the download of the latest 50MB Windows patch.

Okay, maybe that's a bit cynical, but any software company being able to add things at will to your desktop -after all, how many new Windows users would be canny enough to turn off auto-update first? I'd rather see glaring security holes actually closed off before they're shipped, not afterwards.

You must be new here...

[Anonymous Coward]

This is slashdolt, haven for the unwashed GNU/GPL/HURD hippies. Conform or watch your karma sink to the cellar.

fudgefactor7 just got taken to school

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice work gentlemen. Another arrogant simpleton snuffed out where he stood. If he was gainfully employed in any serious IT position, he would understand what we're referring to.

I heard you didn't reply to ACs, fudgie

[Anonymous Coward]

Or maybe YHBT?

Re:Not such a bad idea

[pmz]

Many people just want their computer to work, the way their car and dishwasher "just work".

Then, people should just buy a Mac and shut up. Microsoft is the "American car" of the computer world--i.e., the people who buy one should have read Consumer Reports, first.

In Soviet Russia

[v8envy]

Windows Update comes to YOU.

Re:Good news/Bad News

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey fuckface, virii is not a word. You might know that if you weren't so busy sucking coxen.