Slashdot Mirror
Vista May Put Anti-Spyware Companies Out
Ant wrote to mention a C|Net article with an interesting premise: Windows Vista's tough approach to spyware may put anti-spyware companies out of business. From the article: "While this may be good news for buyers of Vista, it is not for anyone who makes a living from selling anti-spyware software. The worldwide market has boomed recently, reaching $97 million in revenue in 2004, up 240.4 percent from a year earlier, according to IDC. However, companies such as Webroot Software and Sunbelt Software are in for tough times, analysts said."
didn't msft put anti-spyware companies into business in the first place?
msft giveth, msft taketh away.
un burrito me trampeó.
If you are in business just because another company sells crappy products to lots of people you dont deserve to stay in business forever.
How dare Microsoft enhance the security of their product, putting poor companies that thrive on the shortcomings of Windows out of business?!?!
I, guess?
But will the program I write be able to?
Heck, will anything non-MS-approved be able to?
Really hope so. Anti-* companies shouldn't really exist.
I thought it was still running Internet Explorer?
You better watch out, there may be dogs about . .
Every version of windows since Windows NT was supposed to be better and more secure. Unfortunately that wasn't the case as we all know. How about we hold off on the hyperbole until Vista ships one of these days and we see how it actually works, not how some marketdroid claims it will.
If thou see a fair woman pay court to her, for thus thou wilt obtain love
For every unstoppable wall of protection, some jackass'll find a way around it. It's only a matter of time.
i don't care.
any company based on fixing something that shouldn't of happened in the first place has a fundamentally flawed business plan anyway.
if a company is founded based on the idea of eliminating something, then the business plan needs to take into account the chances of the company achieving its goal... eliminating things... or the need for it to eliminate anything becoming unnecessary.
im sorry, but i really don't care.
The only thing microsoft is tough on is stains, though oh so gentle on carpet. Wait, that's Bissel. That's right MS is tough on network administrators.
Does this sig remind you of Agatha Christie?
I have a hard time feeling sympathy for anti-spyware companies. I mean, if crime ended tomorrow, the police would have to get different jobs. It is unfortunate, but it's a small price to pay compared to the benefits. And it's not like Americans would throw the resulting money away, we'd spend it on something else, so the overall economy shouldn't suffer.
I don't see SpamAssassin fading away any time soon. So I wouldn't put any bets on on spyware companies (anti- or pro-) dying out.
Yeah, right!
>>Anti-Spyware Companies Out
And Spyware Companies In?
Seriously, after big promises by Bill G long time back, if the existing security/tackling of spyware in Windows OS is what they have to show for, I am not convinced.
We will come to know better only when first Vista owned by Joe goes online! I don't believe any claims of securities from MS any more. We have heard it before.
that's where slownewsday tag comes handy :)
#
#\ @ ? Colonize Mars
#
Most people will not be able to upgrade to Vista due to the obsurd hardware requirements it demands. Also, when Microsoft integrates an tool such as Anti-Spyware or, as in the case of XP, the ability to handle ZIP files, they usually only offer the most basic of features. Third-party solutions tend to offer a more complete solution.
I've recently downloaded MS Defender, which I take it is the new moniker for their antispyware programme. Cross checking MS antispyware against LavaSoft has caught only one piece of spyware MS antispyware missed.
So, as infrequently as I say it, Good on you MicroSoft!
"Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature."
Cohen
...have no security holes, immunity to viruses and a free back of crack when you buy "Vista: High Flyer" version.
This is known as the Browk Window theory in Economics - that is, by running around breaking windows I create work for glaziers.
:)
In actual fact were the windows not being broken the resources could be put to better use elsewhere - the time of the labourer and the money spent could be used to grow the economy rather than in the mantainance of existing infrastructure which is an activity that adds zero to the bottom line.
In this case not needing spyware companies will allow the workers and the capital emplyed to go and do something more efficent, in economic terms... such as innovating new and better spyware, seeing as how well Microsoft's other security related announcements have worked out
Beep beep.
God forbid an OS publisher does something to prevent malicious software.
Do they mean the same way that SQL Server put Oracle out? And Windows 200 killed Linux? Come, come - what utter twaddle. The "spyware/piss-you-off-ware" concocters will just shift paradigm.
Did you know my dad's dog died?
With some luck Vista will block the current spyware, but it's only a matter of time until someone finds their way around it again. It's still Microsoft, for God's sake, when have they managed to secure something for the last time? And once there is spyware leaking through, the anti-spyware companies come in again because you can hardly rely on MS to handle it in a timely fashion, given their track record.
Make something foolproof, and someone will make better idiots. Make something spyware-proof, and someone will program better spyware.
And if they don't, then the spyware will survive, whether it be as a nifty screensaver or as a game* or a form filling bot or anything else.
If the MD of a large company wants to run something, whos going to stop him?
*Please note to play this game, you must instruct your security system to allow our connections, because we need to email your highscores between your friends!
liqbase
Well, even free anti-crudware wasn't able to put paid for anti-crudware companies out of business and why would miscreants suddenly stop writing crudware anyway?
Why stop now, just when I'm hating it?
Oh well, what the hell...
when I see it.
Microsoft has been promising the moon and been delivering old moldy cheese for years. This sounds like a thinly veiled advertisement for MS - is anybody really going to cry that they don't have to run x+1 spyware detectors anymore?
But, MS has been reluctant to close all the holes in their system due to backwards compatibility, I believe? Things like ActiveX, that leave holes open for abuse. How did they get around this?
Just because it can't be expected to last, doesn't mean it's flawed. Businesses need to adapt, and if a market for fixing broken products opens, it's sensible to meet that market before it goes away (so long as they don't spend too much in NRE).
...and that's because I'll have to.
OK, MS, you've got security licked. Now about this paying my firstborn Windows and then again for Office, licensing, EULA issues and this bit about being forced to register my software and not being able to swap out stuff on my box without calling you guys?
Nah, it's still a pass.
Not.
While SP2 did a good job of doing the bare minimums (root/admin demotion and forcing firewalling), Microsoft has consistently demonstrated a casual approach to security, despite their claims to the contrary.
Don't short Symantec stock (but perhaps do it to McAfee if they continue to send out virus identifications that include Excel) or any of the rest. People will get email viruses, port 80/surfing bugs, and a myriad of other problems with Vista. It's been already demonstrated that the kernel code delta isn't that huge-- again, despite claims to the contrary that it's a NASA-level budgeted project. NASA continues to drop them in the drink, too.
