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TechNet Users Revolt Over Vista SP1 Unavailability
I Don't Believe in
Imaginary Property writes "There's a growing revolt among Microsoft TechNet & MSDN subscribers
who are frustrated that they can't yet get Vista SP1 and test their software on
it. This can't be good news for anyone hoping that SP1 will have better
compatibility. While SP1 has been released to manufacturing, and pirate copies are easy to
find, Microsoft is withholding it from subscribers until early March.
According to the article, some frustrated users are upset enough that they plan
to abandon TechNet entirely and turn to piracy." Update: 02/12 17:37
GMT by KD : Sean0michael
writes, "Aaccording to the Technet blog, they have pushed up the date to before the end
of February, though no exact date is mentioned."
How is Microsoft abusing its users still news?
I don't know if I'm just special or not, but if you go to Connect(.microsoft.com) and download the enabler for Service Pack 1 Refresh 2 and, well, enable it, you can get Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RTM. Microsoft has confirmed (I am pretty sure) that Refresh 2 == RTM: http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/02/07/microsoft-confirms-vista-sp1-rc-refresh-2-rcr2-is-rtm-release/.
:)
I'm not even a technet subscriber or anything... just a beta tester.
Bow!
Then maybe we'll give it to the people that make out product actually worth something.
If windows didn't run all the "windows compatable" software where do you think they'd be? And here they are stiffing the very people who are trying to make the user experience better.
) Human Kind Vs Human Creation
) It'd be interesting to see how many humans would survive to serve us.
MS doesn't want people giving SP1 bad reviews before it is released to the general public. That would damage Vista's reputation even more, and Microsoft most certainly doesn't want that.
Don't mind the extra X. Alex
This is ridiculous. They should have slipstreamed copies of Vista SP1 on MSDN by now, they always have them up soon after RTM. This is strike 2 for me - the idiots previously decided not to put Windows Home Server on MSDN for some oddball reason. It's pissing me right off.
Are there more Vista developers than there are Vista users?
Cue demented inner dialog for Softies:
"Precious Software, Precious, Must HAVE!!!!"
"Master is bad for not letting me have. Must STEAL, must KILL!!!!"
"No, Master is gooooD. Master is looking out for pitiful consumers and me."
"But Precious, must have the PRECIOUS!!!"
and so on and so forth without clarity, self help or sense of reality.
I have had a problem ever since installing SP1, when I press play after I first open iTunes, it freezes and does not play. I have to close the process and then open iTunes again, and then it works fine. I have reinstalled audio driver and iTunes and neither fix it, so I attribute it to SP1 not being very compatible with iTunes
My company is most likely in our last year of MSDN participation, but it has nothing to do with SP1.
The relationship between devs and MS has been deteriorating for some time. Off the top of my head I might point to the closing off of the IE development team from communication w/independents that occurred some time ago.
I am too jaded to sit here and detail all the problems that have been developing, so I will leave that to others. Needless to say it took quite some time before my partners were willing to consider looking away from MS as they have been developing with the Windows product line since 3.1.
MSDN subscribers, please remember that MSFT really cares about you:
...
developers, developers, developers,
developers, developers, developers,
developers, developers, developers,
I love this company!
Steve
I want the alternate suckage in SP1!
Really, kids. They haven't fixed the multimedia borkage, tcp connections still get maxed at an absurd level, and loading Outlook on a base DWM + Sidebar image is somewhere north of 400 Mb.
If you got Vista for free, you paid too much.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
That just makes this even more puzzling. Why not give them official access if they already have it unofficially? Because the story quotes them as saying it won't be available until next month.
Also, even though Microsoft has 'confirmed' that, has it been independently confirmed? I didn't see any mention of that fact in reports like this one.
Just wondering, because as you may have guessed, I submitted this and I don't believe in Imaginary Property.
