Their cash reserves shrank because the stockholders were revolting because they had so much cash in reserve, so they paid out a dividend of $32 billion dollars in one go.
The source that Slashdot quoted for that fine calculation of "$10bn lost per year" was the Motley Fool, who pointed out:
6/30/04 $60.6 billion
6/30/05 $37.8 billion
6/30/06 $31.1 billion
6/30/07 $21.1 billion
Now, considering the dividend payment of $32bn, that leaves $6bn unaccounted for... until you realise that Microsoft has bought 48 companies in the last 3 years. It's not hard to imagine that would account for that $6bn and more.
So, your solution to Facebook sharing too much of your personal information is for you to host your personal information yourself then share it via a P2P-like system with as many free software owners as possible?
You seem to have overlooked the fact that you only have to give Facebook as much personal data as you feel you want to share. How does changing the distribution method absolve you of the care of your info?
Troll you may be, yet I think I'll find this comment slightly more insightful than the avalanche of "durhurhur XP is an upgrade" comments that about 30 people will think they're original and/or funny by saying.
"He is, however dissatisfied with the wireless networking system used in the XO. Since it uses a proprietary technology, he plans to remove it and use a separate device when he needs to make wireless communication with others."
If someone can copy all of my paycheck with the result that my paycheck remains unchanged in any way - then I am very very happy for everyone to do so. I don't know whether this would be the point you're making, but the only way to keep your paycheck unchanged in any way is never to copy it at all.
I'd personally debunk this using my x64 installation of Vista, but to be honest, I'm not going to waste my time. Now you're making me feel bad that I wasted mine.:)
Now prey tell what was YOUR point since you think the "serious discussion" was "lost" "2 posts back"? Well, exactly that, really. This isn't a serious discussion any longer, it's you screaming 'TROOOOOOLL' at fairly reasonably points and then crying when people call you a troll because you've shown little to no interest in debating the content of the article, only the way that the OP is arguing.
Also, it's "pray", not "prey".
You both just need to learn to skip over what you don't want to read instead of being so rude as to tell people to shut up. When did I say that?
Oh I'm sorry. Please do tell me how to have an argument without responding to your words. Beautifully trolled sir! He asks you not to pick on specific words in his argument but to respond to the overall point, and you dismiss it by picking on the specific word "words"!
You are trying to troll, right? Because I honestly think you lost the serious discussion about 2 posts back.
Can you really blame Microsoft for people not taking the time to research their choices? Let's be honest, the fact that people don't bother evaluating would suggest either:-
A) they don't know of alternatives, or B) they're happy with what they have right now.
Given the rise of knowledge of Linux's existence and yet the lack of progress with gaining marketshare from Microsoft, it grows more and more likely that it's B.
Hmm. From Wikipedia:
Irony, from the Greek 'eiron', is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is a gap or incongruity between what a speaker or a writer says, and what is generally understood. Dictionary.com:
the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning Looks an awful lot like irony to me. I really hope that was an attempt to be humourously derisive of people who don't know the meaning of the word 'irony', because otherwise you just made yourself look like a total cockrag.
Slashdot Mirror
Their cash reserves shrank because the stockholders were revolting because they had so much cash in reserve, so they paid out a dividend of $32 billion dollars in one go.
Reference: Information Age
The source that Slashdot quoted for that fine calculation of "$10bn lost per year" was the Motley Fool, who pointed out:
6/30/04
$60.6 billion
6/30/05
$37.8 billion
6/30/06
$31.1 billion
6/30/07
$21.1 billion
Now, considering the dividend payment of $32bn, that leaves $6bn unaccounted for... until you realise that Microsoft has bought 48 companies in the last 3 years. It's not hard to imagine that would account for that $6bn and more.
I use OWA all the time Firefox and Opera and it renders fine.
I don't honestly know why you people feel the need to lie about this stuff. Microsoft does plenty of stupid shit without you inventing it.
So, your solution to Facebook sharing too much of your personal information is for you to host your personal information yourself then share it via a P2P-like system with as many free software owners as possible?
You seem to have overlooked the fact that you only have to give Facebook as much personal data as you feel you want to share. How does changing the distribution method absolve you of the care of your info?
I always assumed that Ballmer ate his dog, to be honest.
In his defense, it might have been a dachshund, and they look a lot like sausages.
Your video card can run Windows Vista Basic, and Vista will automatically default to Basic when it realises your card doesn't support Aero.
So, to summarise there are two options here. Either:
a) you're saying you've never tried to install Vista, or
b) you're full of crap.
Hard to choose, hard to choose...
And this relates to Aero being mandatory how?
OP didn't say "Aero looks much better than Basic", he said "You can't use Basic at all".
Try again, grasshopper.
Troll you may be, yet I think I'll find this comment slightly more insightful than the avalanche of "durhurhur XP is an upgrade" comments that about 30 people will think they're original and/or funny by saying.
Except it's not. From TFA:
"He is, however dissatisfied with the wireless networking system used in the XO. Since it uses a proprietary technology, he plans to remove it and use a separate device when he needs to make wireless communication with others."
In fact, let's just put this whole story to bed now.
Darwinia on Vista x64.
Soldat on Vista x64.
Civilization 4 on Vista x64.
Blackthorne on Vista x64 in DOSBox.
TFA is verifiably false, and the title is misleading.
IHBT, HAND.
Also, it's "pray", not "prey". You both just need to learn to skip over what you don't want to read instead of being so rude as to tell people to shut up. When did I say that?
You are trying to troll, right? Because I honestly think you lost the serious discussion about 2 posts back.
You think any company is 'cool'?
I don't think it's Microsoft that needs to 'STOP IT'.
How is "run Linux on slow laptops" and "Vista is running slow on this laptop" inconsistent at all?
Did I miss something?
Trust me, you're preaching to the choir on this one :)
Can you really blame Microsoft for people not taking the time to research their choices? Let's be honest, the fact that people don't bother evaluating would suggest either:-
A) they don't know of alternatives, or
B) they're happy with what they have right now.
Given the rise of knowledge of Linux's existence and yet the lack of progress with gaining marketshare from Microsoft, it grows more and more likely that it's B.
What about these 346 other news outlets reporting the same thing? Including WSJ, BBC, eWeek, CNN, AP...
I think you're confusing Microsoft with Apple.
No, you're letting your own bias get in the way. There's plenty of those posts on every article.
Why do people feel the need to find a conspiracy in what is really run-of-the-mill trolling?
Feel like actually answering some criticism instead of calling him/her a shill?
This AC has actually made the most insightful comment I've read so far.