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Microsoft Launches WorldWide Telescope
esocid writes "WorldWide Telescope, developed by Microsoft's research arm, knits together images from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and others. Windows users (only) can browse through the galaxy on their own or take guided tours of different outer-space destinations developed by astronomers and academics. The application allows viewing from different wavelengths such as X-ray, visible light, and hydrogen-alpha radiation. Business Week has a review and some background on the project, which has been in development for years. Google Sky beat them to the punch but Business Week opines that WWT's interface is superior."
That'll be fixed in the next service pack.
Now, this makes a good example of why open-source software is bad. You wouldn't want some high school kid - I mean hacker - to be able to change the color of the sky would you? Or, god forbid, put in options! so your cat could walk over the keyboard and hit the right keys to change the sky! think of that! a cat, changing the color of the sky!
Now, Microsoft's shared-source is a good thing. We'll release our source, so others can see how well we made the sky blue. Now, the clouds being white is a trade secret, so you can't see that. But look at the blue! And of COURSE we'll protect users from the lurking threat of hackers trying to change your sky. In fact, we'll even be offering a product next year, called "Windows Sky Spectrum Visibility Protection Protecting Protector QJF 2009" which will ensure you get a perfect blue sky no matter who's out there.
Note, though, that if you want to see the same sky as others, you'll need Windows Sky Spectrum Visibility Protection Protecting Protector QJF 2009 Journeyman Edition, whih will cost only $300 more.
If you want to keep birds in the sky safe from hackers too, you'll need Windows Sky Spectrum Visibility Protection Protecting Protector QJF 2009 Bird-observer Edition. This is very different from that competing program, called "Bird watcher"... It's clearly inferior. Trust only the best to ensure you see bird the way they should be: translucent and butterfly-shaped.
You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
This is what is commonly known as a marketing stunt. Their website for this looks like they spent a gazillion dollars in design, which makes absolutely no sense if it truly is a free, no strings attached software. Their issuing press releases to high profile mainstream media all suggest it's just another attempt to convince the world Microsoft can emulate Google. Anyone who's been around long enough knows they're just pretending.