What a thrill...downloading a pirated Vista service pack...what could be more rewarding than pirating a patch for that crappy OS, wether the original is legit or not?
expandfairuse.org
Last Friday, the company released Vista SP1 for download by both individuals and companies who previously beta tested the service pack. This week, the company went further. "At the end of this week we will be making the English version of Windows Vista SP1 available to volume licensing customers ... Other languages will follow soon ... [and] later this month, SP1 will be available to MSDN and TechNet Plus subscribers," Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Windows product management, said in a posting on the Windows Vista Team Blog today. The primary hold up for broadly releasing SP1 has been minor glitches involving device driver installation, basically requiring that some device drivers will need to be reinstalled after installing SP1. Volume Buyers to Get Vista SP1 Early [February 11]
how the hell do you pirate a service pack? its not like they charge for it, so how the hell is it pirating?
This definitely seems like molehill territory if SP1R2 is the same as the SP1 RTM. The developers themselves do seem to have one legitimate greivance amongst the whole thing: If they received the details at exactly the same time as the populace, what value does their TechNet or MSDN subscriptions truely have in the long run?
I'm not saying NONE i'm just saying less than they expected.
Not that big a deal though, cancel your technet or msdn if this really sets your face on fire.
Ice Cream has no bones.
I found the link to the "Legitimate" upgrade.
Go here and save it to a CD. Then load it up and patch up Vista.
It'll run faster than you ever can believe! It's like Vista, only better!
The bad reviews are already out so what is left to gain? Distributing SP1 to developers will confirm the reviews but they are the type that has read about it anyway. Keeping it will not prove the reviews wrong but it will irritate developers who expect things to be bad and expect that much more work before the public gets it.
Business plan:
1. Make a new version that developers will have to support.
2. Send factory-cracked copies to all the pirates.
3. Wait for developers to resort to using the pirated copies.
4. Sue them!
5. Profit!
So why is the news that yahoo have rejected the microsoft's offer is not posted yet... does it not matter?
Deja vu?
"DOS isn't done until Lotus doesn't run."
Engineering is the art of compromise.
This is a great example of a trend that has been building steam for several years now. The fact that pirate networks are more often than not, the easiest way to get what you need, whether you are a paying customer or not. Who cares if its a minor update. The fact is, the distribution chains of the data thieves, the pirates, the "underground", are more complete than legitimate commercial enterprises. Pirate networks can provide the product you want, when the company you PAY cannot.
http://thepiratebay.org/tor/4014681/Windows_Vista_SP1_Standalone_Installer_(64-bit_English) nuff said
SP1 caused numerous stability problems on my laptop and I prefer to skip this service pack. The drivers do not like the changes and yes they are compatibility problems. sp1 is not a magic bullet to fix Vista's i/o problems either unfortunately.
http://saveie6.com/
I'm greatly amused by this.
Another example of Microsoft Genuine Advantage in action.
Remember, pirate software and get the latest support now, pay through the nose and get what you want much much later...
Maybe this is just a biased view(I certainly haven't seen it all); but it seems like the techies responsible for field work on MS stuff just have more pain and less fun than the *nix techies do. These guys are drinking, and paying for, the kool-aid and they can't even get a RTM copy ahead of the press flacks and pirates. Over in *nix land, you can play with pre-alpha or later any time you want. These are the people who advocate for, plan, install, and support MS's stuff on the corporate level. They are the people whose fairly cheap labor helps prop up all the TCO "get the facts" and MS won't even give them the release in time to help them do their jobs. This is not exactly "catch the devs on IRC channel foo on bar.org" territory.
I can understand why MS plays hard and mean on licensing, format lock-in, and the like. That is just good(if unpleasant) business. I don't understand this, though. It would cost them basically nothing to throw the people who eat their shit 9 to 5 a bone. And they don't. Why?
Where does this crap come from?
RTM has been available to beta testers, the ISO, the installation EXE, and even the WU enabler since the 6th.
MSDN and Technet should also have access to it now as well today. (Besides the fact that a majority of MSDN and Technet people have had beta access as well.)
