Well that's something else, definitely, and deserves a kudo.
The problem you state happens way too often: a lot of PDAs have quite decent hardware, but the software is ohh-boy-get-me-outta-here. Most Windows Mobile devices have cool hardware. But the software, at least older versions, simply doesn't do what it should. Palm's numerous limitations were its pros, not its cons... and WM fixes wrong stuff, and often in a wrong way.
I haven't seen Zune, but if the above is valid for Zune, too, then that's sad. I don't find it necessary to get everything to run Linux; I just want decent software for quality devices. If it'll be Microsoft that provides it, so be it. Perhaps Vista failure will shake them from slumber and they'll improve their business practices and provide what people want.
I want media devices I purchased to work on all platforms, too. But as a faithful low-user-id slashdotter, wouldn't it be more ideologically correct that you suggest your cousin to sell that Zune and get something else?:)
POSIX subsystem, actually. And there's Windows Services for UNIX. They're supposed to be integrated with the kernel. Haven't tried either, but MS's spin-doctors made 'em sound nice.
They DID have to rework their internals to add a compositing engine for Aero. But for me, that's about it: that's what I see on the surface.
Also, I don't see what's the big deal: They ARE trying to make upgrades behave like SPs, aren't they? You can whack a disk with 98 into a 95 computer, and upgrade, can't you? But safe upgrades are simply impossible when there's thousands of script kiddies (or their mental equivalents) developing crappy software which behaves in unpredictable ways. Even well written software breaks, or takes a long time to port 32-bit to 64-bit (Photoshop, right?)
So, you can either have your "XP upgrade" or "service pack" break your software, or you can get "Vista". When Vista breaks, you will still get a little less angry at Microsoft, because it wasn't an upgrade that screwed your machine, it was a full new OS. Imagine Service Pack 4 for XP coming out, and breaking your drivers and apps like Vista did! And at the same time, you had to PAY for this service pack. No, it's safer to call it "Vista".
Why are you not worried that Nokia is unnecessarily collecting your username and password without your knowledge? Shouldn't your data stay on your device?
From what I gathered, Nokia Messaging doesn't do anything differently from standard clients... except that it includes a wizard that allows you to more easily configure your account. And it does so by collecting your username and password; why?
Slovenia is a former Yugoslav republic, not a former Soviet republic. Soviet Union lost a lot of influence in Yugoslavia around 1948, and Yugoslavia was halfway between the blocs. Y'know, the Non-aligned Movement?
...and why isn't domain name (e.g. "gmail.com") sufficient for this autoconfiguration step? That is, why is the username + password needed?
Only reason I can guess is "ok, let's get Nokia's server to try logging into mail.domain.com, then pop.mail.com, then imap.domain.com, then domain.com, and then give up" but... in that case user should explicitly mark a checkbox "Send my user credentials to Nokia for autoconfiguration".
Can you elaborate why it isn't so?
PS Otherwise this service would be a great idea... but silent sending of user data to a third party, no matter how trusted, is simply not cool:)
I have no info about BIS and I never used BlackBerry, but it sounds similar to what I observed Opera Mini doing.
However, doesn't IMAP already "push" you information when you get new email into your inbox? And, how is it possible for the device to get the mail if it doesn't keep an open connection to the server? The only other way is polling... and that's not push mail, that's standard POP mail.
I honestly don't know what could be so different about BIS.
So, please tell me: what's so different compared to IMAP (which also notifies the client about mails), except that IMAP doesn't do compression?
I'm an active Debian user on desktop, so I think I am pretty unbiased when I put these few things out:
NTFS provides pretty neat ACLs, and Windows Exploder provides a nice way to configure sharing/security. Much more detailed than three octal digits specifying R-W-E. (More confusing, too, but if someone needs it...)
People going through with the default of running their desktops as administrators is not Microsoft's fault.
Third party developers requiring users administrative privileges to install any kind of software (e.g. games which can be otherwise ran under non-admin privileges) are at fault as well.
I don't like Vista one smokin' bit, but the problems people are having with UAC are not only coming from improperly written Microsoft software; I'm pretty sure many times it comes from improperly written third party software as well.
Please give concrete examples of how you would improve Microsoft's security model. I, for one, would prohibit the simple means of obtaining access to other process' memory space... but I'm not competent to speak about that either, since I have zero idea how other OSes have that solved.
So don't just bash Microsoft and say "they did something wrong". I know this is Slashdot, but still, say what can be improved. Don't just bash around. It's what makes FLOSS users look bad.
Slashdot Mirror
and you can't run anything newer than IE6 with that.
Correction:
"and you can't run any newer IE than IE6 with that."
CREATE TABLE lhc_data (i INT, c CHAR(10)) ENGINE = BLACKHOLE;
INSERT INTO lhc_data(1,"whoosh");
Oops, wrong DBMS.
they no have to!!!!1 they have chance to survive, they make their time!!!1
yay
Indeed; they are a legion, but they're also most definitely not anyone's personal army.
Well that's something else, definitely, and deserves a kudo.
