The FSF is clear on how Readline was handled. (I'd like to hear other views, so if you know any...)
[Paraphrase] In the case of Readline, there was no force it was a choice by the user based on the quality of Readline and the work involved in someone attempting to duplicate what it does.
Anyone can write thier own code for any task they wish. There can be compelling reasons to use code that happens to be licenced under the GPL (or some other licence).
If anyone wants to use someone else's code as an integrated part of what they write, and that other code happens to be licenced under the GPL, they have to abide by the GPL. Any other licence would have it's own restrictions but usually not as many benifits as the GPL.
In the cases of GPL violations, the resolution has consistantly been either;
Remove the GPLed code
Keep the GPLed code and licence the appropriate new parts under the GPL also
The main alternatives -- BSD, commercial, and artistic -- have thier own benifits and drawbacks. You're free to choose any of them for your own work. Being critical of the GPL for something it doesn't do is a bit harsh.
I've read ZD stuff for about 2 decades. Some before getting out of college and most after working for a company that produced COTS software. Because of that, I feel that my biased opinion has some weight.
Before: I felt as if I was learning something interesting, and was 'cutting edge'.
After: Those lying, half-inch deep, fluff pushers. What product are they pushing today?
I've talked to reporters, been misquoted, seen the inaccurate cheerleading 'indepth reviews' that result. Not surpringly, nothing short of pulling advertisements from the same magazine has _any_ effect on this horrid process. That alone should give people something to think about -- imagine pulling advertisements just to get a less dammaging review!
Screw 'em all. ZD specifically.
If you have any opinion resulting from seeing these guys operate, speak up. There are very few reporters and even fewer magazines or websites that deserve any respect at all. (Plug: The Microprocessor Report - not as good as it used to be, but still worth a read).
"And as you said, for the 99.99% of users who aren't "aware" of any possible web options, they're going to absent-mindedly click OK, thinking that it's some required part of the internet."
This almost reads as if you would expect Microsoft to include a "Decline" button on that panel.
How about the choices below;
[ OK ] [ Cancel ]
Now, if neither are enabled, what do you think most people will click?
No doubt, the hack prospects of the Dreamcast do make it tempting addition to an entertainment system. In 6 months, this should be sweet...yet, will it be selling in 6 months? (Really Curious!)
personally I find the huge fucking Flash ads in the middle of article text far more annoying than popups.
No doubt. Flash is becomming more and more a necessity for browsing some sites, and the ads can't be turned off without disabling menus.
Ideally, I'd like to see an option that allows per-domain control of Flash. For example;
Right click on an item. Option to remove the item and all subsequent items that have the same dimensions and/or location; ignore thin menus at the top, but nuke any 240x240(?) block 5+ lines down.
If not this, then an option that grabs the text, drops everything else, and reformats the page.
I agree that the Mozilla team will 'fix' any road blocks MS invents (if any).
Where we differ is that I think Microsoft has;
...broken competitor's products in the past (see other threads).
...a trivially easy way to distribute these destabilizing binaries in the future through Windows Update (soon to not require user intervention by default).
You *can* use Office97 on XP, you can use software that was written to Win3.11 on XP!!!
Excuse me, my Carl Segan Mark-7 baloney detector just blew a fuse, so you'll have to enligten me. (Yes, the Mark-12 is the latest one, but the Mark-7 has worked well till now.:) )
Do you mean;
Windows XP is capable of running the same application software that can run under Windows 3.11.
Windows XP can run some software that was originally designed for Windows 3.11 -- but not all.
Windows XP is capable of running software that was designed for Windows 3/95/98/ME but Windows 2000 is incapable of running.
Windows XP can run Office 97.
Windows XP can run Office 97 but it's a gamble for any other Windows software from the same time.
Pick any if they apply...or offer one that you think is more appropriate.
Note: I'm considering applications only from calculators, PIMs, games, edutainment,...through databases, web applications, and development tools). VXDs and ugly utilities such as screen savers and hardware-specific drivers are not an issue here. Ofcourse those don't work, this isn't Unix after all!:)
I've been testing DRI also (now at 0.7 release with xf4.0.3).
If you back up...
/etc/X11
/usr/X11R6
You should be fine if the upgrade nukes X; just delete the directories and restore your backups. So far, official releases have worked well though awhile ago the DRI daily releases haven't.
Well folks, Lotus 123 doesn't run anymore. Few people even use 123's file format either even though it used to be the #1 business app.^
Here's what to me seems damn obvious. Contrary opinions are welcome;
AOL is simply the latest in a long line of victims both from before and after Lotus.
