Microsoft-Antitrust.gov Opens for Public

Great by Em+Emalb · 2003-09-12 01:03 · Score: 2, Insightful

f you believe the company has violated the conditions stipulated in either of the statements, visit Microsoft-Antitrust.gov Web site.

Let the "fun" begin. Why do I think this webserver is going to become complaint central for all things MS?

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Sent from your iPad.

Re:Great by TedCheshireAcad · 2003-09-12 01:58 · Score: 4, Funny

Good ol' Netcraft:

The site www.microsoft-antitrust.gov is running Microsoft-IIS/5.0 on Windows 2000.
Re:Great by mobiGeek · 2003-09-12 02:58 · Score: 2, Informative

Good ol' wget:
bash> wget -Sv http://www.microsoft-antitrust.gov/ --10:55:54-- http://www.microsoft-antitrust.gov/ => `index.html' Resolving www.microsoft-antitrust.gov... done. Connecting to www.microsoft-antitrust.gov[167.10.5.164]:80... connected. HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 1 HTTP/1.1 200 OK 2 Server: Microsoft-IIS/5.0 3 Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 14:48:59 GMT 4 Connection: keep-alive 5 Connection: Keep-Alive 6 Content-Length: 9968 7 Content-Type: text/html 8 Set-Cookie: ASPSESSIONIDAQQRCBRQ=OHDIKLLDIABEJEPCNJNFEDEI; path=/ 9 Cache-control: private

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...Beware the IDEs of Microsoft...
Re:Great by Malcolm+Scott · 2003-09-12 09:53 · Score: 2, Informative

Yes... take that with a pinch of salt :)

The reason for that bogus response is that their servers do indeed run IIS 6.0, but they're behind Akamai's distributed server platform. Akamai happen to run Linux.

Clever plot by Boing · 2003-09-12 01:03 · Score: 5, Funny

With what the /. effect is going to do to this site, I wouldn't be surprised if this link was posted by a Microsoft representative.

Re:Clever plot by grub · 2003-09-12 01:12 · Score: 5, Funny

Holy moly.. and I thought I needed more tinfoil on my hat.. ;)

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Trolling is a art,
Re:Clever plot by rgoer · 2003-09-12 02:28 · Score: 2, Funny

headertitle2.jpg: 11518 bytes

getacro.gif: 386 bytes

not serving images makes your site /.-proof: priceless
Re:Clever plot by pmz · 2003-09-12 02:30 · Score: 2, Funny

Holy moly.. and I thought I needed more tinfoil on my hat.. ;)

Don't forget the tinfoil Jimmy Hat. It keeps out the battling thought beams of the gays and Christian right. If they accidentally converge at...a highly sensitive point...uh, think overcooked microwaved hotdog.

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Healthcare article at Kuro5hin

Oh the irony. by BWJones · 2003-09-12 01:04 · Score: 4, Interesting

Well, looking at the site.....it appears it's running on.....wait for it......Windows 2000! Yeaaaaay. Oh, wait......

Seriously though, what does that say about your position when you are adopting and running the product of which you are complaining about? Although, I suppose that might only back up their case.

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Visit Jonesblog and say hello.

Re:Oh the irony. by gowen · 2003-09-12 01:07 · Score: 5, Insightful

They're not complaining about the product. They're complaining about the company's leverage of their desktop OS near-monopoly to eliminate competition in other markets (web servers *NOT* among them).

Fortunately, the CA attorney general understands the case better than the average "MS is bad" slash-drone.

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Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
Re:Oh the irony. by BoysDontCry · 2003-09-12 01:08 · Score: 2, Insightful

But they're not complaining about the product. They're complaining about the company that produces it. There's a difference.
Re:Oh the irony. by qoncept · 2003-09-12 01:09 · Score: 5, Insightful

First, they aren't complaining about anything. The site is there to provide us with a medium to do so.