This story is pure trash, and is just mis-informing more people, but hey it is MS so I guess that is ok to give people bad information...
There always can be incompatibility problems. So you release it in the order of people who are most able to find and deal with those. The people who did beta testing should have no problem. If they were willing to run beta code, they are willing to deal with what comes with it. Volume customers are a next logical step. They presumably manage their updates and have a competent systems person so they can test and decide if a rollout is appropriate or if they need to wait for drivers/software to by updated. Then once they are sorted, you look at a public release.
Of course none of that really matters. A sizable crowd at Slashdot has just decided they'll do whatever they can to badmouth Vista, I guess in some hope all their FUD will keep it from succeeding.
Well since it seems to have support for about 5% of my apps and about 75% of my hardware, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree.
Please cut the crap with the "Just replace Windows with Linux it's better!" thing. This kind of crap will actually hurt Linux adoption overall. Linux is an alternative to Windows that is viable for some people, however it isn't a drop in replacement. If you market it as such, people are going to be pissed when they find out you are lying. Using Linux involves tradeoffs. Now that can be ok for many people, however you need to be up front about them and let people make their own choice. To try and pretend that it is just like Windows but better is rather dishonest, and counterproductive.
Is this like the lifeboats being lowered?
Patience grasshopper!
Iraq billions
Those of us who have TechNet Plus subscriptions also get lots of licenses (i.e. install keys) to run the various Microsoft products, not just download the software. Also, I have been running SP1 RTM since last week, and I downloaded it from Windows Update. Those who participate in the Betas (the connect site) get the ability to test SP1 RTM early. If you want that ability, then participate in the Betas.
Using Microsoft software has always been somewhat of an abusive relationship, we're all used to that.
However, this time around with Vista, it just seems like they just don't give a shit anymore. Really slow, incompatible stuff this time. They've always been really good about backwards compatibility (Sure we can all find half a million examples of stuff that didn't work with each new OS release), but this time I just look at the whole thing with a boggled "What are they doing and why?" expression.
And now this stuff with Vista SP1. I was really shocked when I logged into my MSDN account and SP1 wasn't there.
It's like they don't want Vista to actually be successful. Like they are actively trying to fail this time. And their numbers about 100 million sold are really a smoke and mirrors tactic. Yes, I've bought a copy of Vista, as it came with my newest computer. Stayed on for about an hour and then I went down the challenging, but more rewarding path of the XP x64 edition, Vista just seemed to crawl. (Plus all the BestBuy crapware pre-installed made the decision pretty easy)
So, anyone have a good tinfoil hat theory about what the hell they are up to this time? This is probably the most crucial time in nearly 2 decades for them to release a near-perfect OS - They are getting percentage points eaten by Linux and OSX constantly. People are sick of their shit, and this time they screw the pooch, TWICE. I don't get it. Is it just Bill Gates leaving the ship, or has Google sucked up all the good developers, or something else? Do they want it to fail, and fail soon, so that they can back out of their *IAA DRM agreements?
This is almost seeming too well planned for mere incompetence. Which leaves actual maliciousness. But then, why??
I'm frustrated that XP SP3 hasn't been released yet. That's what we really need.
I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
Technet is revolting? Hell, I coulda told you that!
FLR
Seriously, I downloaded the Safari for Windows beta thing to use as a KHTML test platform for web development but was immediately turned off by the OS X window stylings and behaviors, as well as the extra font smoothing that went beyond the built in smoothing to make everything look really blurry and ugly. From what I've seen, iTunes on Windows is the same way although I have never installed that piece of junk on my computer. In contrast, whenever I've used Office for Mac at school it acts just like any other Mac application, and sometimes I even preferred it over the Windows version. Now, I'm going to conjecture wildly and say it's Apple's arrogance that causes it to completely disregard all Windows GUI conventions. Most of my dislike of Apple stems from this arrogant vibe that everything should be done either their way or not at all.
All your base are belong to Wii.
