He predicted that firms like Eolas will soon come after open source vendors or users. Microsoft paid $521m to settle a patent claim by Eolas in August.
Sounds like maybe MS lawyers are whispering in Eolas' ear to goad them into being the next SCO...
Why sue your competition and waste money on legal fees when you can con others to do it for you.
Bill Hilf comes from around from a rack of servers, "Hi there, I'm Bill Hilf, General Manager of Server Marketing here at Microsoft, and Linux 'Good Guy'."
"We here at Microsoft are taking the cold Linux air out of data rooms by employing more than double the Servers running Windows, to make things warm - and quite pretty I might add - with all these blinking lights. Not just those pale green lights you see on Linux servers, but also the bright red and yellow flashing indicators and those reassuring alarms that let you know you are important and not lazy."
Walking over to the rack he turns back to the camera, "Why use Linux and run everything on a single box and worry about having it fail when you can have the same stuff run on eight computers, like this..."
Motioning to the rack full of blades, "One for the Files, one for the Microsoft license validation and tracking, this one here is for serving web pages, this is half the email service, the other one is to handle the other half, spam and viruses for the first, over here is the one for user authentication, Muti-media on this one... my, what big wires! And this one was provided by the federal government to ensure your security, I'm not quite sure what it does, but it is included free with every installation!"
"Now all that 'technology' looks a whole lot more 'professional' than that one box over there, just think of that big data center with that one box, think of your job with just one box, pretty terrifying isn't it... I bet now you are getting the picture...", Hilf smiles as a toll free number appears on the bottom, "Call us today and our sales rep will tell your boss the 'truth'", winks, "... about Linux and how Microsoft keeps YOU 'competitive'."
I suspect they tried solving their problems with lots of cash, relied on outside consultation, didn't consult with internal key staff, and got hit with reality.
I wonder how many meetings were made with the schools' operational staff to analyze the payroll system that was in place to take care of all the factors and how much was planning was done to make sure the transition was smooth?
As a guy who is working on web based applications I can say this is a great thing. It has a browser on bootup? I wonder if it has SSL support, a PDF viewer and print drivers installed also?
If I were selling (POS) web deployed canned solution, these would make great guts for the terminals to connect to the server, one dies, you replace the MB and re-configure the settings - back in business.
I don't think it may appeal to the power user crowd as a their primary computer but as a disk less or at least a pretty thin workstation it shows promise.
Over the nearly 30 years of computing I've done Ive found many of those things (video digital image work, etc) don really need power but if you don't have power you need patience (instead of rendering transitions of video in real time you wait five minutes, etc.)
And back when I had more novice enthusiasm and a lot less money to spare I would wait all that extra time for programs to do their things, and the results were just as spectacular on a much more expensive but faster box.
The myth that last years computers are just usable as word processors is just a myth. Same goes for the OLPC and other lower powered PCs. For kids (like me, years back) it's just the opportunity to try cool things on a computer that make up any speed issues.
While I'm not a fan of Windows I think MS tried to do too much of a switch too fast and is feeling the result.
Apple did similar back a few years with OS 9 to OS X which was also a major switch but the first version they gave away and didn't say it HAD to be used, , the second and third they had PPC computers still and had Mac OS Classic which can run an awful lot of the earlier OS9 apps, Some jumped right away, for many it took years, but the transition happened without too much effect on sales.
Microsoft went with the out with the old and in with the new, now! approach. Partly because of all the security problems also (i believe) partly because they made a lot of promises to the RIAA and MPAA, etc. to get the RAM/CPU hungry DRM technology out there ASAP. No fall back no dual mode emultaion , etc. just Here's Vista!
Will it take off, probably like Apple's case it will take a couple years for enough developers to get up to speed. But in the mean time they are pissing off a lot of people who have stuff that works one day and the next (installing Vista) immediately stops.
I hope some of these newly 'experienced' users will come to the realization that companies selling closed source software can and will pull the rug from under you (with even good intentions) and you don't seem to have much say or choice along those lines. Along with that that they may open their eyes and notice there are other alternatives (also with good and bad points) and maybe it may be time to do some research and make a more informed choice on their long term computing technology.