Sometime between XP's release and the next major revision of Windows, MS will...
Remove all ISPs from Windows except MSN. That AOL might go sooner is just a matter of when, not if.
During updates, make MSN the default ISP or disable a non-MSN ISP 'accidentially'.
Change Windows APIs so that Netscape and Mozilla break or crash (the premature and flaky NS 6.0/6.0.1 won't be current when XP ships. Mozilla is quite nice now).
Add features to IE that are MSN-specific. The top of this iceburg is starting to appear with.Net/Hailstorm.
Repeat.
The only reason they aren't doing this now is that they had/have contracts, and the DOJ case hasn't completely gone away -- though I expect that the good people at Microsoft are betting on it.
Does anyone honestly think it would be any different?
^ - There were different competitive word processors in 123's hayday. 123 dominated spreadsheets. True that Lotus didn't help itself, and had a poor transition to GUI versions of 123, and the failed attempt at getting people excited about Improv (a great program btw).
Morbid fascination with the bizzare. That's what these articles are, nothing more. It's a waste of time to pay much attention to what the talking heads at Microsoft say.
If I'm interested at all, it's in what they do, not what they say.
4. A house will sense the mood of its owner: The coffee machine will kick in when it's needed.
And, when you have a brownout, it will mess up the files and go back to the factory settings. Or it will listen in to your morning gripings and save them to the FBI/SS file kept on you.
While everything should progress toward dispensing cofee, on one level this is already happening. Some answering machines today have a remote listen feature -- and the same model often has a hard-coded number to activate it. Supposedly not as common as it used to be.
I know all the arguments about the browser war being lost, but I'm not so convinced, especially will the emergence of all the new platforms.
I agree, though for most people they neither know or care about browsers -- it's all 'The Internet' to them. Here's part a real conversation I had with someone when helping them out with thier new laptop;
Me: "What browser do you have?"
Them: "Netscape. I always use Netscape."
[A few painful minutes go by as I ask them to go to a specific menu, and they say they can't find it.]
Me: "In the upper right hand corner, what do you see?"
Them: "Looks like an E with a swoosh through it."
Most people I deal with don't have a clue about what they use, and don't understand the difference between Browser and Internet. I've had multiple short conversations with someone who insists that the browser that thier ISP's dialer shows them at home is "The Internet". I've even shown this person on the network other programs that work and work over the Internet, and they still refer to the browser this way. This person is a PHB and makes buying decisions.
The browser used has nothing to do with technology or if something is more user friendly. It has everything to do with bundling arrangements. The only way to stem this tide is to advocate Mozilla / Netscape. Mozilla is great, Netscape 6.0.1 isn't.
If Microsoft suceeds in making non-IE browsers second class citizens, the previous efforts at making Active-X a requirement to surf will look like a demo of the new MS-branded Internet.
Having not one but both parents with back problems, I have to agree. So far, I've avoided any pain myself by following a moderate routine at the gym, plus fat loss and a few back-specific exercises.
Here's a no fuss Exercise and Muscle Directory that will allow you to pinpoint most muscles and choose an appropriate exercise. They even include a short animation showing how to properly do each exercise. This resource is geared to serious body builders and atheletes though it is quite nice.
Because of this effort, I have a substantial amount of muscle supporting my spine and I feel solid.
The most sucessful exercise I've ever done is hyperextentions.
At the gym ask the instructors about hyperextentions and give it a try. If you do nothing else, and aren't too overweight or have other back problems, this exercise alone should be enough to strengthen your back substantially.
As with any exercise stay in control and do each rep slow and steady. It's not the number of times you do something it's the technique. Jerking yourself around or over stressing yourself can lead to torn muscles, tendons, or (unlikely) bone damage.
Suggested Routine
Hyperextentions can really knot up your back if you aren't used to exercising your back. Here's a begining suggestion;
Do 4-6 sets
For the first few weeks, only do 5-10 reps per set
Rest 2 minutes between sets
Space out your exercise routine so that you have 2 days of recovery before hitting the same muscles
After a few weeks, move the number of reps per set up and reduce the number of sets down to 3 or 4. The time between sets can be shortened substantially as well (typically 30-50 seconds depending on comfort).
Clue to moderators; SuperRescue = diskless kiosk
on
Diskless Linux Kiosks
·
· Score: 2
SuperRescue can be used as the basis for a diskless kiosk.
Dumb me, thinking that would a bit obvious, gets dinged _twice_ for being 'offtopic'. What's up with that?
