You give away the software, let the customers figure out how to install it and use it. If they're not capable of installing it they can hire or contract someone who can.
If the end users can't use it they can pay for a support contract so the users get assistance.
The advantage of FOSS is that features are added for a reason, people want them and use them. With commercial applications you can't just add small changes and then expect customers to buy the new version. With FOSS you can merely rework the interface making it much easier to use and call that a release, you don't have to add a million new features at the same time to justify the licence costs.
Intel did stick two chips together initially, whilst AMD put two cores on a single die. Later on Intel released the Core 2 Duo and implemented two cores on a single die.
Microsoft should be publicly humiliated for taking sides in the first place. It's not for them to take sides in terms of media.
Would they (for example) not support MemoryStick but choose to support SecureDigital? of course not. People want to just use their computer and have the freedom to choose, not have the decision made for them because the alternative media is made by a rival in another market.
This is what's wrong with Microsoft (and Apple to a degree too), they're way too involved in the media business to be objective in making decisions about new technology.
True, but is the Android hardware any good? having numerous devices running one platform is a poor approach if you want the hardware and software to integrate well. Phones have a limited interface and the easier you can make the interface to use the better.
Yahoo would cease to be, everything would be rebranded Microsoft and much of the Yahoo staff would be laid off. Is it any wonder Yahoo would resist this? not to mention losing competitive edge by having to do everything the Microsoft way and avoiding open source.
The media giants have too much power, they just can't face decline. There's a massive amount of music, films and media out there, the demand and supply doesn't always match. I for example don't want much that Hollywood churns out, I don't like a lot of popular media. So am I to be prosecuted because I don't purchase rubbish commercial music and use p2p?
The problem is if you bought XP when it first came out then you have a CD with barely any modern drivers.
Linux has the advantage of moving along pretty fast. If you install from a Linux CD made the same time as XP from 2001 then you'd have loads of issues.
Thanks to the RIP act if we encrypt the government will request the keys for the encryption and if you refuse to hand these over you get 10 years in prison.
Patents worked when it was about the small time inventor and they help start up companies. Once the industry giants and well established companies get hold of patents they use them in an anti-competitive manner.
Software patents are the easiest to code around but can be the hardest to judge when they go to court.
It's always the same, wait for the better version etc..
But the difference here is that you're locking yourself into an 18 month contract typically. The iPhone is a bit behind the times now, in 18 months it will be way behind.
There are some things you can wait for and others you need. For instance you might decide to wait for a new model of a car, but if you don't have a car then you can't really wait.
It's not Microsoft, it's barmy Ballmer who keeps sounding off about patents. He needs to chill.
There are patents Microsoft has which Linux may infringe on, but if tested many of these will be written off as prior art and if Microsoft has extracted money from others over these patents then the would have to return the money.
I don't think it's possible to write an OS without infringing on patents. There's a difference between coincidences and blatant copying.
They want control because without control the phone companies ruin the devices and make them suck.
Vodaphone and T-Mobile are two operators that remove features from phones and hack about with the firmware purely because the phones have a feature that would save the end user some money.
It's about time a phone maker stood up to these phone operators, they are overcharging people and they've held back development of easier to use phones and convenient features.
Buy buy buy, Microsoft simply can't come up with a winning online service to rival Google, they have to buy the competition.
It makes you wonder if they should forget software and make more hardware as the XBox 360 is fairly popular. But given the failure rate on the early 360s it would probably lose them even more money in warranty claims.
They're still living in the 1990s, they'll have to cut costs and start to shrink the company, it won't grow and make substantial profit for shareholders. Ballmer further tarnishes Microsoft's image.
Slashdot Mirror
Vista costs twice as much in the UK as it does in the US.
Apple isn't the dominant platform.
:)
Apple haven't integrated Safari into the desktop.
Safari can be removed.
Apple aren't trying to kill off Netscape
Undocumented does not necessarily mean secret, commercial companies have timescales.
Safari is based on open source software.
I think it's a really good model.
You give away the software, let the customers figure out how to install it and use it. If they're not capable of installing it they can hire or contract someone who can.
If the end users can't use it they can pay for a support contract so the users get assistance.
The advantage of FOSS is that features are added for a reason, people want them and use them. With commercial applications you can't just add small changes and then expect customers to buy the new version. With FOSS you can merely rework the interface making it much easier to use and call that a release, you don't have to add a million new features at the same time to justify the licence costs.
Why are Microsoft so desperate to get into net advertising? It simply isn't their area of expertise.
Microsoft's strongest markets are the corporate desktop market and games markets.
Sure, there's money in advertising. But why spend to much effort in these markets while your desktop OS is in crisis?
