Google, who is responsible for Android, was also called to those hearings.
I did not say Google are not evil, I said Apple are evil.
Yeah, EULAs always sound terrible.
But it's in there - therefore Apple CAN legally use it if they want to.
Again, the potential of doing it; but obviously Apple is just putting that in as a guard against an unforseeable "worst-case-scenario" threat.
Again, it's in there. Therefore they can use it if they choose to do so.
Now, let's compare that with Sony, where it took the DoJ rattling its sabre for them to stop putting rootkits on their audio CDs.
DRM disappeared on CDs completely - because the record companies had to bow to company pressures.
Media companies do not want anyone to own anything because they want a regular payment, rental model. Apple facilitated that by allowing DRMed music to be sold through iTunes - yes, it made the record companies sign on but Apple made a huge amount of money from it - that's basically saying they were "in league with the devil".
They changed the DRM model because Sony's stupid rootkit fiasco brought it to the public attention, it became very unpopular and Apple had to backtrack. Period.
Oh, one final point. Do you not find it more than coincidence that Apple removed DRM from music downloads about the same time Amazon started offering DRM-free music. Yet Amazon are much smaller than Apple, wield less corporate power as a consequence, yet have never been *forced* to offer DRMed music. Explain that one.
Name three.
I did - please read my previous post again if you can't see them.
So why do you consider someone who touts OGG as a format as being a zealot? Personally, I don't use it because MP3 is more convenient for me and more devices still "prefer" MP3 to OGG - even though OGG may create smaller, better quality files. But I am aware of the potential inherent patent issues in being an MP3 user and I have no problem with someone else pointing out that inherent risk to me.
And moving on to FOSS in general, why do you also have such of an issue with free software? Do you work in the commercial software industry and have justifiable fears about losing sales because of FOSS alternatives? As far as I'm concerned, FOSS and commercial software can exist side-by-side and FOSS forces commercial software developers to compete to make better products, that can only be a good thing for consumers.
Yes, there are zealots in any community of users but please don't imply that everyone who uses FOSS is a zealot. I personally could not give a toss about "The Year Of Linux On The Desktop" or some fictional Windows vs. Linux war. I use it because it's a good tool to get things done, it doesn't do everything I need a computer to do, hence I also run Windows XP to fill in the gaps. I don't consider myself "dirty" for doing so and if and when XP finally goes out of my computing environment, it will be because I can do everything I need to in Linux, not because I'm a hippie who is trying to make a political statement.
Apple doesn't embrace DRM every day, and in every way (they DO have to put up with SOME DRM due to pressures from "content providers"; but it is obvious they chafe against it).
Apple dropped DRM from iTunes about 2 years ago. It could be argued that they bowed to pressure from their user base after the Sony rootkit and CD DRM fuss. I have not come across a DRMed CD for some years now because of the stink DRM caused.
Apple doesn't infest its products with an OS (Windows 7) that has DRM from the driver-level up.
I'm mainly a Linux guy, I'm still using XP for some stuff but haven't played with Windows 7 much beyond setting up some laptops for colleagues - therefore I'm no expert on it. However, I am not aware of any restrictions on Windows 7 that stop you running non-DRMed formats on it exactly as you can do on previous iterations of Windows. I am led to believe that it provides a *platform* for DRM, again probably bowing to the same pressures from the RIAA that you said it was perfectly okay for Apple to have done during the early days of iTunes.
Just because you select a list of reasons why Apple are not evil does not mean they are not evil in other ways.
Then there is no difference, since that would, in your words, make FOSS users merely a subset of the people in this world affected by zealotry,
In the context of FOSS users, which was the subject of our discussion, there is therefore no difference between the two. That in turn means you have resorted to arguing semantics instead of the core topic. That means you have lost the argument and I win.
No, you demonstrated clearly that reading comprehension is not your strong suit.
I will not repeat what I put in the previous comment since, as above, I now have no confidence in your willingness to stay focused on the discussion topic and feel it would therefore be a complete waste of my time re-iterating it to you.
If you wish to discuss the core topic further, then please re-read my posting, do your best to comprehend what I was saying and provide intelligent discussion - whereupon I may consider rescinding my victory and allow you to continue.
The encryption algorithms are publicly documented for methods like RSA, Bluefish or any of the other countless ones - that's the point behind them being used the world over.
But knowing *HOW* the encryption is done still doesn't get you in because you still need to get or work out the encryption key that's being used.
It's a case of "damned if they do and damned if they don't" for Apple currently.