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
Vista's anti spyware tools will put anti spyware companies out of business just like XP's firewall has put zone labs out of business... hang on...
One piece of missed spyware is still too many. That piece of malware could have potentially stolen your credit card number, transmitted sensitive files, or done any other of a number of very harmful activities.
To suggest that Microsoft's efforts are somehow "good" because they one miss one piece of spyware is very misleading, and also a very dangerous claim to make.
Just like Windows95 Put AntiVirus companies out of business because Win95 was the end to Viruses. Don't people remember anything anymore ? This is called "marketing"
echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb572CCB9AE9DB03273snlbxq' |dc
FTFA:
:/
"...said John Pescatore, an analyst with Gartner. "We got a handle on spam. It still gets through, but it is such a small percentage now..."
if spyware is going the way of spam, there's no end in sight.
more FTFA:
"...Also, Internet Explorer 7, included with Vista, will prevent silent installs of malicious code by stopping the browser from writing data anywhere except in a temporary files folder..."
that's why wmf didn't affect vista. oh wait, it did.
Not if you don't buy it.
The purchases you make/don't make today, form the options we have tomorrow.
Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
Windows is just a big open target. Even if Vista patches every single hole; xp, 2000, nt40, nt3.51 ME 98 and 95 are still totally open and vulnerable to attack because the products have been end of lifed.
Truth is, a lot of people still use the outdated O/S's. There is tons of excuses why they do, everything from "it runs better" to "I don't want MS peeking in my nono spot" to "my old programs won't run on the new systems"
So these old O/S's will still supply sustainable income for the anti spyware companies because MS will not support them anymore.
Vista will still be a major target for spyware makers though because it will have a large install base. I doubt MS will be able to continuously keep up with the spywares creators.
At least not anytime soon, though it will limit some of their market. How many people are still running Win95, 98, ME, and 2000?
Now, maybe Microsoft Defender/Antispyware might do it, since those run on older MS OS's.
-- Having a Creationist Museum is like having an Atheist place of worship
This happens a lot in politics, for example. See the modern versions of NAACP, NOW, MADD...
Every version of windows ever released was hyped as more secure. We all know how that turned out.
Personally, I can't wait for Vista, because once it's released and exploited as much or more than XP or 2000 ever was, it just might cause the critical mass of awareness to finally expose MSFT to the masses for what they really are.
As long as Micro$oft contemplates purchasing companies which produce spyware (Claria), you are going to need another anti-spyware product to remove M$ endorsed Spyware...
Excuses Are Like Assholes - Everybody's Got One
Um, that's exactly what they're doing with Vista...
Becuase Microsoft is a convicted monopolist, so Microsoft is required to bend over for every other company to allow them to profit.
If Microsoft starts putting Spyware and Spyware removal companies out of business by making their operating system incompatible with spyware applications or removing the need for anti-spyware addons, this would be a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and may result in the forced breakup of Microsoft as this would clearly be anti-competitive behavior.
Microsoft, first of all, has very intimite details on every possible attack vector to their OS (even if they will never be able to code them closed without completely rewriting the entire OS). They also have statistics, i would assume, from every Billy Bob Computer User calling them to complain about "windows popping up trying to sell me webcams". They are at a distinct advantage here. Of course the other anti-spyware companies are screwed.
--The universe will not be altered by forum threads, even those which are very wry. --Tycho Brahe (Penny Arcade)
The reason that spyware targets MSWN is that it's where the market is. Vista may help for a while, but once enough people use it, spyware will target it, and eventually the problems will build to the current level. I have no pity for Microsoft: the advantages of being Microsoft far outweigh the negatives; when they start throwing money at something, they know there will always be more.
For now, anyway. If, someday down the line, MS is replaced by another corporate monster, said monster will become the newest target. In any field dominated by code, there will always be people who are willing and able to develop code that exploits some loophole, and every development that closes a loophole will open another.
"Tu fui, ego eris" - Virgil
It has been said that the biggest competiors to Windows XP are ealier versions of windows. That said, I would safely assume that most PC's will continue to run versions of windows that predate Vista. These machines will need constantly updated antivirus and antispyware programs. So why worry?
Existence of anti-(insert pest name) software company is inevitable. To expect otherwise is to expect perfection where none exists. Certainly Vista will make anti-pest software business environment more ... challenging. But till Microsoft achieve perfection, that market segment is not going away, not by a long shot.
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
The business plan may be wrong (unethical) but as to wrong, well they are STILL the dominant OS vendor. I have yet to see anything that MS has done wrong with windows SIGNIFICANTLY affect their market share.
As bad as windows has been and may continue to be, unless people can't play their games or surf the web I seriously doubt any problem in Vista will slow it's sales.
I couldn't help but add one...
Every version of Windows has been "conceived during the toughest times for Microsoft with regards to malicious software".
I still remember booting Win3.1 boxes from a floppy to get rid of the boot sector viruses.
Enderle knows nothing of security. Just because someone wrote some code during a rash of exploits does not mean that their code is any more secure.
Just like they did with Windows XP...
This is the time when the business-minded and trechnically competent among us should make a kick ass anti-spyware, distribute it free , well may be with that optional google toolbar, may be even label IE as a security risk and recommend removal, and so on...grab the market.
ok it sounded much easier in my head. anyway to continue.
wait for vista. prove that MS new OS breaks the app, and gives a new alternative bundled. (if the app is any good, MS will probably be kind enough to make a good enough case for that - the breaking the app part)
Sue for the anti-trust crap.
Profit!!!
It's not too surprising. For Vista to keep a clean system clean is a much easier task than cleaning up messed up systems of spyware. There are only a handful of places that spyware can insert itself -- the various startup folders, registry keys, services, drivers etc. Vista doesn't have to recognize the individual spyware, it just has to flag suspicious changes that aren't digitally signed by known companies and then provide a good interface for the end user to disable (or renable) them. Somewhat like the "TeaTimer" tool that SpyBot provides (which is great, BTW).
Those companies will just find another hole in Windows and another way to make loyal customers pay for their mistake in buying the product in the first place. It's a win-lose situation for the customer, no matter how good Microsoft claims Vista to be.
But, from TFA:
Emphasis added. It's that line that tells me that they're not going to fix the core problem.
