I think anybody who actually owned a Zune could tell you that it was a really solid product. The hardware was good and the Zune software is far-and-away better than iTunes (and in fact they're still using it to power Windows Phone 7 devices). Even the packaging was easier to deal with than iPod packaging.
The failure was that the market was too saturated, and Microsoft just couldn't get their marketing together. Apple was giving away free iPods with back-to-school laptops and other marketing techniques that Microsoft just never really figured out.
If they had the Zune hardware designers working on this new Surface tablet, though, I can almost guarantee that it's going to be a solid product, engineering-wise.
Why is it that Microsoft can't seem to do anything until some one else does it and it's usually Apple?
Because: 1) You're only looking at the consumer arena, where Microsoft is not as innovative. They don't take enterprise features from Apple, because Apple doesn't have any to take.
And even then you're only looking into a small portion of the consumer arena, because they've been greatly innovative in video game consoles for a decade now.
2) If you're a average Slashdotter, you're immediately dismissive of any innovation Microsoft has created and go to long lengths to say it "doesn't count". Ribbon interface? "Doesn't count!" Kinect? "Doesn't count!"
Dell, the most popular vendor "these days" always includes a restore CD. But good job posting bullshit, eh? You don't want there to be too many facts on the Internet.
Those mosquito nets that Gates is paying to have distributed? Most people use them...as nets to catch fish.
I see several implications here, most of which give a positive impression of the Gates Foundation:
1) The mosquito nets are unnecessary in that climate, and so the locals are using them for fishing (positive)
2) The Gates foundation has distributed too many mosquito nets, so the excess are being used for fishing (positive)
3) The people of the DRC benefit more from fishing nets than they do from mosquito nets (positive)
4) The people of the DRC don't believe the mosquito nets are necessary, even though they are, and so the nets are being wasted by being used for fish instead (negative)
So... it's clear you were trying to give a negative implication. I assume you were going for number 4?
Here's a protip: your readers aren't telepathic. Telling us "the nets are being used... for fishing!" isn't all that meaningful on its own. You have to tell us why it's meaningful.
(Reminds me of an article a few years back trying to scare me about airliners by saying, "a length of wire was measured using a piece of paper taped to the desk!" It didn't mention the most pertinent point: was the mark on the paper the correct length?)
HTML was designed to have embeddable scripting in any language. Adding ActiveX wasn't "doing something wrong", it was just Microsoft making use of a feature of the language.
The fact that this turned out to be a bad idea doesn't mean Microsoft was wrong to implement it. It wasn't Microsoft's bad idea, it was the W3C's bad idea.
It's worth noting that even the BBC's implementation may not be in compliance with the law. Although it's kind of hard to say, since nobody knows what the hell compliance even looks like at this point--
what's that? The law's already taken effect and nobody knows how to comply with it? Tough crap, you get a complaint.
IE8 has every W3C complete standard implemented. Every one.
The problem is either one of: 1) Web developers demand too many features that are incomplete standards to the point where those features are just "expected", even though no browser is compelled to implement them
2) The W3C moves slower than molasses in January, and at this point they are the ones slowing progress on the web much more than Microsoft ever did.
So, what, you're just assuming the lawyer is a moron?
Your point about documentation is valid, but then again a cancelled stamp would have the date on it, too. It's not like news groups are the only thing ever that are datestamped.
The "day of Linux on the desktop" should have come when Windows XP was late. That opportunity was missed.
There was a second chance, just a few years ago when netbooks were on the rise like mad, and Microsoft didn't have an OS that could run on one (instead having to keep pitching XP for netbooks.) That opportunity was missed as well.
- No customizability. For example, I can't figure out how to have the clock on the taskbar also list today's date.
Point the First: Customization = bugs. For every checkbox in the OS, you double the time taken to QA. Windows has been reducing customization to ensure they can ship a quality product. (OS X has always followed the same philosophy.) So if that's what you're looking for, Windows isn't for you... but I also think if you were rational about it, you'd prefer a well-tested OS over one that's customizable.
Point the Second: Windows has shown the date on the Start bar by default since Vista. Please update your rhetoric to Windows OSes shipped during this decade, thank you.