This is precisely what happens when you turn yourself into an "evil" company like Sony did and Apple are a long way through the process of doing - you will attract the hacker community and there will be thousands of people simultaneously trying to shame that company.
It's "infinite monkeys & infinite typewriter" syndrome - the majority of hackers will have no success with breaking into the systems or devices, but because there's *THAT MANY* doing it *ALL OF THE TIME*, eventually some will be successful.
As someone who works in security, I can tell you honestly that no company reveals successful or failed hack attempts on their systems unless they really have to - in the case of the Sony credit cards, they *HAD* to because of the potential fraud on those cards that could take place.
So you can pretty much guarantee that Sony, Apple and other "Evilcorps" are being pounded & hacked all of the time, but they hush it all up as best they can.
For your information, I'm mostly a Linux/FOSS user but keep XP around for gaming a few killer applications I cannot do without - in all cases, I have purchased commercial software and have no issue with doing that if the quality is high enough.
In broader terms, this means that I no longer use cracked or pirated software because unless I really am prepared to splash out for a piece of commercial software, then I just use the best FOSS alternative. This has meant that I no longer get any viruses or malware on my XP installations and makes me a lot happier about using both Windows and the software I run on it.
I do own a freebie iPod Touch that the missus gave me when she upgraded to an iPhone. It's a reasonably nice gadget but I find iTunes bloated, locked down and totally unintuitive. Fortunately, MediaMonkey on Windows works reasonably well sync-ing my music collection to the Touch (I do not and will not pay for downloadable music, I buy CDs and rip them myself) and only have an iTunes account because I *MUST* have one to put any additional applications on the Touch.
Otherwise, I think Banshee on Linux is about the best media player & organiser that I've come across - though due to Apple's lock-in, it doesn't work with the Touch, only with the "lesser" iPods.
I used Miro a while ago, probably around Version 2, and it looked very promising. I will try Version 4 because the worst thing that can happen is I just waste a bit of my time to discover I don't like it after all - but I do know that it is far more intuitive than iTunes is, so that's a good start in my book.
You are, of course, entitled to your opinions - even though they are derived from a sweeping statement.
There are thousands of great albums out there that are high quality from start to finish - this notion of "two good tracks per album" may be the case for churned-out plastic pop, but is definitely not the case for music made by talented musicians. So if you yourself find that is definitely the case, then I suggest you go find some more talented artists to listen to.
Yes, we all have music playing in the background while we do something else but please do not call that scenario "listening to music" because it isn't. In order to appreciate fully a good piece of music, you need to give it your full attention span - if you are not doing that then you can learn a thing or two from these guys.
Finally, don't confuse appreciating music with being an audiophile snob. I have a "reasonable" hi-fi set up that cost me no more than about £600 for CD player, amplifier & speakers. It does me fine, I haven't done any upgrades to it in about 8 years and only if I happen to come across a set-up in a similar price range that has a quality difference to justify additional expense then I may consider an upgrade. Otherwise, it's fine how it is.
I'm in my late 40s, I know hearing deteriorates with age (not noticeably so in my case) but I cannot personally tell the difference between an actual CD track and an MP3 rip at 256K on my hi-fi setup - I "think" I can hear a slight deterioration at 192K but that might be just my imagination.
No, "exploding factory" will not do, the excuse would need a human interest angle to make it all the more believable.
"Beta tester tripped over a sleeping cat on the stairs while walking down to his car to drive the single copy of the CD to the duplicators, only to discover the CD was scratched beyond repair in the fall" would be better.
And if you end the story on a high note with "Cat made full recovery and has just given birth to three healthy kittens", with a cute photo of the kittens in the article, everyone would be too busy going "Ahhhhh" to even think about DNF being delayed again.
I'm currently cutting up his eggs for him & any minute I know he's going to be popping his head out the bathroom door & calling down to me to come up & wipe his backside for him.
Not a single person I know in high tech uses anything open sores any more.
Ah! Yes, I see the problem now and I can help you with this.
Because those high tech users don't use Open Source, they won't be using the TCP/IP stack. Consequently, they won't be able to connect to the Internet and therefore won't be able to use all those communications tools that would allow you to get to know them.
Fixed it for you now, and have great fun making your first new friends!
Of course it is, like all DRM schemes, but it was never Apple's choice - it was a requirement of the content owners, and Apple made it as weak as they could get away with (I mean, building in a way to defeat the DRM by default and then promoting its use with every download is a pretty obvious 'we think this is stupid too, but go with it for now' move by them).