Switch to Linux. The only software piracy (license violations) that go on in the open source world are by developers, never by end users. Software piracy is inevitable in the proprietary software world for both techies and end users in general. They have no choice. For example, a techy will very rarely buy a license for some software that they have an interest in for whatever reason (say for skill development - in which case they are indirectly helping the vendor who is trying to charge them!), and an end user is much more interested in getting stuff for free (as in beer), especially given that there is something of a "chase" so to speak to find the cracked copy or whatever. In another life I was a Windows sys admin, and have pirated absolutely nothing (relatively speaking ;) since I switched to Linux four years ago. Do it, its liberating.
This is what I was going to write, and as a MSDN subscriber (through work), this is what I care about most.
You know, I generally enjoy /. However, every so often one of these stories comes up (it seems to be more frequently these days) that is just complete bullshit (Disclosure: I've been an MSDN subscriber for years). I don't know anyone who is complaining about SP availability. There will always be some who complain, but that's more than likely a very small minority. For those testing compatibility, the betas and RCs have been out for quite a while for the sole purpose of testing applications. I haven't worked with them personally, but a conservative guess would be 95% of functionality can be testing on the RCs.
What gets me though is that over the weekend a much more impactful event occurred: the Windows 2008 RTM. Not only that, but Windows 2008 IS available on MSDN (all English flavors at least, and most likely TechNet as well, but I don't know for sure). Windows 2008 is a much more important release than SP 1, but, alas, that gets no coverage on /.
Windows is revolting!
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
I also understand that Microsoft receives a bad rap a bit too early with things like this. As many have said, this has been available to early adopters willing to use beta installs already. People who want a guaranteed fix (often the people who don't test before deploying anything out of the MSDN) don't see them because they don't subscribe to betas. While it isn't a beta, releasing it slowly like this isn't something IT personnel should be new to seeing either. Microsoft seems to be trying to please everyone by doing this, and in doing so people have found something new to complain about. When you are on the top, everyone aims for you :: shrug ::
As for linux, Unix, ect ect. lets face the facts: not everyone is ready or able to utilize *nix OS. I know what I'm doing and think it is rather easy, however when I get down to looking at what I do to get things done I realize that if I asked my sisters, neighbors, god forbid my employees to do anything near the same as I do they would trash the system or tear their hair out in no time. Just because it has a GUI doesn't make it user friendly, I'm sorry to say. Until I can stick a CD into the tray and have it "just work" it isn't ready for main stream homes or business. I know that you can get alot of windows programs to function in Linux using things like Wine and Cedega, however until those are included in a mainstream package for free with free updates and "just work" without tweaks and knowledge of command line functions (basically, until you can be a "user") it won't be a solution.
has been the better option.
Something as simple as my product key from MSDN not working with a volume licencing edition (sent to me bt Microsoft) of W2K3 Advanced Server. After being bounced from helpdesk to helpdesk by MS, and ending up at the same ones several times, there was evidently nobody that could help. Getting a product key from a dodgy key generator worked, and then I had to download the MS product key changer. All worked fine after that. So yes, their lack of interest in being helpful often leads to piracy (of sorts) being the best option.
How are they revolting? Are they heading over to the Apple Store and buying MacBooks? If they really wanted to revolt, they would install Linux or FreeBSD or buy a Macintosh and never look back. TechNet users are particularly hard core Windows lovers, masochistic, really. I bet they tough this one out. They are not revolting. They are reveling in their delicious pain.
If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
Most Windows uses I know are quite revolting, actually. (someone had to say it, if it hasn't already)
Most of the stuff on
http://technoracle.blogspot.com/2007/11/does-apple-own-web-20.html
In the Action Pack, we only received Vista Business, but we could upgrade it to Ultimate for $150.
Now to obtain (or retain) the Action Pack you have to take online assessments. I have had my Action Pack for several years now, and I felt rather insulted.
