Actually... it only overwrites the MBR. You can easily boot with a Linux boot disk, go in, and restore your MBR, say with LILO.
It's not arrogance on the part of MS programmers, it's the assumption that 90+% of people who are installing Windows want Windows to boot when they turn on their computer. Of course, it would be nice if the Windows installer detects any pre-existing boot systems, but that's not really in their best interest.
I find this hard to believe. Surely, if you create music, whatever spyware's running will be able to tell that there's no copyright on it. And/or, you'll be able to "sign" something with your own copyright/certificate.
Sure, it's nice to hop on the Evil Companies bandwagon, but really.... why should everything be free? What if you ran a company? Would you give your product away? If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you do like it, buy it. Don't like asparagus? Don't buy it. Do like grapes? Buy them, don't shoplift them.
As for privacy, so what? What if Sony finds out that you listen to Neil Diamond's greatest hits 10 times a day? What are they going to do, haul you into a dungeon and torture you? Are they going to take out a full-page ad in the NY Times, proclaiming that Joe-LOTR-Geek-Smith listens to Neil Diamond 10 times a day?
I don't like this either, but how about a reality check every now and then?
Indeed.
Just think... if you worked hard to make millions of dollars, how would you like it if those who didn't kept telling you how to spend your money? Really, isn't the point of becoming wealthy; to do what you want with your wealth? If we made it such that anyone who becomes wealthy must give their wealth to others, would anyone choose to become wealthy? Isn't that the root of capitalism and freedom?
Really, if knowing that they're being monitored prevents a teen from driving like a jackass, good.
Contrary to popular belief, teens aren't the same as adults, don't carry the same responsibilities, etc. This right to all-encompassing entitlement is a big reason why kids today are a bunch of spoiled bastards. They should realize how lucky they are to be able to drive in the first place, rather than whine about their "lack of freedom".
Give me a break.
I agree.
My mom won't use Linux. She's finally gotten a good grasp on Outlook, has loads of Actual Applications that are Windows based for the business she's in. She takes her laptop to work and docks it into her network. It all works for her.
This essay was by someone who seems to have A) a mom with a lot of free time and minimal computing requirements, and B) plenty of their own free time to babysit their mom's OS.
The thought of putting my mom on Linux is insane. Crap articles like this are truly inane, irrational, clearly the work of someone with very little insight into the real world of users and users habits.
Hey fucktard, I started using Slackware probably in 96 or so, have tried Red Hat (aka LInux for fucktards), Suse (pretty good, but still wacky), and have come back to Slackware. I am not a newbie, don't need the dog-blowing GUI crap of RedHat etc.
Real Player was just one example. The list goes on and on.
You're right, at this point, it is a hobbyist OS, and those who pretend otherwise are bonkers.
Really, as much as I enjoy Linux, it's a total pain in the ass doing what Windows does easily. For example, I spent about an hour this morning trying to get Real Player 8 to work under Slackware. What's the problem? I'm not sure - maybe it's a kernel issue, maybe it's a lib problem, maybe it's an X server problem, maybe it's an audio server problem. Do I have kernel version X? Do I have Nvidia's driver Y? Do I have libs A,B,C, and if so, what versions? BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. Total pain in the ass.
Finally I said screw it, booted into Win98. It works. As much as I hate evil Bill, my Win98 works, and hasn't crashed or locked up for months.
I truly believe we need a standard way of doing things to eliminate the cluster-fuck encountered whenever modifying/adding/etc. Not to mention the way fonts can run off the edge of dialog boxes. WTF is that? I've never seen it in Windows, ever.
I really can't blame software companies for not bothering with Linux desktop apps. I use linux daily for server purposes, command-line text editing, etc, but really don't have a lot of free time to blow fighting the Desktop. Sure, I'll keep doing it, for geek fun, but knowing that the Linux desktop has a LONG LONG LONG way to go before being anything for the regular user.
Point being, different types of people have different needs. People who've evolved in the arctic, with the limited variety of foodstuffs there, have different tolerances than someone who evolved in Africa, or Europe. Some of us can eat butt-loads of fatty foods without getting fat; some of us can't. Do what works for you. And, avoid refined sugar, it is the tool of the devil.
Yes, there are those of us who feel the same way. Last night, I met a Jackass who works for Microsoft. When I mentioned that I like open-source software, he said "Well, that's a nice hobby." Bastard. So we talked about this for a while, and one of his points was that with Windows, you don't have to fuss with scripts and config files. I said, that's exactly why I like using Linux, because I have total control over it - among other things.
I personally drive a stick. I hate cruise control. People who can only drive automatics should be shipped off to Greenland.
