Get Microsoft products on anything that can come close to running them. CE/XP/Vista, it doesn't matter so long as it is a Microsoft product. Microsoft would love to kill XP, but they can't get Vista to run on the available hardware, so they either allow some other product to take the place of Windows, or they keep XP around for sub normal specifications, and limit the markets it can be sold in so that they don't damage the Vista and later the 7 markets. If something came out that was successful enough to get noticed that could only run 3.11, Microsoft would very quickly dust it off and create USB 2 drivers for 3.11, and sell it as an ultra light weight OS.
Being a large corporation, there are many different departments and many different spokespeople, so they can talk out of all orifices in all directions at once and still be consistent. So OSS being a cancer is perfectly compatible with OSS being a valuable market which Microsoft needs to address and participate in. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were some Microsoft employees who did genuinely want to contribute to open source stuff, with no ulterior motive.
Don't you know? All The World Is Linux. Even X. Let's be honest, only someone smart enough to work on Linux could possibly be smart enough to understand the documentation anyway. Us thickos who work on other OSes will just have to try not to get drool on the screen.
Its previously discounted science being endorsed by Shell, and championed by a London management consultant. Somehow, being taken seriously is not one of the properties I would associate with this plan.
My point is that sometimes the dreaded command line is easier than a GUI interface. Regardless of which OS you are using. Nothing wrtong with using which ever one you find to be most appropriate in any given situation.
If you think those are extraordinary measures, I certainly hope you don't work in the IT industry. Those are some of the most basic security practices everyone uses, regardless of OS.
Extraordinary = beyond what is ordinary or usual. I don't work in the IT industry, but I do have fairly good reading comprehension. I never stated that I was not using sensible security practices, but, yes.. for most of the non geeky users I have come across, those would be extraordinary methods. But so is keeping their virus scanner up to date in many cases.
As a member of a team of 12 people who administer over 1200 Windows servers, I can tell you it ain't a lot of work to do day-to-day...as long as you aren't a clueless fucknut. But, then, we automate everything, so...If someone could then explain to me why we have 137 Unix admins to take care of their 400 boxes...
Who said it was difficult? The problem is.. you have to know what to do before you can do it, and you have to understand how important it is to keep doing it. Have you ever talked to someone who is not computer literate? Personal responsibility for their computer is not exactly in the forefront.
As to why the Unix servers need more people to keep them running.. No idea. Could be badly set up, could be that the Unix servers are more important than the Windows servers, could be anything. The server to admin ratio isn't really enough information to form an opinion on. Or you could just ask them?
Are you sure that the number of Unix admins is correct? Instead of 137 admins perhaps it is a 1337 Unix admin...
Which is not the default login for a new computer. Take a spot check on any five home users you know who have little interest in computers and either pay a shop to fix their computer when it goes down, or slip a few quid to a friend or neighbour to scrape all the junk out of it. Running as a limited user is so unusual, it is positively freaky.
I patch Windows monthly.
Unless updates are set to automatic, The vast majority of users do not update. And if the updates interrupt their work, they will find a way to shut them off. Even business users, who would be expected to have trained IT support have been found to be significantly behind when it comes to updates.
I don't run software that claims to put "HAWT NUDE CHIXXXORZ" "RIGHT ON YOUR DESKTOP!".
And if everyone did the same, there would be no spam. I don't know about you, but 500 spam mails a day is light for me, and I don't even click on the things.
I'm guessing that you also use a virus scanner and spyware scanner (both up to date), which is also not nearly as common as it should be, and defrag regularly. I know someone who lost their thesis and all their notes twice, because they didn't see the point, and didn't have any backups.
People pick up how to vaguely use a computer from friends, from the guy in the next cubicle at work, etc. Usually no training, no understanding of security, No interest beyond the absolute minimum of what they decide they need to learn. A computer is something they have to use, not something they use, so it is a hostile relationship where this complicated thing is trying to make them look stupid while it sits there with a smug expression. They don't read tech websites, computer magazines, or anything that would expose them to the information they need to stay safe, so how would they learn the right way to do things?
I am taking no extraordinary measures in the day to day operation of my gaming PC. I run as a limited user. I patch Windows monthly. I don't run software that claims to put "HAWT NUDE CHIXXXORZ" "RIGHT ON YOUR DESKTOP!".
It's simple, really.
Hate to be the one to break it to you... those are extraordinary measures.
But that would make it a COMMAND LINE INTERFACE!!!!!!
It doesn't have to be. The way I see it, there are 3 alternatives.