You see, Microsoft is fighting terror^H^H^H^H^H^H piracy by forcing these assessments on Action Pack subscribers. This move is intended to "keep the Action Pack out of the hands of people who shouldn't have it." In other words, people who pay $300 per year and let their friends use five licenses of Office and Windows XP. But what Microsoft does not understand is that making MAPS more difficult to obtain just increases the likelihood that the software will be pirated.
I am really too busy installing its software in Virtual PC or on a real workstation, testing, and learning how to use the software so I can sell to and support my customers. Too busy to read all the marketing horse shit they shove down my throat. Let me tell you how sick and damned tired I was of reading their Truth About Linux (or whatever the hell it was called) materials. I was done with that after the first brochure.
But overall, Microsoft is just pushing us away: the system builders, the techs, the developers. We all slaved away to get Microsoft where it is today, and it needs us no more.
Wanna hear something really stupid? How about that a system builder is not allowed to give a customer a copy of the OEM installation CD of Office 2007. Nope. We are supposed to provide the customer with a way of restoring the installation. Microsoft's recommendation: Ghost, or something similar. What? So if my customer's Office 2007 installation blows up and has to be reinstalled, they get to lose ALL of their data in favor of a Ghost restore.
More hoops. Maybe this is what they want all along, but with the exception of Windows XP and Vista, I no longer sell OEM software with my machines. Server 2003? Retail. Office 2007? Retail. Why? Because it is less of a heartache and wallet-ache when the times comes.
Need to upgrade your server hardware? Copy the installation to a new machine? Bzzzt! Nope, technically the SBS 2003 install and 75 CALs are locked to the original hardware.
Bought Office 2003 Basic Edition and want to upgrade to Professional? Just install the Professional upgrade? Bzzzt! Sorry, this just isn't your day. Basic Edition, as an OEM only edition, does not qualify for the upgrade to Office Professional. However, every version of Office back to 95, even the Works Suites, DO qualify.
Wowsers. Really, Microsoft does not need us anymore. Really. If I wanted to screw your sister I would become your best pal. But now I am screwing your sister I no longer need you as a friend, so piss off.
Non-pirates are the ones who look at March as the date they need to plan for, & they work around that.
Just because someone is a subscriber doesn't mean they're not also a pirate.
Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
Interesting that this post showed up on /. after Microsoft news that Windows Vista SP1 is now avaialble to beta testers, volume license users and will be available mid-February to MSDN and Technet subscribers. More information here.
FUD.
My joke is that his joke is terrible.
In other words, you are now trying to save face.
That was funny. The Troll mod was unfair. Everybody was *thinking* it.
*ducks*
Looks like microsoft changed their mind after all the feedback:
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2008/02/11/windows-vista-sp1-availability-for-technical-customers.aspx
Thanks for confirming that for MS RTM (release to manufacture) is actually only a beta. That explains the (lack of) quality of their products
Daring ploy on MS part now that the competition is getting to be just as good or better than MS.
any brand of *nix doesn't give you MS nagware head aches and Blue screen of death that bring the system to halt.
Nothing like DRM, bad drivers because MS updated something the driver relied on, Bad OS components that purposely disable features in others software make the competitions software dysfunctional (Like the open office on vista using the CONVERT function fails if you downloaded the version with java in it.), and not caring what the home user wants to use but laden them down with BS features they do not want to use.
MS need to evaluate what a customer needs and wants and sell it that way!
No more BS OSes XP is good. AERO sucks it crashes my video card driver just about every time. Back ground processes should not be given normal processing time. windows update should not dominate my network connection if i am on line.
there are other nags i have about Vista but these are my top peeves.
Good luck to anyone still making themselves an MS only house. because your building a house of cards and there is a big gust of wind coming to take them away and that is a bad economy.
They can take their jobs overseas but i guarantee the same results over time will happen to them that has happened to the US auto industry.
no one here will be able to afford you!
keep going ms you will be as well remembered as the auto maker maxwell yet.
tss
I hope those developers are so smug and superior that they dont read this website. I hope their friends do and say, "yo Mark, people are bagging apple engineers"
So you, fix your shit, be OS neutral and know how each OS works by default. Its frickin easy, just use a damn machine for 48hrs installing 20 shareware/commercial apps.