The "silent installs" in IE are a MAJOR source of spyware infections. But that's just because it is sooooooo easy. The "...without first seeking permission." bit tells me that the "silent installs" will be changed to "click here to continue" installs.
The browser should NEVER write anything, by default, to ANY directory other than TEMP and that should be set to non-execute.
But that would break all the ActiveX controls out there (many of which are used to distribute spyware).
They'd have done better just instituting a white list like NoScript does in FireFox.
Yes, I agree that just repeating what the parent said merits a +3 Funny...
Look before you mod, people.
"May evil beware, and may good dress warmly and eat plenty of fresh vegetables." -The Tick
Not that I care as Linux user, but since when does MS make secure stuff?
I predict the oposite, I think that more than one virus will be propegated the week that Vista comes out.
I think that the security companies will have a booming time with Vista.
MS's business structure and ethics can't allow security to work, ever.
I can't believe the tone people are taking here against anti-spyware companies. There was a profile of the makers of Spybot S&D here in German TV last week. They started it because they were sick of spyware. These are the people who made the products that are helping a lot of people who got infected because they used sucky MS products. (Linux trolls be quiet, a high percentage of people can't even handle Windows, how would they survive with Linux). But somehow they're being portrayed as evil, money-hungry assholes. They're not Symantec, they're just small companies who I believe still have a lot of honesty in them.
If I were an anti-spyware maker, I'd be doing it because of my hate against spyware at first, and I'd be happy if MS can deliver it's promise with Vista. Afterwards I'd find another line of work, surely there are more interesting things to do (and products to create) than being frustrated at trying to clean up after yet another MS mess-up and Gator's/Claria's/etc's exploitation of it.
What time is it/will be over there? Check with my iPhone app!
Um, isn't pretty much because of Windows' all-around crappiness that anti-spyware applications are even necessary? So, in typical MS fashion, they will treat the symptoms, not the disease and gain a whole new source of revenue in the process! The really sad part is, clueless Windows users will buy it hook, line and sinker.
What incentive does MS even have to keep the OS secure now that they have an "anti-spyware" service to sell?
Karma Schmarma
I don't see how this news? Microsoft will package an anti-spyware with Vista... it doesn't mean it's going to be all that great... it's not because IE is included into windows that no one uses alternative browsers... and M$ anti-spyware will not fix any hole but just clean up the shit... the main reason of the spyware problem is the user having to much power and being stupid... not m$
...sorry to be an ignoramus, but who?
As far as I'm concerned, if M$ are closing holes that shouldn't really be there, that's a Good Thing (tm).
I mean, these same spyware companies don't make a mint off other OSes do they, so why should they piggy-back a specific one? Isn't that essentially making money from a weakness? And if the weakness is removed, well... game over I guess, until M$ falls at the next hurdle and people make cash out of it. I mean, Mr. Norton seems to have had it quite easy for a while now...
Yes, that's true. However, I'm not sure why you're associating unstoppable protection with microsoft products; they've never earned such an accolade, that I'd heard of.
If you are in business just because another company sells crappy products to lots of people you dont deserve to stay in business forever.
...
(1) Microsoft makes junk
(2) Other companies compensate to "un-junk" Microsoft
(3) Microsoft finally gets its act together
(4)
(5) Bankrupt!
Perhaps this is expected, but I'd hardly call it "fair". There have been companies that have based their business model on the above (Quarterdeck is a good example) and while I understand they can't expect to stay in business forever, it isn't "fair" that they should be driven out of business by a recalcitrant monopoly that uses its market position to eclipse their efforts.
What would be "fair" is for Microsoft to be driven out of business for making crap in the first place.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
I feel so sorry for them... :S and who knows if some of those aren't made so the antispyware can have profit....
As for Windows security, I honestly think there should be exceptions of what Microsoft can bundle or not to maintain a good security. Yes, one can joke all day about security problems requiring tools like these in the first place, but Windows is a common OS, a huge hacker target, and now that this is the situation, I think MS should be allowed to include these kind of tools as an exception to software competition regulations.
I really don't mind if Microsoft would similarly put Windows antivirus companies "out of business" either. Yes, sucks to be them, but security is among the most important aspects of an operating system, and as important to me when I use an OS as basically the GUI itself.
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
I can't see Vista putting Webroot out of business any time soon, as the newly released MSN 9.2 includes a free version of the SpySweeper software.
There are a lot of creative people out there who will probably find new ways to hack Vista and IE7, and even bypass Windows Defender. All of these new hacks will lead to patches and fixes for Vista, IE7 and/or Defender.
I kinda can't wait for Vista SP1, which will inevitably come out, to see if "The spyware threat will definitely shrink or shrivel" actually comes true or not, as well as "It will be under control".
Respect the laws of physics, for the laws of physics have no respect for you.
I have had the personal misfortune of being in a situation where I am required, not only to service their SpySweeper brand of products, but to recommend them like the best thing since the transistor to anyone who walks through the doors of the place I work.
SpySweeper is the reason we have to beg people to purchase more RAM with their computers -- the software is the most bloated out of anything I have ever seen, with an enormous skinned window, obnoxious popups, and about 3 or 4 services which it invokes. All told, the software is singularly responsible for about a 20% performance drop in day-to-day activities, on brand new machines.
Not only that, but it routinely misses upwards of 10% of spyware I've noted.
I pray for the day it goes by the wayside.
Ditch the Experts: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_arc hive/2006/02/06/8367977/index.htm
Pretty clear, eh?
Help stamp out iliturcy.
Its pretty much a given they Microsoft will be hacked on no matter what they do, frankly. I suppose if Bill's charities do the impossible and solve world poverty and hunger, people will be complaining that he has put World Vision out of business... embrace and extend baby!
Blessed are the 1337, for they shall pwn the earth.
Spyware should have never existed in the first place. But thanks to Microsoft, we can all enjoy the industries of Spyware and Anti-Spyware.
Microsoft created the need for these companies to exist. The near destruction of that need is a side effect of MS finally learning that security is part of the development process.
But as long as there is Windows, there will be a need for 3rd party Windows security software.
My prediction is that Vista is going to be just as shitty as all the rest of their releases. They wont put spyware-companies out of business.. they didn't with XP, and they wont with Vista. This is just another bloated "full of features!" release--more shit people dont need.
