If people do not want to break compatibility they can choose to remain on Win98/2000/XP/Vista.
If they want to move on to a new, good, and SECURE system, they can choose an alternative. OS X, Linux, or even (if Microsoft does fork it) the next Windows, and leave the baggage that comes with backwards compatibility behind.
Of course since most of you are Slashdot readers, most of you won't and that only helps prove my point.
Why the hell would I install a toolbar I don't need, for a crappy search engine I don't use, without benefiting in the process? Would they be willing to pay me to install it? I install what I need to use on my computer. Hell, I like and use Google and I don't bother installing the Google toolbar because I. don't. need. it.
They should use The Who's "We Won't Get Fooled Again" for their ad campaign in a form of irony.
I mean, is anyone really going to buy Zune 2.0? After all, it didn't work with the DRM scheme standard Microsoft was pushing, is inferior in every way compared to Apple's iPod, and was a flop in the marketplace, especially when compared to its competitors such as the iPod.
Same issue when boarding an airplane. My video camera is subject to inspection, but my camera is not, even though it can record every bit as well as the "video" camera, which incidentally can record stills too.
There is a distinct difference here. In the case of tariffs, the EU is attempting to encourage local manufacturing and reduce trade imbalances, whereas airline "security" is not about making flying safer, but about social engineering, making people more accepting of micro-management from a nanny state, and introducing the perception of safety even though everyone knows that it won't do a lick of good.
MS regularly sits on vulnerabilities for months instead of patching them.
Why should they fix it in the current version of Windows? There has to be a compelling reason to upgrade to the next version of Windows, and in the case of Vista, DirectX 10, the Playskool-style interface and [continue]/[cancel] thing just aren't cutting it.
The next version of Windows will be the most secure Windows release ever. Upon it's release: Windows 2010: Upgrade now! Better virus protection! Less prone to spyware (except Microsoft-preinstalled spyware,)!
I think you guys are all getting the wrong idea. Microsoft isn't likely to be so much as implementing, as much as being in the patent license business. IOW, the plan is to sue adware producers for patent infringement, driving them away from producing the adware that plagues their operating system products.
There is sufficient prior art (10 years' worth) that the patent should be invalidated the day it enters the courts.:) I'm not pro-adware mind you, nor am I so much anti-Windows as I am anti-Microsoft's-treat-paying-customers-like-crimi nals policies as of late.
Not to mention a "hole" that is more important than the audio hole. It's just like in real estate: Location, location, location. What keeps me from tuning into a station from Genericstan that doesn't care about the mafiaa?
Simple: knowing that such a beast exists, and the chance of your discovering a streaming site that payola hasn't bought has the RIAA members frightened out of their wits. Why do you think they are working as hard as possible to require that ALL streaming sites pay up, regardless of whether content is produced by their members?
In order to qualify for the cap, ensure that Fair Use capabilities such as timeshifting is impossible, so that regular listeners will miss out on your show and lose interest, furthering weakening of the market.
Way to go, RIAA members! Alienating customers on a daily basis. Bravo!
First, understand that The GIMP is cross-platform, and that different platforms use different UI models. The platform you're running it on probably isn't the one it was initially designed for.
Oh really? When did Microsoft start bundling Mozilla Firefox with Windows?;)
Seriously though: Photoshop got where it is because it is the best tool for editing images, with the best interface.
Corel tried to compete for many years by offering the second-to-last and third-to last version(s) of their suite at a really, really low price (used to be able to pick up a shrinkwrapped CD in a cardboard sleeve at stores like CompUSA for well under $30, sometimes under $20 - they know professionals will want the latest version and will pay a premium for it) and while it obviously sells well, I still see that Adobe dominates the market despite Corel's taking that approach for many years.
I like The Gimp but there are many things seriously broken with it:
- the UI model in general. When I raise a document window, it should raise ALL associated palette dialogs with it. I should not have to manually hunt for each dialog and raise it manually. They implemented a partial fix in preferences but it does not work well.
- Those G-D file open/save dialogs. The Gtk developer who decided dumbing those down makes workflow easier out to be drawn-and-quartered. Those dialogs are what I hate the absolute most about Gnome in general.
- Effects are lost after making any changes (in effect, to mimic Photoshop's effect you clone what you want to have an effect on to another layer, run a suite of filters on it, and adjust the opacity - such as outer glow or shadowing on text. Make a change to the original and you have just lost that effect and have to re-do the entire thing by hand)
- Text styles are lost after making any changes.
- layer handling is unintuitive. The floating layers are a good idea, but there should be a "paste as new layer" option to simplify it for new users; don't complicate it by turning it into many steps.