I'll use that argument if and when I am ever stopped in my car for speeding by a police officer.
"It's like this, officer. It's Peugeot's fault for putting an accelerator pedal right underneath where I want to rest my foot flat!"
Actually, I'm feeling more "confused" than "superior".
I've never understood why anyone would buy ANY lossy downloadable music from ANYWHERE when it's usually cheaper to buy the CD (used if you want to be REALLY frugal) than paying track-by-track. Plus a CD gives you an automatic backup of your music that you can just sit on a shelf, and you can rip stuff over-and-over again to a format suitable for what you want to listen to it on.
The only ADVANTAGE I see downloadable music gives to anyone is that you can have it right there and then - in which case, some people probably need to go look up "patience" in a dictionary.
I actually think it's the other way round, you know, because I am really happy with the music I listen to, the huge selection that I can go off an buy any time I like and paying a few quid for a CD that I may spend 30+ years enjoying is great value for money in my book.
My view is it's you people who are unhappy with your disposable downloadable music who envy people like me who get so much pleasure from it, but simply haven't developed the patience to search for a CD at the best price onlune and then wait a couple of days to pop through the letterbox.
I've been using computers for 30+ years but I still struggle sync-ing my self-ripped music collection to the iPod Touch the missus gave to me when she went to iPhone. I find it incredibly unintuitive.
At the same time, I'm now on my second Android phone (due to a recent upgrade) and I can just plug it into Windows or Linux and it mounts as a drive that I can just copuy stuff straight to if I want to - hell, I even wrote a handful of simple rsync scripts that sync stuff to it (from Linux) pretty much automatically. As a media organiser and player, personally I don't think you can beat Banshee for intuitiveness.
And please make sure you compare like-for-like. ATI's drivers are NOT Open Source, that's precisely one of the reasons why they're not that good on Linux.
Personally I don't see anything wrong in letting other people know about the existence of a good piece of software, especially if it's completely free.
Is FOSS better than commercial software? Nope, not always. Even an aging mostly-Linux person like me likes using Windows XP occasionally and I keep it around for gaming and for a handful of great registered applications that, up to this point, do stuff I want to do better and faster than I can do them on Linux.
The difference is I don't treat software like a religion - software is a tool to entertain and get stuff done and I use the best tools for the job. But the fact is that software built on open standards is not just restricted to we Linux geeks, the Windows, Apple, etc. people benefit also.
Plus a good FOSS application gives the developers of commercial equivalents a run for their money forcing them to "up the ante" and make their products better - everyone benefits.
Please don't treat everyone who supports FOSS as a zealot. I'm always interested in reading the latest utterings from the likes of Richard Stallman but the fact is that he is as extreme about openness as Apple are about locking stuff down - in reality, most of us are somewhere along that line the joins the two of them together.
The development process of FOSS is different, that's all.
You don't need to get "Version 1.0" before you release a piece of software, you can put it out there partially finished and let others do something with it.
The real upside of Open Source is that once you start using some FOSS software, and decide to stick with it, then you can pretty much use it indefinitely as it won't matter that you've upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7, or want to run the same piece of software across Windows & Linux - because in both cases, if it's a popular enough piece of software, someone will compile it for your platform of choice.
No, it's not perfect, I agree, and it's much easier to visualise the progression of a software product when it comes out as a boxed major release every couple of years or so, rather than regularly appearing "dot" releases.
But if you compare, say, OpenOffice.org (or LibreOffice as it now) to MS Office, they both have major release cycles in about the same time frame - it's just that with OOO, you "see" all the maintenance releases between the major ones.
Slashdot Mirror
Google, who is responsible for Android, was also called to those hearings.
I did not say Google are not evil, I said Apple are evil.
Yeah, EULAs always sound terrible.
But it's in there - therefore Apple CAN legally use it if they want to.
Again, the potential of doing it; but obviously Apple is just putting that in as a guard against an unforseeable "worst-case-scenario" threat.
Again, it's in there. Therefore they can use it if they choose to do so.
Now, let's compare that with Sony, where it took the DoJ rattling its sabre for them to stop putting rootkits on their audio CDs.
DRM disappeared on CDs completely - because the record companies had to bow to company pressures.
Media companies do not want anyone to own anything because they want a regular payment, rental model. Apple facilitated that by allowing DRMed music to be sold through iTunes - yes, it made the record companies sign on but Apple made a huge amount of money from it - that's basically saying they were "in league with the devil".