Don't let someone else decide what you should read, here is this thread presented in a continuous fashion that displays all posts so that you can decide what you should or should not read, not someone else:
e shold=-1&mode=nested&commentsort=0&op=Change
http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=180659&thr
for picking the submission that spins it so Micosoft is taking away honest jobs, rather than attempting to stop spyware.
Christ. I bet people like zonk would love to see microsoft forced to decouple its OS from any kind of security measures because it would be "unfair competition".
This is just wishful thinking on the part of Microsoft me thinks. Most of you are talking as if they'll actually be able to do such a thing. Fools.
They said simalar about AV companys when XP was coming out. Microsofts staff VS 1 zillion guys wanting to sell your "surfing habits" to anyone and everyone. Work it out in man-hours :(
I SHALL RAIN DOWN MISSILES-IN-A-BUN ON YOUR PITIFUL CITY'S!
Windows 2k, Xp, et al, still exist. And Microsoft drops support for them in the few years, so surely more $$$ for companies like this, no?
Socialism, populism, communism .. whatever it's called these days is forgets all about the individual and forces everyone to follow what the mob wants. Socialism says to hell with God given individual rights and individualism.
.. lots more are given out as loans .. to build houses ..produce cheap energy ... infrastructure .. farms whatever. These are things people need and therefore will work to provide each other. Of course the government then comes in and stops people from building houses or starting their own business in the name of some false ideal (environmentalism?).
..which is meant to hurt people (because that's illegal).
.. most people will never understand this crap.
The beauty of capitalism is that greedy people with good ideas can be successful and help society. For example, just by being rich and having a lot of cash in the bank. For every dollar that's in the bank
People should have the right to sell whatever they want, to whoever they want. Obviously as long as it's not something whacko
Anyway whatever
It's not like every copy of Windows will be upgraded to Vista overnight. And from what I've heard so far, there will be plenty of reasons *not* to upgrade (DRM, etc).
What's more, it's stupid to simultaneously underestimate the resourcefulness of the spyware industry, underestimate user stupidity, and overestimate Microsoft's likelyhood of success in this area.
So no, Vista is not a threat to the anti-spyware business.
Read the post moron- why doesn't Microsoft secure the OS properly and put the spyware companies out of business?
Preventing crime puts the police out of business.
Curing cancer puts cancer researchers out of business.
Finding the fountain of youth puts coroners out of business.
Does C|Net think we ought to surrender to crime, cancer, and death to save these precious industries too?
Yes, I agree that just repeating what the parent said merits a +3 Funny...
Look before you mod, people.
Maybe this will free up some store shelf space for applications that actually do something.
Now if we could just clear the shelves of anti-virus software...
Virus writers - not the script kiddies but the true originators - are *very* clever people. Dont under-estimate them. Their motives may be unclear but their intelligence, not.
Open Source Drum Kit, LPLC deve board - mjhdesigns.com
Come on. Really, if MS does something right and kills spyware/adawre, I'd consider it an acceptable loss to put Lavasoft et al out of business.
Heck, I'd love it if they made Norton, McAfee, etc AntiVirus obsolete, too.
But I know it's not going to happen.
Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
The purpose of that site was not known.
Vista! It's the magical sensation that's sweeping the nation!
It'll cut your grass, butter your toast, change your oil and clean your carpets! It cures hiccups, insomnia, the common cold, reduces appetite and increases libido! It'll put pep in your step and glide in your stride! It drives your bowling score up and golf scores down! It's the fabulous, wondrous, indescribable, indisputable, hi-res, low-cal, magic-bullet you absolutely must own!
Isn't Vista supposed to be able to run on only circa 2006 computers? Lots of people still run Windows 98 and will continue to do so. A PII/Windows 98 computer makes for a quite usable word processor and non-video web surfing system, as the innumerable "old computers for charity" Slashdot articles attest to.
Remember that virus/spyware scanner microsoft was giving away? the one where some big spyware/adware (gator or it's parent company, I forget.) paid microsoft to list their junk as low risk? I'm sure it'll be just as secure as their certificate system or passport.
although they'll probably just buy lavasoft or the makers of spybot S&D.
A: Because spyware exists.
Q: Why does spyware exist?
A: Because Windows, by default (not talking about all you "you-can-make-windows-secure" types), is wide open to attack. That may sound a little flame-ish, but look back at all the stories about how Windows can get owned within 10 minutes before you mod me into nothing.
Having said all that, if MS can put anti-malware software out, I hope it's because Windows has improved to the point where it's not needed. If so, I will more than welcome the change. It's kind of like folks being upset when the car put put the horse and buggy. Things change, obsolescence happens. Life goes on.
I saw it on Slashdot, it must be true!
It is always risky to base your entire business off of the flaws of another entity. As soon as that entity gets their act together, your business is in trouble. The smart anti-spyware companies will have diversified their revenue sources by now so that if Vista turns out to be so secure as to nullify profits that can be made by anti-spyware products, they'll be ok.
Faith is a willingness to accept something w/o complete proof and to act on it. Reason allows you to correct that faith.
Hey moron, if they're putting the anti-spyware companies out of business, that obviously means there won't be any spyware for them to fight.
This, for once, isn't Microsoft using their power to muscle people out of a business. Anti-spyware companies exist to patch a hole in Microsoft's products. Of course Microsoft want to solve this problem. And if they do, fair play to them.
Vista May Put Anti-Spyware Companies Out?
Visual Studio? I Guess I Don't Need Another IDE
Microsoft Office Eliminates Any Need For Another Office Suite!
Windows 98 To Put End To Browser Wars!
Windows 3.1's Solitaire Decimates Solitaire Software Industry
DOS 5 Shell Spells End Of Midnight Commander
Please, for the good of Humanity, vote Obama.
As I have said many times before here at /., Gates and M$ finds something someone else is doing that is profitable then move in and suck all the oxygen out of the space and leave nothing but corpses behind. They engineer the same features and embed it into the fabric of Windows making it supposedly impossible to remove without 'breaking' Windows(tm). Then they pay huge sums to lawyers to trample any complaints and life goes on with the masses cooing and drooling over 'new' features and eye candy as they are force marched into ever more restrictive (and expensive) licensing structures and hardware requirements.
Too lazy to create a sig...
You don't seem many anti-spyware programs for that platform now, do you?
Now that is innovation.