Some of the posters in here claim that Gimp hurts because it tries to do so much; this sounds like the "one task, one tool" mantra that drove Unixy operating systems for about 30 years. In a CLI that philosophy makes sense, but in a suite one should try to offer a complete solution to improve workflow. Otherwise, why would openoffice.org and koffice be so popular? I know there are still folks who write letters and reports in LaTeX using emacs or vi, and that's wonderful to them, but while you're busy creating your header and footer, the more reasonable person using a WYSIWYG editor has already printed out or emailed the letter and has moved on to the next task.
The Gimp should manage windows better, that godawful file dialog needs to be fixed, and layer effects are a very desirable feature. Think of the user, and while KISS should apply at some level, it shouldn't apply when it cripples the application or hampers workflow, or otherwise complicates the user experience. Sometimes complex tasks need a complex solution; in those cases don't deny the user that solution but design it in as logical a way as possible. Adobe has made billions off of their suite, WITHOUT using monopolistic tactics that Microsoft did. They obviously did something right. Personally I hope Adobe makes their suite available on Linux - it would be interesting to see what happens to gimp and inkscape. Would they continue to gain market share (albeit slowly) or would interest in them die?
re: . . . up-and-coming devices targeted to the consumer market . . .
Up-and-coming when? A month from now? No, October. Bummer. I'm sick of my V400 and am buying a new phone this week. Because the iPhone was so underwhelming AND it does not do 3G AND because it won't work with stereo headphones, AND it's totally locked down, I'm going with the Samsung Sync (SGH-A707). Is it a great phone? No, but for my purposes it's a lot better than the iPhone.
I wish the GTA02 were to be available sooner; I would wait on a new phone, but I'm sick of my randomly locking up, dropping calls, and so forth, PLUS I periodically need to open it up to fix the darn volume controls (every motorola phone I've tried tends to have volume control button issues after about a year, but other brands don't seem to have that problem) I need a new phone now.
Well, nothing will stop me from using the SIM card in the open source phone, right? This phone looks like it'll deliver everything the hype to the iPhone promised but the actual product failed to deliver.
(sorry Apple, I wanted to like and want the iPhone, I really did, but you shot yourself in the foot by not offering 3G, offering iTunes but not stereo headphone compatibility, and by locking the phone down).
"While the details are not known about the exact nature of the dispute, many speculate that it has to do with Apple's stance on fixed pricing and Apple's refusal to license their DRM."
Whoa, let's look at this moment of irony; a media company is upset about price fixing? That'd be akin to Microsoft's complaining about lack of choice in the operating system and office suite markets!
It's because I've already bought seven distinct editions of Dark Side of the Moon, two each of Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, and the White album, three of Rumors, and two of the Bee Gees Greatest Hits, and CDs don't wear out. What do they expect me to do - smash the CDs and buy them all over again? Buy them on Blu-Ray? Hell, why not sign my paycheck over to the RIAA? Sheesh!;)
Re:So someone got the idea
on
Pimp Your XP
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· Score: 1
I used to like gnome but now I resent how dumbed-down it is; it has gone backwards and is now about as customizable as Mac OS 9 was, or like Henry Ford's "You can have it any color you like, as long as it is black" Model T. Sure you can tweak some settings via gconf or via the config files, but many tweaks require recompilation; the antithesis of user-friendly design. Also, as much as people bitch about KDE's being a lot like Windows, I find Gnome to be a lot MORE like Windows than KDE will ever be - especially the default file explorer (nautilus) which is extremely painful and limited to run, especially in comparison to konqueror.
I now run KDE. Nearly everything is configurable without resorting to hand-editing configuration files.
In this thread someone pointed to a Windows Explorer add-on which brings some konqueror-like features to Windows; tabbed file browsing. If it works half as well as konqueror I might be inclined to boot Windows more often. Right now the only uses I have for Windows are for recording TV shows and for talking with friends on YIM (Yahoo, PLEASE update your YIM for Linux, or sponsor codeweavers' team to fully implement YIM compatibility in Crossover Office).
Re:I agree with most of that.
on
Pimp Your XP
·
· Score: 1
I actually find the existence of two clipboards in X to be very useful when editing multiple documents. Please keep the clipboard functionality as is.:)
Actually, it does. RIAA, for all their crying about IP rights, is moving to Linux, which Microsoft claims violates 235 patents, and even insinuate that Linux might contain Microsoft-copyrighted code. If the RIAA truly cared about IP, they would steer clear of Linux for the sake of PR, regardless of increased security risks and licensing costs they incur by continuing to host on Windows.
Cry me a river. It costs money to supply these updates ya know..