1. Shell. The geeky way. NET STOP WUAUSERV.
2. Icon on the desktop. The idiot-friendly online help solution. "Create a new shortcut and type NET STOP WUAUSERV..."
3. Services manager. Frankly, anybody who knows what this is probably will use NET STOP instead, and anybody who doesn't will find the idiot-friendly version...
It isn't very difficult to press the Windows key and "r" and type in three little words. Less if you make a batch file and put it in the path(Windows still uses paths and batch files doesn't it?)If you have a window maximised, clicking on an icon or calling up the task manager and switching to the right tab are both more work. And you don't have to take your hands away from the keyboard, which is why most programs are given keyboard short cuts for many things. Just because you use Windows, does not mean you can't use the command line. Using the appropriate tool is better than using a tool because it's there.
In XP I found out you could type
NET STOP WUAUSERV
That stops the Windows Update service if you're not ready to reboot. When you do reboot the updates will be installed as a side effect.
But that would make it a COMMAND LINE INTERFACE!!!!!!
err, I don't really personally like RMS all that much...
But I'm pretty certain companies do in fact use Linux to make money.
Let's start with Tivo...
Nokia, Nvidia, ATI, AMD, Intel, Netgear, Dlink, Google, Amazon, Asus, HP, IBM, Dell, Red Hat, Novell, Xandros, Sony, ILM, Samsung, Can't think of any more off the top of my head, but feel free to join in.
I agree with that, I'm just pointing out that WGA doesn't make it harder to install a pirated version of MSO, any more than any other DRM scheme does.
It does however add an extra bit of hassle, which can sort out the "will pay if they can't get it for free" from the "will not or can not pay and will use something else if pushed". In many cases, the latter is growing.
I gave a friend a choice of buying two XP OEM licenses and Free copies of Linux. I had already found out exactly what she needed to do, and knew that Linux could fill the needs she had 100%. She and her son went away happy, and haven't called me with any problems.
it takes less than 2 seconds for excel to start on my workstation (E6400 w 4gb of RAM), nad less than 4 for me to be typing in Word.
And OO Calc takes about the same on Fedora9 on a 400Mhz Athlon64 AM2 with 2 gig memory. and the same for the word processor (just timed it). How come your uber fast rig with 4 gig of memory is so slow loading a word processor?
I think Linspire users must be as rare as hen's teeth, I've certainly never even heard of a single person using it, other than the guy who reviewed it for distrowatch. Same goes for Xandros. though I did download that one once to check it out with a windows-stranded friend in mind, but saw no advantage over Ubuntu.
I think it was meant as a half way house between Windows and Linux. So good for transitioning, but not really something that is for long term use. I know one person who used to use it, but she jumped ship around the time of the Microsoft deal, and is using Ubuntu on one of the Dell laptops last I heard.
Don't you know the new required thought pattern? We aren't supposed to remember how nasty IBM were.
They are meant to be thought of as the poor unfortunate victims of an evil Microsoft, not the over confident and arrogant giant company who's failure to understand the market handed the world of computing to a small company whose owner lived on junk food and didn't wash much.
Being old I remember the time when Microsoft were this great company who liberated the computing world from the Unix wars. A company whose philosophy of getting their product out there cheaply and on everything meant I could finally afford a computer after several years of wanting, but not being able to buy, a Mac.
There was a time when Microsoft were the good guys, where people suddenly found that they could write a product for DOS and it would run on almost any computer. That meant it was possible to become a software house with a lot less effort and money than before.
And now it has come full circle. Everything that was true of IBM is now true of Microsoft. And Linux is in the position that Microsoft was in at the time. But without the crafty business deals and underhanded tactics. Now it is possible to become a software house with some talent and no money.
lots of people would drop linux like a hot potato if windows had the same level of openess. face it, windows is the standard and has all the vendor support and all the market share. if it was open, linux wouldn't have much of a reason to live.
That would assume everyone had the same reasons for using Linux.. And that there has to be one platform.
Personally, I came to use Linux as a way of being able to add and remove hardware at my discretion, not the WGA's. I'm staying because I honestly like the way it works.
So if Windows was made 100% open tomorrow, just speaking for myself, I might have a Windows box hanging around for games or something, but I would still be using Linux on my main system. Nothing wrong with using both is there? The more OSs there are, the more cross fertilisation of ideas, and the better the final result.
Doesn't it also seem weird that he has to buy the Digital Plus pack? Not really.