I seem to remember a big deal about how MS had some new amazing tech that going to kill off all spam. Well, I don't know about you, but I'm still seeing a shitload of it. So what does that make me think when they say they kill off spyware? NOT LIKELY!!
Meh.
As far as I'm concerned, all Microsoft has to do to fix many of their security problems is STOP ALLOWING USERS TO RUN THEIR ACCOUNTS AS ADMINISTRATORS!!!!!!
Some may say, "But that decreases the usability of the system. Users don't want that." I ask, "Which do you think users prefer? An occasional 2-second password dialog box OR constant popups coupled with datamining programs taking up 99% of their CPU?" It is amazing how powerful as simple password dialog box that pops up whenever you make system changes can be.
Hopefully Vista will implement this. If it does, kudos to the MS team.
Faith is a willingness to accept something w/o complete proof and to act on it. Reason allows you to correct that faith.
"Unlike XP, Vista will run by default with fewer user privileges. People will have to invoke full, "administrator," privileges to perform tasks such as installing an application."
So MS is finally using the same (tried and true) scheme that *nix has been using for the last 30+ years? State of the art, if you ask me...
Windows 2k is a vast improvement over NT 4, and XP is an improvement over 2k (albeit a marginal one, but still an improvement). I don't deal with servers, but 2k3 is suppose to be a pretty large step up from XP. No, Microsoft isn't going to fix everything at once. They'd spend a ton of money doing it and kill the upgrade market in the process. What they're hoping now is to kill the hobbiest and upgrade market, and make everyone go to OEMs for their hardware, while moving everyone to a subscription model for software. That way your constantly paying for software meanwhile the hardware to run the old stuff is off the market.
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
I don't think they need to worry one bit. I can't see MS as being competent to thwart spyware.
I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
Either all the reporters over at C|Net are getting payola from Microsoft for writing favorable articles or the reporters are so bad they should not be reporting on the tech industry.
Their glowing articles about Microsoft turn out to be wrong, their hit pieces on Apple turn out to be wrong, do they ever get anything right? They are starting to make meteorologists look like psychics.
How is anti spyware a buissness? Doesn't everyone just use Ad-aware and Spybot?
~= scwizard =~
...they acquire whichever company that owns the most promising third-party solution that can be rebranded quickly as Microsoft's own.
..and countless others
R.I.P. GIANT AntiSpyware
R.I.P. GeCAD Software (Anti-virus)
R.I.P. Connectex Virtual PC
R.I.P. NSCA Mosaic
And keeping with the Mafia metaphor, putting your competitors out of business or buying their business are ways to ensure the Mafia's monopoly.
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, START
So yeah, Vista will solve all the spyware and virus problems, we promise, please don't buy a Mac in the mean time!
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
What makes you think M$ has it's act together this time?
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
If you bought a car from a company and it was a complete lemon would you go back to same the company and buy new car a few years later and buy another lemon? Let alone to go back after that, and that....
How in the hell is Microsoft still in business?
That is it, I am going to start selling polished turds on a stick. They will love it when I finally transition from turds->rotten corpse->mud->something that resembles meat.
You bought that one, hook line and sinker, didn't you? A system with reasonable security needs no virus checker. Microsoft's purchase of one or two virus checking software firms is no where near a "security enhancement". The only difference is that M$ will start to break all the other company's work, which is nothing the virus writers themselves don't already do. In other words, the only change is that M$ seeks to capture a large portion of the $97,000,000 spent on "security enhancements".
I'm waiting for the day they announce they are going into the boner pill market. Imagine the Microsoft Boner Pill. They will call it "MS Hard" and get a trade mark on the word Hard. Then no one will be able to write, "securing Microsoft is very hard."
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
While the results are the same, the cases are different. In the spam case, they are working to turn the internet into the equivalent of broadcast TV, where only 3 companies have the right to spam. In the case of spyware and malware, they have simply purchased a snake oil vendor and will be breaking all the "products" of the other snake oil vendors. Those products never really worked to begin with but now they will act like poison.
Better you treat the dissease than they symptoms.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
It looks like most spyware from larger companies is going to be replaced by DRM that you're not allowed to remove (under the EULA).
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
is this news? welcome to the massive market power of microsoft
when was the last time you bought a copy of winzip?
"...and thank you for sending the Windows Vista to kill all the spyware, which you also sent."
There's a Starman, waiting in the sky / He'd like to come and meet us, but he hasn't got the time.
Why is this story even on Slashdot? Hello Zonk?
Spyware is Malware, just like Virii. But in the case of Spyware you have companies behind it and people that acutally earn money on them. There are security problems in every system. Pay people to exploit them and they will. So Mircosoft wants to put out an os that is 100% secure? With their track record on security???
Well, Slashdot also posted stories "Windows more secure than Unix".
Slashdot acutually used to be good back in the day.
You just made the knock-out argument against companies who profit from support.
All you have to do is compare "Windows Defender" (aka Microsoft Anti-Spyware) to Sunbelt Software's Counterspy and you'll see that Microsoft doesnt consider alot of things a risk that the end-user does. This is more than likely because Microsoft isn't about to put their customers out of business and please tell me you dont believe that the majority of spyware companies run everything on Linux. Both of the above products are built on the Giant Anti-Spyware engine. They are identical, however, Microsoft declares certain products as no-threat or low-threat that Counterspy shows them for what they are. There will always be a need for anti-spyware software because most won't agree with what Microsoft declares as spyware.
Sure, Vista might have some really great security, and lemme tell ya, it has great graphics, too. But that's the thing -- it DOES have great graphics. That means a lot of people are going to need to do some upgrading before they fully enjoy Vista (of course, they could always choose the crappier settings [pardon my French]) With that in mind, it's easily provable that not everyone will switch to Vista. I still know folks running Windows 9x! It's probably safe to assume that these anti-virus companies will be in business for quite some time -- the industry will simply be more competitive. (ps - sorry if someone posted this already, but I have a threshold of 3+)
Open source community: Ha ha, we are safe, since we don't make money to begin with
I know a couple people who do computer repair. They make it sound like the most they do on a majority of calls is do spyware and antivirus checks.
Our ol' buddy, Rob.
Enuff said. This is Microsoft PR fluff material.
But just in case it isn't enuff said...
If they enhance IE 7 to prevent ANY ActiveX control from working by default, it will damage the usability of the idiot Web sites that use that crap. Therefore we can KNOW that despite their claims for IE7 being enhanced to prevent writing anywhere except to temporary files, ActiveX will still be turned on by default.