With VNC, the app runs on another machine that could be centrally maintained, while the kiosk would be pre-tuned for running the VNC environment. Sure, it puts heavy demands on the initial network config but it should work without having to upgrade the kiosks when the apps change. (But, what do I know?)
Here's a quick guide to booting into X using SuperRescue;
1. Reboot/start system with CD in drive.
2. At the first prompt, type in
multi
and press enter. The system will boot to a login prompt with multi-user support.
3. Login as root, by typing
root
and pressing enter TWICE; SuperRescue does not use passwords.
4. Enter runlevel 5 (X with multi-user support);
/sbin/init 5
5. At this point, the system will boot and check for new hardware. For now, ignore the prompts and allow the hardware screens to time
out.
6. After boot, the system will check the video card and fail multiple times. This is normal. In about a minute, the login prompt will appear. Since there was no monitor configuration the
screen might be slightly distorted. If this is too much of a problem, you can logout/reboot/restart and try answering the
hardware configuration questions mentioned earlier.
7. Login as user (no password). The default desktop is KDE. If you want Gnome, select it from the Session Type menu before hitting the Go! button.
That's true...when there's a specific definable problem and that problem actually exists.
Microsoft seems to have learned it's lesson with the Mindcraft benchmarks; be vauge, where possible turn black into white and white into black, and put a seed of doubt in places where there are facts that back them up.
Another point of the Consulting Times article is that a little focused propaganda can incite and distract attention from the real issues. That it takes some explaining to show that MS is pushing hooey just shows that they are having an impact. As a small example, we're not helping anyone here by writing and reading any of this!
In this case, IBM has the real potential to make Microsoft's networking efforts as influential as Banyan Vines. That IBM uses open source, Linux, free software, or any other method -- substantial or wholely illusion -- doesn't matter one hoot. That IBM is bold enough to try is enough of a threat to MS.
[ software as a commodity... MS foiled in the long run ]
Software is a commodity, no doubt. I'd include in this many commercial programs. A quick check of the made-for-bargin-bin software section is all that is needed to verify this -- and it is not just games anymore. On the flip side, to call open/free software a commodity is absurd; it's 'sold' in a nearly infinite volume for largely the same 'unit cost'. Having said that, regaurding open/free software as a commodity still has practical utility.
If a wholesale switch from MS Office to free/open alternatives happened today, there would be some pain but that would largely go away within a year since there would be quite a few highly motivated people added to the existing open projects. That MS still can charge substantial amounts on a per-user basis is amazing and shows that the grip they have is quite strong. If MS didn't have a monopoly, they would not be able to charge what they do.
Because of that control, and the subsequent lowered interest in the alternatives, it will be well over a year before most companies that use MS apps will see the switch to alternatives as a possibility. In one year, quite a bit can change...so no, I don't see MS's failure in desktop apps or server software as a given.
jadrien writes "As the war for the common denominator access platform continues, the only two players that scare Microsoft team up.
I'd add IBM to the top of that list. After reading this article from Consulting Times I have a new perspective on the whole Mundie distraction.
In sum: MS doesn't care about 'Linux'. It cares about control and threats to that control.
By distracting the open source, free software, or Linux advocates it zaps strength from IBM's efforts to rally them to make stronger technology that MS doesn't control...and thus slows IBM's own efforts. MS needs some time to keep companies from moving away from Microsoft-based software, and to institute more MS-controled technologies such as.net.
Anything that can impact IBM's efforts to build open source or Linux support will also slow the efforts of HP, Compaq, Dell, and others that understand the business costs of the current Microsoft monopoly.
NTK's summary at http://www.ntk.net is by far the best Mundie retort I've read so far.
Agreed -- the details are devistating to Craig Mundie's argument. How he got and kept his job is a wonder.
If you get a chance, take a look at Alan Toffer's Future Shock in a used book store. It's quite funny, but was also taken very seriously back in the 70s. The difference being that Craig Mundie has a bad track record now and Toffer didn't back then.
MS pleads 'please stop beating us! You're just mean and stifle innovation -- you're just anti-american comunists! Thieves!'
Competition gufaws -- 'innovation? Communist? Theives? If it's war you want, it's war!'
Meanwhile: DOJ is deciding fate of MS anti-trust trial. Feels justified that 'real competition' exists...and can publically decide in MS's favor.
End of 2001: MS, in ernest, gets back to incompatability efforts, and runs more 'Works well with others' adds hoping that nobody with $$$ notices and considers non-MS software as only supported by flaky radicals.
