Slashdot Mirror
Dvorak on Microsoft Confusing the Market
DigitalDame2 writes "With news of there being 7 Vista editions, PC Magazine Columnist John C. Dvorak takes a hilarious spin on the different Vistas with some recommendations of his own. How about the Vista Porn Edition? All the great porn sites would be pre-bookmarked. Gamer Case-Mod Edition? It can be ultraoptimized for games with a blinking hard-drive light. You can even go as far as the Microsoft Vista for Costco Customers: the Cheaper Edition."
It doesnt seam to me that all these different versions are much different than what has been done in the past. I just helped my girlfriend buy a laptop online, and she had the choice between XP Home, Media, and Professional. And that doesnt start to cover any of the current server operating systems.
If Microsoft is doing anything confusing with Vista, they have been doing the same thing with XP and Windows Server for years.
-- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
How many versions of XP are there? Aren't there already like 7 versions?
Why does it matter how many versions there are?
I thought having more choice was good rather than having some sort of be all end all version that takes extra time/space to install for features that most will never use.
When people step into a ford dealership to buy a car - I suppose they get all confused on what all the models are.
"So why is the f-150 bigger than that escort? Aren't they both Fords?"
"Do they all have 4 wheels or more?"
"Whaddya mean I get get it in diesal or Gas or Hybrid"?
_ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!
Looking at the screenshots for Office 12, perhaps they could make Vista Uniform Edition, where all the programs look the same! :O
Too much to ask? :(
What am I not getting here?
* How about Vista Dvorak edition, automatically spouting bullshit every few days?
Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
An excellent description of all the various flavors of Vista and their respective features and intended niches can be found here.
Do you mean all of the beta versions that 3rd parties are guessing will exist, or did they actually go into the future to get this information?
As of this point, "Vista" is still very much in early Beta. It hasn't been released to the public as a finished product, and hasn't come anywhere near being finalized, I'm sure. What's the point of punditizing something that doesn't even exist, and will probably still change substantially between it's current beta and final release? That's like critiquing next year's pop bands today.
I don't respond to AC's.
Surely people aren't so stupid as to be confused by 7 different types of Windows Vista. If someone had done a similar article about the number of Linux distros out there, would it have been posted on the front page of slashdot? Sure, Microsoft is a power-hungry greedy company convicted of monopolistic activities, but this is going a bit far.
I hereby propose some legitimate reasons to bash Microsoft:
1) They refuse to play nice with Open Source developers.
2) They actively seek to destroy any competition, regardless of whether the competition is actually helping the computer community or not.
3) They are promoting legislation that will change patent law from "first to invent" to "first to file."
Those are all (I think) legitimate complaints against Microsoft. Calling Microsoft "nutty" for releasing 7 versions of an OS is rather stupid and petty. I have no doubt that the average person can simply read a chart that has little checks next to "features" and decide which of the 7 they want. This will actually help people, I think, because it will prevent people from getting extraneous software that might increase their risk of attack.
People often complain about Microsoft bundling too many things in their OS and how there's a lack of flexibility, and now they complain because Microsoft is "too" flexible and might "confuse" the poor ignorant user who is incapable of choosing between 7 different forms of Vista.
Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.
The people I REALLY feel sorry for are the poor fucktards supporting applications on Windows. As it is, you already have to ask through multiple generations of Windows OSes. Plus you have to differentiate between two forms of Windows XP. Now imagine chucking SEVEN VERSIONS of Vista into this as well!
God! It's going to be fucking carnage!
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
and would that "true merged OS be windows 2000 Professional, Server, Advanced Server, or Datacenter Server?
Is it just me, or is Dvorak sub-par when compared to most of the other bloggers out there cracking wise about tech issues?
He was so much more interesting before there was Livejournal.
Even Jesus hates listening to Creed.
Vista seems to be a somewhat intelligent extension of this, with an ultimate edition (does need to be activated separately) to draw the pirate's interest away from the corporate edition (one OS to rule them all).
On the other hand, I don't know if it will really matter. Either Ultimate will be cracked quickly, or pirates will resign themselves to using the corporate edition like before.
But you're right, that's a crazy idea.
Just because it is anti-Microsoft doesn't make it funny. I mean... that article just isn't funny. At all. Seriously.
eg... Thats funny, this article wasn't even mildy amusing.
On a side note, Now I have 9 different Windows OS, 10 Office Suites, not to buy.
Many Linux Distros = Good
You miss the point entirely.
Choice is a good thing, unless the choices are Evil, Hobbled Evil, Crippled Evil, Evil for Tykes. Corporate Evil, or Mom & Pop Evil.
OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
Unifying the versions was never about The One SKU. It was about maintaining a single codebase, so that effort could be spent improving the latest version of Windows instead of propping up an OS far past its prime.
Possible themes: Dyslexia - word processors jumble words instead of correcting them Tourrets - random errors and popups containing obscenities ADD - programs constantly lose/change focus
Will the bias and double standards against Microsoft ever stop?
While I am no fan of MS, I get tired of the constant default criticisms aimed at MS everytime they do something.
First, look at how many versions of XP MS was forced to implement.
While MS started off with an ideal Home and Pro versions, then the OEM Media Center and Tablet Edition, they were forced by governments and the European Union to implement a stripped down version (N) version for both Home and Pro, as well as pretty much been forced to implement a stripped down version of XP for developing countries. This means there are 8 versions of XP around.
Mostly this was FORCED on MS by governments and consumer backlash.
So, MS takes the initiative to try and please ALL the special interest groups and take a pre-emptive stike against future government hassles by offering a range of products that MS are ALREADY FORCED to impelement in XP. The difference is the MS is doing this WILLINGLY!
Also, confusing the market? Every try and pick out a Linux distro? 30+ versions, multiple GUI interfaces, which Kernel to run, 2.4 or 2.6 and which subversion is stable or powerful. Countless number of GNU shareware plauging Linux with cryptic names starting with G? If MS is confusing end users, then what hope does Linux ever have of becoming a mainstream OS.
If anyone will shine above all this will be Apple. With there limited choice in hardware and 2 flavours of OSX (Server and Not Server), if anyone is confused by MS and Linux, then they will flock to the Apple platform.
Hey, I think it is dumb that there needs to be 7 versions of an OS, but the EU and consumers pretty much brought this on themselves with all the countless numbers of lawsuits and government pressure. Microsoft is just giving you what you want!
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
People seem to forget: every new computer will come with Vista. That alone will put it all over the place in a very short time.
Free Hans!
Hmm.. I don't know why thy don't simply offer the extra features as feature packs. Well, ok, I do know. People are much more likely to buy "the best" version of anything they buy, and a lot less likely to buy "add-ons".
It's strange, they'll ask themselves "Why do I need that?" for an add-on, but will think "What won't I get if I buy the lower level edition?" of the main product.
Microsoft must have a whole team of psychologists out there.
If you need web hosting, you could do worse than here
surely, people are aware that Muddy Waters and whoever else used the phrase were referring to the aphorism "a rolling stone gathers no moss" it predates all of them.