The end user paid for the cost of those updates then; I should be able to download them, burn them to CD, and take them to a client site. I am SAVING M$ money in the process by downloading it only once and pushing it out to the client's network rather than downloading it from individual machines at the various client sites.
Slashdot Mirror
If people do not want to break compatibility they can choose to remain on Win98/2000/XP/Vista.
If they want to move on to a new, good, and SECURE system, they can choose an alternative. OS X, Linux, or even (if Microsoft does fork it) the next Windows, and leave the baggage that comes with backwards compatibility behind.
Why the hell would I install a toolbar I don't need, for a crappy search engine I don't use, without benefiting in the process? Would they be willing to pay me to install it? I install what I need to use on my computer. Hell, I like and use Google and I don't bother installing the Google toolbar because I. don't. need. it.
They should use The Who's "We Won't Get Fooled Again" for their ad campaign in a form of irony.
I mean, is anyone really going to buy Zune 2.0? After all, it didn't work with the DRM scheme standard Microsoft was pushing, is inferior in every way compared to Apple's iPod, and was a flop in the marketplace, especially when compared to its competitors such as the iPod.
tagged "playsforsurenot"
There is a distinct difference here. In the case of tariffs, the EU is attempting to encourage local manufacturing and reduce trade imbalances, whereas airline "security" is not about making flying safer, but about social engineering, making people more accepting of micro-management from a nanny state, and introducing the perception of safety even though everyone knows that it won't do a lick of good.
Well, providing the user is prompted with a [Continue] [Cancel] dialog, everything will be just peachy. ;)
Windows != a fine wine
Windows is more like the fish you put under the seat of your evil neighbor's car three days ago while he was away.
Wasn't it Benjamin Franklin who said that fish and Windows are alike in that after three days both stink?
Why should they fix it in the current version of Windows? There has to be a compelling reason to upgrade to the next version of Windows, and in the case of Vista, DirectX 10, the Playskool-style interface and [continue]/[cancel] thing just aren't cutting it.
The next version of Windows will be the most secure Windows release ever. Upon it's release: Windows 2010: Upgrade now! Better virus protection! Less prone to spyware (except Microsoft-preinstalled spyware,)!
There is sufficient prior art (10 years' worth) that the patent should be invalidated the day it enters the courts.
Simple: knowing that such a beast exists, and the chance of your discovering a streaming site that payola hasn't bought has the RIAA members frightened out of their wits. Why do you think they are working as hard as possible to require that ALL streaming sites pay up, regardless of whether content is produced by their members?
The RIAA members will merely consider it the cost of doing business. That is how it is revolting.
RIAA members: alienating customers one by one!
In order to qualify for the cap, ensure that Fair Use capabilities such as timeshifting is impossible, so that regular listeners will miss out on your show and lose interest, furthering weakening of the market.
Way to go, RIAA members! Alienating customers on a daily basis. Bravo!
Cool, the hugeasstable can now run Linux? Count me in! :)
kim@kimc2d:~> uname
Linux
kim@kimc2d:~>
Oh really? When did Microsoft start bundling Mozilla Firefox with Windows? ;)
Seriously though: Photoshop got where it is because it is the best tool for editing images, with the best interface.
Corel tried to compete for many years by offering the second-to-last and third-to last version(s) of their suite at a really, really low price (used to be able to pick up a shrinkwrapped CD in a cardboard sleeve at stores like CompUSA for well under $30, sometimes under $20 - they know professionals will want the latest version and will pay a premium for it) and while it obviously sells well, I still see that Adobe dominates the market despite Corel's taking that approach for many years.
I like The Gimp but there are many things seriously broken with it:
- the UI model in general. When I raise a document window, it should raise ALL associated palette dialogs with it. I should not have to manually hunt for each dialog and raise it manually. They implemented a partial fix in preferences but it does not work well.
- Those G-D file open/save dialogs. The Gtk developer who decided dumbing those down makes workflow easier out to be drawn-and-quartered. Those dialogs are what I hate the absolute most about Gnome in general.
- Effects are lost after making any changes (in effect, to mimic Photoshop's effect you clone what you want to have an effect on to another layer, run a suite of filters on it, and adjust the opacity - such as outer glow or shadowing on text. Make a change to the original and you have just lost that effect and have to re-do the entire thing by hand)
- Text styles are lost after making any changes.
- layer handling is unintuitive. The floating layers are a good idea, but there should be a "paste as new layer" option to simplify it for new users; don't complicate it by turning it into many steps.
