October 20, 2006 10:54 AM PDT
Week in review: Vista furor
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Under changes to Microsoft's licensing terms, buyers of retail copies of Vista will be able to transfer their software to a new machine only once. If they want to move their software a second time, they will have to buy a new copy of the operating system. In the past, those who bought a retail copy of Windows needed to uninstall it before moving it to another machine, but there was no limit to how many times this could be done.
"How much longer will consumers allow Microsoft to bully them?" one CNET News.com reader wrote in the TalkBack forum. "It is precisely because of actions like these that Microsoft products will be hacked more than ever."
Security companies also have been crying foul over the new operating system--and they might have been heard if only they had gotten into a meeting scheduled to field their complaints. Microsoft had set up such a meeting with security companies to discuss some of the changes it has promised to make to Windows Vista in response to competitive concerns. But the conference, which used Microsoft's Live Meeting technology, crashed about 15 minutes after it started, and both Symantec and McAfee were unable to log back in.
In another Vista feature, Microsoft plans to put machines to sleep after an hour of inactivity. While businesses and consumers can change that setting, the software maker said that they would be smart to let their computers nod off. Microsoft estimates that allowing a PC to go to sleep during off hours saves anywhere from $55 to $70 annually, depending on the type of monitor.
Many businesses leave their computers on at night, in many cases to make sure that they can install security patches. By adding the new sleep option, businesses still would be able to wake machines to install security updates, while letting them remain in the power-saving mode the rest of the time.
Browser battle
Some 18 months after Bill Gates pledged to revamp Internet Explorer, Microsoft has released the production version of IE 7. The new Web browser, which has been in testing for months, is now available for download.
On the feature side, Microsoft is playing catch-up in many areas. It has added support for Web standards, RSS Web feeds and tabbed browsing. The new browser also offers protection against phishing sites--malicious Web sites designed to trick users into handing over their personal information.
After months of ceding market share to Firefox, Microsoft has gained back a bit, although the Mozilla Foundation is getting closer to the launch of its own revamp, Firefox 2, which has hit the "release candidate" stage.
Some minor issues with IE 7 have materialized, but overall the new Microsoft browser appears to be well received. Microsoft has defused what would be the most serious issue: a first security hole in the browser since its official release. There is a vulnerability, but in Outlook Express, not IE, according to a corporate Microsoft blog. Security firms, including Secunia, had reported a flaw in IE 7.
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Microsoft Internet Explorer 7,
Week in review,
Microsoft Internet Explorer,
Microsoft Windows Vista,
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I believe that Microsoft is pushing everyone towards the Linux environments unwittingly. Consumers have far more options today in the Linux OS than they ever had before... Ubuntu Linux or a Mac is the way to go...
Now if they can just fix the whole gaming issues with Linux?
I buy my operating systems preinstalled, and OEM operating systems aren't transferable anyway.
As for Symantec and McAfee, they are incompetent whiners. They should spend less time whining, and more time improving the low quality of their products.
These are just things that have happened in the last year for me. If they can come up with a viable repair feature it may be feasable. Until then vista sits on the shelves.
Criminals will attack!
Businesses will revolt!
The code will crash!
Vendors will file suit!
Ballmer will blame Microsoft's enemies, of course, and chase cars on 520 and bite their tires.
Dell will introduce a consumer desktop OS using a Linux core that, with Google ads, pays for the computer over time.
Microsoft will point its 150,000 laywers at Linux and find itself shooting at smoke.
Multicore processors allow users to boot 9 simultaneous operating systems, one of which, Windows, is increasingly only booted to read and write to legacy data.
Ballmer will retire to star in monster movies that don't have budgets for make-up or costumes.
Who are YOU, Microsoft, to tell ME that I have to pay YOU twice to use my ONE copy on any device as long as I'm not using it on anything else at the same time?
Thanks for clarifying your EULA, Microsoft. Now even I can understand just how hostile and greedy you are towards your "consumers."
purchase than the fact that Microsoft is in the NEWS EVERYDAY
for security issues should get you running to the Mac factory!
Justin
Tech01
www.Tech01.net
Tech01 Mobil
Mobil.Tech01.net
I tried IE7 and there is something intangible that I hate about it. ( Perhaps the forced upgrade? )
I haven't heard anything good about VISTA, but now I don't need to. The new rules did it. It will NOT be purchased and I will be installing LINUX on the WIN2K machines as well.
If LINUX doesn't work out? Hey, I like the looks of the new MAC's.
shrinkwrap.
Anyone who WANTS to pirate it, WILL, and they'll be able to do it
in far less time than it takes someone who gets a false positive
to resolve it with customer support.
Activation will at most stop legitimate but budget-conscious
buyers of one copy from installing it on a couple of machines,
perhaps even the same machine they have upgraded (which is
now excluded in the license). The result will be that they simply
leave those machines running XP, and Microsoft doesn't get an
extra sale anyway.
In a small percentage of cases, they may shell out for an extra
copy, and that would seem to be the whole reason Microsoft is
targeting these otherwise honest users, who wouldn't have tried
to do the "dishonest" thing if the OS was more reasonably priced
and/or available in a home pack.
The claim that Microsoft is reigning in the rampant piracy in
developing countries carries little weight. These countries can
barely afford the excessive costs (the ROI for Microsoft has
always been excellent), and if WGA actually did work to stop
piracy, they'd switch away from Windows to something like
Ubuntu.
Having got the world hooked on Windows, Microsoft now
believes it can extort everyone, in the same vein as a drug-
dealer.
This sort of drug dealing should be illegal. Oh wait, it is! It just
so happens that the drug is software and not heroin.
Thef ield is ope for OEM and greymarket venors and pirates will reap a rich harvest and several more Micosoft haters will be added to the politicl lobbies. Certainly in Europe we wil figth this
If somebody purchases software, they should have the right to use it on whatever system they want to use it on, as long as they're only installing and using it on one system.
Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com
Linux stuff I'e been fooling with. Microsoft can be sure I'll never run Vista with the limitation on being able to reload to another machine when mine dies for whatever reason. If I paid retail for it it should be mine to use as I require, noy as Redmond thinks I should. I didn't know windows when I started, and I'm sure Linux will be as easy as Windows was in the early years.
...the following has been a sacastic rant, it is not necessary to defend your leader. HAL, HAL, are you there HAL. Are you watching me right now? HAL...
I'm calling my senators.
- Unheardof
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by Ryo Hazuki
October 22, 2006 3:43 AM PDT
- Unheardof and unfair: a company trying to make sure you don't use its 5 year-hard-working and expensive software in an illegal way.
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