I actually wonder if one of the reason Linux users think "Linux is just fine! It's just as good as Windows!" is that they're always comparing to a 10-year-old copy of Windows.
When's the last time you used an Adobe tool? They can't build them for Windows or OS X now without huge flaws, obvious bugs, strange quirky behavior-- why do you think they'd be able to port to Linux?
Adobe software has been going downhill for 5 years at an incredible rate. The only thing saving their Photoshop monopoly at the moment is a lack of effective competition, it's certainly not anything Adobe's doing to keep it.
Then you have an extremely limited knowledge of games, and I pity you. Chrono Trigger came out in 1995. There was a entire decade of story-based games before it-- including gems like Another World, Prince of Persia (and its sequel), most of the Lucas Arts games...
I just started using the Desura client and found that it runs faster on Ubuntu than on Windows.
What the...
What does that have to do with anything? So I'm going to switch from Steam, or GOG, or whatever because Desura "runs faster"? What does "runs faster" even mean in this context?
Look, when I'm picking a game purchasing platform, I can guarantee you that "runs faster" is pretty much the last thing I care about.
Take it seriously and try not to be so flippant and judgemental.
Except it's *always* been "least common denominator". For example, Java runtimes have never supported the Windows named folders. (Basically, they hand you the Roaming App Data folder, tell you that's "home" and you're stuck with it-- there's no way of fetching other named folders or even taking the value it gives you and reliably finding the Documents folder using it.
Basically, they took the bare minimum POSIX features, assumed that was all you need to support every OS ever, and implemented it with that assumption-- even though those assumptions are completely wrong in Windows. (And Mac Classic, but that doesn't matter anymore.) Due to this, it's virtually impossible to write a technically correct Windows application in Java.
Slashdot Mirror
I think anybody who actually owned a Zune could tell you that it was a really solid product. The hardware was good and the Zune software is far-and-away better than iTunes (and in fact they're still using it to power Windows Phone 7 devices). Even the packaging was easier to deal with than iPod packaging.
The failure was that the market was too saturated, and Microsoft just couldn't get their marketing together. Apple was giving away free iPods with back-to-school laptops and other marketing techniques that Microsoft just never really figured out.
If they had the Zune hardware designers working on this new Surface tablet, though, I can almost guarantee that it's going to be a solid product, engineering-wise.
Because:
1) You're only looking at the consumer arena, where Microsoft is not as innovative. They don't take enterprise features from Apple, because Apple doesn't have any to take.
And even then you're only looking into a small portion of the consumer arena, because they've been greatly innovative in video game consoles for a decade now.
2) If you're a average Slashdotter, you're immediately dismissive of any innovation Microsoft has created and go to long lengths to say it "doesn't count". Ribbon interface? "Doesn't count!" Kinect? "Doesn't count!"
Dell, the most popular vendor "these days" always includes a restore CD. But good job posting bullshit, eh? You don't want there to be too many facts on the Internet.
Well duh.
But unless Gates is actually doing that, why are we talking about it? What's the relevance?
I see several implications here, most of which give a positive impression of the Gates Foundation:
1) The mosquito nets are unnecessary in that climate, and so the locals are using them for fishing (positive)
2) The Gates foundation has distributed too many mosquito nets, so the excess are being used for fishing (positive)
3) The people of the DRC benefit more from fishing nets than they do from mosquito nets (positive)
4) The people of the DRC don't believe the mosquito nets are necessary, even though they are, and so the nets are being wasted by being used for fish instead (negative)
So... it's clear you were trying to give a negative implication. I assume you were going for number 4?
Here's a protip: your readers aren't telepathic. Telling us "the nets are being used... for fishing!" isn't all that meaningful on its own. You have to tell us why it's meaningful.
(Reminds me of an article a few years back trying to scare me about airliners by saying, "a length of wire was measured using a piece of paper taped to the desk!" It didn't mention the most pertinent point: was the mark on the paper the correct length?)
So why are you mad at Gates and not IBM? If that's your reason?
HTML was designed to have embeddable scripting in any language. Adding ActiveX wasn't "doing something wrong", it was just Microsoft making use of a feature of the language.