Some of the posters in here claim that Gimp hurts because it tries to do so much; this sounds like the "one task, one tool" mantra that drove Unixy operating systems for about 30 years. In a CLI that philosophy makes sense, but in a suite one should try to offer a complete solution to improve workflow. Otherwise, why would openoffice.org and koffice be so popular? I know there are still folks who write letters and reports in LaTeX using emacs or vi, and that's wonderful to them, but while you're busy creating your header and footer, the more reasonable person using a WYSIWYG editor has already printed out or emailed the letter and has moved on to the next task.
The Gimp should manage windows better, that godawful file dialog needs to be fixed, and layer effects are a very desirable feature. Think of the user, and while KISS should apply at some level, it shouldn't apply when it cripples the application or hampers workflow, or otherwise complicates the user experience. Sometimes complex tasks need a complex solution; in those cases don't deny the user that solution but design it in as logical a way as possible. Adobe has made billions off of their suite, WITHOUT using monopolistic tactics that Microsoft did. They obviously did something right. Personally I hope Adobe makes their suite available on Linux - it would be interesting to see what happens to gimp and inkscape. Would they continue to gain market share (albeit slowly) or would interest in them die?
re: . . . up-and-coming devices targeted to the consumer market . . .
Up-and-coming when? A month from now? No, October. Bummer. I'm sick of my V400 and am buying a new phone this week. Because the iPhone was so underwhelming AND it does not do 3G AND because it won't work with stereo headphones, AND it's totally locked down, I'm going with the Samsung Sync (SGH-A707). Is it a great phone? No, but for my purposes it's a lot better than the iPhone.
I wish the GTA02 were to be available sooner; I would wait on a new phone, but I'm sick of my randomly locking up, dropping calls, and so forth, PLUS I periodically need to open it up to fix the darn volume controls (every motorola phone I've tried tends to have volume control button issues after about a year, but other brands don't seem to have that problem) I need a new phone now.
Well, nothing will stop me from using the SIM card in the open source phone, right? This phone looks like it'll deliver everything the hype to the iPhone promised but the actual product failed to deliver.
(sorry Apple, I wanted to like and want the iPhone, I really did, but you shot yourself in the foot by not offering 3G, offering iTunes but not stereo headphone compatibility, and by locking the phone down).
tagged microsofteuladoesntapplytome
t's been 14 seconds since you hit 'reply'.
A rocket launcher is not the kind of war driving they are referring to! ;)
"While the details are not known about the exact nature of the dispute, many speculate that it has to do with Apple's stance on fixed pricing and Apple's refusal to license their DRM."
Whoa, let's look at this moment of irony; a media company is upset about price fixing? That'd be akin to Microsoft's complaining about lack of choice in the operating system and office suite markets!
Please to not be playing with the squishies, sir!
(I humbly apologise to my Hindi friends for poking fun)
How the RIAA Alienates Customers
It's because I've already bought seven distinct editions of Dark Side of the Moon, two each of Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, and the White album, three of Rumors, and two of the Bee Gees Greatest Hits, and CDs don't wear out. What do they expect me to do - smash the CDs and buy them all over again? Buy them on Blu-Ray? Hell, why not sign my paycheck over to the RIAA? Sheesh! ;)
I used to like gnome but now I resent how dumbed-down it is; it has gone backwards and is now about as customizable as Mac OS 9 was, or like Henry Ford's "You can have it any color you like, as long as it is black" Model T. Sure you can tweak some settings via gconf or via the config files, but many tweaks require recompilation; the antithesis of user-friendly design. Also, as much as people bitch about KDE's being a lot like Windows, I find Gnome to be a lot MORE like Windows than KDE will ever be - especially the default file explorer (nautilus) which is extremely painful and limited to run, especially in comparison to konqueror.
I now run KDE. Nearly everything is configurable without resorting to hand-editing configuration files.
In this thread someone pointed to a Windows Explorer add-on which brings some konqueror-like features to Windows; tabbed file browsing. If it works half as well as konqueror I might be inclined to boot Windows more often. Right now the only uses I have for Windows are for recording TV shows and for talking with friends on YIM (Yahoo, PLEASE update your YIM for Linux, or sponsor codeweavers' team to fully implement YIM compatibility in Crossover Office).
I actually find the existence of two clipboards in X to be very useful when editing multiple documents. Please keep the clipboard functionality as is. :)
Actually, it does. RIAA, for all their crying about IP rights, is moving to Linux, which Microsoft claims violates 235 patents, and even insinuate that Linux might contain Microsoft-copyrighted code. If the RIAA truly cared about IP, they would steer clear of Linux for the sake of PR, regardless of increased security risks and licensing costs they incur by continuing to host on Windows.
The end user paid for the cost of those updates then; I should be able to download them, burn them to CD, and take them to a client site. I am SAVING M$ money in the process by downloading it only once and pushing it out to the client's network rather than downloading it from individual machines at the various client sites.