Subject says it all, are Windows Mobile customers protected? after all handhelds and mobile gadgets are quite popular and a money spinner for many companies.
I don't know what the big deal is, but Microsoft always opposed being split up, yet they should follow suit.
Something like this:
Microsoft OS Inc Microsoft Office Tech Inc Microsoft Web tech Inc Microsoft Consumer Products Inc
Of course it won't happen as Microsoft's OS and Office Tech companies would make all the money, the Web tech and Consumer Products divisions would go bust.
Install CDs for ISPs like AOL are prime candidates for carrying out an install Firefox.
Trouble is, Microsoft seems to know this and AOL have stuck with the IE engine.
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I'm sure NASA developments are used by the US military. The US air force have already stated that they'll shoot down any satellites they feel are threatening US national security.
Space is very political and so far it appears to be the US that is claiming they run the show.
Adapting to the markets is how countries survive. Engineering and manufacturing are in decline in the west, many jobs have moved to the east.
Technology will aid the reduction of pollution, the US can take a lead in this by developing the technology. But Bush isn't interested, so the US will end up having to buy the technology from the EU simply because we have signed up and have a head start.
So in the end the EU countries will create jobs in areas to do with research and installation of anti-pollution systems and the US won't.
What would you sooner have, a world were we actually think about and tackle issues that are crucial to our survival or a world where we simply shut our eyes and drive ourselves off a cliff?
It's not about jobs, so much as sacrificing a way of life. If you move from a large 8 cylinder SUV to a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder car you aren't losing anyone a job as such.
Well if Microsoft can make the system tidy and appliance-like that's fine. There's nothing worse than the interface dying and the Windows desktop appearing. That and when you get an error and a dialog box appears that you can't cancel.
True, but since many applications and interfaces can be customised by the solutions supplier (who will do usability testing) it's not an issue for large IT projects.
(Incidentally I have first hand experience of NHS projects).
The PC competition at the time was all stuff like 8Mhz buses. Even PCI has a clock speed, it means redesigning ICs all the time to cope with faster clock speeds.
Simple, build or use a readily available reference hardware platform. Build the software with GPL, since you have to supply the src code it will allow the DRM functionality etc. to be bypassed.
If these two systems were easy to install (as easy as installing a Linux firewall distro) then maybe a TiVo or Windows media centre wouldn't seem to attractive.
Has taken me a good week and a half just to get a DVB card functioning in Linux. Had to play with bios settings like PCI delays to get the card to function. When it works 100% it will be great, but it's not friendly enough for most people yet (it's been ruining my sleep and i'm relatively good with Linux).
Thing is the UK government have already identified that the upgrade cycle for hardware and software with Linux is less frequent at 6-8 years compared with 3-4 with Windows.
Soon when environment laws are toughened further (in the EU they're becoming so) it will cost a lot of money to dispose of computer hardware and so the TCO of Windows will have to include the cost of hardware upgrades and disposal of old hardware.
If you're doing this twice as often as Linux then you're paying twice as much simply based on the hardware, never mind the upgrade process (installation of new hardware and software) and training (due to software interface changes).
Not to mention some of the code is in use in ATM machines. Given the lack of use in the mainstream it probably has quite a few exploits that are undetected. Open the code and people will find them.
Run Windows Update for each box. Remove Windows Messenger. Cancel the window telling you to take a tour of XP. Cancel the window telling you to get a passport. Run the net connection wizard. Reboot after installing updates. etc....
(I'm not being totally serious, I know you can deploy ghost images etc..)
If you really care about cats and other animals you wouldn't let a company tamper with them.
I'm sure this "product" will require a lot of research which means breeding cats.
What happens if you don't like it, do you take it back and ask for another one? I don't think you can or should ever view a pet as a purchase. It's supposed to be a member of the family and you don't go and buy a wife etc. (well unless you're into mail order brides).
Ballmer would like a PC which can only run Windows. Make this a cheap PC like a games console where the PC is sold at cost or a loss, charge silly money for software.
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Not to mention that Linux really refers to the core of the OS, the rest is GNU software that is in common use on Unix systems.
Many Unix solution providers won't have a hard time developing solutions for Linux. It has a lot more in common with Unix than Windows does.
Will Novell be any nicer though?
They have a Linux product that they would like everyone to buy. Will they start being funny buggers when their profits drop?
Subject says it all, are Windows Mobile customers protected? after all handhelds and mobile gadgets are quite popular and a money spinner for many companies.
Other systems are just as archaic in some ways when it comes to drivers and hardware support.
Some even require everything built into the kernel. Commercial Unix operating systems are sometimes inferior to Linux (dare I mention SCO's offering).
This we know, but it would make sense if they did split up.
Maybe then they would have to create decent products instead of having the Microsoft war chest to fall back on in the event of product failure.
I don't know what the big deal is, but Microsoft always opposed being split up, yet they should follow suit.
