Considering that Microsoft provides little or no free support for its products, I think that every sale of Windows represents pure profit for them.
The aspect you mention, that Vista is so bad that nobody will use it, is the key to the better security claims - obviously if nobody uses it, malware cannot attack it.
But Microsoft only paid the legislators to attack Apple's DRM. I guess that if the best you can do is a Zune, that you have to attack the iPod by other means.
...users doesn't really care about DRM. Ask an ITMS fan.
I care about DRM, but I care more about not having to buy eleven other songs that I don't care about to get the one I do. So, iTMS gives me the ability to get twelve or fifteen songs that I want for the price of one CD that perhaps has only one that I want. Sure, it would be nice if there wasn't any DRM.
As far as 'lock-in', I hear a lot about this, but it's nothing but crap. Every song I bought from iTMS is mine. I can burn it to a CD, and re-rip to any format I choose. Where's the 'lock-in' you are complaining about? Now, my nephew subscribes to one of those monthly paid plans where if you stop paying the subscription fee, guess what? No music. Now, there's 'lock-in', my friend.
SCO's legal team seems to be way out on a limb on this one. I can't help but wonder why any of them keep at it, when at this point it is going to be a highly publicized loss that will follow each of them for the rest of their careers.
David Boies already lost a headline case (the 2000 challenge of the presidential vote in Florida), and it hasn't seemed to affect his career. Actually, for a certain type of client, the handling of the case by BS&F is a positive factor. I'll leave it up to you to figure out what kind of client, but the letters NTP (as in NTP vs RIM) come to mind.
Actually, I think that there are 20.6 million lawsuits waiting to be filed against Microsoft. I admit that I'm not a proponent of excessive litigation, but in this case I am in favor of it.
Sorry to have been so long in replying, but it took a while to find the study you base your conclusions on. If I am correct, you are basing your conclusions on the UKPDS study. It is an interesting study, but drawing conclusions about the inevitable progression of the disease is flawed in that the group studied had already presented diabetic complications in well over 50% of the members. In such a group, the 'progression' of the disease had already commenced, and it is doubtful that the measures that I described would have helped to any extent.
I still maintain that if diagnosed early enough, that radical changes to a person's lifestyle can arrest the progression of the disease. Admittedly, this is not easy to accomplish, in that it requires an almost total abstinence from many of the foods that they have grown accustomed to eating. The best way to accomplish this is to 'eat to the meter'. Every food has to be analyzed in terms of how it affects the post-prandial blood glucose level.
Encouraging people with Type 2 diabetes to act in their best interests is hardly 'propagating a myth'.
First, let me say that I don't intend any disrespect for you or your situation, nor do I wish to minimize the seriousness of your Type 2 diabetes. What I am disagreeing with is your statement that Type 2 will always get worse in every individual that has it. This is quite true if left untreated, or if you listen to the conventional wisdom of the medical establishment.
This conventional wisdom was embodied in my own doctor's recomendation of 'moderate lifestyle changes' to include cutting back on starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, bread and rice and moderate exercise. By following this plan, the target range for blood glucose two hours after a meal was to be under 180 mg/dl (10 mmol/L). This is too high! Your blood glucose reading after a meal should never go above 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L). If it does, then damage is being done to your internal organs. This will, as you said, cause the disease to progressively worsen.
If you make 'major lifestyle changes' to include elimination of foods that couse your blood glucose to rise above 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L) and start a program of vigorous exercise instead of 'moderate' exercise, there is no reason to expect deterioration to continue.
The difficulty for many is actually making these lifestyle changes. Too many adopt the attitude that 'taking this pill' or 'injecting that insulin' will allow them to continue to eat anything they want in any quantity they want, and to continue to lead a sedentary lifestyle. I know, it's what my mother did. But it is not what I am doing.
That is possibly the most dangerous idea in this entire discussion, that the progression of type 2 diabetes cannot be arrested. You do a great disservice to all of us with type 2, as well as those with type 1, by spreading that misinformation.