Worse, there is nothing preventing IE7 from writing spyware to a temporary file, and then the spyware writing itself anywhere it wants (subject to whatever user account controls MS is also implementing.) Only by locking down the system so that NOTHING but the OS runs without first being given permission at least once can spyware be prevented - and that only if the end user understands what programs are spyware and what aren't. A lot of spyware is disguised as pointless but cute programs offering some minor functionality.
Also, a LOT of spyware today virtually takes over the OS - making the files invisible, hard to find and almost impossible to remove without System privilege, let alone Administrator privilege.
I doubt very much that Microsoft's little enhancement of end user privileges and restrictive sandboxing is going to slow down spyware one jot. There are too many hackers making money producing these things to let some MS monkeys figure out how to beat them.
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
Gosh, it's great to live here in Pleasantville, where things are just so darn KEEN!
It's about time MS used their overwhelming security expertise to address this pressing problem!. Gosh knows, now that:
- NT 3.1 solved all the BSOD problems...
- Windows 2000 given us perfectly stable drivers that never fail...
- we have a flawless and simple system for authenticode verification to prevent all those darned pirates and their stolen copies of Windows...
- and a rock solid browser like IE 6 with none of those silly security defects found in (shudder) DOWNLEVEL browsers like FireFox and Opera...
All we've been waiting for is MS to put the last bricks in the wall of total user trust and security with flawless DRM and anti-spyware!
Kudos to the Bill G and the brave, fighting lads at MS for their continuous and unflagging dedication to providing a rock-solid security combo of Win95-compatible OS, ActiveX-enabled Browser, and integrated VBA-enabled Office applications, that makes third-party anti-virus, anti-trojan, firewall, backup, and other rip-offs completely unecessary!
Yeah! And now I'm off to meet the ghost of John Lennon on his magic Yellow Submarine for a late night trip to visit Narnia!
Just how F**KING STUPID are these reporters, anyway?
Those sound like good reasons to me.
-Dave
He's got a point; look at MySpace for a dumbfounding example of said group of idiots. Hell, I'd guess that 90% of the non-porn internet is filled with idiots.
'Yes, firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'
Why would anyone write software for the MS Windows environment? Just think about it. You right the "next big thing(tm)" software, that really takes off. You are virtually guaranteed that MS will take that idea and write a competing product.
Wordstar (Wordperfect) --> Word
Visicalc (123) --> Excel
Dbase --> Access
SQLanything --> MSSQL
Pagemaker --> Publisher
Netscape --> IE
Mac OS --> Windows
OS/2 --> Windows NT
Quicken --> MS Money
Groupwise --> Exchange
Antispyware --> Malicious Software Removal Tool
Zone alarm --> Firewall
I could go on listing these but I think you get the point. I would NEVER write SW for MS, a potential advesary, if my software becomes too popular.
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
that was supposed to put em out of business also
This has been your comedy break for today. We now return you to your existence of scrubbing unending spyware off the PC of everyone who clicks on crap randomly.
That Vista will be the undoing of Microsoft. It's so massively bloated and so DRM ridden that most people will not go near it. I think there will be many who will choose a Linux desktop over an "upgrade" to Vista. It's already happening in many places.
For years Microsoft's business model has been to ship crap and then promote their new offerings as fixing all the bugs from the old crap. Once people buy it they discover that it's just more crap so they eagerly fork out more and more money for newer and newer versions. Eventually more and more people will catch on and realize that they will be much better off if they just break the cycle.
It is obscene what Microsoft has done to the computer industry. It's hard to believe that it has gone on for as long as it has.
Frederic Bastiat already summed this up perfectly in 1850 :
n _window
'Have you ever witnessed the anger of the good shopkeeper, James Goodfellow, when his careless son happened to break a square of glass? If you have been present at such a scene, you will most assuredly bear witness to the fact, that every one of the spectators, were there even thirty of them, by common consent apparently, offered the unfortunate owner this invariable consolation--"It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. Everybody must live, and what would become of the glaziers if panes of glass were never broken?"'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_broke
All those who believe MS will be sued for bundling their anti-malware with vista, raise a hand.
Tries to count the forest of arms and then (wisely) gives up.
I think the real story is the scrap heap of companies that thought they could make it selling a software solution to Microsoft's customers. Microsoft lets other companies take all of the risks and then eats them and their whole market.
--- Nothing clever here: move along now...
DRM to put p2p filesharing out of business.
Sigs? We don't need no stinking sigs!
..I can live with that.
Which is more painful? Going to work or gouging your eye out with a spoon? Find out!
http://www.workorspoon.com
who the hell buys anti-spyware products anyways?
will buy Vista in the first place. Sorry to say, I'm sticking to Windows XP Pro (legal of course). I'm also sticking with Ad-Aware to get rid of my spyware.
Salve! Of course odi, odisse is a weird little verb -- but as far as I can see, odi is acting as the first principal part, assuming he means to say "I hate." Concur with the rest. I bet the Vatican has coined a word or phrase for the Internet that could also be used. I wasn't able to find it with a quick Google, but this non-canonical page suggests internetum, -i, n.
I too have felt the cold finger of injustice.
... to sue Microsoft for making a secure OS?
NOBODY! ('cause it won't happen)
Hey, doesn't the Broken Windows fallacy fit in here somewhere?
If you disagree with me on social issues, then it's pretty clear that you are a narrow-minded bigot.
I'll add the obvious "well, when Linux or OSx runs on as many machines as Windows, we'll see how secure they are." line.
First MS Gains,then GAIN gains and now MS aGAIN.
I have run member surveys in my user group (largest in the world) for many years and each time the findings show that people take many years to upgrade their OS. Just a month ago I compiled the latest findings, which show that it has taken 5 years for 78% of our members to have Windows XP on their machines. For many ordinary users, an OS upgrade usually comes with a new PC. A lot of software companies have disappeared within five years, while others have anticipated and adapted to change.
http://www.trainsem.com/
Flying pigs put bacon makers out of business.
I'm sorry but wtf?
If the anti spyware companies didn't realise that their core business had a limited lifetime, then tough, its no point whining about it now.
----- I refuse to have an argument with an unarmed person
I'm not usually the one to say MS has done anything good, but this one is so simple.