They changed the DRM model because Sony's stupid rootkit fiasco brought it to the public attention, it became very unpopular and Apple had to backtrack. Period.
Oh, one final point. Do you not find it more than coincidence that Apple removed DRM from music downloads about the same time Amazon started offering DRM-free music. Yet Amazon are much smaller than Apple, wield less corporate power as a consequence, yet have never been *forced* to offer DRMed music. Explain that one.
Name three.
I did - please read my previous post again if you can't see them.
Okay, back on topic then.
So why do you consider someone who touts OGG as a format as being a zealot? Personally, I don't use it because MP3 is more convenient for me and more devices still "prefer" MP3 to OGG - even though OGG may create smaller, better quality files. But I am aware of the potential inherent patent issues in being an MP3 user and I have no problem with someone else pointing out that inherent risk to me.
And moving on to FOSS in general, why do you also have such of an issue with free software? Do you work in the commercial software industry and have justifiable fears about losing sales because of FOSS alternatives? As far as I'm concerned, FOSS and commercial software can exist side-by-side and FOSS forces commercial software developers to compete to make better products, that can only be a good thing for consumers.
Yes, there are zealots in any community of users but please don't imply that everyone who uses FOSS is a zealot. I personally could not give a toss about "The Year Of Linux On The Desktop" or some fictional Windows vs. Linux war. I use it because it's a good tool to get things done, it doesn't do everything I need a computer to do, hence I also run Windows XP to fill in the gaps. I don't consider myself "dirty" for doing so and if and when XP finally goes out of my computing environment, it will be because I can do everything I need to in Linux, not because I'm a hippie who is trying to make a political statement.
Apple doesn't hide rootkits in their software or media files.
Maybe not. But they were summoned to the US Senate to answer questions on privacy concerns over what they track & why they track it unencrypted.
Apple doesn't actively prohibit "rooting" of their devices.
I think you need to read the last 2 lines about possibly denying sevice on this page.
Apple doesn't pursue the iOS "hacker" community with legal threats, DMCA takedown notices, etc.
It has put the mechanisms in place to do so in the future though.
Apple doesn't embrace DRM every day, and in every way (they DO have to put up with SOME DRM due to pressures from "content providers"; but it is obvious they chafe against it).
Apple dropped DRM from iTunes about 2 years ago. It could be argued that they bowed to pressure from their user base after the Sony rootkit and CD DRM fuss. I have not come across a DRMed CD for some years now because of the stink DRM caused.
Apple doesn't infest its products with an OS (Windows 7) that has DRM from the driver-level up.
I'm mainly a Linux guy, I'm still using XP for some stuff but haven't played with Windows 7 much beyond setting up some laptops for colleagues - therefore I'm no expert on it. However, I am not aware of any restrictions on Windows 7 that stop you running non-DRMed formats on it exactly as you can do on previous iterations of Windows. I am led to believe that it provides a *platform* for DRM, again probably bowing to the same pressures from the RIAA that you said it was perfectly okay for Apple to have done during the early days of iTunes.
Just because you select a list of reasons why Apple are not evil does not mean they are not evil in other ways.
Wrong, I sweepingly referred to zealotry.
Then there is no difference, since that would, in your words, make FOSS users merely a subset of the people in this world affected by zealotry,
In the context of FOSS users, which was the subject of our discussion, there is therefore no difference between the two. That in turn means you have resorted to arguing semantics instead of the core topic. That means you have lost the argument and I win.
No, you demonstrated clearly that reading comprehension is not your strong suit.
I will not repeat what I put in the previous comment since, as above, I now have no confidence in your willingness to stay focused on the discussion topic and feel it would therefore be a complete waste of my time re-iterating it to you.
If you wish to discuss the core topic further, then please re-read my posting, do your best to comprehend what I was saying and provide intelligent discussion - whereupon I may consider rescinding my victory and allow you to continue.
It could be argued that Microsoft bailing out Apple to the tune of $150 million in 1997 is one of the main reasons they are here today.
Just to be clear on this.
The encryption algorithms are publicly documented for methods like RSA, Bluefish or any of the other countless ones - that's the point behind them being used the world over.
But knowing *HOW* the encryption is done still doesn't get you in because you still need to get or work out the encryption key that's being used.
It's a case of "damned if they do and damned if they don't" for Apple currently.
This is precisely what happens when you turn yourself into an "evil" company like Sony did and Apple are a long way through the process of doing - you will attract the hacker community and there will be thousands of people simultaneously trying to shame that company.