Second, the point isn't to go complain about Microsoft's products. It's to complain about Microsoft's business products.

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Whale
Re:Oh the irony. by slimak · 2003-09-12 01:09 · Score: 5, Insightful

its probably less ironic than it first seems since the people who are responsible for the lawsuit and the people who wrote the article and the people who maintain the server are most likely not the same.

Consider how many negative Microsoft comments are made here on /. from Windows machines...thats what I consider ironic (but thats just me).
Re:Oh the irony. by gowen · 2003-09-12 01:11 · Score: 3, Informative

First, they aren't complaining about anything.
Well, they did. Thats how they got the settlement in the first place. The judgement is linked to from the website -- which is up so users can complaing about non-compliance with the judgement from the original complaint.

Sheesh.

(RIP Johnny Cash)

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Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
Re:Oh the irony. by qoncept · 2003-09-12 01:16 · Score: 4, Interesting

So you're saying they chose which product to use based on the product rather than the morals of the company behind it? So that's why slashdotters make so many bad decisions..

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Whale
Re:Oh the irony. by jone1941 · 2003-09-12 01:16 · Score: 3, Insightful

Not only that, but when submitting a complaint they suggest that:

If you are able to provide documentation to support your complaint, please attach the file in either Word (.doc) or WordPerfect (.wpd) format below.

That just seems sad.

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Fear trumps hope and ignorance trumps both
Re:Oh the irony. by sikpig · 2003-09-12 01:43 · Score: 2, Funny

Let's just wait for the anti-antitrust IIS patch next week.

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I left my .sig in my other pants.
Re:Oh the irony. by richie2000 · 2003-09-12 02:13 · Score: 3, Funny

by purchasing Win2K + IIS
Maybe they just installed a copy they got on a CD-R from a friend?

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Money for nothing, pix for free
Re:Oh the irony. by HiThere · 2003-09-12 02:41 · Score: 2, Informative

Until I used MSWindows, I thought MS was a decent company. The made the best word processor available for the Apple Mac. And I still think that MSWord 5.2a was the best word processor to exist. It's a high point that hasn't again been reached. This despite the fact that a few useful tools have been created since then (e.g., as-you-type spell checks. I note that others have listed this as an example of useless bloat, but I disagree.).

Since I switched from the Mac to MSWindows, my opinion of MS has nosedived. A lot! When I switched to Linux, it took me 6 months (in the days of Red Hat 5.2) to really start using it. Now it is my primary OS, and I only use MSWind part time at work. (My work machine is configured to dual boot.) And my intention is to migrate entirely to Linux, but this has been difficult, as there are pressures to develop in MSAccess. (Anyone know a good substitute? It's got to do data entry screens and reports...Well, I could kludge the data entry screen with Ruby-GNOME2 [or, perhaps, Glade], but the reports are stickier. The reports are the main reason that I haven't pushed ahead more vigorously, despite the on-coming threat of MSXP.)

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I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
Re:Oh the irony. by mobiGeek · 2003-09-12 03:03 · Score: 2, Insightful

...[by] purchasing Win2K + IIS they're actually contributing to the funds of a company they're in a legal fight _against_.

Maybe they had no choice? Isn't this the spirit of the lawsuits in the first place? ;-)

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...Beware the IDEs of Microsoft...
Re:Oh the irony. by NightSpots · 2003-09-12 03:38 · Score: 3, Informative

What's funny is this line:

Fortunately, the CA attorney general understands the case better than the average "MS is bad" slash-drone.

As a California resident, I can assure you that the California attorney general is interested in nothing more than pandering to special interests.

Someone with enough money stepped forward to make this happen. I assume it was someone from either Sun or Oracle.

Issues like the recent 'drivers license for anyone who has a piece of paper with a number on it'* bill show how little the powers-that-be in the state care about the wellbeing of the people.