Bought four songs myself. Worked great on my OS (Kubuntu). Will be back to get more once I can recall what I have been wanting.
My tastes are em... eclectic, I was able to find some of what I wanted - more Kraftwerk than I expected - was hoping for some PPOT but, alas, neither Steps (I take it there probably will be some lack of European music, pity).
Only concern I had was there was no easy to access "Sign Out" button (given that you don't have to verify CC for each song purchase this is a necessary feature if you leave the computer).
Early G4s and older iMacs here, I know its slower as I have stopped trying to 'upgrade' the 10.3 systems to 10.4. Part of the problem is dashboard. Yes those are older processors, but the faster claim does cover all models right?
It's Linus 'the Creator' Torvalds squaring off against Con 'whatizname' Kolivas and the mainstream Linux fanatics! Tune in today as we sensationalize this bit with tabloid journalism for the delight of the trollmiesters.
After one flippant response I am now thinking this is a VERY reactive measure, similar to a triage after a disaster, so what Symantic is saying is Windows is such a mess that we can't rely on patches to the OS anymore, and we have to set up an OS 'police state' to keep bad programs out because we don't have the adequate resources or skills to detect or prevent bad stuff from happening inside. So instead of deploying your systems in a productive environments you would be just managing a disaster area.
As I posted in the other response I could see this easily become an opportunity for MS to get on a "Witelist Committee" to make sure their stuff is approved and any competition is either barred, hobbled, or severely delayed from approval to the whitelist (with OSS software being automatically labeled as a potential threat as the code can be modified and recompiled by anyone).
All and more, because MS either is unable or unwilling to secure Windows to similar to what Linux and OS X have.
The problem with your idea is there is no whitelist committee where MS can help establish and exert their influence to make sure their products get on the lists and any competitive software does not (or takes a whole lot longer to do so). Because we all know Windows MUST have IE embedded for better security.
Anyway if they fixed the OS the way you suggested how can MS tout having improved security version after version.:-)
Let's say you work for a business that used creative accounting and it's going down in a month or so, are you (an accountant) going to wait till the news breaks and then look for another accounting job or are you going to go out and get a job using your current reputation before the public learns the facts.
Not sure if this is the case but even if the accountants had nothing at all to do with it, they'd be Mudd by association of any bad accounting news came out of this.
He stated the facts as a person who does not live for computer use. He had problems and pointed out some problems that may seem trivial to us but to others they can be pretty big.
I'd rather see the mass public have something with those features taken care of than to keep answering the same questions regarding codecs, etc.
Some people posted on the list about various useful websites for documentation or utilities like Automatcix for installing stuff, the only problem is those things are not in the standard install so if Linux was suddenly 'general public popular' (be scared) we would be having to post again and again all these things because they are not something that is easy for the average user to figure out or find.
Recently I was looking for a good noob guide to Linux and the various OSS licenses (up to date and no really big long winded paragraphs with legal talk or platform bashing) and didn't really find any good ones. A lot of this is the 'well we already know that stuff already' mentality that is throughout the entire computer industry (i.e. "How do I take a snapshot of a Mac screen?" everyone who's been with a Mac for a decade knows but there is no easy guide for the new Mac people.)
I for one don't mind the situation as it is - cause once the 'AOL nation' moves to Linux we have the same problems MS has with Windows, "consumer lock-in", a lot of people keeping you from getting new/necessary work done because of fear that their old Apps don't start up any more (either rightly so or not). I figure there are are probably still some adjustments coming down the pipe before we want EVERYONE to depend on Linux to have it in wide use - too early makes fixing some problems a lot more difficult.
Another one would be flywheels going in a particular direction without any easy means of stopping or turning. One of the problems with MS, such as their OOXML standard submission, which will not be corrected since that 'flywheel' is already spinning when they submitted it and are not capable of making fixes as easily anymore.
I am sure they will keep running into this issue for quite a while in their current business model.
It's not all the user interface, some of it is just getting from what you want to accomplishing it.
