Oh and I'm moving to Elmhurst
Whether there is actually a lot of sex there, or the majority of guys are losers looking it up on the Internet, that means better odds for me:)
Aparently folks in Berlin and Montreal like to search about Windows a LOT more than about Linux. But that could mean a window on a house. Whats odd is that if I include the keyword Microsoft, the results change dramatically
"When you own 90% of the market, not being interoperable with others is a commercial advantage"
You make some excellent points! But I think the commercial advantage of proprietary software is already beginning to erode. Microsoft has never been content to only sell to existing customers and always wants growth. The market itself is growing as more folks buy computers - Microsoft wants to maintain or grow market share and that means attracting new customers every day. New customers are actually asking for true interoperability. Case in point: The Microsoft Unix tools/services package which is quite a nice package for mixed Unix/PC environments. Customers asked for it and Microsoft delivered.
As for the MS anti-virus service being a scam, I couldn't disagree more. There are few instances where you can buy a secure product without also having to pay for an associated service. You can't build a 100% secure bank and then not hire security gaurds and folks to watch the cameras. Yes Microsoft wants piece of the security pie. Whats inherently wrong with that? Nobody is ever going to produce a 100% secure OS product that is useable. You'll always have to pay for a security service or roll your own - even on Linux. Remember nothing comes free - you are paying for the security services built into the Mac OS, it just comes as part of the cost of the machine.
"...it always traces back to Microsoft's untenable policy of maintaining gaps in Windows security to avoid competing with 3rd party vendors and certified partners."
Since when has this been a "policy"?
With the DOD recommending that folks update their Windows PC's in the interest of National security, I don't think the same Government would launch an anti-trust campaign against Microsoft for including security tools in-the-box. If that were the case, Windows Vista with its built-in anti virus/anti-phishing/anti-spam/encryption/backup and a slew of other tools would be in real trouble and would ship late...
Oh wait...
In any case, I reckon the reason MS did not do security work until recently was simple economics. Folks bought the software anyway, so there was no incentive to spend up to 20% more on engineering costs with little return on investment. As security becomes a more mainstream topic, consumers and businesses are taking notice. Many corporations, including Microsoft, realize that there is money to be made in security.
You can't spell Microsoft without [i]OSI[/i], therefore I will throw a chair.
Re:an interesting tidbit:
on
iPods at War
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· Score: 1
Interesting you mention Catch 22. I was thinking more along the lines of Slaghterhouse Five where Billy survives the hardships of war by travelling back and forth through time. Now thats a much better fantasy world than Brittney Spears and Stained.
While we're talking about time travel, remember that the Iraqi's just started getting 1990's pop last week, so our troops are doing a great service by bringing all those MP3's over...
When I watch car shows, I see ads for cars and other car shows. When I watch Law and Order I see ads for Preparation H. When I watch Matlock, I see ads for adult diapers.
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Oh and I'm moving to Elmhurst Whether there is actually a lot of sex there, or the majority of guys are losers looking it up on the Internet, that means better odds for me :)
Aparently folks in Berlin and Montreal like to search about Windows a LOT more than about Linux. But that could mean a window on a house. Whats odd is that if I include the keyword Microsoft, the results change dramatically
Perhaps I'm not using this tool properly...
"When you own 90% of the market, not being interoperable with others is a commercial advantage"
You make some excellent points! But I think the commercial advantage of proprietary software is already beginning to erode. Microsoft has never been content to only sell to existing customers and always wants growth. The market itself is growing as more folks buy computers - Microsoft wants to maintain or grow market share and that means attracting new customers every day. New customers are actually asking for true interoperability. Case in point: The Microsoft Unix tools/services package which is quite a nice package for mixed Unix/PC environments. Customers asked for it and Microsoft delivered.
As for the MS anti-virus service being a scam, I couldn't disagree more. There are few instances where you can buy a secure product without also having to pay for an associated service. You can't build a 100% secure bank and then not hire security gaurds and folks to watch the cameras. Yes Microsoft wants piece of the security pie. Whats inherently wrong with that? Nobody is ever going to produce a 100% secure OS product that is useable. You'll always have to pay for a security service or roll your own - even on Linux. Remember nothing comes free - you are paying for the security services built into the Mac OS, it just comes as part of the cost of the machine.
"...it always traces back to Microsoft's untenable policy of maintaining gaps in Windows security to avoid competing with 3rd party vendors and certified partners."
Since when has this been a "policy"?
With the DOD recommending that folks update their Windows PC's in the interest of National security, I don't think the same Government would launch an anti-trust campaign against Microsoft for including security tools in-the-box. If that were the case, Windows Vista with its built-in anti virus/anti-phishing/anti-spam/encryption/backup and a slew of other tools would be in real trouble and would ship late...
Oh wait...
In any case, I reckon the reason MS did not do security work until recently was simple economics. Folks bought the software anyway, so there was no incentive to spend up to 20% more on engineering costs with little return on investment. As security becomes a more mainstream topic, consumers and businesses are taking notice. Many corporations, including Microsoft, realize that there is money to be made in security.
You can't spell Microsoft without [i]OSI[/i], therefore I will throw a chair.
Interesting you mention Catch 22. I was thinking more along the lines of Slaghterhouse Five where Billy survives the hardships of war by travelling back and forth through time. Now thats a much better fantasy world than Brittney Spears and Stained. While we're talking about time travel, remember that the Iraqi's just started getting 1990's pop last week, so our troops are doing a great service by bringing all those MP3's over...
When I watch car shows, I see ads for cars and other car shows. When I watch Law and Order I see ads for Preparation H. When I watch Matlock, I see ads for adult diapers.