From what I've been able to glean from the descriptions of the actions of Januvia and Byetta, they appear to have similar effect. They both are incretin mimetics, and affect the same pathways of blood glucose control - increase the amount of insulin released by the pancreas and decrease the amount of glucose released by the liver.
Here's hoping that your endocrinologist will prescribe Januvia for you, and that it is as effective as Byetta.
At the very least iTunes is highly deficent in the lack of an ability to synchronize music libraries between two different computers that are both authorized for the same account. This makes it a PITA to buy music on iTMS and then load it onto a laptop, or vice versa.
Stipulated.
A possible workaround involves an external HDD of sufficient capacity to hold the iTunes library. Then, either
1. Keep the library on the external drive and mount it on whatever computer you want to use, or
2. Make the desktop library the master and transfer the library to the laptop periodically.
The article is written by none other than Rob (I wannabe John Dvorak) Enderle, the same clown who supported SCO's claims in their ongoing lawsuit against IBM. He now appears to be trying to get page hits by trolling the user communities of both Microsoft and Apple with outlandish opinions.
The whole idea that Apple could 'kill' Microsoft or Dell is too far-fetched to even consider. The only way either company could die is by suicide.
Speaking as someone who has spent the last 22 years working that 'GS' job, I can testify that Dilbert is alive and well in the federal government, or perhaps I should qualify that by saying that PHBs are found everywhere. At least the benefits are somewhat better than many jobs in private industry.
Then again, the opportunities to work with the latest technology are often missing, and there are many times that you will find yourself wanting to bang your head against your monitor screen over some particularly stupid management decision. But that can happen anywhere.
Just keep in mind that the job security that was one of the biggest 'perks' is a thing of the past. A-76 competitive outsourcing and the BRACs put an end to that.
I knew you could.
This appears to be a company floundering around trying any possible solution to its business problems than the real one - return to making a high quality product and then stand behind it. Yes, let's blame those slackers that are at home drinking coffee on company time rather than the idiots that decide corporate policies.
My last HP purchase was a LaserJet IIP some twenty years ago. When it finally went to printer heaven, I looked around at what they were offering, read the user comments on service and support and bought a Brother.
By the way, is this the same HP that 'believes' that end users will pay more for a replacement ink cartridge than a new printer?
Can you spell 'doomed'? I knew you could.
Does this announcement from MacAfee mean that they have coders busy making an OS X virus to 'prove' that Mac users 'need' to buy their crappy product to protect themselves?
I've only one word for them: clamXav. Well, actually two more...
Neither one. If you have to 'hate' someone, try the US Congress, who legalized software patents, or the USPO who gives them out like candy to all comers.
Bought a refurbished 12" PowerBook in early December 2004 from the Apple Store. Two weeks later, right before Christmas, the LCD backlight started going out intermittently. Called Apple, expecting that it would take forever to (1) get through, (2) get someone to agree that it needed to be fixed and (3) get it back after sending ot off.
It took less than fifteen minutes for the tech on the other end to give me an incident number and tell me that a shipping box would be dropped off that afternoon. Sent it off, expecting that I might see it by mid-January, and got it back, repaired, before New Year's.
It has been working perfectly since then. I live in Florida, and AppleCare isn't available in this state, so I can't comment on that.
I also have a 600 Mhz iBook that I bought in April of 2002. Running fine, with no repairs so far, but the battery is due for replacement.
Haven't had to reboot due to lockups, but I'm not running much Microsoft software.
Yes, they did. I don't know the details, but it's why we are still running SP1. And, considering that we are 100% Microsoft (2003 Server, internal web apps require IE6 (ugh!), Microsoft Office), that's saying a lot, IMHO.
Your mileage may vary. My father is running SP2 with no problems, so I don't say that SP2 is a problem in every case, it's just that I object to the blanket statement that SP2 is perfect in every regard. My ThinkPad is running SP1, and I am reluctant to install something that has the potential for making me a lot of work to undo the problems it may create.