One minor utterly cruddy feature of iTunes installer, the installers main IMAGE used is resized to larger desktops really badly, like they are clueless in resizing an image/raster object.
One easy tip dudes, read GDI documentation, you want a free time, learn the params to stretchblit() , or wow, even use a 30 line smooth raster resizer. Dont tell your product manager/boss
that your fixing this because he will say, "its not important", but he is 50 years old with bad eyes.
Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
Well ehhrmmm actually I'm migrating my customers to Ubuntu. Guess what. Most of them are even happy with it. The first and most important feedback being 'My machine is much more responsive and faster now'. Of cause no big deal once you loose the virus scanner/personal firewall and the adware/spyware scanners running in the background. Now I believe I might be a trend setter, but whats important here is the acceptability by my customers. Clearly they are fed up to take such a step. Some one tell the Gates boy.
is JUST what Granny uses. And Aunt Tilly needs a nonlinear video editor for her home made BSDM movies...
And who DOESN'T need 48bit sampling of audio, I ask you!!!
I recommend Linux or Mac to everyone nowadays. Linux for folks who to the basic stuff -- email, web, etc, and Mac for people who want apps like Quickbooks, invoicing software, and other more niche apps. I wish I could recommend Linux for those things too, but sadly, such software in Linux is either really rough around the edges or simply doesn't exist.
The Coast Guard is a beta tester for Microsoft. We have been testing all the in-house applications that the Coast Guard develops on the new standard image that will include Vista. So far, 80% of them fail in one way or another. Yet it is still being rolled out in a couple of months. Some of those mission critical applications will take 12 months to make Vista compliant.
But not in this case. Not releasing SP1 to MSDN and Technet members, who pay a lot for this service, must be one of the stupidest decisions MS has made in a long time. Aliniating developer and admin user base that needs to prepare and test. It is probably done to avoid pissing off some big oem that have crappy drivers, but screwing your most important user/dev base over this is a horrible decision.
And btw, what is up with your 'fact' that it is on MS downoad page? SP1 RTM (build 18000) is available to some select oems and volume customers, but still not on MSDN or Technet or anywhere else.
Well I don't really have a problem finding the apps I/my customers need in Linux. Funny you mention invoicing software as Open Office calc and some scripting will facilitate that easily. My biggest problem is is language based as most apps are still badly supported in other languages then English. I see this as a drawback of free software although I see things slowly changing for the better. But especially stuff like Quickbooks are very country specific. Most countries have a very strict tax regime where you are only allowed certain programs for tax and accounting purposes. Something that adds to the problem. To cut things short. Accounting imho is indeed a niche where Windows most of the time is dictated. But one of the problems arising through the use of propriatory software is that it's not very flexible and this in the end will keep the door for future linux accounting apps open. The Ubuntu platform offers a nice basis to step in there with there partner repositories. Now we just need the companies to see the possibilities and step in.
The press, the people who don't know what a clue stick is when it's being bashed on their heads, are doing the QA for Microsoft Windows Vista? Really?
I'm an extremely long time Linux developer and I wouldn't count on the so-called Linux press to potty train my youngest son, let alone QA and debug an O/S.
I am using Sp1 RC2 which Microsoft says is identical to the released version. I can say that I am *still* seeing BSOD, especially after returning from hibernate or sleep. This was one of the most aggravating issues with Vista and we *never* got an explanation of why this was broken or what they did to fix it. Perhaps we didn't get the "fix" explanation because they haven't.
It is hard to know, because according to MS there are "driver" issues, and the BSOD I see is related to drivers (driver_power_state_failure, 0x9f). What is infuriating is that MS knows which drivers have issues and won't publish a list. They are giving the vendors a chance to get fixes in place before the general release. Of course, MS has the Windows Hardware Quality Lab which is supposed to check out vendor's drivers. So perhaps the issue is that the Lab did a crappy job and they can't blame the vendors without sharing a lot of the blame.
