Microsoft's strategy with the Xbox was to get something on the shelves, something to put a toehold in the console market. They didn't care if they lost money up front because they knew they'd make money further down the line. It's what they call a 'loss leader' in the advertising world. It's designed to get your feet inside the store, where, presumably, they'll sell you something else along with the loss leader.
Plus, they prolly made a ton of money claiming the 'losses' on their taxes as advertising. Advertising is a big tax deduction, it's part of the cost of doing business.
MSFT claims that the reason it's 6.1 is because applications broke:
We learned a lot about using 5.1 for XP and how that helped developers with version checking for API compatibility. We also had the lesson reinforced when we applied the version number in the Windows Vista code as Windows 6.0-- that changing basic version numbers can cause application compatibility issues.
When software breaks, it's a marketting department wet dream. It means you get to recompile it with some bug fixes, a new set of header files, some changes to the API, and a higher version number, and sell that.
Nothing inexplicable about it. They promised some serious big sweeping changes, including file system tweaks, then the marketting boys started overriding the programming teams, changing specs and pushed moving targets at them. I for one would love to know how many times certain modules of Vista got sent back for recoding when the specs changed on them overnight.
If you're going to the hassle and expense of recoding basic DLLs of XP for an internal version, why not just go Linux? It especially makes sense when you guys are going to migrate to Win7.
Question is, do 'regular users' understand how to use ftp? I don't think so, it's not exactly something Microsoft brings to the forefront of their attention. It's not a graphical interface, so they'll have to run it from command line. When was the last time you were able to get a regular user to use a command line?
Or, compile yourself and install via checkinstall. I'd think if you were halfways aware of how to administrate a Linux system, you already know how to compile a tarball. Checkinstall builds the package,.deb or.rpm, and installs it for you. Then, you can add the package to your local repository.
But I'd have to make a DVD for each computer that comes through the door of the shop, otherwise each install will be exactly the same, with the same software, serials, etc. That's going to take time. Now, if we send that disc home with each computer, that's a customer we lose cause all they have to do is put the DVD in the drive & reboot. That means I gotta store that DVD in the shop someplace.
Why not make just one master disc you say? The advert says it remembers all software keys, so it'll keep using the same key for XP/Office/whatever Microsoft software you put on the DVD. That means when you use it on a different machine, you've just committed piracy. Remember when Microsoft had its 'Turn In Your Computer Shop' program? We don't worry about that, since we refuse to install something that the customer can't supply a key for, or sell them a new key straight from MS.
ATM, none of my clients have any kind of site licenses for their software, so this wouldn't work so good for me. But thanks for the tip.
What I use for repairs when I wipe & restore is a Knoppix disc and a 500 gig Iomega USB drive. I back up the customer's data onto the Iomega before I wipe and restore, including drivers, etc that I know I'm going to need. I use their keys and install discs (they're stored onsite, with the keys on those little stickers to put on the side of each machine for easy reference). I also have an ever-growing disc of drivers I pack with me, but hell, at 60 bucks an hour, a CD is cheap, and besides I write them off on my taxes.
Yeah, I recommend open source alternatives whenever possible, but most of my clients insist on Microsoft. Hey, they won't fire you for specifying MS. But I'll give this a look. I just don't know how much it'll help me.
I still like KDE 3.5. Compared to KDE 4, it's as lightweight as Fluxbox is to KDE 3.5. To me, it looks like KDE 4 was trying to capture the look and feel of Vista.
As a consultant, I definitely have the love/hate relationship with Windows. Love it that it keeps me in cigarettes & gas money, hate it that it's such a bitch to accurately troubleshoot at times and the prefered method of repairing a Windows machine is wipe, reformat, reformat, reinstall, reinstall.
Hell, if it wasn't for Windows, I'd (and I assume a whole lot of others!) have to go get a real job..
No, he said Courtney's rant about her contract is a good one.