It's been my experience that:
1. 90+% of users are incapable and/or unwilling to think. Regardless of how obvious the UI is, they need to be sat down and trained like monkeys to repeat a series of steps to accomplish whatever they're trying to do. They cannot, or will not, stop, look at the screen, and make an intelligent choice on how to proceed. No matter how plain and simple the UI is, it's like they had a part of their brain removed.
2. About 5% of users can make decisions based on the UI to accomplish their goals.
3. The remaining few percent, which we would call Power Users, have a decent understanding of how computers work, how files work, where they're located, how to find them. They know that if they're trying to open a file, they can usually do this by clicking File, and maneuvering down the menu. They can figure out that if their X: drive isn't opening, it's probably because they aren't logged in to the network. They can take a tip, and make a logical conclusion, like "Oh yeah, okay, then I can do this and this. Thanks." These users are very few and far between.
Windows is great for the few who understand that there are common elements of (most) every application. Still though, it's that 90+% that will suck the life out of you every time.
What's the point? Those ballooners have blown millions of dollars to do this. Why? Plus, as a previous poster pointed out, did he really go around the globe? I say they should have to cross the equator once on each side of the earth, say within a 1000 mile buffer zone.
Uh... if you don't want this Palladium, and other up-and-coming tools of the devil, why not stick with what you have? The frenzy of the switch from Win3.1 is over - mostly. I actually know some people who still use it. It works. I think - and hope - the public has discovered that buying the Latest Version doesn't necessarily help anything, and can be a royal pain in the ass. I believe we're reaching a point where consumers will demand that these Wonderful New Versions are worth their time and energy. Perhaps they won't be spoon-fed whatever crap MS spits out.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually... it only overwrites the MBR. You can easily boot with a Linux boot disk, go in, and restore your MBR, say with LILO.
It's not arrogance on the part of MS programmers, it's the assumption that 90+% of people who are installing Windows want Windows to boot when they turn on their computer. Of course, it would be nice if the Windows installer detects any pre-existing boot systems, but that's not really in their best interest.
One thing the paranoid continually forgets/ignores is that THEY are US.
I find this hard to believe. Surely, if you create music, whatever spyware's running will be able to tell that there's no copyright on it. And/or, you'll be able to "sign" something with your own copyright/certificate.
Sure, it's nice to hop on the Evil Companies bandwagon, but really.... why should everything be free? What if you ran a company? Would you give your product away? If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you do like it, buy it. Don't like asparagus? Don't buy it. Do like grapes? Buy them, don't shoplift them.
As for privacy, so what? What if Sony finds out that you listen to Neil Diamond's greatest hits 10 times a day? What are they going to do, haul you into a dungeon and torture you? Are they going to take out a full-page ad in the NY Times, proclaiming that Joe-LOTR-Geek-Smith listens to Neil Diamond 10 times a day?
I don't like this either, but how about a reality check every now and then?
Indeed.
Just think... if you worked hard to make millions of dollars, how would you like it if those who didn't kept telling you how to spend your money? Really, isn't the point of becoming wealthy; to do what you want with your wealth? If we made it such that anyone who becomes wealthy must give their wealth to others, would anyone choose to become wealthy? Isn't that the root of capitalism and freedom?
Agreed. ZD is Microsoft's bitch.
PC Magazine has been, since 95ish, Microsoft's perpetual-upgrade propaganda rag.
I noticed the Fluid bearings thing on newegg.com on a Maxtor, 40gb drive, earlier today.
Really, if knowing that they're being monitored prevents a teen from driving like a jackass, good.
Contrary to popular belief, teens aren't the same as adults, don't carry the same responsibilities, etc. This right to all-encompassing entitlement is a big reason why kids today are a bunch of spoiled bastards. They should realize how lucky they are to be able to drive in the first place, rather than whine about their "lack of freedom".
Give me a break.
When 911 operator answers, the virus plays a wav file, in the voice of Stephen Hawking's voice thing:
"Help Me. I have Web TV. Help Me"
A few years back, Linux Journal ran a story about a car, I believe in Italy, that was using Linux. I believe Linux did the steering as well.
I agree.
My mom won't use Linux. She's finally gotten a good grasp on Outlook, has loads of Actual Applications that are Windows based for the business she's in. She takes her laptop to work and docks it into her network. It all works for her.
This essay was by someone who seems to have A) a mom with a lot of free time and minimal computing requirements, and B) plenty of their own free time to babysit their mom's OS.
The thought of putting my mom on Linux is insane. Crap articles like this are truly inane, irrational, clearly the work of someone with very little insight into the real world of users and users habits.
Uh, isn't the whole point of the main article a list of things that make Linux un-user-friendly?