Such things as making transparency layers or GIF animations, while they are all very possible are hard to figure out on your own.
It would help having a guide that takes you through those things step by step. (floating dialog that says... "in this step, you need to add a layer for each frame of animation, click on the Layer option then..." If it had those the UI would not be much of an issue. Especially if people could import/export in their own dialogs (so the community can contribute examples.)
My thought exactly. By applying this method - MS could (likely) shoot themselves in the foot and at the same time, due to the patent, limit the competition from doing the same.
Your Ruby programmer who coded the site quits and/or your website hits a serious problem in the Ruby on Rails you have no idea to fix. Ruby programmers doesn't exactly grow on trees although those that exist are almost without exception extremely talented. A PHP programmer quitting is annoying, a Ruby programmer quitting is a major disaster.
Heh, I get the same thing when I talk about coding stuff in PHP though these people switch Ruby with PHP and PHP with some other not as flexible but popular platform (usually MS Access).
So as I think your statement is just a rubber-stamp ignorant cop out - if you need to learn it you probably can. Now what would be a good case is more a comparison of capabilities or ease of learning the syntax. I chose PHP not only for it's flexibility but also for the readable syntax it has.
The article isn't really about web 2.0 it's more just along the lines of any web based technologies for communication and interaction.
As an IT guy I am rolling out web based stuff. I have found:
- A lot of canned stuff (even some OSS apps) just aren't a fit for what we do (most businesses aren't a one size fits all business).
- Many of the hottest things to do are not all that flexible when it comes to integrating with other apps or data conversion, web 2.0 integration is cool as long as you keep with one co.'s products (assuming you can find one that can offer it all).
- I'm very leery of the SAAS companies - if the service company takes a dive all my work and data goes with it and then I'm really screwed (so most stuff will be hosted in-house).
- Those I can't I am reworking what we do (part from modified code other parts from scratch). A lot of this is truly very flexible and powerful, but compared to what tools I used before it is surely more complex (in a good sense) and takes time to get it right.
- Nothing is stopping you from rolling out a web app tomorrow but until you have your business (more importantly your data) on it it just will be a struggle in the transition. I find it takes a lot of work (or just time) to get to the tipping point where it becomes commonplace. When it does, it's great - but it surely doesn't happen overnight (unless that's the same time you start your business).
Any defense contracts must be worked on my US based developers.
Even so, I would think there is a security risk if the code is shared with the other branches outside the US. Or possibly proprietary (closed source) libraries developed outside the US are integrated into the US developed versions - even if not proprietary, the channels for US communication to another non-US jurisdiction is pretty apparent. While having US staff may be a good facade I if I was a security guy I would be looking at the whole picture there.
Probably one of the best bloat free programs was PrintShop Deluxe for the Mac. The program is the daddy of card design programs (Print Shop for the Apple II is the granddaddy).
It was coded back in the day when people wrote code in assembler so it was fast and until the introduction of the Intel Macs was usable on modern Macintosh's. While some can deride Apples HFS file structure Printshop consisted of 3 files for the program (print shop, documentation and exporter program) plus the graphic libraries. Very clean.
It supported its own internal vector format - but also any of the graphics could be easily exported to Adobe Illustrator, EPS or PICT format with the included exporter program. Another nice thing was the graphic libraries were compiled in single files so instead of having 500 graphic files to deal with you had one large one with 500 graphics, very sensible.
I kind of expect in the future when we have ships cheap/reliable enough for regular exploration of the solar system one of our future generations does something stupid by knocking some asteroid out of whack leading to a chain reaction that causes some big space catastrophe. Then we will have space traffic laws and all that other stuff.
Slashdot Mirror
He predicted that firms like Eolas will soon come after open source vendors or users. Microsoft paid $521m to settle a patent claim by Eolas in August.
Sounds like maybe MS lawyers are whispering in Eolas' ear to goad them into being the next SCO...
Why sue your competition and waste money on legal fees when you can con others to do it for you.
Bill Hilf comes from around from a rack of servers, "Hi there, I'm Bill Hilf, General Manager of Server Marketing here at Microsoft, and Linux 'Good Guy'."