Now, I do think that open source is real competition to propriatory file formats, protocols, and operating systems. Most software is really a commodity and abundant. Custimization and expert support is where the main efforts are needed. Because of that, MS is riding a false profit bubble currently based on a propriatory one-user licence model.
In the current environment with high-quality software available with little or no restrictions, a truely competitive market would have both OS and application software distributed and 'sold' following something like RedHat's business plan.
The only items that can be sold with substantial margins or on a per-copy basis are ones that are custom projects, software that is heavy on specific content (games and nitch products), or have service tie-ins making it too painful or simply not worth it to switch to a competitor.
In a former life, I was the QA lead for a commercial memory tester. Memtest86 is quite good; I've put the boot disk in my CD case of tools.
One misconception that most people have is that the BIOS POST routines actually test RAM. They don't.
The only thing BIOS routines do is check for the existance of RAM, and as a side benifit some failures are detected.
Other failures can't be found with the quick xor tests done in the BIOS because;
They are masked by a cache that is not defective.
Are heat/cold sensitive -- and at boot the system might be OK.
The failure of one bit only occurs after other bits are flipped.
Even a good memory test program like Memtest86 can't find all defects, and definately not on the first pass. As a reasonable sanity check, Memtest86 is highly recommended.
Slashdot Mirror
[Paraphrase] In the case of Readline, there was no force it was a choice by the user based on the quality of Readline and the work involved in someone attempting to duplicate what it does.
Anyone can write thier own code for any task they wish. There can be compelling reasons to use code that happens to be licenced under the GPL (or some other licence).
If anyone wants to use someone else's code as an integrated part of what they write, and that other code happens to be licenced under the GPL, they have to abide by the GPL. Any other licence would have it's own restrictions but usually not as many benifits as the GPL.
In the cases of GPL violations, the resolution has consistantly been either;
The main alternatives -- BSD, commercial, and artistic -- have thier own benifits and drawbacks. You're free to choose any of them for your own work. Being critical of the GPL for something it doesn't do is a bit harsh.
Thanks! I thought that one up when I was out fishing with a buddy. It kept us amused for about an hour...so many variations.
Damn, and me with no points. Mod that one up please!
After: Those lying, half-inch deep, fluff pushers. What product are they pushing today?
I've talked to reporters, been misquoted, seen the inaccurate cheerleading 'indepth reviews' that result. Not surpringly, nothing short of pulling advertisements from the same magazine has _any_ effect on this horrid process. That alone should give people something to think about -- imagine pulling advertisements just to get a less dammaging review!
Screw 'em all. ZD specifically.
If you have any opinion resulting from seeing these guys operate, speak up. There are very few reporters and even fewer magazines or websites that deserve any respect at all. (Plug: The Microprocessor Report - not as good as it used to be, but still worth a read).
_3_ adds at the top, and more along the edge?
A bit much, don't you think?
This almost reads as if you would expect Microsoft to include a "Decline" button on that panel.
How about the choices below;
Now, if neither are enabled, what do you think most people will click?
I'll give it 15 years before corporate sponsored 'wildlife' starts showing up -- and they'll be tasty too! :)
Keyboard: $30 USD [link]
Mouse: $20 USD [link]
Alternatively, for less $, you could get a boat load of current and classic titles for Linux at $10 a pop from EBgames.com
... or, better yet, hop over to TuxGames and pick up some new titles like Tribes 2,and Alpha Centuri, Mindrover, and Jagged Alliance 2 and still have some money left over.
No doubt, the hack prospects of the Dreamcast do make it tempting addition to an entertainment system. In 6 months, this should be sweet...yet, will it be selling in 6 months? (Really Curious!)
No doubt. Flash is becomming more and more a necessity for browsing some sites, and the ads can't be turned off without disabling menus.
Ideally, I'd like to see an option that allows per-domain control of Flash. For example;
If not this, then an option that grabs the text, drops everything else, and reformats the page.
Where we differ is that I think Microsoft has;
...a trivially easy way to distribute these destabilizing binaries in the future through Windows Update (soon to not require user intervention by default).
...motivation to do it (see other threads).
Excuse me, my Carl Segan Mark-7 baloney detector just blew a fuse, so you'll have to enligten me. (Yes, the Mark-12 is the latest one, but the Mark-7 has worked well till now. :) )
Do you mean;
Pick any if they apply...or offer one that you think is more appropriate.
If you back up...