Allow me to rebut your blanket recommendation to install SP2. If you do a little investigation, you will find many instances of SP2 breaking the Windows installation, resulting in the necessity to uninstall it, or in many cases, reimage the machine. There still are issues with SP2, despite your reassurance to the contrary, and my workplace has yet to implement it, for that reason.
As far as security is concerned, If you keep your critiical updates current, there is no need to install SP2.
Slashdot Mirror
It won't work any better for Microsoft/Novell than it is for The SCO Group. And, unlike The SCO Group, Microsoft has lots to lose when they lose.
Considering that Microsoft provides little or no free support for its products, I think that every sale of Windows represents pure profit for them.
The aspect you mention, that Vista is so bad that nobody will use it, is the key to the better security claims - obviously if nobody uses it, malware cannot attack it.
But Microsoft only paid the legislators to attack Apple's DRM. I guess that if the best you can do is a Zune, that you have to attack the iPod by other means.
...users doesn't really care about DRM. Ask an ITMS fan.
I care about DRM, but I care more about not having to buy eleven other songs that I don't care about to get the one I do. So, iTMS gives me the ability to get twelve or fifteen songs that I want for the price of one CD that perhaps has only one that I want. Sure, it would be nice if there wasn't any DRM.
As far as 'lock-in', I hear a lot about this, but it's nothing but crap. Every song I bought from iTMS is mine. I can burn it to a CD, and re-rip to any format I choose. Where's the 'lock-in' you are complaining about? Now, my nephew subscribes to one of those monthly paid plans where if you stop paying the subscription fee, guess what? No music. Now, there's 'lock-in', my friend.
SCO's legal team seems to be way out on a limb on this one. I can't help but wonder why any of them keep at it, when at this point it is going to be a highly publicized loss that will follow each of them for the rest of their careers.
David Boies already lost a headline case (the 2000 challenge of the presidential vote in Florida), and it hasn't seemed to affect his career. Actually, for a certain type of client, the handling of the case by BS&F is a positive factor. I'll leave it up to you to figure out what kind of client, but the letters NTP (as in NTP vs RIM) come to mind.
Actually, I think that there are 20.6 million lawsuits waiting to be filed against Microsoft. I admit that I'm not a proponent of excessive litigation, but in this case I am in favor of it.
Please be so kind to identify your 'software company' by name, so I can be sure to never buy any of your products. Thank you.
Sorry to have been so long in replying, but it took a while to find the study you base your conclusions on. If I am correct, you are basing your conclusions on the UKPDS study. It is an interesting study, but drawing conclusions about the inevitable progression of the disease is flawed in that the group studied had already presented diabetic complications in well over 50% of the members. In such a group, the 'progression' of the disease had already commenced, and it is doubtful that the measures that I described would have helped to any extent.
I still maintain that if diagnosed early enough, that radical changes to a person's lifestyle can arrest the progression of the disease. Admittedly, this is not easy to accomplish, in that it requires an almost total abstinence from many of the foods that they have grown accustomed to eating. The best way to accomplish this is to 'eat to the meter'. Every food has to be analyzed in terms of how it affects the post-prandial blood glucose level.
Encouraging people with Type 2 diabetes to act in their best interests is hardly 'propagating a myth'.
First, let me say that I don't intend any disrespect for you or your situation, nor do I wish to minimize the seriousness of your Type 2 diabetes. What I am disagreeing with is your statement that Type 2 will always get worse in every individual that has it. This is quite true if left untreated, or if you listen to the conventional wisdom of the medical establishment.
This conventional wisdom was embodied in my own doctor's recomendation of 'moderate lifestyle changes' to include cutting back on starchy foods like potatoes, pasta, bread and rice and moderate exercise. By following this plan, the target range for blood glucose two hours after a meal was to be under 180 mg/dl (10 mmol/L). This is too high! Your blood glucose reading after a meal should never go above 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L). If it does, then damage is being done to your internal organs. This will, as you said, cause the disease to progressively worsen.