The fact that this turned out to be a bad idea doesn't mean Microsoft was wrong to implement it. It wasn't Microsoft's bad idea, it was the W3C's bad idea.
And that scenario is actually happening? Or did you pull that out of your ass?
It's worth noting that even the BBC's implementation may not be in compliance with the law. Although it's kind of hard to say, since nobody knows what the hell compliance even looks like at this point--
what's that? The law's already taken effect and nobody knows how to comply with it? Tough crap, you get a complaint.
Ridiculous.
IE8 has every W3C complete standard implemented. Every one.
The problem is either one of:
1) Web developers demand too many features that are incomplete standards to the point where those features are just "expected", even though no browser is compelled to implement them
2) The W3C moves slower than molasses in January, and at this point they are the ones slowing progress on the web much more than Microsoft ever did.
So, what, you're just assuming the lawyer is a moron?
Your point about documentation is valid, but then again a cancelled stamp would have the date on it, too. It's not like news groups are the only thing ever that are datestamped.
There was a second chance, just a few years ago when netbooks were on the rise like mad, and Microsoft didn't have an OS that could run on one (instead having to keep pitching XP for netbooks.) That opportunity was missed as well.
Then you (or possibly your employer?) changed the default. Because the date shows on a second line below the time in Windows 7, by default.
Point the First: Customization = bugs. For every checkbox in the OS, you double the time taken to QA. Windows has been reducing customization to ensure they can ship a quality product. (OS X has always followed the same philosophy.) So if that's what you're looking for, Windows isn't for you... but I also think if you were rational about it, you'd prefer a well-tested OS over one that's customizable.
Point the Second: Windows has shown the date on the Start bar by default since Vista. Please update your rhetoric to Windows OSes shipped during this decade, thank you.
I actually wonder if one of the reason Linux users think "Linux is just fine! It's just as good as Windows!" is that they're always comparing to a 10-year-old copy of Windows.
Well: 1) You can do anything you want with Windows, and it's equally "free" in the eyes of the consumer, so what's your point?
And of course 2) no you can't. Can I play Skyrim in Linux? (Yes, yes, WINE, whatever, the answer is: no, no I can't.)
When's the last time you used an Adobe tool? They can't build them for Windows or OS X now without huge flaws, obvious bugs, strange quirky behavior-- why do you think they'd be able to port to Linux?
Adobe software has been going downhill for 5 years at an incredible rate. The only thing saving their Photoshop monopoly at the moment is a lack of effective competition, it's certainly not anything Adobe's doing to keep it.
Because, seriously, I'm not giving those assholes business. But I'd like to donate.
Jesus, it was just a joke. Relax.
Yes and watch my new documentary: "Everything Is A Conspiracy Even Things That Failed On Their Own Merits!"
Find out who THEY are and why THEY don't want you driving electric cars!
Then you have an extremely limited knowledge of games, and I pity you. Chrono Trigger came out in 1995. There was a entire decade of story-based games before it-- including gems like Another World, Prince of Persia (and its sequel), most of the Lucas Arts games...
What the...
What does that have to do with anything? So I'm going to switch from Steam, or GOG, or whatever because Desura "runs faster"? What does "runs faster" even mean in this context?
Look, when I'm picking a game purchasing platform, I can guarantee you that "runs faster" is pretty much the last thing I care about.
I'm tryin' but your post ain't helpin'!
And you don't have any adaptors? I have a drawer full of the damned thing-- video card upgrades always come with one, sometimes two.
What the holy hell does that link have to do with my post?
Hint: the answer is "nothing at all"
Except it's *always* been "least common denominator". For example, Java runtimes have never supported the Windows named folders. (Basically, they hand you the Roaming App Data folder, tell you that's "home" and you're stuck with it-- there's no way of fetching other named folders or even taking the value it gives you and reliably finding the Documents folder using it.
Basically, they took the bare minimum POSIX features, assumed that was all you need to support every OS ever, and implemented it with that assumption-- even though those assumptions are completely wrong in Windows. (And Mac Classic, but that doesn't matter anymore.) Due to this, it's virtually impossible to write a technically correct Windows application in Java.
That was supposed to be "filling in the gap", not "filling in the game". Sorry. Didn't preview.