For international readers, OfCOM also is known as OfCON - the office that doesn't like to investigate too hard into anything and let's big business get away with anything.
How about rolling out the dropping of the Windows Genuine Dis-advantage to IE6? I hate IE7, and don't want it on my system. The only time I ever use the awful IE browser is because all other browsers point-blank refuse to work with the Windows Update website / properly.
"Adobe® Flex 3 is a cross platform, open source framework for creating rich Internet applications that run identically in all major browsers and operating systems." That's typical nonsense marketing speak. Are they promising anyone that uses Flex3 that they will be rich by using these internet applications?
Well, there's still no 64bit Skype (any OS), the Linux version does not even have half the features of the Windows version, and the Windows version has hooked up with what many would describe as dubious company like Paypal ("send money too..." feature). The user base seems to have grown, but that's about it. I have no sympathy for ebay.
Apart from all the cost, DRM, and bitrate issues mentioned, there is also an important point IMO.
iTunes (7.4.3) = 58MB download and makes your machine run slow (also likes to mess your file associations). Amazon.com MP3's = no download required, can use any web-browser and any OS.
Like most people I have a webmail account, but I use it for "junk" like website sign-ups, so if something messes up, I don't lose valuable data. Domain names and hosting is so cheap these days, you could use your own address for important emails, or your own ISP's account.
I never have understood the fascination people have with webmail, same sort of thing using a website to access Usenet and calling it proper Usenet - which it isn't.
I think if someone has old software that they no longer need (possibly because they upgraded to a latest version of it), and there is someone willing to buy/use the older software, and provided the older software has a valid licence key, then there should be no problem offering the software.
It's not as if you can go to most companies these days and buy an old version of software to install on older equipment. It's the newest version or no version. That also means buying a new computer when you don't necessarily want or need one. Madhouse economics.
Autodesk should be happy someone wants to install something like Autocad, even if it is an older version.
Apple are control freaks? They do seem to insist on you installing a massive bloated, slow piece of software just to use their online store, so they lose many customers that might actually bother with iTunes. I'm not installing it just to bring my machine to it's knees.
After the government has turned the entire USA population and all tourists into virtual suspects, it now needs more computing power to churn through all the garbage data it's producing.
Government and good IT spending just doesn't happen.
The simple fact is that vista would be a big improvement for most home users who are in the 'don't care, so long as my pc works' class.
After playing around with Vista on a friends new highly spec'd machine, I would say most home users are in the 'don't care it runs slow' class. They don't know how fast their new machines could be running (they can't/don't compare a similar machine running something like XP or Linux), Vista's turned their high spec machine into something resembled to running through tar.
Over here, the heads of IT, marketing, and managing director (me) all agree that going to Vista is a downgrade* not an upgrade, so the systems now dual boot with Windows XP and Linux**. Microsoft can shove Vista where the sun doesn't shine.
* Having "played" with Vista on another persons new machine and decent spec, it's terrible. ** After learning about Linux from scratch.
Maybe IBM could kick Sun up their behind and correct a problem with OpenOffice. I recently installed the current version of OO over a previous version, and rather than it installing in the partition I want it, the OO install gave no option where to save the installation. It then preceded to delete the old installation off of the preferred partition, and installed itself in the most stupid of places - the same drive that Windows lives on, making backups that much more difficult.
I hate installations that think the Windows drive / directory is the perfect place to install and give you no choice over it. I'd expect that behaviour from M$ installs.
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For international readers, OfCOM also is known as OfCON - the office that doesn't like to investigate too hard into anything and let's big business get away with anything.
How about rolling out the dropping of the Windows Genuine Dis-advantage to IE6? I hate IE7, and don't want it on my system. The only time I ever use the awful IE browser is because all other browsers point-blank refuse to work with the Windows Update website / properly.
Homer Simpson on Windows: "To start press any key. Where's the 'Any' key?"
Do you need the Starship Enterprise to go see it?