If you make 'major lifestyle changes' to include elimination of foods that couse your blood glucose to rise above 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L) and start a program of vigorous exercise instead of 'moderate' exercise, there is no reason to expect deterioration to continue.
The difficulty for many is actually making these lifestyle changes. Too many adopt the attitude that 'taking this pill' or 'injecting that insulin' will allow them to continue to eat anything they want in any quantity they want, and to continue to lead a sedentary lifestyle. I know, it's what my mother did. But it is not what I am doing.
My sincere sympathy for the situation you are in.
That is possibly the most dangerous idea in this entire discussion, that the progression of type 2 diabetes cannot be arrested. You do a great disservice to all of us with type 2, as well as those with type 1, by spreading that misinformation.
From what I've been able to glean from the descriptions of the actions of Januvia and Byetta, they appear to have similar effect. They both are incretin mimetics, and affect the same pathways of blood glucose control - increase the amount of insulin released by the pancreas and decrease the amount of glucose released by the liver.
Here's hoping that your endocrinologist will prescribe Januvia for you, and that it is as effective as Byetta.
Stipulated.
A possible workaround involves an external HDD of sufficient capacity to hold the iTunes library. Then, either
1. Keep the library on the external drive and mount it on whatever computer you want to use, or
2. Make the desktop library the master and transfer the library to the laptop periodically.
You've got to be kidding? The iRex costs over $800!
The article is written by none other than Rob (I wannabe John Dvorak) Enderle, the same clown who supported SCO's claims in their ongoing lawsuit against IBM. He now appears to be trying to get page hits by trolling the user communities of both Microsoft and Apple with outlandish opinions.
The whole idea that Apple could 'kill' Microsoft or Dell is too far-fetched to even consider. The only way either company could die is by suicide.
Then again, the opportunities to work with the latest technology are often missing, and there are many times that you will find yourself wanting to bang your head against your monitor screen over some particularly stupid management decision. But that can happen anywhere.
Just keep in mind that the job security that was one of the biggest 'perks' is a thing of the past. A-76 competitive outsourcing and the BRACs put an end to that.
Good luck to you!
I knew you could. This appears to be a company floundering around trying any possible solution to its business problems than the real one - return to making a high quality product and then stand behind it. Yes, let's blame those slackers that are at home drinking coffee on company time rather than the idiots that decide corporate policies. My last HP purchase was a LaserJet IIP some twenty years ago. When it finally went to printer heaven, I looked around at what they were offering, read the user comments on service and support and bought a Brother. By the way, is this the same HP that 'believes' that end users will pay more for a replacement ink cartridge than a new printer? Can you spell 'doomed'? I knew you could.
I've only one word for them: clamXav. Well, actually two more...
Media bridges? We don't need no stinkin' media bridges!
Want my vote? Campaign to invalidate ALL software patents!
You obviously haven't been following the SCO vs IBM, SCO vs Novell, SCO vs Autozone or SCO ve Daimler-Chrysler lawsuits, have you?
Neither one. If you have to 'hate' someone, try the US Congress, who legalized software patents, or the USPO who gives them out like candy to all comers.
Does the public employee union bid against anyone? Yes, they do. http://osmp.od.nih.gov/a76.asp
It took less than fifteen minutes for the tech on the other end to give me an incident number and tell me that a shipping box would be dropped off that afternoon. Sent it off, expecting that I might see it by mid-January, and got it back, repaired, before New Year's.
It has been working perfectly since then. I live in Florida, and AppleCare isn't available in this state, so I can't comment on that.
I also have a 600 Mhz iBook that I bought in April of 2002. Running fine, with no repairs so far, but the battery is due for replacement.
Haven't had to reboot due to lockups, but I'm not running much Microsoft software.
Your mileage may vary. My father is running SP2 with no problems, so I don't say that SP2 is a problem in every case, it's just that I object to the blanket statement that SP2 is perfect in every regard. My ThinkPad is running SP1, and I am reluctant to install something that has the potential for making me a lot of work to undo the problems it may create.
As far as security is concerned, If you keep your critiical updates current, there is no need to install SP2.