Think about it for a moment. The email is not an account of Bill Gates not being able to install one of his company's products. It is not a tech sup[port request. It is however, a usability test carried out by the big boss. It is about the install process and how it works from the point of view of a Microsoft customer.
Honestly I wish they could. It would be a better experience for all. Instead of having to purchase 50 billion utilities because of anti-trust laws, Windows would be a full-fledged operating system out of the box, and not just a fancy user interface. You mean a fully fledged platform out of the box. All an OS does is provide a layer between the hardware and software so that the apps don't have to do all the heavy lifting in their own unique way for each and every type of hardware. Imagine if you had to download a different driver for each app to use your printer/scanner/video card/ sound card etc. and need a different driver for each DVD writer and drive. Everything else is just gravy. We have got used to media players, browsers, email clients etc being bundled with the OS, but they are not actually part of it, or shouldn't be.
And say what you want about security and bugs. I have used Linux before, and if anyone suggests it doesn't have its issues (or vulnerabilities), please put down the bong. True.. Nothing is perfect. But what you are suggesting is for Microsoft or some other OS company of the future to completely take over the entire software market. The internet would be the Microsoft internet. Microsoft Photo editor instead of Photoshop, with added "innovation" to the UI every version, so everyone would have to relearn it. No more cameras with removable cards that just plug into a reader. No HTML editors but the ones that do MS only code etc. great for the company that is providing everything, but pretty crap for the users. The problem with the DOJ is that they chickened out in the end and didn't break up Microsoft into OS and apps.
Diversity is good. It stimulates the market into competing for user share. Even if you choose not to use a competitor's product, you still gain from the MS or whoever improving and updating their products to keep customers and attract new ones.
Proof positive.. Look at IE. Nothing for years after IE6, but then when Firefox and others started getting too big to ignore, IE7 arrives on the scene. Without any other browser existing, you would still be using IE6 for the next decade.
Here's the problem from a usability standpoint: I want to install a media player. I don't know that I need to install mplayer, xine or totem. (What is a totem and WTF does it have to do with playing media? WTF is a xine anyhow?) THe 'Add/Remove Programs' in Ubuntu addresses some of this, but try installing an app that plays podcasts WITHOUT KNOWING that democracyplayer and VLC play podcasts. You have a fair point. And it is definitely something that should be addressed across all platforms. Keywords bound to the repositories already exist for linuix, but could always do with improvement. Some package managers are better than others. I've used the search function to search the program descriptions before, and got useful results, but I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't find all relevant apps.
Thing is.. Does any other OS fare any better? No idea about OSX, but Windows has nothing as far as I know. Google, ask friends/on forums, read magazines, or do without. So trying to figure out what does podcasts without knowing what is available is not much better, if not worse on other platforms. And googling for some random app can end in downloading spyware if you are not cautious enough to check on what you are downloading. Especially when it comes to downloading unknown spyware removal tools.
Slashdot Mirror
Same plan as always.. Try to take over the world.
Get Microsoft products on anything that can come close to running them. CE/XP/Vista, it doesn't matter so long as it is a Microsoft product. Microsoft would love to kill XP, but they can't get Vista to run on the available hardware, so they either allow some other product to take the place of Windows, or they keep XP around for sub normal specifications, and limit the markets it can be sold in so that they don't damage the Vista and later the 7 markets. If something came out that was successful enough to get noticed that could only run 3.11, Microsoft would very quickly dust it off and create USB 2 drivers for 3.11, and sell it as an ultra light weight OS.
Being a large corporation, there are many different departments and many different spokespeople, so they can talk out of all orifices in all directions at once and still be consistent. So OSS being a cancer is perfectly compatible with OSS being a valuable market which Microsoft needs to address and participate in. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were some Microsoft employees who did genuinely want to contribute to open source stuff, with no ulterior motive.
Don't you know? All The World Is Linux. Even X. Let's be honest, only someone smart enough to work on Linux could possibly be smart enough to understand the documentation anyway. Us thickos who work on other OSes will just have to try not to get drool on the screen.
Confession is good for the soul.
And yet I still haven't "upgraded" to Vista.
Funny how that works.
Shiny... not slimy..
So, um... where do I store all my used Kleenexes, Q-tips, fingernail clippings, banana peels, etc....
Compost them, and use the result as fertiliser.
Its previously discounted science being endorsed by Shell, and championed by a London management consultant. Somehow, being taken seriously is not one of the properties I would associate with this plan.
Screw those stupid dolphins; always laughing at us humans. Just to spite them we should fill the ocean with Bud Light!