*: The bill was vetoed twice by the 'governor' because "it lacked safety measures". The bill that was eventually signed, in the last week that the governor facing recall was able to sign bills, had even fewer 'safety measures' than the previous, but was rushed through to pander to minority action groups.

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Use Vobbo for Video Blogs
Re:Oh the irony. by yerricde · 2003-09-12 04:13 · Score: 2, Insightful

Maybe they had no choice? Isn't this the spirit of the lawsuits in the first place?

Not exactly. The antitrust lawsuits were over control of the desktop. Microsoft has come nowhere near control of the server arena; last time I checked, the free Apache HTTP Server was providing healthy competition.

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Will I retire or break 10K?
Re:Oh the irony. by C10H14N2 · 2003-09-12 07:05 · Score: 2, Interesting

Yes, national socialism would have a hard time gathering votes on here despite all the great economic advantages and shiny, shiny boots of leather.

Sometimes good decisions are based on more than expediency, like attempting to not support totalitarian regimes whether governmental or commercial, which exist only by consent.

I would rather the trains ran a little late even if Microsoft could make them run on-time.
Re:Oh the irony. by RealAlaskan · 2003-09-12 10:19 · Score: 2, Funny

Not only that, but when submitting a complaint they suggest that:
If you are able to provide documentation to support your complaint, please attach the file in either Word (.doc) or WordPerfect (.wpd) format below.
That just seems sad.
That's not terribly hard to do. I can make a Word (.doc) format file from emacs, or even from edlin (remember that miserable monster from mickey-soft?).
In emacs, do C-x C-f. Name the new file something like mycomplaint.doc. Type out your complaint, then hit C-X C-S. Done! You've just created a .doc file which Word will open.
Still, it does seem sad that they have such idiots working there.

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See what I've been reading.

redundant??! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-12 01:06 · Score: 5, Funny

The Attorney General of the State of California has opened up a Web site, dedicated to Microsoft antitrust violations.

Isn't slashdot already the place for Microsoft hating and bashing?

This site is redundant.

Re:redundant??! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-12 01:20 · Score: 4, Insightful

I don't indulge in Microsoft hating and bashing. I suspect I am no different to many others using this forum who carefully weigh up the pros and cons of various software solutions, their relative strengths and weaknesses, the total cost of ownership of various platforms, the commitment of various software authors to innovation and forward thinking, the overall quality of a proposed direction, the opportunities and diffculties presented by the various software licensing mechanisms, and then, and only then, after weeks of careful consideration, conclude that, yes, Microsoft sucks, and it deserves everything it gets hurled at it.
Re:redundant??! by Tony-A · 2003-09-12 04:12 · Score: 2, Interesting

Isn't slashdot already the place for Microsoft hating and bashing?
Slashdot is the place to keep up with the latest in Microsoft wormage. (At least that's what I tell management;)
Slashdot seems to be the only source for unbiased technical information about Microsoft products. (I didn't say /. was unbiased. It's the only place you're likely to find any unbiased information.)

I wonder... by delirium28 · 2003-09-12 01:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

how long it will take before the site experiences a Slashdot effect.

Seriously though, this is all well and good, but what's to stop users from logging onto the site and reporting violations out of spite? Do they really expect people to believe that they will examine every alleged violation, or is this simply a way for the government to pacify those that believe the judgement was too lienient?

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Who is John Galt?