Intel did stick two chips together initially, whilst AMD put two cores on a single die. Later on Intel released the Core 2 Duo and implemented two cores on a single die.
Microsoft should be publicly humiliated for taking sides in the first place. It's not for them to take sides in terms of media.
Would they (for example) not support MemoryStick but choose to support SecureDigital? of course not. People want to just use their computer and have the freedom to choose, not have the decision made for them because the alternative media is made by a rival in another market.
This is what's wrong with Microsoft (and Apple to a degree too), they're way too involved in the media business to be objective in making decisions about new technology.
True, but is the Android hardware any good? having numerous devices running one platform is a poor approach if you want the hardware and software to integrate well. Phones have a limited interface and the easier you can make the interface to use the better.
Notepad only runs on Windows. Not a fair comparison.
Yahoo would cease to be, everything would be rebranded Microsoft and much of the Yahoo staff would be laid off. Is it any wonder Yahoo would resist this? not to mention losing competitive edge by having to do everything the Microsoft way and avoiding open source.
The DC supply plugs into the back of the keyboard, ugly for such a otherwise expensive and well designed keyboard.
Why couldn't they have a split end on the keyboard cable with the DC input and USB connections, that way you would have no DC cable in sight.
So much for lack of censorship and freedoms.
The media giants have too much power, they just can't face decline. There's a massive amount of music, films and media out there, the demand and supply doesn't always match. I for example don't want much that Hollywood churns out, I don't like a lot of popular media. So am I to be prosecuted because I don't purchase rubbish commercial music and use p2p?
The fact that the Macbook air runs an OS that the PC laptop can't is a major plus.
Unless you intend to run Windows on the Mac laptop then why compare?
I suspect there's Prince and then there's Prince's recording label.
Many artists have left their label in protest, this action isn't always sanctioned by the artist.
This saviour of SCO appears to know what it's doing.
Darl has been a total idiot all the way, making FUD with no proof. In the end pretty much nothing he said held any wait.
Kevin Warwick (aka Captain Cyborg) did this years ago. Having a chip implanted for the purpose of opening doors etc.
The problem is if you bought XP when it first came out then you have a CD with barely any modern drivers.
Linux has the advantage of moving along pretty fast. If you install from a Linux CD made the same time as XP from 2001 then you'd have loads of issues.
The Vista capable hardware is mostly decent, it's the awful software which is the problem.
SP1 doesn't seem to improve it much either.
Thanks to the RIP act if we encrypt the government will request the keys for the encryption and if you refuse to hand these over you get 10 years in prison.
Patents worked when it was about the small time inventor and they help start up companies. Once the industry giants and well established companies get hold of patents they use them in an anti-competitive manner.
Software patents are the easiest to code around but can be the hardest to judge when they go to court.
It's always the same, wait for the better version etc..
But the difference here is that you're locking yourself into an 18 month contract typically. The iPhone is a bit behind the times now, in 18 months it will be way behind.
There are some things you can wait for and others you need. For instance you might decide to wait for a new model of a car, but if you don't have a car then you can't really wait.
Heat is a problem with Li-ion batteries. If they get too hot they explode. Leaving a phone in a car with direct sunlight is enough.
Seems a bit odd they would be used in cars.
It's not Microsoft, it's barmy Ballmer who keeps sounding off about patents. He needs to chill.
There are patents Microsoft has which Linux may infringe on, but if tested many of these will be written off as prior art and if Microsoft has extracted money from others over these patents then the would have to return the money.
I don't think it's possible to write an OS without infringing on patents. There's a difference between coincidences and blatant copying.
They want control because without control the phone companies ruin the devices and make them suck.
Vodaphone and T-Mobile are two operators that remove features from phones and hack about with the firmware purely because the phones have a feature that would save the end user some money.
It's about time a phone maker stood up to these phone operators, they are overcharging people and they've held back development of easier to use phones and convenient features.
Mice and keyboards get blamed for RSI, touch screens will be worse is the software isn't designed for it.
For example, dragging things around on a touch screen puts more strain on your fingers and requires 1:1 movement.
Few people have 1:1 mapping on their mouse, that is the distance moved by the mouse directly equates to the distance the cursor moves on screen.
Moving your arms around a large touch screen will soon become tiring.
Buy buy buy, Microsoft simply can't come up with a winning online service to rival Google, they have to buy the competition.
It makes you wonder if they should forget software and make more hardware as the XBox 360 is fairly popular. But given the failure rate on the early 360s it would probably lose them even more money in warranty claims.
They're still living in the 1990s, they'll have to cut costs and start to shrink the company, it won't grow and make substantial profit for shareholders. Ballmer further tarnishes Microsoft's image.