"We here at Microsoft are taking the cold Linux air out of data rooms by employing more than double the Servers running Windows, to make things warm - and quite pretty I might add - with all these blinking lights. Not just those pale green lights you see on Linux servers, but also the bright red and yellow flashing indicators and those reassuring alarms that let you know you are important and not lazy."
Walking over to the rack he turns back to the camera, "Why use Linux and run everything on a single box and worry about having it fail when you can have the same stuff run on eight computers, like this..."
Motioning to the rack full of blades, "One for the Files, one for the Microsoft license validation and tracking, this one here is for serving web pages, this is half the email service, the other one is to handle the other half, spam and viruses for the first, over here is the one for user authentication, Muti-media on this one... my, what big wires! And this one was provided by the federal government to ensure your security, I'm not quite sure what it does, but it is included free with every installation!"
"Now all that 'technology' looks a whole lot more 'professional' than that one box over there, just think of that big data center with that one box, think of your job with just one box, pretty terrifying isn't it... I bet now you are getting the picture...", Hilf smiles as a toll free number appears on the bottom, "Call us today and our sales rep will tell your boss the 'truth'", winks, "... about Linux and how Microsoft keeps YOU 'competitive'."
I suspect they tried solving their problems with lots of cash, relied on outside consultation, didn't consult with internal key staff, and got hit with reality.
I wonder how many meetings were made with the schools' operational staff to analyze the payroll system that was in place to take care of all the factors and how much was planning was done to make sure the transition was smooth?
As a guy who is working on web based applications I can say this is a great thing. It has a browser on bootup? I wonder if it has SSL support, a PDF viewer and print drivers installed also?
If I were selling (POS) web deployed canned solution, these would make great guts for the terminals to connect to the server, one dies, you replace the MB and re-configure the settings - back in business.
I don't think it may appeal to the power user crowd as a their primary computer but as a disk less or at least a pretty thin workstation it shows promise.
Over the nearly 30 years of computing I've done Ive found many of those things (video digital image work, etc) don really need power but if you don't have power you need patience (instead of rendering transitions of video in real time you wait five minutes, etc.)
And back when I had more novice enthusiasm and a lot less money to spare I would wait all that extra time for programs to do their things, and the results were just as spectacular on a much more expensive but faster box.
The myth that last years computers are just usable as word processors is just a myth. Same goes for the OLPC and other lower powered PCs. For kids (like me, years back) it's just the opportunity to try cool things on a computer that make up any speed issues.
While I'm not a fan of Windows I think MS tried to do too much of a switch too fast and is feeling the result.
Apple did similar back a few years with OS 9 to OS X which was also a major switch but the first version they gave away and didn't say it HAD to be used, , the second and third they had PPC computers still and had Mac OS Classic which can run an awful lot of the earlier OS9 apps, Some jumped right away, for many it took years, but the transition happened without too much effect on sales.
Microsoft went with the out with the old and in with the new, now! approach. Partly because of all the security problems also (i believe) partly because they made a lot of promises to the RIAA and MPAA, etc. to get the RAM/CPU hungry DRM technology out there ASAP. No fall back no dual mode emultaion , etc. just Here's Vista!
Will it take off, probably like Apple's case it will take a couple years for enough developers to get up to speed. But in the mean time they are pissing off a lot of people who have stuff that works one day and the next (installing Vista) immediately stops.
I hope some of these newly 'experienced' users will come to the realization that companies selling closed source software can and will pull the rug from under you (with even good intentions) and you don't seem to have much say or choice along those lines. Along with that that they may open their eyes and notice there are other alternatives (also with good and bad points) and maybe it may be time to do some research and make a more informed choice on their long term computing technology.
Bought four songs myself. Worked great on my OS (Kubuntu). Will be back to get more once I can recall what I have been wanting.
My tastes are em... eclectic, I was able to find some of what I wanted - more Kraftwerk than I expected - was hoping for some PPOT but, alas, neither Steps (I take it there probably will be some lack of European music, pity).