Personally, since Courtney got sober, I'm waiting for her to finish detoxing so we can see just what kind of artist she really is. Should only take a couple more years...
1) If you are making a backup then you are OK, but face it, this crap started because too many people distribute movies on the net so people don't have to shell the money out. In all honesty if they came to your house and you could show them a 1:1 ratio every dvd/cd backup with the original, they would apologize and leave your house. Chances are it would be a ratio of 100:1 pirated:legit.
I seem to recall somebody posting something about *IAA not liking archival copies much. They'd MUCH prefer you buy another copy of the media. Hell, buy a DOZEN new copies. Their theory is, disposable income belongs in their pockets.
And didn't they try sneaking the theory of having an archival rip on your computer that's connected to the internet constitutes 'making available' the 'pirated' media? Course, a judge shot that down, but who knows what judge might overturn that?
Personally, I liked Doom with the 'Barney mod'. I'd fire it up, click on God mode, then teleport to Level 32 and chainsaw Barney for a few hours. Worked like a champ.
True. But the point of a dirty bomb isn't to kill, but to have psychological effects. "All of our city is radioactive!!!" kind of panic. People are stupid about radioactivity, look how much they over-reacted to Three Mile Island. That kind of psychological thrash and turmoil is a very powerful weapon - a bunch of long-halflife isotopes scattered around a city would have a profound psychological effect, even if the real radiation hazard was minimal.
Well, what the hell do you expect when the anti-nuke organisations have been screaming at you for over 30 years that if they build a power plant outside of Denver, your hair will fall out in Los Angeles?
Also: Did you ever ask yourself why the us did not the obvious thing: Invite a bunch of japanses officals (generals) to the trinity-test and show them "Hey, look! That's going to happen to you. Now, here are the sunglasses and we have spare underwear in case you need it later". The answer is rather simple: They did not know it would work. They estimated a failure (not sure at the moment) at around 50%.
The Manhattan Project was the ultra top secret burn before reading war secret of WW2. It was so secret that they weren't allowed to brief Vice President Truman on it until he became President Truman. It was so secret that Truman's Senate fraud investigating committee was called off to the side and ordered to drop any and all lines of inquiry that had any connection whatsoever to Manhattan. It was so secret that they couldn't even investigate who had leaked the name of the project for fear it would 'out' other facts as well.
And you wanted to show the Japanese this secret? It wouldn't happen no matter what. There was a war going on, for the survival of the planet.
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Plus, they prolly made a ton of money claiming the 'losses' on their taxes as advertising. Advertising is a big tax deduction, it's part of the cost of doing business.
They also told us that 640K was enough memory for anyone.
When software breaks, it's a marketting department wet dream. It means you get to recompile it with some bug fixes, a new set of header files, some changes to the API, and a higher version number, and sell that.
Maybe they're speaking from experience?
Nothing inexplicable about it. They promised some serious big sweeping changes, including file system tweaks, then the marketting boys started overriding the programming teams, changing specs and pushed moving targets at them. I for one would love to know how many times certain modules of Vista got sent back for recoding when the specs changed on them overnight.
If you're going to the hassle and expense of recoding basic DLLs of XP for an internal version, why not just go Linux? It especially makes sense when you guys are going to migrate to Win7.
Maybe so, but aren't they supposed to get a warrant first? I believe I read it ...
Question is, do 'regular users' understand how to use ftp? I don't think so, it's not exactly something Microsoft brings to the forefront of their attention. It's not a graphical interface, so they'll have to run it from command line. When was the last time you were able to get a regular user to use a command line?
If the keys are burned in, are they then supplied to the various law enforcement agencies to make things easier on them?
Even better, though, "A Gift From Earth"
Interesting. I'd never heard of Nlite, will have to check THAT out as well. Thanxx.
Or, compile yourself and install via checkinstall. I'd think if you were halfways aware of how to administrate a Linux system, you already know how to compile a tarball. Checkinstall builds the package, .deb or .rpm, and installs it for you. Then, you can add the package to your local repository.