It is because of problems in Microsoft Operating Systems that there is such a large market for anti-spyware software products. Should we now blame Microsoft for fixing these problems?
If MS has learned from their mistakes, and they are able to nearly eliminate spyware, it's good for them and for their consumers. I hope they do the same with viruses.
I can happily say that, for many years now, I have not been a MS customer.
You mean Microsoft is going to destroy a software market using its monopoly? Oh, the surprise. Quick, alert the DOJ. Oh, wait. Anyway...
I really thought that Ad-aware and Spybot were the answer - and I really didn't see any other "business". I have now understood that I'm missing something. I am still somewhat troubled; I don't see what it is I'm supposed to be missing.
Is there anybody else out there who cleans M$ machines for money using Ad-aware and Spybot (plus one or two other slick tricks) and (being a true hypocrite) runs Linux on his own machine ? If so, have you understood what I'm (we're) missing here ?
As a great man once said, "Enquiring minds want to know" . We could have a party when Vista ships - why not ? I really don't think we're going to loose too much income.
How many beans make five, anyhow ?
It won't matter to Sunbelt: they'll just keep making money
from the spamming side of their business, as they've been
doing for many years.
Don't worry - as OSX gets more popular Spyware authors have an emerging new audience to play with...
StarForce installs special drivers that allow user-level code to jump to System level. (That's even higher than Administrator, BTW.) Why does anyone think they'd do anything different in Vista? Malware will just find these kind of holes, and exploit them. And those holes will exist because even semi-legit software companies want them to.
PHEM - party like it's 1997-2003!
I use gmail since February 2005. I post my address ( alexdrud@gmail.com ) with no particular care. In last 6 months I had 2 false negatives (promptly learnt by the system) and, as far as I know, 1 false positive (I DO want to ejaculate like a porn star!!).
Spam is here to stay, but in a place different from where I am, and that's fine for me.
... due to Microsoft's bad design and implementation (and user ignorance, but that can be circumvented to at least some degree with better design and implementation).
... what makes anybody here think that OneCare, Vista (with its "completely rewritten, new" kernel and TCP/IP stack) or whatever anti-malware it is Microsoft ends up producing...
... WON'T BE EQUALLY POORLY DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED?
Just like WinXP would never need a service pack and would be bullet proof, faster than a speeding locomotive, able to leap...... Lets be realistic this is after all a Microsoft product. MSFT has more broken promisses than my Ex-boyfriend. Nothing new here folks, except a Microsoft PR Spokesperson... Yawn excuse me off to Starbucks this morning to grab a cup of life.
The way I look at it, these companies are making money off of spyware much in the same way that the makers of spyware are. I want to see spyware go away, I really hope it does. And yeah, I want it to go away even if some poor companies can't profit off of it anymore. Oh no.
It still wont stop exec's who think that plugins to add smiley faces to their email messages are just a "neat ass idea" installing spyware on purpose. It will just redefine what spyware is. Thats until the spyware creators find security holes in Vista and exploit them with, well, I dunno what we'll call it but it will still happen.
Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
Years ago some people made a living sharpening knives. That is until someone came out with the knife that never needed sharpening, and those guys are now in other businesses or not in business anymore. Thats capitalism. People tend to forget that Microsoft, indirectly, helped create lots of software industries (and made some people very rich) as a by product of it's own software's limitations. Perhaps we all remember QEMM or Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager for DOS to help ease the famous 640K memory limit. How many people do you know that still use this product?
Believe it or not, it takes a tremendous amount of engineering and time to create a software system that can withstand the kinds of abuse that Microsoft Windows has been putting up with in the last 6 years. All kinds of new ways of hacking (ie. spyware, phishing schemes, spam, etc) have come along and have been pretty much directed at one system. Hopefully, this new version of Windows will be able to counteract these problems, saving money and time for businesses that rely on Windows. If all this means some companies will be forced to come up with new ideas or go out of business well then thats unfortunate, but thats also business.
Now that Vista will be consuming CPU and RAM just as if you had a bunch of Spyware and antivirus software running, M$ no longer needs those other 3rd party 'solutions' to help drive new PC purchases...
Look at it. PCs can run SO FAST if you can simply get rid of all those bloated CPU hogs that supposedly protect your system from virii and spyware. Unfortunately most people don't know how to do so securely and end up with the other side of the coin... a bunch of CPU hogging virii and spyware... so either way, normal people don't know how fast their machines really are and eventually decide they need to upgrade to some mind-bogglingly fast system just to get the same performance we used to get from the 486 CPUs
So now M$ has Vista which will do all the CPU hogging for you but to it's credit will take care of the virii and spyware without the need for 3rd party software (and possibly do it better since it's integrated and can take advantage of those wonderful undocumented APIs).
In the end though it's a 'solution' to the problem they've always had... if a PC is fast enough and powerful enough to do everything a person needs it to do, WHY WHY would anyone ever upgrade????? Really the only thing you might want to upgrade today is the GPU for faster graphics drawing for those advanced 3D games.... but that's $200 that goes to ATI or NVIDIA not Intel and M$ so that's not a good 'solution' for M$.
A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
Then Vista will get some exposure, virus writers will actually bother looking into its vulnerabilities and release exploits, and we'll be back where we started.
Though not quite--virus writers will come to a least common denominator of vulnerabilities or start writing heterogenous vector viruses.
Seriously, how much trust can you put into one entity? Microsoft's constant efforts to do everything violates some basic security principles regarding separation of duty. I will always prefer to rely on a third party anti-spyware vendor that views Windows as a hostile environment that hackers find exploits on a daily basis, rather than Microsoft which wants believe its platform is secure and stable. (Which experience has shown is not true).
--
Luck is just skill you didn't know you had.
If you tie your horse to a POS cart, well, you've just wasted your horse. (Are the lions of my metaphor treading on the chameleons of your discretion?)
As long as we upgrade the whole planet to Vista, we can solve our spyware problem. sorry not gonna happen. Just as Bill was badmouthing the $100.00 laptop the other day, its not the final solution. After 4 years of Vista consuption is at 46%. What about the rest of the world that isnt running XP.
Same thing for Vista. A large part of the world is not going to run vista because thier gear isnt up to the task. they are going to run wha tthey can afford. Perhaps security companies need write software that runs in India (pop +1 billion), China (Pop +1 billion). Software companies are business people. Its a global market. thinking 1st world only is damn short sighted.