SP1 still doesn't fix many of the performance issues of Vista, including improving desktop search results, which is disappointing but not a killer for me. They still have not cleaned up small annoyances (it detects your network location and sets the firewall stuff but *doesn't* set your default printer for the new location) that could really improve the user experience. It is clear that MS rushed Vista out and even with the additional time between original release and SP1 have not bothered with the things that could really improve the overall user experience and satisfaction. And, I have Vista Ultimate and feel completely cheated because they didn't deliver anything for the extra $$ for Ultimate.
In the end, what we want is honesty and facts. Being honest with your customers builds trust. I've been someone who said good things about Vista - with the caveat about speed and hibernate/resume crashes - but I need MS to be honest, take feedback and demonstrate a roadmap of improvements and then deliver the needed usability and performance improvements in a predictable fashion.
Introduce people to something other than Microsoft and they tend to like it for a number of reasons. We've deployed a good number of Macs on desktops and most of those people eventually bought their own Macs for home. When you really examine the glowing comments from these new Mac users, the reasons all boil down to removing the problems and annoyances of Windows. Even our lonely Vista user (his own machine) is so frustrated after three weeks, he's going to buy a Mac himself.
Mac, Linux... whatever works for you - it's more important to not choose Microsoft.
Most of the stuff on
Since the vast majority of FOSSies have never, ever worked in IT, this is the kind of mistake they keep making. It never has been, and never will be, about the money.
The "pirate networks" CAN provide the product, but what they can't provide is reliability or security. Do you really think an organization with millions of dollars invested in computer hardware is going to trust a service pack not obtained from a trusted source? Do you really think an organization is SOOO burning to get their hands on a service pack that they can't wait a month or two?
That's the problem with about 90% of "major controversies" revealed by Slashdot's MS FUD: the things they pule about aren't issues with IT professionals. But they are major concerns of people pretending to be IT professionals.
I think he was talking about Linux, and I have to agree. The software support for Linux is just plain awful. I do believe that developers try, but the honest truth is the majority of us have very specialized software that we use for specific tasks and there simply is not a turn-key solution (none is there enough time to develop our own solution). Not everything that is done on Windows can be done on Linux (or the Mac).
This forever leads us into either dual booting (which I got sick of in early 2001) or running Windows in a VM (with limited 3d performance which effects more than just games, a lot of stuff using Direct-X) and many devices use USB2 and 1394 (which have limited support). So far the best solutions I have seen come on the Mac side with VMware Fusion or Parallels, both of which have PC versions which are very limited in many ways due to the vast range of hardware on the PC side. This would probably lead me to invest in a Mac if I had the interest (but I don't).
I think the only real solution for Linux adoption would be something like OS/2, were the VM is right in the OS, this, however, will never be possible given the cross licensing issues. In truth, I have been using Linux since about 1998 and I have yet to actually even see good hardware support. APC? No... crap software. Hibernation? I don't think so.
As bad as Vista is, at least my APC software and hibernation work and I get access to my specialized software solutions (which I fear will never been possible under Windows).
Make pirating more attractive than the official, lawful means of getting fixes to MS product flaws.
Keep records of those that drop out of TechNet.
Wait and watch; it is better to confirm they have taken the desired path before taking action.
Instigate rapid series of raids. The detainees willingly place their signatures on confidentiality agreements while hanging by thumbs or other tender regions to obtain their release. This stealth action has enhancing feature of not giving warning to others. Those fools remain blissfully ignorant of the fate that awaits them. Therefore, this becomes the new business model for the 21st Century. [The recording, motion picture and publishing industries follow suite, however, they screw it up. They are too careless and crass to do a proper job, hence, it never quite works for them.]