See, North Korea has no problem with light pollution during the night... http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/images/dprk-dmsp-dark-old.jpg
I thought the security services said they are SO good they don't need your keys, and can hack anything.
Well, there's still no 64bit Skype (any OS), the Linux version does not even have half the features of the Windows version, and the Windows version has hooked up with what many would describe as dubious company like Paypal ("send money too..." feature). The user base seems to have grown, but that's about it. I have no sympathy for ebay.
After using WinXP, it's not the processor that wants to throttle the system - it's me. So I installed Linux instead.
Apart from all the cost, DRM, and bitrate issues mentioned, there is also an important point IMO.
iTunes (7.4.3) = 58MB download and makes your machine run slow (also likes to mess your file associations).
Amazon.com MP3's = no download required, can use any web-browser and any OS.
I know which iLike!
Core re-branding such as "Hard-core" (for gamers), "Soft-core" (web browsing) and "Core-blimey" (for every other application)?
Like most people I have a webmail account, but I use it for "junk" like website sign-ups, so if something messes up, I don't lose valuable data. Domain names and hosting is so cheap these days, you could use your own address for important emails, or your own ISP's account.
I never have understood the fascination people have with webmail, same sort of thing using a website to access Usenet and calling it proper Usenet - which it isn't.
I think if someone has old software that they no longer need (possibly because they upgraded to a latest version of it), and there is someone willing to buy/use the older software, and provided the older software has a valid licence key, then there should be no problem offering the software.
It's not as if you can go to most companies these days and buy an old version of software to install on older equipment. It's the newest version or no version. That also means buying a new computer when you don't necessarily want or need one. Madhouse economics.
Autodesk should be happy someone wants to install something like Autocad, even if it is an older version.
What about upgrading existing track to run the German ICE http://www.bahn.de/p/view/international/englisch/trains/trains_ice.shtml (or ICE-T http://www.bahn.de/p/view/international/englisch/trains/trains_icet.shtml) trains? They are fast trains (similar to France's TGV), but not enough high-speed track in Germany to make best use of the train. Surely this would be cheaper?
Apple are control freaks? They do seem to insist on you installing a massive bloated, slow piece of software just to use their online store, so they lose many customers that might actually bother with iTunes. I'm not installing it just to bring my machine to it's knees.
Perhaps this is the way to get fabulous Vista sales figures?
After the government has turned the entire USA population and all tourists into virtual suspects, it now needs more computing power to churn through all the garbage data it's producing.
Government and good IT spending just doesn't happen.
... Details of the project are highly classified. But not secret enough to issue a press release about it?No spying yet, but this is the reason the European Union want their own version of GPS.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32004L0052R(01):EN:HTMLThese "tough" privacy laws you speak of only apply when it suits the EU.
After playing around with Vista on a friends new highly spec'd machine, I would say most home users are in the 'don't care it runs slow' class. They don't know how fast their new machines could be running (they can't/don't compare a similar machine running something like XP or Linux), Vista's turned their high spec machine into something resembled to running through tar.
Over here, the heads of IT, marketing, and managing director (me) all agree that going to Vista is a downgrade* not an upgrade, so the systems now dual boot with Windows XP and Linux**. Microsoft can shove Vista where the sun doesn't shine.
* Having "played" with Vista on another persons new machine and decent spec, it's terrible.
** After learning about Linux from scratch.
Still doesn't make it 64 bit, and the Linux version of Flash doesn't work as nice as the Flash version for Windows.
Maybe IBM could kick Sun up their behind and correct a problem with OpenOffice. I recently installed the current version of OO over a previous version, and rather than it installing in the partition I want it, the OO install gave no option where to save the installation. It then preceded to delete the old installation off of the preferred partition, and installed itself in the most stupid of places - the same drive that Windows lives on, making backups that much more difficult.
I hate installations that think the Windows drive / directory is the perfect place to install and give you no choice over it. I'd expect that behaviour from M$ installs.
Oops, remove last '/' from the end of the URL's if you visit them to make the URL's work.