The problem you state happens way too often: a lot of PDAs have quite decent hardware, but the software is ohh-boy-get-me-outta-here. Most Windows Mobile devices have cool hardware. But the software, at least older versions, simply doesn't do what it should. Palm's numerous limitations were its pros, not its cons... and WM fixes wrong stuff, and often in a wrong way.
I haven't seen Zune, but if the above is valid for Zune, too, then that's sad. I don't find it necessary to get everything to run Linux; I just want decent software for quality devices. If it'll be Microsoft that provides it, so be it. Perhaps Vista failure will shake them from slumber and they'll improve their business practices and provide what people want.
I want media devices I purchased to work on all platforms, too. But as a faithful low-user-id slashdotter, wouldn't it be more ideologically correct that you suggest your cousin to sell that Zune and get something else? :)
MST? That's Microsoft, I presume? So you're in Microsoft and running other platforms? That's cool. So when do we see Gnune-Tool? :)
Who on the other platforms WANTS zunes to work on non-Windows platforms? ;)
POSIX subsystem, actually. And there's Windows Services for UNIX. They're supposed to be integrated with the kernel. Haven't tried either, but MS's spin-doctors made 'em sound nice.
Scratch that:
"...and an almost fanatical hate of Gates"
No, no, no, let's try that again.
*DING!*
NOBODY expects the SLASHDOT inquisition! Amongst our chief weapons are fear, uncertainty and doubt, and an almost fanatical devotion to Torvalds!
I still have traumas from MS Telnet.
They DID have to rework their internals to add a compositing engine for Aero. But for me, that's about it: that's what I see on the surface.
Also, I don't see what's the big deal: They ARE trying to make upgrades behave like SPs, aren't they? You can whack a disk with 98 into a 95 computer, and upgrade, can't you? But safe upgrades are simply impossible when there's thousands of script kiddies (or their mental equivalents) developing crappy software which behaves in unpredictable ways. Even well written software breaks, or takes a long time to port 32-bit to 64-bit (Photoshop, right?)
So, you can either have your "XP upgrade" or "service pack" break your software, or you can get "Vista". When Vista breaks, you will still get a little less angry at Microsoft, because it wasn't an upgrade that screwed your machine, it was a full new OS. Imagine Service Pack 4 for XP coming out, and breaking your drivers and apps like Vista did! And at the same time, you had to PAY for this service pack. No, it's safer to call it "Vista".
Too bad you posted as AC, I hope you notice this:
Why are you not worried that Nokia is unnecessarily collecting your username and password without your knowledge? Shouldn't your data stay on your device?
From what I gathered, Nokia Messaging doesn't do anything differently from standard clients ... except that it includes a wizard that allows you to more easily configure your account. And it does so by collecting your username and password; why?
Tricky tricky, hiding commas like that in places where I see semicolons :)
Slovenia is a former Yugoslav republic, not a former Soviet republic. Soviet Union lost a lot of influence in Yugoslavia around 1948, and Yugoslavia was halfway between the blocs. Y'know, the Non-aligned Movement?
The real problem is that these forgeries are for some reason legal in US and Canada, and God-knows-where-else.
No, it's Captain Obvious to the rescue! :)
...and why isn't domain name (e.g. "gmail.com") sufficient for this autoconfiguration step? That is, why is the username + password needed?
Only reason I can guess is "ok, let's get Nokia's server to try logging into mail.domain.com, then pop.mail.com, then imap.domain.com, then domain.com, and then give up" but ... in that case user should explicitly mark a checkbox "Send my user credentials to Nokia for autoconfiguration".
Can you elaborate why it isn't so?
PS Otherwise this service would be a great idea ... but silent sending of user data to a third party, no matter how trusted, is simply not cool :)
IMAP, on a properly written client, in online mode, keeps the connection open and the server notifies the client when new messages arrive.
I have no info about BIS and I never used BlackBerry, but it sounds similar to what I observed Opera Mini doing.
However, doesn't IMAP already "push" you information when you get new email into your inbox? And, how is it possible for the device to get the mail if it doesn't keep an open connection to the server? The only other way is polling... and that's not push mail, that's standard POP mail.
I honestly don't know what could be so different about BIS.
So, please tell me: what's so different compared to IMAP (which also notifies the client about mails), except that IMAP doesn't do compression?
Sadly CARNet would not allow that :(
Maybe if you somehow manage to register a company called "C", but probably the Trade Court would reject the registration :(
-1 LackOfSenseForHumor;PlusLackOfReadingBetweenTheLinesSkill
kthxbye
I'm an active Debian user on desktop, so I think I am pretty unbiased when I put these few things out:
I don't like Vista one smokin' bit, but the problems people are having with UAC are not only coming from improperly written Microsoft software; I'm pretty sure many times it comes from improperly written third party software as well.
Please give concrete examples of how you would improve Microsoft's security model. I, for one, would prohibit the simple means of obtaining access to other process' memory space... but I'm not competent to speak about that either, since I have zero idea how other OSes have that solved.
So don't just bash Microsoft and say "they did something wrong". I know this is Slashdot, but still, say what can be improved. Don't just bash around. It's what makes FLOSS users look bad.