It's "infinite monkeys & infinite typewriter" syndrome - the majority of hackers will have no success with breaking into the systems or devices, but because there's *THAT MANY* doing it *ALL OF THE TIME*, eventually some will be successful.
As someone who works in security, I can tell you honestly that no company reveals successful or failed hack attempts on their systems unless they really have to - in the case of the Sony credit cards, they *HAD* to because of the potential fraud on those cards that could take place.
So you can pretty much guarantee that Sony, Apple and other "Evilcorps" are being pounded & hacked all of the time, but they hush it all up as best they can.
For your information, I'm mostly a Linux/FOSS user but keep XP around for gaming a few killer applications I cannot do without - in all cases, I have purchased commercial software and have no issue with doing that if the quality is high enough.
In broader terms, this means that I no longer use cracked or pirated software because unless I really am prepared to splash out for a piece of commercial software, then I just use the best FOSS alternative. This has meant that I no longer get any viruses or malware on my XP installations and makes me a lot happier about using both Windows and the software I run on it.
I do own a freebie iPod Touch that the missus gave me when she upgraded to an iPhone. It's a reasonably nice gadget but I find iTunes bloated, locked down and totally unintuitive. Fortunately, MediaMonkey on Windows works reasonably well sync-ing my music collection to the Touch (I do not and will not pay for downloadable music, I buy CDs and rip them myself) and only have an iTunes account because I *MUST* have one to put any additional applications on the Touch.
Otherwise, I think Banshee on Linux is about the best media player & organiser that I've come across - though due to Apple's lock-in, it doesn't work with the Touch, only with the "lesser" iPods.
I used Miro a while ago, probably around Version 2, and it looked very promising. I will try Version 4 because the worst thing that can happen is I just waste a bit of my time to discover I don't like it after all - but I do know that it is far more intuitive than iTunes is, so that's a good start in my book.
No, you made a sweeping statement tarring everyone who uses FOSS as suffering from "zealotry".
I say that is not the case and have demonstrated clearly why.
I win.
You are, of course, entitled to your opinions - even though they are derived from a sweeping statement.
There are thousands of great albums out there that are high quality from start to finish - this notion of "two good tracks per album" may be the case for churned-out plastic pop, but is definitely not the case for music made by talented musicians. So if you yourself find that is definitely the case, then I suggest you go find some more talented artists to listen to.
Yes, we all have music playing in the background while we do something else but please do not call that scenario "listening to music" because it isn't. In order to appreciate fully a good piece of music, you need to give it your full attention span - if you are not doing that then you can learn a thing or two from these guys.
Finally, don't confuse appreciating music with being an audiophile snob. I have a "reasonable" hi-fi set up that cost me no more than about £600 for CD player, amplifier & speakers. It does me fine, I haven't done any upgrades to it in about 8 years and only if I happen to come across a set-up in a similar price range that has a quality difference to justify additional expense then I may consider an upgrade. Otherwise, it's fine how it is.
I'm in my late 40s, I know hearing deteriorates with age (not noticeably so in my case) but I cannot personally tell the difference between an actual CD track and an MP3 rip at 256K on my hi-fi setup - I "think" I can hear a slight deterioration at 192K but that might be just my imagination.
I didn't rate his solo stuff after he split up with Man, Turner & Overdrive.
I'd agree if I wasn't currently singing along & tapping my foot to a Bachman-Turner Overdrive CD at this moment in time.
The deal is this, okay?
I'll buy your album for 99c if you buy a new lightbulb with it so you can stop getting dressed in the dark.
No, "exploding factory" will not do, the excuse would need a human interest angle to make it all the more believable.
"Beta tester tripped over a sleeping cat on the stairs while walking down to his car to drive the single copy of the CD to the duplicators, only to discover the CD was scratched beyond repair in the fall" would be better.
And if you end the story on a high note with "Cat made full recovery and has just given birth to three healthy kittens", with a cute photo of the kittens in the article, everyone would be too busy going "Ahhhhh" to even think about DNF being delayed again.
Bacterium living on caffeine, or Mac fanbois posing in Starbucks?
I see none.
There's a really good un-DRM tool available at the moment.
Common Sense v1.0.
Would you mind not interrupting us, please???
I'm currently cutting up his eggs for him & any minute I know he's going to be popping his head out the bathroom door & calling down to me to come up & wipe his backside for him.
...or to be laying in a bathful of water when you fart.