Huh?
Hey fucktard,
I started using Slackware probably in 96 or so, have tried Red Hat (aka LInux for fucktards), Suse (pretty good, but still wacky), and have come back to Slackware. I am not a newbie, don't need the dog-blowing GUI crap of RedHat etc.
Real Player was just one example. The list goes on and on.
You're right, at this point, it is a hobbyist OS, and those who pretend otherwise are bonkers.
Really, as much as I enjoy Linux, it's a total pain in the ass doing what Windows does easily.
For example, I spent about an hour this morning trying to get Real Player 8 to work under Slackware. What's the problem? I'm not sure - maybe it's a kernel issue, maybe it's a lib problem, maybe it's an X server problem, maybe it's an audio server problem. Do I have kernel version X? Do I have Nvidia's driver Y? Do I have libs A,B,C, and if so, what versions? BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. Total pain in the ass.
Finally I said screw it, booted into Win98. It works. As much as I hate evil Bill, my Win98 works, and hasn't crashed or locked up for months.
I truly believe we need a standard way of doing things to eliminate the cluster-fuck encountered whenever modifying/adding/etc. Not to mention the way fonts can run off the edge of dialog boxes. WTF is that? I've never seen it in Windows, ever.
I really can't blame software companies for not bothering with Linux desktop apps. I use linux daily for server purposes, command-line text editing, etc, but really don't have a lot of free time to blow fighting the Desktop. Sure, I'll keep doing it, for geek fun, but knowing that the Linux desktop has a LONG LONG LONG way to go before being anything for the regular user.
Point being, different types of people have different needs. People who've evolved in the arctic, with the limited variety of foodstuffs there, have different tolerances than someone who evolved in Africa, or Europe. Some of us can eat butt-loads of fatty foods without getting fat; some of us can't. Do what works for you. And, avoid refined sugar, it is the tool of the devil.
Yes, there are those of us who feel the same way. Last night, I met a Jackass who works for Microsoft. When I mentioned that I like open-source software, he said "Well, that's a nice hobby." Bastard. So we talked about this for a while, and one of his points was that with Windows, you don't have to fuss with scripts and config files. I said, that's exactly why I like using Linux, because I have total control over it - among other things.
I personally drive a stick. I hate cruise control. People who can only drive automatics should be shipped off to Greenland.
It's been my experience that:
1. 90+% of users are incapable and/or unwilling to think. Regardless of how obvious the UI is, they need to be sat down and trained like monkeys to repeat a series of steps to accomplish whatever they're trying to do. They cannot, or will not, stop, look at the screen, and make an intelligent choice on how to proceed. No matter how plain and simple the UI is, it's like they had a part of their brain removed.
2. About 5% of users can make decisions based on the UI to accomplish their goals.
3. The remaining few percent, which we would call Power Users, have a decent understanding of how computers work, how files work, where they're located, how to find them. They know that if they're trying to open a file, they can usually do this by clicking File, and maneuvering down the menu. They can figure out that if their X: drive isn't opening, it's probably because they aren't logged in to the network. They can take a tip, and make a logical conclusion, like "Oh yeah, okay, then I can do this and this. Thanks." These users are very few and far between.
Windows is great for the few who understand that there are common elements of (most) every application. Still though, it's that 90+% that will suck the life out of you every time.
Bill G in a dunking booth. That would be funny.
Their theme could be "Hugs, not Hurts."
What's the point? Those ballooners have blown millions of dollars to do this. Why? Plus, as a previous poster pointed out, did he really go around the globe? I say they should have to cross the equator once on each side of the earth, say within a 1000 mile buffer zone.
Uh... if you don't want this Palladium, and other up-and-coming tools of the devil, why not stick with what you have? The frenzy of the switch from Win3.1 is over - mostly. I actually know some people who still use it. It works. I think - and hope - the public has discovered that buying the Latest Version doesn't necessarily help anything, and can be a royal pain in the ass. I believe we're reaching a point where consumers will demand that these Wonderful New Versions are worth their time and energy. Perhaps they won't be spoon-fed whatever crap MS spits out.
My 2 cents.
The response I received stated that they don't like to use freeware, but only consider industry proven and supported software.
Like Microsoft software? That's funny. Really, people assume that if you purchase something, it's good, supported, etc. What a load of crap.
Anyway, why not just set up a directory on your ftp server as write-only by the ftp user, and have them use PGP to encrypt the files themselves?
Please, in the name of god, please, create a category for LOTR so we can ignore it.
Thanks
Rimshot!
It doesn't matter if "MOST" people want this. Freedom is for everyone, even those in the minority.
YEAH. When they put the word God on the flag, Einstein.