Once the profits begin to flow, it's back to stock splits and unwarranted, out sized profits. Microsoft once again wins the hearts of the Wall Street fee flipping class and is the rage of the WSJ editorial page. Hero worship shows no bounds and the World returns to its rightful course. Other than a few trivial problems, e.g. endless Wars for resources, the degradation of the earth and enslavement of the population, Bill G. and the Ballmer the Bomber know they left Microsoft in good hands. They are now supremely confident their company can grow with out bounds or even the need to monopolize legitimate markets. That is the end of their DOJ problems, for ever more.
Understand now? Get some cash ready to buy your temporary freedom. [Honestly, I am unsure if this began within MS. It might have been the RIAA, but we know MS invents nothing - they just spot the idea and MAKE it Work!]
Vista is the best advert Apple ever made!
Hahahahahaahahahaa. How amusing. Using Windows isn't as cool as using Linux. It does suck being able to buy software at the store (a foreign concept here, I know), and be able to use your laptop without reading a week's worth of instructions on how to make a wireless card work.
He's not talking about technical issues. He's talking about the bad attitude of people like you, Twitter. You're not going to help people migrate to Linux when you're a condescending prick about it.
If you download the WU enabler and check the .cmd file, it's the exact same registry key as Refresh 2. ;)
"PULL"!!
Sir, you look like the Piss-boy!
Copying files is an atrocity
In 2008, that's enough for me to call it a lemon. Without caveats. Say what you want about all the other fantastic crap and I'd still say it's a lemon if the OS can't copy files correctly or efficiently.
I can't believe there are apologists for this problem. Copying files is pretty fundamental to how computers work. Why on earth would anyone give any company a free pass for getting it wrong? Hell, anything less than 100% perfection is a failure in my book.
I am stupified that we are discussing whether this is "acceptable" or not. It's not. And it hasn't been since, well....around 1985 or so.
I understand from my Vista using comrades that SP1 does almost nothing to speed up the sloth like speed of Vista.
Here is what they say:
Still slow.
Still annoying.
Still driver deficient.
Still legacy program incompatibles.
Still expensive.
I think Microsoft is just putting a little lipstick on that pig and hoping for the best.
Ed
microsoft windows users revolt over vista being available.
Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
how's that evangelist job working out for you will? the sponsors not getting their money's worth with negative karma? are they demanding you fix the mess or lose the $$, or how does that work?
It would be just so amusing if it was - our Vista-compliance man (who I've been sharing a cubical with for the last few months) leaves on the 6th. It'd be so amusing if he had the opportunity to hand over the whole task of re-starting the Vista compliance grindstone to someone else on the day that all the rules change.
Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
All 19 hijackers were known terrorists 09-10-2001. Lack of FBI intelligence does not justify warrantless wiretaps..
Abusers, and the victims who keep coming back for More of the $ame.
All 19 hijackers were known terrorists 09-10-2001. Lack of FBI intelligence does not justify warrantless wiretaps..
There has been a huge backlash in the Technet forums about not getting the RTM Service pack for Vista. Several people have gone as far as to state they will not be renewing their memberships. If they cant get the files they are paying for at the same time businesses and OEM's are, there is little value left in the subcription you have to pay $500 plus a year.
.exe patch is 460mb, and the 64 bit .exe is 730mb. The ISO containing both is 1.13gb.
Furthermore the downloads on the Technet Page aren't working. Many people aren't getting the download links, and Microsoft has admitted they have no idea why its happening, or not happening in this case...
And those of us that are getting the download links are having issues actually downloading the service packs. My Windows Vista machine could not download the service packs at all, even following all of Microsofts trouble-shooting texts. The irony is my Windows XP sp2 workstation had no trouble downloading the files...
Now it appears if you have installed any add-on language packs, you can not install the 1.13gb patch via dvd.
The Vista 32 bit
Released a lack luster Operating System thats falling flat on its face, and the "fix" is proving hard to get and wont install on companys with machines setup to support multiple languages... So much for multinational corporations that may have been considering finally switching to Vista...