Allegedly.
Not a single person I know in high tech uses anything open sores any more.
Ah! Yes, I see the problem now and I can help you with this.
Because those high tech users don't use Open Source, they won't be using the TCP/IP stack. Consequently, they won't be able to connect to the Internet and therefore won't be able to use all those communications tools that would allow you to get to know them.
Fixed it for you now, and have great fun making your first new friends!
Because I use Linux, I know Linux well.
Because I know Linux well, I have a well-paid consultancy job supporting systems that run it.
Nope, still can't see this "disappointment" you mentioned, though I will keep looking for it & let you know if & when I find it.
Of course it is, like all DRM schemes, but it was never Apple's choice - it was a requirement of the content owners, and Apple made it as weak as they could get away with (I mean, building in a way to defeat the DRM by default and then promoting its use with every download is a pretty obvious 'we think this is stupid too, but go with it for now' move by them).
I'll use that argument if and when I am ever stopped in my car for speeding by a police officer.
"It's like this, officer. It's Peugeot's fault for putting an accelerator pedal right underneath where I want to rest my foot flat!"
Actually, I'm feeling more "confused" than "superior".
I've never understood why anyone would buy ANY lossy downloadable music from ANYWHERE when it's usually cheaper to buy the CD (used if you want to be REALLY frugal) than paying track-by-track. Plus a CD gives you an automatic backup of your music that you can just sit on a shelf, and you can rip stuff over-and-over again to a format suitable for what you want to listen to it on.
The only ADVANTAGE I see downloadable music gives to anyone is that you can have it right there and then - in which case, some people probably need to go look up "patience" in a dictionary.
I actually think it's the other way round, you know, because I am really happy with the music I listen to, the huge selection that I can go off an buy any time I like and paying a few quid for a CD that I may spend 30+ years enjoying is great value for money in my book.
My view is it's you people who are unhappy with your disposable downloadable music who envy people like me who get so much pleasure from it, but simply haven't developed the patience to search for a CD at the best price onlune and then wait a couple of days to pop through the letterbox.
I've been using computers for 30+ years but I still struggle sync-ing my self-ripped music collection to the iPod Touch the missus gave to me when she went to iPhone. I find it incredibly unintuitive.
At the same time, I'm now on my second Android phone (due to a recent upgrade) and I can just plug it into Windows or Linux and it mounts as a drive that I can just copuy stuff straight to if I want to - hell, I even wrote a handful of simple rsync scripts that sync stuff to it (from Linux) pretty much automatically. As a media organiser and player, personally I don't think you can beat Banshee for intuitiveness.
And please make sure you compare like-for-like. ATI's drivers are NOT Open Source, that's precisely one of the reasons why they're not that good on Linux.
Personally I don't see anything wrong in letting other people know about the existence of a good piece of software, especially if it's completely free.
Is FOSS better than commercial software? Nope, not always. Even an aging mostly-Linux person like me likes using Windows XP occasionally and I keep it around for gaming and for a handful of great registered applications that, up to this point, do stuff I want to do better and faster than I can do them on Linux.
The difference is I don't treat software like a religion - software is a tool to entertain and get stuff done and I use the best tools for the job. But the fact is that software built on open standards is not just restricted to we Linux geeks, the Windows, Apple, etc. people benefit also.
Plus a good FOSS application gives the developers of commercial equivalents a run for their money forcing them to "up the ante" and make their products better - everyone benefits.
Please don't treat everyone who supports FOSS as a zealot. I'm always interested in reading the latest utterings from the likes of Richard Stallman but the fact is that he is as extreme about openness as Apple are about locking stuff down - in reality, most of us are somewhere along that line the joins the two of them together.
The development process of FOSS is different, that's all.
You don't need to get "Version 1.0" before you release a piece of software, you can put it out there partially finished and let others do something with it.
The real upside of Open Source is that once you start using some FOSS software, and decide to stick with it, then you can pretty much use it indefinitely as it won't matter that you've upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7, or want to run the same piece of software across Windows & Linux - because in both cases, if it's a popular enough piece of software, someone will compile it for your platform of choice.
No, it's not perfect, I agree, and it's much easier to visualise the progression of a software product when it comes out as a boxed major release every couple of years or so, rather than regularly appearing "dot" releases.
But if you compare, say, OpenOffice.org (or LibreOffice as it now) to MS Office, they both have major release cycles in about the same time frame - it's just that with OOO, you "see" all the maintenance releases between the major ones.