So basically... put water in the oceans.. Brilliant!!!
Do Chairmakers receive compensation when Ballmer enjoys the chair?
No.. Just the guy who repairs the wall.
My point is that sometimes the dreaded command line is easier than a GUI interface. Regardless of which OS you are using. Nothing wrtong with using which ever one you find to be most appropriate in any given situation.
If you think those are extraordinary measures, I certainly hope you don't work in the IT industry. Those are some of the most basic security practices everyone uses, regardless of OS.
Extraordinary = beyond what is ordinary or usual. I don't work in the IT industry, but I do have fairly good reading comprehension. I never stated that I was not using sensible security practices, but, yes.. for most of the non geeky users I have come across, those would be extraordinary methods. But so is keeping their virus scanner up to date in many cases.
As a member of a team of 12 people who administer over 1200 Windows servers, I can tell you it ain't a lot of work to do day-to-day...as long as you aren't a clueless fucknut. But, then, we automate everything, so...If someone could then explain to me why we have 137 Unix admins to take care of their 400 boxes...
Who said it was difficult? The problem is.. you have to know what to do before you can do it, and you have to understand how important it is to keep doing it. Have you ever talked to someone who is not computer literate? Personal responsibility for their computer is not exactly in the forefront.
As to why the Unix servers need more people to keep them running.. No idea. Could be badly set up, could be that the Unix servers are more important than the Windows servers, could be anything. The server to admin ratio isn't really enough information to form an opinion on. Or you could just ask them?
Are you sure that the number of Unix admins is correct? Instead of 137 admins perhaps it is a 1337 Unix admin...
Got it. So I don't misunderstand your post:
1. You run as root
2. You don't patch
3. You run software to view homoerotic pr0n of East German midgets with underage farm animals
Actually, I much prefer fish molesting Korean Midgets.
All of them?
Yes.
I run as a limited user.
Which is not the default login for a new computer. Take a spot check on any five home users you know who have little interest in computers and either pay a shop to fix their computer when it goes down, or slip a few quid to a friend or neighbour to scrape all the junk out of it. Running as a limited user is so unusual, it is positively freaky.
I patch Windows monthly.
Unless updates are set to automatic, The vast majority of users do not update. And if the updates interrupt their work, they will find a way to shut them off. Even business users, who would be expected to have trained IT support have been found to be significantly behind when it comes to updates.
I don't run software that claims to put "HAWT NUDE CHIXXXORZ" "RIGHT ON YOUR DESKTOP!".
And if everyone did the same, there would be no spam. I don't know about you, but 500 spam mails a day is light for me, and I don't even click on the things.
I'm guessing that you also use a virus scanner and spyware scanner (both up to date), which is also not nearly as common as it should be, and defrag regularly. I know someone who lost their thesis and all their notes twice, because they didn't see the point, and didn't have any backups.
People pick up how to vaguely use a computer from friends, from the guy in the next cubicle at work, etc. Usually no training, no understanding of security, No interest beyond the absolute minimum of what they decide they need to learn. A computer is something they have to use, not something they use, so it is a hostile relationship where this complicated thing is trying to make them look stupid while it sits there with a smug expression. They don't read tech websites, computer magazines, or anything that would expose them to the information they need to stay safe, so how would they learn the right way to do things?
I am taking no extraordinary measures in the day to day operation of my gaming PC.
I run as a limited user.
I patch Windows monthly.
I don't run software that claims to put "HAWT NUDE CHIXXXORZ" "RIGHT ON YOUR DESKTOP!".
It's simple, really.
Hate to be the one to break it to you... those are extraordinary measures.
But that would make it a COMMAND LINE INTERFACE!!!!!!
It doesn't have to be. The way I see it, there are 3 alternatives.
1. Shell. The geeky way. NET STOP WUAUSERV.
2. Icon on the desktop. The idiot-friendly online help solution. "Create a new shortcut and type NET STOP WUAUSERV..."
3. Services manager. Frankly, anybody who knows what this is probably will use NET STOP instead, and anybody who doesn't will find the idiot-friendly version...
It isn't very difficult to press the Windows key and "r" and type in three little words. Less if you make a batch file and put it in the path(Windows still uses paths and batch files doesn't it?)If you have a window maximised, clicking on an icon or calling up the task manager and switching to the right tab are both more work. And you don't have to take your hands away from the keyboard, which is why most programs are given keyboard short cuts for many things. Just because you use Windows, does not mean you can't use the command line. Using the appropriate tool is better than using a tool because it's there.