/etc/X11
/usr/X11R6
You should be fine if the upgrade nukes X; just delete the directories and restore your backups. So far, official releases have worked well though awhile ago the DRI daily releases haven't.
Here's what to me seems damn obvious. Contrary opinions are welcome;
AOL is simply the latest in a long line of victims both from before and after Lotus. Sometime between XP's release and the next major revision of Windows, MS will...
The only reason they aren't doing this now is that they had/have contracts, and the DOJ case hasn't completely gone away -- though I expect that the good people at Microsoft are betting on it.
Does anyone honestly think it would be any different?
^ - There were different competitive word processors in 123's hayday. 123 dominated spreadsheets. True that Lotus didn't help itself, and had a poor transition to GUI versions of 123, and the failed attempt at getting people excited about Improv (a great program btw).
If I'm interested at all, it's in what they do, not what they say.
And, when you have a brownout, it will mess up the files and go back to the factory settings. Or it will listen in to your morning gripings and save them to the FBI/SS file kept on you.
While everything should progress toward dispensing cofee, on one level this is already happening. Some answering machines today have a remote listen feature -- and the same model often has a hard-coded number to activate it. Supposedly not as common as it used to be.
I agree, though for most people they neither know or care about browsers -- it's all 'The Internet' to them. Here's part a real conversation I had with someone when helping them out with thier new laptop;
Me: "What browser do you have?"
Them: "Netscape. I always use Netscape."
[A few painful minutes go by as I ask them to go to a specific menu, and they say they can't find it.]
Me: "In the upper right hand corner, what do you see?"
Them: "Looks like an E with a swoosh through it."
Most people I deal with don't have a clue about what they use, and don't understand the difference between Browser and Internet. I've had multiple short conversations with someone who insists that the browser that thier ISP's dialer shows them at home is "The Internet". I've even shown this person on the network other programs that work and work over the Internet, and they still refer to the browser this way. This person is a PHB and makes buying decisions.
The browser used has nothing to do with technology or if something is more user friendly. It has everything to do with bundling arrangements. The only way to stem this tide is to advocate Mozilla / Netscape. Mozilla is great, Netscape 6.0.1 isn't.
If Microsoft suceeds in making non-IE browsers second class citizens, the previous efforts at making Active-X a requirement to surf will look like a demo of the new MS-branded Internet.
Here's a no fuss Exercise and Muscle Directory that will allow you to pinpoint most muscles and choose an appropriate exercise. They even include a short animation showing how to properly do each exercise. This resource is geared to serious body builders and atheletes though it is quite nice.
Because of this effort, I have a substantial amount of muscle supporting my spine and I feel solid.
The most sucessful exercise I've ever done is hyperextentions.
At the gym ask the instructors about hyperextentions and give it a try. If you do nothing else, and aren't too overweight or have other back problems, this exercise alone should be enough to strengthen your back substantially.
As with any exercise stay in control and do each rep slow and steady. It's not the number of times you do something it's the technique. Jerking yourself around or over stressing yourself can lead to torn muscles, tendons, or (unlikely) bone damage.
Suggested Routine
Hyperextentions can really knot up your back if you aren't used to exercising your back. Here's a begining suggestion;
Do 4-6 sets
For the first few weeks, only do 5-10 reps per set
Rest 2 minutes between sets
Space out your exercise routine so that you have 2 days of recovery before hitting the same muscles
After a few weeks, move the number of reps per set up and reduce the number of sets down to 3 or 4. The time between sets can be shortened substantially as well (typically 30-50 seconds depending on comfort).
Dumb me, thinking that would a bit obvious, gets dinged _twice_ for being 'offtopic'. What's up with that?
With VNC, the app runs on another machine that could be centrally maintained, while the kiosk would be pre-tuned for running the VNC environment. Sure, it puts heavy demands on the initial network config but it should work without having to upgrade the kiosks when the apps change. (But, what do I know?)
1. Reboot/start system with CD in drive.
2. At the first prompt, type in
and press enter. The system will boot to a login prompt with multi-user support.
3. Login as root, by typing
and pressing enter TWICE; SuperRescue does not use passwords.
4. Enter runlevel 5 (X with multi-user support);
5. At this point, the system will boot and check for new hardware. For now, ignore the prompts and allow the hardware screens to time out.
6. After boot, the system will check the video card and fail multiple times. This is normal. In about a minute, the login prompt will appear. Since there was no monitor configuration the screen might be slightly distorted. If this is too much of a problem, you can logout/reboot/restart and try answering the hardware configuration questions mentioned earlier.