Re:I wonder... by clacour · 2003-09-12 02:00 · Score: 5, Insightful

Nothing will stop them; in fact, that one can complain anonymously will tend to encourage that.
For precisely that reason, they won't investigate every complaint, or even a large fraction of them.
Like all complaint-takers for decades (if not centuries) they will investigate things based on:
Frequency of complaint
Precision of complaint
If 500 different people complain about the same thing, it's going to be taken more seriously than if one person does.
A complaint like "Microsoft screwed me blind! I want you to GET those evil bastards!" will probably be handled by a spam filter.
(Warning to those who are overly literal-minded: the following example is completely fictional!)
A complaint like "On Friday, Jun 14th, Jahfhs Ffjl of the Microsoft Licensing group told me that I would have to pay full retail price for Windows XP Home, rather than the usual OEM price, because I sell a line of computers that run Linux," will be much more effective.
Specific dates, names, statements, amounts, etc. will get far more attention than vague hate mail.
Finally, whatever they think should be done will get choked back to what can be done, given their budget.
End result: The most flagrant violations will get curbed quickly (or may never happen because they would have been caught so quickly).
Borderline cases will break down into two groups:
The ones Microsoft doesn't care about will get "cured", and used as public-relations fodder by MS.
The ones Microsoft decidedly does not want to get stuck with will be challenged in court, or similar stalling tactics.
In a few odd cases here and there, Microsoft will get their hand slapped and have to legitimately clean up their act some.
Bottom line: As usual, it's between the two extremes mentioned. It will do some good, but there's a lot of stuff that will still fall through the cracks.
My only complaint about it is that most of the good will come in the next year or two, and it will probably eat up money for then next couple of decades...

IE not required by xhawk · 2003-09-12 01:06 · Score: 5, Funny

It's good to see there is no "Best viewed with Internet Explorer" at the bottom of the page. ;^)

Re:Nitpicking by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-12 01:07 · Score: 3, Informative

The US get's to use TLDs without country extensions for the same reason that the British get to use stamps without the name of their country on them - they invented the system.

Re:Nitpicking by dangermouse · 2003-09-12 01:08 · Score: 2, Insightful

Go read the site. It's a coordinated effort between California and New York.

Payment by rf0 · 2003-09-12 01:10 · Score: 2, Interesting

Well going from the Yahoo news article Microsoft has ended up paying to investigate itself :)

"...and paid for with funds Microsoft provided to enforce a judgment ..."

Rus

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Cheap UK and US VPS

Slow day? by Omicron32 · 2003-09-12 01:12 · Score: 4, Funny

30 comments and it's not even Slashdotted yet.

I'm sorely dissapointed in you people.

was it just me... by loconet · 2003-09-12 01:15 · Score: 3, Funny

or did anyone else read Microsoft-Antivirus.gov Opens for Public.

I got really scared.

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[alk]

Top 10 Obligatory Responses to Microsoft News by AtariAmarok · 2003-09-12 01:17 · Score: 5, Funny

10. FP, Overlords, Dead Stephen King, Goatse, beowulf cluster, and all the other cliche posts (get them out of the way now so we can move on)

9. Discussion about whether or not the Borg icon applies to the story or not.

8. Someone whines about Microsoft-bashing

7. Someone whines about how bad Microsoft is.

6. "If you use Linux, you won't have this problem"

5. Something relating whatever the issue is to SCO.

4. A post about the latest gaping hole in Windows security, likely to be fresh news to many since new hole reports are coming out very frequently now.

3. A ton of complaints about the NYT's password-locked site, if the Microsoft story points there.

2. Smirking Apple users.

1. Something about *BSD being dead.

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Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.

Re:Top 10 Obligatory Responses to Microsoft News by bl8n8r · 2003-09-12 01:39 · Score: 5, Funny

This is just more Microsoft bashing, and I'm all for it. A whole site dedicated to Microsoft's mis-deeds -that's great. Microsoft should concentrate on making better software, and not money. God knows how busted-ass windows is. You cant use it for anything reliable, let alone a mail server, or beowulf cluster.

I hope everyone realizes that if you run Linux, you wouldn't have any of these antitrust problems, or virus problems. Did anyone see the latest yesterday on 3 new vulnerabilities found in windows? I rest my case. You cannont *make* a secure windows box

The microsoft-antitrust website looks pretty well laid-out, and doesn't require any registraion to get in - Unlike that stupid New York Times password-locked B.S. Ya know, something else I just noticed is I've never seen Apple in the news for antitrust issues. Now there's a company you can put some stock in!

