Slashdot Mirror
Air Force Orders Up A Custom Windows Monoculture
Soulfader writes "It seems that the Air Force has not learned from the Navy's folly in single-source mammoth contracts and their attendant problems, and is now working on something similar with Dell and Microsoft. Particularly interesting is the article's assertion that the Air Force is 'fed up' with Microsoft OS problems--but not enough to switch to something else. Instead, they're going to be getting a custom 'solution' of Windows products specially configured for their use. Is this the ever-hoped-for 'good' version of Windows, or more along the line of the sucks-in-new-and-interesting-ways version of Highlander II?"
How long is this gonna last before it gets modded into oblivion? I could reply to it but... what's the point. "-1, Troll" is all too appropriate.
the layman's guide to computer science
If you are going to get up on the podium, and put on your Pharisee hat, at least have the guts to log in and post it, so we can stare at you and whistle in amazement.
Yes, Windows has caught up in terms of stability and Linux has caught up in the UI and usability department. So, where does that leave us? An expensive operating system with proprietary APIs, limited functionality, expensive application software and a free, standards-compliant operating system with open APIs and thousands of applications out of the box. Which one do you think is better?
In any typical MS story, Slashdotters have no problem jumping on the fact that IE is the swish-cheese of browsers, using OutLook _can_be_ the equivelent of handing over the keys to your computer, and that WMP is a total POS. However, when linguae sums this all up, and suggests that in a "custom" environment, more attention should be paid to obvious security issues, it's flamebait.
/. regardless of their actions.
As far as I can see, he's just calling them as he sees them. I don't know why being a MS sympathizer is suddenly becoming en vogue on