7. Login as user (no password). The default desktop is KDE. If you want Gnome, select it from the Session Type menu before hitting the Go! button.
That's true...when there's a specific definable problem and that problem actually exists.
Microsoft seems to have learned it's lesson with the Mindcraft benchmarks; be vauge, where possible turn black into white and white into black, and put a seed of doubt in places where there are facts that back them up.
Another point of the Consulting Times article is that a little focused propaganda can incite and distract attention from the real issues. That it takes some explaining to show that MS is pushing hooey just shows that they are having an impact. As a small example, we're not helping anyone here by writing and reading any of this!
In this case, IBM has the real potential to make Microsoft's networking efforts as influential as Banyan Vines. That IBM uses open source, Linux, free software, or any other method -- substantial or wholely illusion -- doesn't matter one hoot. That IBM is bold enough to try is enough of a threat to MS.
[ software as a commodity ... MS foiled in the long run ]
Software is a commodity, no doubt. I'd include in this many commercial programs. A quick check of the made-for-bargin-bin software section is all that is needed to verify this -- and it is not just games anymore. On the flip side, to call open/free software a commodity is absurd; it's 'sold' in a nearly infinite volume for largely the same 'unit cost'. Having said that, regaurding open/free software as a commodity still has practical utility.
If a wholesale switch from MS Office to free/open alternatives happened today, there would be some pain but that would largely go away within a year since there would be quite a few highly motivated people added to the existing open projects. That MS still can charge substantial amounts on a per-user basis is amazing and shows that the grip they have is quite strong. If MS didn't have a monopoly, they would not be able to charge what they do.
Because of that control, and the subsequent lowered interest in the alternatives, it will be well over a year before most companies that use MS apps will see the switch to alternatives as a possibility. In one year, quite a bit can change...so no, I don't see MS's failure in desktop apps or server software as a given.
I'd add IBM to the top of that list. After reading this article from Consulting Times I have a new perspective on the whole Mundie distraction.
In sum: MS doesn't care about 'Linux'. It cares about control and threats to that control.
By distracting the open source, free software, or Linux advocates it zaps strength from IBM's efforts to rally them to make stronger technology that MS doesn't control...and thus slows IBM's own efforts. MS needs some time to keep companies from moving away from Microsoft-based software, and to institute more MS-controled technologies such as .net.
Anything that can impact IBM's efforts to build open source or Linux support will also slow the efforts of HP, Compaq, Dell, and others that understand the business costs of the current Microsoft monopoly.
Agreed -- the details are devistating to Craig Mundie's argument. How he got and kept his job is a wonder.
If you get a chance, take a look at Alan Toffer's Future Shock in a used book store. It's quite funny, but was also taken very seriously back in the 70s. The difference being that Craig Mundie has a bad track record now and Toffer didn't back then.
MS goads open source competitors into reacting.
Competition reacts.
MS pleads 'please stop beating us! You're just mean and stifle innovation -- you're just anti-american comunists! Thieves!'
Competition gufaws -- 'innovation? Communist? Theives? If it's war you want, it's war!'
Meanwhile: DOJ is deciding fate of MS anti-trust trial. Feels justified that 'real competition' exists...and can publically decide in MS's favor.
End of 2001: MS, in ernest, gets back to incompatability efforts, and runs more 'Works well with others' adds hoping that nobody with $$$ notices and considers non-MS software as only supported by flaky radicals.
Now, I do think that open source is real competition to propriatory file formats, protocols, and operating systems. Most software is really a commodity and abundant. Custimization and expert support is where the main efforts are needed. Because of that, MS is riding a false profit bubble currently based on a propriatory one-user licence model.
In the current environment with high-quality software available with little or no restrictions, a truely competitive market would have both OS and application software distributed and 'sold' following something like RedHat's business plan.
The only items that can be sold with substantial margins or on a per-copy basis are ones that are custom projects, software that is heavy on specific content (games and nitch products), or have service tie-ins making it too painful or simply not worth it to switch to a competitor.
One misconception that most people have is that the BIOS POST routines actually test RAM. They don't.
The only thing BIOS routines do is check for the existance of RAM, and as a side benifit some failures are detected.
Other failures can't be found with the quick xor tests done in the BIOS because;
They are masked by a cache that is not defective.
Are heat/cold sensitive -- and at boot the system might be OK.
The failure of one bit only occurs after other bits are flipped.
Even a good memory test program like Memtest86 can't find all defects, and definately not on the first pass. As a reasonable sanity check, Memtest86 is highly recommended.