In XP I found out you could type NET STOP WUAUSERV That stops the Windows Update service if you're not ready to reboot. When you do reboot the updates will be installed as a side effect.
But that would make it a COMMAND LINE INTERFACE!!!!!!
err, I don't really personally like RMS all that much...
But I'm pretty certain companies do in fact use Linux to make money.
Let's start with Tivo...
Nokia,
Nvidia,
ATI,
AMD,
Intel,
Netgear,
Dlink,
Google,
Amazon,
Asus,
HP,
IBM,
Dell,
Red Hat,
Novell,
Xandros,
Sony,
ILM,
Samsung,
Can't think of any more off the top of my head, but feel free to join in.
I agree with that, I'm just pointing out that WGA doesn't make it harder to install a pirated version of MSO, any more than any other DRM scheme does.
It does however add an extra bit of hassle, which can sort out the "will pay if they can't get it for free" from the "will not or can not pay and will use something else if pushed". In many cases, the latter is growing.
I gave a friend a choice of buying two XP OEM licenses and Free copies of Linux. I had already found out exactly what she needed to do, and knew that Linux could fill the needs she had 100%. She and her son went away happy, and haven't called me with any problems.
it takes less than 2 seconds for excel to start on my workstation (E6400 w 4gb of RAM), nad less than 4 for me to be typing in Word.
And OO Calc takes about the same on Fedora9 on a 400Mhz Athlon64 AM2 with 2 gig memory. and the same for the word processor (just timed it). How come your uber fast rig with 4 gig of memory is so slow loading a word processor?
I think Linspire users must be as rare as hen's teeth, I've certainly never even heard of a single person using it, other than the guy who reviewed it for distrowatch. Same goes for Xandros. though I did download that one once to check it out with a windows-stranded friend in mind, but saw no advantage over Ubuntu.
I think it was meant as a half way house between Windows and Linux. So good for transitioning, but not really something that is for long term use. I know one person who used to use it, but she jumped ship around the time of the Microsoft deal, and is using Ubuntu on one of the Dell laptops last I heard.
Don't you know the new required thought pattern? We aren't supposed to remember how nasty IBM were.
They are meant to be thought of as the poor unfortunate victims of an evil Microsoft, not the over confident and arrogant giant company who's failure to understand the market handed the world of computing to a small company whose owner lived on junk food and didn't wash much.
Being old I remember the time when Microsoft were this great company who liberated the computing world from the Unix wars. A company whose philosophy of getting their product out there cheaply and on everything meant I could finally afford a computer after several years of wanting, but not being able to buy, a Mac.
There was a time when Microsoft were the good guys, where people suddenly found that they could write a product for DOS and it would run on almost any computer. That meant it was possible to become a software house with a lot less effort and money than before.
And now it has come full circle. Everything that was true of IBM is now true of Microsoft. And Linux is in the position that Microsoft was in at the time. But without the crafty business deals and underhanded tactics. Now it is possible to become a software house with some talent and no money.
you are not their customer.
Which is exactly what turns a lot of us off the idea of buying Apple products.
lots of people would drop linux like a hot potato if windows had the same level of openess. face it, windows is the standard and has all the vendor support and all the market share. if it was open, linux wouldn't have much of a reason to live.
That would assume everyone had the same reasons for using Linux.. And that there has to be one platform.
Personally, I came to use Linux as a way of being able to add and remove hardware at my discretion, not the WGA's. I'm staying because I honestly like the way it works.
So if Windows was made 100% open tomorrow, just speaking for myself, I might have a Windows box hanging around for games or something, but I would still be using Linux on my main system. Nothing wrong with using both is there? The more OSs there are, the more cross fertilisation of ideas, and the better the final result.
Diversity is good. It stimulates the market into competing for user share. Even if you choose not to use a competitor's product, you still gain from the MS or whoever improving and updating their products to keep customers and attract new ones.
Proof positive.. Look at IE. Nothing for years after IE6, but then when Firefox and others started getting too big to ignore, IE7 arrives on the scene. Without any other browser existing, you would still be using IE6 for the next decade.
Thing is.. Does any other OS fare any better? No idea about OSX, but Windows has nothing as far as I know. Google, ask friends/on forums, read magazines, or do without. So trying to figure out what does podcasts without knowing what is available is not much better, if not worse on other platforms. And googling for some random app can end in downloading spyware if you are not cautious enough to check on what you are downloading. Especially when it comes to downloading unknown spyware removal tools.