Speaking of stock, I think they should dedicate a web page on microsoft-antitrust.gov to the SCO debacle. These bastards are just pumping up the stock and dumping it and Microsoft is in on it. They need to account for their actions in the same way Enron has to, which, by the way, is going titsup just like BSD now that windriver is ditching it. Put two Borgs on this article - it deserves two.

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boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org

I wonder by fireboy1919 · 2003-09-12 01:18 · Score: 3, Interesting

Microsoft is ordered to allow interoperability.

Does this mean that they have to provide their Driver Development Kit, without which it is nearly impossible to write drivers for Windows, for free?

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Mod me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!

Re:I wonder by Hayzeus · 2003-09-12 01:27 · Score: 3, Insightful

Technically, it is free, although they don't seem to offer it for download anymore and impose a completely bogus $15.00 s/h fee. Sucks, but you can probably scrape together the $15.00 if you want to do driver dev.

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Roving Web-Teleoperated Robot
Re:I wonder by stephenry · 2003-09-12 01:52 · Score: 3, Interesting

"Microsoft is ordered to allow interoperability."

They can't be doing a very good job since Microsoft has just decided to block all non-MS clients to their MSN network. To me, that classifies as interoperability.

Besides, how can these judgements be even considered fitting when MS can simply purchase companies that offer non-strategically compatible protocols (a la the recent purchase of an Anti-virus company that developed software for Linux)

But they *are* leveraging the server market. by Compact+Dick · 2003-09-12 01:19 · Score: 4, Informative

With Office 2003 and its Information Rights Management features, which rely on Windows 2003 Server to act as a secure repository for the authentication information.

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Use ISO 8601 dates [YYYY-MM-DD]

Re:But they *are* leveraging the server market. by hamster+foo · 2003-09-12 01:43 · Score: 4, Insightful

In this case, they aren't leveraging in the same manner as in the antitrust rulings. The antitrust ruling says they can't do something like withhold the right to distribute Windows with an OEM manufacturer's computers if that OEM also offers an alternative OS on their systems.

Releasing software that has a feature that depends on their server software isn't really the same thing. This is leverage of course, but it is legal leverage.

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- b

Their coders are busy now by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-12 01:19 · Score: 3, Funny

Expect a new security patch for IE shortly.

Re:Payment (Sorta like the tobacco ads) by sremack · 2003-09-12 01:20 · Score: 2, Funny

I wonder if MS is also going to hire lots of uber-hip teens to talk about the evils of MS execs.

/.ing Netcraft.. by grub · 2003-09-12 01:30 · Score: 5, Funny

Some poor admin at Netcraft is 'tail -f'ing the logfile and thinking "Holy moly, Slashdot must have run a story on 'Microsoft-Antitrust.gov'.."

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Trolling is a art,

Free Trial by GQuon · 2003-09-12 01:34 · Score: 2, Funny

...and even better: It is an advert for a Free Trial. ROFL!

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Irene KHAAAAAAN!

Complaint form's final (upload) field... by rklrkl · 2003-09-12 01:37 · Score: 5, Interesting

Yes, not only is the site running IIS on W2K, but the final (upload) field on the complaint form is most amusing.

Whilst the prior three fields give you 8K of plain text which to fill in, the final field only lets you upload in one of two proprietary closed-source word processor document formats (one of which is ironically Microsoft's) - nope, you're not allowed to upload SXW format (Open Office), plain text or even PDF files ! Also note that you're allowed a 1000K upload too, thanks to the bloatedness of the two formats they do allow...

Re:Complaint form's final (upload) field... by Col.+Klink+(retired) · 2003-09-12 02:24 · Score: 2, Insightful

> Perhaps they recognize that everyone who would be likely to have a legitimate grievance are those who actually use Windows.