Only concern I had was there was no easy to access "Sign Out" button (given that you don't have to verify CC for each song purchase this is a necessary feature if you leave the computer).
Early G4s and older iMacs here, I know its slower as I have stopped trying to 'upgrade' the 10.3 systems to 10.4. Part of the problem is dashboard. Yes those are older processors, but the faster claim does cover all models right?
The Penguin Battle Royal Continues!
It's Linus 'the Creator' Torvalds squaring off against Con 'whatizname' Kolivas and the mainstream Linux fanatics! Tune in today as we sensationalize this bit with tabloid journalism for the delight of the trollmiesters.
Sorry guys, what was it you are trying to say?
Yep it's not about "investing" anymore, it's about gambling via stocks. (goooo Apple, big money, commmeee-on, biiiigg money!)
Too many people are suffering the quick return addiction:
- on investment, day-traders buy low and sell back quick high (sometimes)
- companies hire pre-trained people for low wages and work them raw for high profits (then dump them instead of training if the skills need change)
- Companies go to outsourcing their skills and talent because it looks good on the books now (but not good for the company's value in the long term)
- Schools teach kids to pass tests now, not to be employable in the future.
Yeah, really bad.
After one flippant response I am now thinking this is a VERY reactive measure, similar to a triage after a disaster, so what Symantic is saying is Windows is such a mess that we can't rely on patches to the OS anymore, and we have to set up an OS 'police state' to keep bad programs out because we don't have the adequate resources or skills to detect or prevent bad stuff from happening inside. So instead of deploying your systems in a productive environments you would be just managing a disaster area.
As I posted in the other response I could see this easily become an opportunity for MS to get on a "Witelist Committee" to make sure their stuff is approved and any competition is either barred, hobbled, or severely delayed from approval to the whitelist (with OSS software being automatically labeled as a potential threat as the code can be modified and recompiled by anyone).
All and more, because MS either is unable or unwilling to secure Windows to similar to what Linux and OS X have.
The problem with your idea is there is no whitelist committee where MS can help establish and exert their influence to make sure their products get on the lists and any competitive software does not (or takes a whole lot longer to do so). Because we all know Windows MUST have IE embedded for better security.
:-)
Anyway if they fixed the OS the way you suggested how can MS tout having improved security version after version.
Another Google Beta is the upcoming Safari support for it. It's been about a year now I recon.
"Safari support for Google Docs is coming soon!"
Let's say you work for a business that used creative accounting and it's going down in a month or so, are you (an accountant) going to wait till the news breaks and then look for another accounting job or are you going to go out and get a job using your current reputation before the public learns the facts.
Not sure if this is the case but even if the accountants had nothing at all to do with it, they'd be Mudd by association of any bad accounting news came out of this.
He stated the facts as a person who does not live for computer use. He had problems and pointed out some problems that may seem trivial to us but to others they can be pretty big.
I'd rather see the mass public have something with those features taken care of than to keep answering the same questions regarding codecs, etc.
Some people posted on the list about various useful websites for documentation or utilities like Automatcix for installing stuff, the only problem is those things are not in the standard install so if Linux was suddenly 'general public popular' (be scared) we would be having to post again and again all these things because they are not something that is easy for the average user to figure out or find.
Recently I was looking for a good noob guide to Linux and the various OSS licenses (up to date and no really big long winded paragraphs with legal talk or platform bashing) and didn't really find any good ones. A lot of this is the 'well we already know that stuff already' mentality that is throughout the entire computer industry (i.e. "How do I take a snapshot of a Mac screen?" everyone who's been with a Mac for a decade knows but there is no easy guide for the new Mac people.)
I for one don't mind the situation as it is - cause once the 'AOL nation' moves to Linux we have the same problems MS has with Windows, "consumer lock-in", a lot of people keeping you from getting new/necessary work done because of fear that their old Apps don't start up any more (either rightly so or not). I figure there are are probably still some adjustments coming down the pipe before we want EVERYONE to depend on Linux to have it in wide use - too early makes fixing some problems a lot more difficult.