No, just neither an Apple or Linux fanboy. Most likely chants 'There is but one OS and Richmond is its vendor' at any and all board meetings.
Hey, nobody ever got fired for specifying Microsoft.
But I'd have to make a DVD for each computer that comes through the door of the shop, otherwise each install will be exactly the same, with the same software, serials, etc. That's going to take time. Now, if we send that disc home with each computer, that's a customer we lose cause all they have to do is put the DVD in the drive & reboot. That means I gotta store that DVD in the shop someplace.
Why not make just one master disc you say? The advert says it remembers all software keys, so it'll keep using the same key for XP/Office/whatever Microsoft software you put on the DVD. That means when you use it on a different machine, you've just committed piracy. Remember when Microsoft had its 'Turn In Your Computer Shop' program? We don't worry about that, since we refuse to install something that the customer can't supply a key for, or sell them a new key straight from MS.
ATM, none of my clients have any kind of site licenses for their software, so this wouldn't work so good for me. But thanks for the tip.
What I use for repairs when I wipe & restore is a Knoppix disc and a 500 gig Iomega USB drive. I back up the customer's data onto the Iomega before I wipe and restore, including drivers, etc that I know I'm going to need. I use their keys and install discs (they're stored onsite, with the keys on those little stickers to put on the side of each machine for easy reference). I also have an ever-growing disc of drivers I pack with me, but hell, at 60 bucks an hour, a CD is cheap, and besides I write them off on my taxes.
Yeah, I recommend open source alternatives whenever possible, but most of my clients insist on Microsoft. Hey, they won't fire you for specifying MS. But I'll give this a look. I just don't know how much it'll help me.
I still like KDE 3.5. Compared to KDE 4, it's as lightweight as Fluxbox is to KDE 3.5. To me, it looks like KDE 4 was trying to capture the look and feel of Vista.
As a consultant, I definitely have the love/hate relationship with Windows. Love it that it keeps me in cigarettes & gas money, hate it that it's such a bitch to accurately troubleshoot at times and the prefered method of repairing a Windows machine is wipe, reformat, reformat, reinstall, reinstall.
Hell, if it wasn't for Windows, I'd (and I assume a whole lot of others!) have to go get a real job..
I also know what goes into hot dogs. Still eat 'em.
Hell, I was there when they invented dirt. We thought it was a great idea at the time.
Too bad I didn't copyright/patent it...
Personally, since Courtney got sober, I'm waiting for her to finish detoxing so we can see just what kind of artist she really is. Should only take a couple more years...
I seem to recall somebody posting something about *IAA not liking archival copies much. They'd MUCH prefer you buy another copy of the media. Hell, buy a DOZEN new copies. Their theory is, disposable income belongs in their pockets.
And didn't they try sneaking the theory of having an archival rip on your computer that's connected to the internet constitutes 'making available' the 'pirated' media? Course, a judge shot that down, but who knows what judge might overturn that?
Ever see a 1930-s style calculator?
Personally, I liked Doom with the 'Barney mod'. I'd fire it up, click on God mode, then teleport to Level 32 and chainsaw Barney for a few hours. Worked like a champ.
How much for some weapons grade marijuana? And do you include seeds with that?
Well, what the hell do you expect when the anti-nuke organisations have been screaming at you for over 30 years that if they build a power plant outside of Denver, your hair will fall out in Los Angeles?
The Manhattan Project was the ultra top secret burn before reading war secret of WW2. It was so secret that they weren't allowed to brief Vice President Truman on it until he became President Truman. It was so secret that Truman's Senate fraud investigating committee was called off to the side and ordered to drop any and all lines of inquiry that had any connection whatsoever to Manhattan. It was so secret that they couldn't even investigate who had leaked the name of the project for fear it would 'out' other facts as well.
And you wanted to show the Japanese this secret? It wouldn't happen no matter what. There was a war going on, for the survival of the planet.