Your assumption is that anyone who has any access to any Windows machines should be writing all their contracts in Word. What if I'm a Linux shop trying to develop an application that will interoperate with Windows, but MS refuses to document their protocols as they were ordered to. You think it's legitimate that if I want to complain, I need to buy a Word license and import all my contracts and documentation to Word just so I can complain?

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-- Don't Tase me, bro!
Re:Complaint form's final (upload) field... by HiThere · 2003-09-12 02:46 · Score: 2, Informative

That seems rather silly. text and pdf seem quite legitimate choices. text should always be allowed.

And since OOo can export in *.doc format, it doesn't even exclude anyone. It's just silly.

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I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
Re:Complaint form's final (upload) field... by kilonad · 2003-09-12 04:44 · Score: 2

Ummm... quit being a troll. StarOffice will export a .DOC file. There's no need to buy a Word license and import everything you have. They accept WordPerfect format as well, and I'm pretty sure that when you buy WordPerfect, you aren't giving money to Microsoft.

Nothing to see here, move along.
Re:Complaint form's final (upload) field... by DA-MAN · 2003-09-12 05:22 · Score: 2, Informative

But every Windows user does however have WordPad, which can write to Word. You may not be able to read all word files with wordpad, but Microsoft Word should be able to read all wordpad files.

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Can I get an eye poke?
Dog House Forum

I bet... by Mocenigo · 2003-09-12 01:39 · Score: 2, Funny

I bet Microsoft will also dislike California, now ;)
Isn't this web site "unfair"?

Re:IE by ratpack91 · 2003-09-12 01:39 · Score: 2, Insightful

Bush got elected

Two Borgs? by AtariAmarok · 2003-09-12 01:41 · Score: 2, Funny

"Put two Borgs on this article - it deserves two."

Here you go: click here.

--
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.

On to more relevant things by brsmith4 · 2003-09-12 01:48 · Score: 5, Insightful

After sifting and sorting through the myriad of posts pointing out that this site is running IIS 5 and how the govt. is so hypocritical for doing so, I've come to the conclusion that some if not most slashdotter's are too riled by minor details. It conveys a serious lack of intelligence on our part. But I digress...

While going through some of the PDF docs on the site, mostly pertaining to court judgements, I noticed that many of these documents reference the Sherman Anti-trust Act.

2 Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. 2

Monopolizing trade a felony; penalty

Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $10,000,000 if a corporation, or, if any other person, $350,000, or by imprisonment not exceeding three years, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court

For those that don't know, this is Section 2 of the Sherman act, which Microsoft was found in violation of. I see the fine of $10,000,000 as a maximum to be completely impotent against a company with a financial foundation such as microsoft's. There should be some sort of percentage of profits reaped from the anti-competitive behavior that should be taken away. $10,000,000 is a drop in the bucket for microsoft. The penalty should be stiffer.

I'd be interested in filing a complaint regarding their procedures regarding the computer sales market, how pretty much all PCs come with their product and their "tax" regardless of whether or not you want it. THAT is a complaint worth filing. I am being FORCED to pay for a PRODUCT that I NEVER asked for nor implied that I wanted.

MSN/Windows Messenger by R0 · 2003-09-12 01:53 · Score: 3, Interesting

Is preinstalling MSN/Windows Messenger in windows illegal? And is it relevent to the judgements?

'Microsoft' and 'Opens' and 'Public' by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-12 01:53 · Score: 3, Funny

Never use the words 'Microsoft' 'Opens' and 'Public' in a headline ever again. It's very deceiving.

My brain can't handle it. I spittaked my coffee all over my keyboard.

Microsoft don't eat their own dog food. by pubjames · 2003-09-12 01:56 · Score: 3, Interesting

I just found this very entertaining table on Netcraft:

http://www.atrc.net.pk/news/microsoft_london_lin ux _hosted.html

It shows that Microsoft use Linux to deliver their web site content to Europe.