Something like this:
Microsoft OS Inc
Microsoft Office Tech Inc
Microsoft Web tech Inc
Microsoft Consumer Products Inc
Of course it won't happen as Microsoft's OS and Office Tech companies would make all the money, the Web tech and Consumer Products divisions would go bust.
Install CDs for ISPs like AOL are prime candidates for carrying out an install Firefox.
Trouble is, Microsoft seems to know this and AOL have stuck with the IE engine.
I'm sure NASA developments are used by the US military. The US air force have already stated that they'll shoot down any satellites they feel are threatening US national security.
Space is very political and so far it appears to be the US that is claiming they run the show.
Adapting to the markets is how countries survive. Engineering and manufacturing are in decline in the west, many jobs have moved to the east.
Technology will aid the reduction of pollution, the US can take a lead in this by developing the technology. But Bush isn't interested, so the US will end up having to buy the technology from the EU simply because we have signed up and have a head start.
So in the end the EU countries will create jobs in areas to do with research and installation of anti-pollution systems and the US won't.
What would you sooner have, a world were we actually think about and tackle issues that are crucial to our survival or a world where we simply shut our eyes and drive ourselves off a cliff?
It's not about jobs, so much as sacrificing a way of life. If you move from a large 8 cylinder SUV to a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder car you aren't losing anyone a job as such.
Well if Microsoft can make the system tidy and appliance-like that's fine. There's nothing worse than the interface dying and the Windows desktop appearing. That and when you get an error and a dialog box appears that you can't cancel.
See ATMs for examples of these.
True, but since many applications and interfaces can be customised by the solutions supplier (who will do usability testing) it's not an issue for large IT projects.
(Incidentally I have first hand experience of NHS projects).
The PC competition at the time was all stuff like 8Mhz buses. Even PCI has a clock speed, it means redesigning ICs all the time to cope with faster clock speeds.
The Amiga's Zorro expansion bus was asyncronous back in the 1980s.
Ok, wasn't a processor and one of the chips that drove it was clocked, but it goes to show you how clever the designers of that system were.
They got there by luck. They were chosen over CP/M as their guy had "gone flying".
Sure they've maintained their lead, but a lot of that was simply down to lack of competition until now.
The "DOS tax" and restrictuve OEM deals have ensured that it has been hard to provide an alternative.
It's only free if it:
[a] doesn't require a software purchase
[b] moves itself to my office
[c] installs itself
[d] doesn't disrupt the working day
[e] doesn't require training
All I can say is lets not move towards a business model where software costs 3 times what it does now, purely to make hardware free.
Imagine getting a free PC where you can't run any free software and paying £1,500 for Photoshop, £900 for Office and £300 for Windows.
Simple, build or use a readily available reference hardware platform. Build the software with GPL, since you have to supply the src code it will allow the DRM functionality etc. to be bypassed.
I know I'd end up stealing the identity of Dwayne Dibley.
If these two systems were easy to install (as easy as installing a Linux firewall distro) then maybe a TiVo or Windows media centre wouldn't seem to attractive.
Has taken me a good week and a half just to get a DVB card functioning in Linux. Had to play with bios settings like PCI delays to get the card to function. When it works 100% it will be great, but it's not friendly enough for most people yet (it's been ruining my sleep and i'm relatively good with Linux).
Thing is the UK government have already identified that the upgrade cycle for hardware and software with Linux is less frequent at 6-8 years compared with 3-4 with Windows.
Soon when environment laws are toughened further (in the EU they're becoming so) it will cost a lot of money to dispose of computer hardware and so the TCO of Windows will have to include the cost of hardware upgrades and disposal of old hardware.
If you're doing this twice as often as Linux then you're paying twice as much simply based on the hardware, never mind the upgrade process (installation of new hardware and software) and training (due to software interface changes).
All this and I've not even mentioned licenses.
Not to mention some of the code is in use in ATM machines. Given the lack of use in the mainstream it probably has quite a few exploits that are undetected. Open the code and people will find them.
But it would take to long to:
Run Windows Update for each box.
Remove Windows Messenger.
Cancel the window telling you to take a tour of XP.
Cancel the window telling you to get a passport.
Run the net connection wizard.
Reboot after installing updates.
etc....
(I'm not being totally serious, I know you can deploy ghost images etc..)
If you really care about cats and other animals you wouldn't let a company tamper with them.
I'm sure this "product" will require a lot of research which means breeding cats.
What happens if you don't like it, do you take it back and ask for another one? I don't think you can or should ever view a pet as a purchase. It's supposed to be a member of the family and you don't go and buy a wife etc. (well unless you're into mail order brides).
Ballmer would like a PC which can only run Windows. Make this a cheap PC like a games console where the PC is sold at cost or a loss, charge silly money for software.
Nobody should have patents on core protocols and mechanisms of the Internet. It's just likely to end up becoming a cash cow.
Someone at Microsoft already stated they liked the idea of email stamps, paying a nominal charge per email.