Another one would be flywheels going in a particular direction without any easy means of stopping or turning. One of the problems with MS, such as their OOXML standard submission, which will not be corrected since that 'flywheel' is already spinning when they submitted it and are not capable of making fixes as easily anymore.
I am sure they will keep running into this issue for quite a while in their current business model.
It's not all the user interface, some of it is just getting from what you want to accomplishing it.
Such things as making transparency layers or GIF animations, while they are all very possible are hard to figure out on your own.
It would help having a guide that takes you through those things step by step. (floating dialog that says... "in this step, you need to add a layer for each frame of animation, click on the Layer option then..." If it had those the UI would not be much of an issue. Especially if people could import/export in their own dialogs (so the community can contribute examples.)
Where's the generator? One of the design features of the OLPC is that it can be used in areas without power.
My thought exactly. By applying this method - MS could (likely) shoot themselves in the foot and at the same time, due to the patent, limit the competition from doing the same.
Your Ruby programmer who coded the site quits and/or your website hits a serious problem in the Ruby on Rails you have no idea to fix. Ruby programmers doesn't exactly grow on trees although those that exist are almost without exception extremely talented. A PHP programmer quitting is annoying, a Ruby programmer quitting is a major disaster.
Heh, I get the same thing when I talk about coding stuff in PHP though these people switch Ruby with PHP and PHP with some other not as flexible but popular platform (usually MS Access).
So as I think your statement is just a rubber-stamp ignorant cop out - if you need to learn it you probably can. Now what would be a good case is more a comparison of capabilities or ease of learning the syntax. I chose PHP not only for it's flexibility but also for the readable syntax it has.
The article isn't really about web 2.0 it's more just along the lines of any web based technologies for communication and interaction.
As an IT guy I am rolling out web based stuff. I have found:
- A lot of canned stuff (even some OSS apps) just aren't a fit for what we do (most businesses aren't a one size fits all business).
- Many of the hottest things to do are not all that flexible when it comes to integrating with other apps or data conversion, web 2.0 integration is cool as long as you keep with one co.'s products (assuming you can find one that can offer it all).
- I'm very leery of the SAAS companies - if the service company takes a dive all my work and data goes with it and then I'm really screwed (so most stuff will be hosted in-house).
- Those I can't I am reworking what we do (part from modified code other parts from scratch). A lot of this is truly very flexible and powerful, but compared to what tools I used before it is surely more complex (in a good sense) and takes time to get it right.
- Nothing is stopping you from rolling out a web app tomorrow but until you have your business (more importantly your data) on it it just will be a struggle in the transition. I find it takes a lot of work (or just time) to get to the tipping point where it becomes commonplace. When it does, it's great - but it surely doesn't happen overnight (unless that's the same time you start your business).
Any defense contracts must be worked on my US based developers.
Even so, I would think there is a security risk if the code is shared with the other branches outside the US. Or possibly proprietary (closed source) libraries developed outside the US are integrated into the US developed versions - even if not proprietary, the channels for US communication to another non-US jurisdiction is pretty apparent. While having US staff may be a good facade I if I was a security guy I would be looking at the whole picture there.
Probably one of the best bloat free programs was PrintShop Deluxe for the Mac. The program is the daddy of card design programs (Print Shop for the Apple II is the granddaddy).
It was coded back in the day when people wrote code in assembler so it was fast and until the introduction of the Intel Macs was usable on modern Macintosh's. While some can deride Apples HFS file structure Printshop consisted of 3 files for the program (print shop, documentation and exporter program) plus the graphic libraries. Very clean.
It supported its own internal vector format - but also any of the graphics could be easily exported to Adobe Illustrator, EPS or PICT format with the included exporter program. Another nice thing was the graphic libraries were compiled in single files so instead of having 500 graphic files to deal with you had one large one with 500 graphics, very sensible.
If companies can't make money from it - it's not fair.
I kind of expect in the future when we have ships cheap/reliable enough for regular exploration of the solar system one of our future generations does something stupid by knocking some asteroid out of whack leading to a chain reaction that causes some big space catastrophe. Then we will have space traffic laws and all that other stuff.