If there was ever a good way to convince your PHB that Linux is a capable system, this must be it. Email that link to your PHB today!

Re:Microsoft don't eat their own dog food. by SmallFurryCreature · 2003-09-12 04:04 · Score: 2, Insightful

Well actually akamai uses linux not microsoft. Microsoft has just hired a company to "host" some of their stuff and that company uses linux. Akamai provides web hosting to big companies.
So why does MS use them? Well with the latest worm posed to attack an MS site MS decided to not risk this site going down and instead hired this company to provide caching/mirroring/proxy in such abundance that the worm couldn't possibly take the site down.
So yes it is kinda funny that MS faced with an attack caused by a bug in their own software saw the need to use linux, be it through a third party, to rescue their sites. But MS does not use linux.
MS just doesn't thrust its own solutions to stand up to an attack. But this is easily defended. MS is a software company, not a webhosting firm. Oh wait, MSN is. Never mind.
Oh and no I am not defending MS. I just prefer to laugh at them for the proper reasons. Truth is always more entertaining then fiction.

--

MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

Left them a comment... by rongage · 2003-09-12 01:58 · Score: 5, Interesting

If you go to http://www.microsoft-antitrust.gov/contactus.asp you will find that they have a nice little web form for commentary to them.

For example, my comment to them...

It's pretty darned ironic that your department has chosen to host a website on Microsoft Windows 2000 and Internet Information Services. Was this a deliberate choice on your part to help demonstrate the monopoly power of Microsoft, or did you genuinely no know that you had several no-cost (acquisition wise) choices available to you?

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Ron Gage - Westland, MI

Best viewed with Mozilla link by bluGill · 2003-09-12 02:11 · Score: 2, Informative

Start here.

End of life issues by jwjcmw · 2003-09-12 02:18 · Score: 4, Interesting

My company develops windows applications, and one thing we are running into is the end of life issues.

Right now NT4 has reached the end of its support, and will be end-of-life next June. There are still many corporate environments where NT4 is the norm, and many of them aren't going to be changing anytime soon. This makes it hard for a developer who wants to create a product that works on NT4 through XP, as there is little or no support for adding or changing the NT4 platform at MS. However, it is not a problem for MS, since if they have any problems with an application (Word, Excel, IE, etc) not working on NT4, they have the ability to ship a change to the operating system with the update to the application(probably even after the "end-of-life"). This makes it hard for developers who have to say, yes you can use our product, but you have to upgrade to a later version of Windows, where MS can just say go ahead and buy this product now...you can upgrade the operating system when you are ready. This drives more of the application use on these older systems to only using MS products.

I wonder if that aspect has ever been discussed in any of the anti-trust proceedings.

Windows Critical Update Notification by Xaroth · 2003-09-12 02:29 · Score: 5, Funny

Security Update for Microsoft Windows(KB1337N008)
Download size: 1 KB, < 1 minute
A security issue has been identified in Microsoft Windows that could allow an end-user to see information detrimental to the Microsoft Empire(tm) by allowing the user to visit certain anti-Microsoft government sites. You can help protect Microsoft by installing this update from Microsoft. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer. Read more...

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That green slime had it coming.

Oh The Irony by xanadu-xtroot.com · 2003-09-12 02:34 · Score: 4, Funny

Sometimes you just have to sit back and laugh.

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I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man,
I'm just a mortal with potential of a super man.

PCs-Windows? by Jedi1USA · 2003-09-12 02:40 · Score: 2, Interesting

So is this where I go to complain if a computer manufacturer refuses to sell me a computer without MS Windows installed, or no discount on same computer without Windows? How about enforcing refunds if the terms of the EULA are not acceptable?

Just a few thoughts.

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My old sig was REALLY stoopid.

yeah! by pyrrho · 2003-09-12 08:56 · Score: 3, Insightful

morals are stupid!

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-pyrrho

Slashdot Mirror

Microsoft-Antitrust.gov Opens for Public

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