And then there is the small issue that microsoft is going to get their new security software right. They created the problem in the first place, you think MS is going to fix it first time out.
I think the Analysts are morons. Narrow minded american centric economic conciderations have just driven the American economy into the largest defecit in history. Yea, sign me up for that advice.
Would you *want* a secure OS from MS?
Consider the corporate goals. A secure OS would probably be one that could only interface with approved MS solutions.
MS has a long history of breaking interfaces with products outside of the company. Frequently the only way to interface with it is something that the company would define as forbidden. The user might, but that has traditionally been a secondary (or tertiary) consideration for MS.
I *do* expect MS to put the spyware companies out of business. I expect it to do this by requiring that they get everything they want to install signed in advance. And by fubaring the administration of the signing process so that the anti-virus companies can't get their fixes out any sooner than MS can.
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
And i might sleep with [insert your prefered female selebrity here] later this year. Actually it may not happen.
Check the analysts quoted in the story.
A Microsoft group itself (no I'm not kidding), the Yankee group, Gartner, and Rob Enderle.
Next in the news, top analysts say Linux infringes on SCO's Intellectual Property. Included will be quotes from the SCO group, The Yankee Group, and Forbes magazine.
Sure I believe it!
Remember when Win95 came out and they spoke how it would put virus-scanner companies out of business. We all know the result.
In other news, the guy who made replacement gas tanks for Pintos that wouldn't explode is upset that later vehicles don't have this defect, and is expecting a serious drop in profitability.
If I knew the wedgies I gave you back in 6th grade would have resulted in this . . . I might have taken a moments pause.
There's an old axiom (or saying or whatever) "I want to work in theory, because everything works in theory" Which applied to MS programming mentality seems to hold true. I mean for fuck's sake, in order to even remotely secure my system i had to apply NIST (http://csrc.nist.gov/itsec/guidance_WinXP.html) security profiles and stuff to lockdown my XP installation. So far, no viruses or spyware, but I have everything cranked up to extra paranoid.
Fighting over religion is like seeing whose imaginary friend is best.
Who will protect us from M$'s products that will slow our computers and spy on us considering that's the plan?
We need another 98lite! ( http://www.litepc.com/ ) [note that in 95/98, it actually stripped M$'s crap out. In XP it does, but to a much lesser degree... mainly because it's less broken in a stock installation]
-M
when you see the word 'Linux', drink!
Once the spyware companies contact M$, and come to an arrangement, their "anti-spyware" will no longer recognise the "partner's" spyware as spyware.
We've already seen this.. Claria, or whichever one it was, that to start with was being removed, by the beta anti spyware thing M$ came out with, and then all of a sudden wasn't anymore.
So, after the first week, while the companies register with M$, as allowed spyware vendors, it'll be back to business as usual for all the companies dealing with removing it now.
out of work, because Vista breaks a lot of software. What software that does run, runs with issues and phones home to Microsoft via Vista's own built in Spyware software that reports errors.
Sure Vista will break Spyware and Anti-Spyware programs from working, until Spyware companies learn how to adapt to the new Vista system. Make no mistake about it, a new API will only break things until people are able to adapt to a new API. Only Spyware companies can adapt the quickest and the best, because of all the money they steal using Spyware which gives it a big return on investment. Software companies won't have much of a ROI because they will be busy troubleshooting the problems that are caused by their rush to market ahead of the others that leads to quick and dirty programming that is sloppy and causes more problems than it fixes. Unlike the spyware companies, they don't have a budget to allow them to properly train programmers and give them the time to do a quality job.
I tried Beta 2 of Windows Vista, and I didn't really find any software that did not have an issue with running on Vista, even Anti-Spyware programs had issues running, and Vista wanted to phone home about that. Plus Vista ran very slow on a 2.4Ghz Pentium 4 system with 512M of RAM, which tells me that only bleeding edge hardware can run it at a decent speed. So much for Vista protection of hardware made in the past few years or so, even if they run Vista, they will run it too slow to really matter anyway.
Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.
its short sighted... 1. Name one microsoft product with rock solid security and regular updates to keep it such (5 patches a week to XP is not an example of good security even if it does meet the update part). So microsoft can say they are getting tough on security and you need not worry all they want-- like when they said XP and then SP2 would fix things ... oh and like they said the soon to be released IE7 would fix things... yeah im still waiting.
2. Most of the best anti-spyware stuff out there is already free and make money off pro versions and donations (Adaware, spybot, crapcleaner)
3. The only spyware companies that might go out of business are the ones like webroot that get sold at best buy by their associates -- because rather than saying "you need to buy this other product for security too" it makes more sense and is easier from a sales stand point to just say "this computer comes with vista and it has super fantastic anti-spyware software included" see reason 1 for why free spyware programs wont go out of business.
Mike
I heart the RIAA & MPAA, im sure its mutual...
It was presented by a Microsoft employee out of Calgary.
It has Windows Defender, and he showed us how people will simply click install, and screw things up anyway.
Oh You POS
The current situation of anti-spyware programs is that we all have our preferred applications, and we don't trust any of the others because of stories about 'bad' anti-spyware programs that pretend your system is infected with all sorts of programs just so that you go 'wow, this program is great - look at all the spyware it found and cleared away. My previous anti-spyware program XXX is a piece of crap'. With Microsoft involved, they're obligated to position themselves at the top of the 'reliable' list of anti-spyware products. They definitely won't have a list of fake spyware to protect you from.
If that's true then it's GOOD for those software companies. They get to sell upgrades for their software thanks to Microsoft.
I think that breaking software is part of Vista's design so Microsoft can sell more versions of their own software. If it breaks all older versions of MS-Office, Microsoft can sell MS-Office 2007 to all of the corporations that are running Vista machines that really need MS-Office.
Vista Server also might break older versions of Exchange, SNA Server, SQL Server, and Internet Security forcing corporations to buy new versions of those as well.
Think of the MSDN subscriptions Microsoft can sell to developers who have to learn a ton of new things to be able to develop for Vista without having their programs break. All the new certification that people will have to get tested on and take classes for, it is a win-win situation for Microsoft when things break.
Software companies stand to make good profits, provided they didn't spend too much on R&D to convert their software to Vista.
It will upset a lot of end users who upgraded to Vista, but Microsoft and software companies don't care about the end users anyway, not unless they are paying them money for new software or tech support anyway.
Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.