First (?) call for Micro$oft to abandon Vista.

[AndrewBell]

It doesn't matter how big the next Microsoft OS is, or how many pointless search fields they put into the GUI. It won't matter how many BluRay/HD-DVD discs it needs or how many security flaws it has. The majority of people using MS products are indifferent or clueless about any alternatives, and will continue to go with the herd.

Microsoft won the war years ago. There future rule is secured. It sucks, but that's the way it is.
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[AndrewBell]

spihunter wrote:
the only way Microsoft will ever lose the OS war at this point is if they fail to dominate a major technology change in computing.

For example, If something new comes along that they fail to see as important

Examples: The internet & internet searching, smart phones,

Microsoft are the masters of failing to see the importance of new technologies. Bill Gates failed to realise the value of the internet, thinking CD-ROM would be the ultimate software distribution method for decades.

They missed the digital media player market, their Zune will never be as popular as the iPod.

They missed the search engine/social networking opportunities of recent years.

Microsoft are so big they can afford to make mistakes that would leave lesser companies bankrupt. They have gone from competing in the DOS market to dominating the OS, application and gaming markets. The only mistake they need to worry about is Bill losing his ATM card.
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[AndrewBell]

motorollin wrote:
What Apple *must* do if they really want to shift people over from the Windows camp, is to capitalise on the features that Macs *share* with Windows, to prove to people that they can make the transition relatively easily, and then advertise the advantages that Mac OS X has over Windows. If they do that, I believe they can gain a much more significant share of the market, and maybe even push MS out.

Why cheer on Apple? They are as bad as MS, look how they have used the DRM of iTunes and the iPod to keep customers locked into their brand.

The main difference between the two is that Apple are mainly hardware providers and MS are mainly software providers. Apple also provide some software, and MS also do some hardware. It's also widely documented that Steve Jobs is just as big a cnut as Gates.

As for the OS, OSX isn't my idea of perfection, it's just Unix with a nice frontend. At least with Vista, you can choose a cheap low end laptop to run it on. OSX needs Apple hardware, unless you resort to hacks. Ubuntu/Linux/GNU/any other distro lacks continuity and standardisation. Given that those are the only choices for the forseeable future, then the future is very bleak.
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[AndrewBell]

little wrote:

ShawnDude wrote:
Yeah, I don't like the "spying" issue, but that's a part of life now and in the future ... As long as your are not doing anything illegal, you don't have much to worry about.

"people willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both"

- Benjamin Franklin

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson
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[AndrewBell]

thanos wrote:
I am also repulsed by the concept of being watched, spied on, even if it is for my own safety.  Again I prefer to think that other methods might ensure the well being of myself and others.

People should not be so willing to accept the loss of privacy.

Going OT for a moment:
How is a government or security agency supposed to stop the bad guys without intruding in the privacy of the masses? Accept the fact that your emails and cell phone calls are monitored, and be careful about your communication. Wish that GW was dead? Fine, just don't email it to relatives in the middle east.

I'd prefer to lose a little privacy, than lose my life to a suicide bomber.
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[AndrewBell]

little wrote:
Geee, how about this, by doing their work! The bad guys(TM) were not born yesterday, even the so called brand new type that are labeled "terrorists" have been roaming this earth since before anyone in this messageboard was even born.

You're right, insurgents and terrorist have been around a very long time. And security agencies have been intercepting communications, eavesdropping, using informers and making people disappear since Moses was a boy. Now they use computers, because everyone else is using computers.

So we have some mediocre people at the head of law enforcement "Gee, how do I cover up for my lack of wits and at the same time continue with my agenda?" then said Karl "Easy, ask for superpowers, like x-ray vision, superhearing, etc. they will buy it in no time". The rest is history.

And security agencies have been making mistakes since Moses was a boy too. Again it's nothing new.

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