31 January 2007
Vista Pricing Unfair (Continued)
Now that Vista is on sale, the prices for Britain and France are posted again on Amazon.
Remember the US price for Vista Ultimate was 379.99 USD (sale price) - 399.00 USD (full price). The full list of prices that were previously listed can be found here for comparison between the countries Amazon.com offers the software.
UK £353.99 (sale price) - £369.99 (full price) - 694.953168 USD (sale price) - 726.364368 USD (full price)
France 606.54 Euro - 786.136494 USD
All of the versions are the English language version and the difference between Germany's price and France's price raises even more concern. Both are in the same currency, the same language, but the price in France is considerably more than the German prices and is actually the most expensive location to buy Vista. With the French government's push toward open source software, it leaves one wondering if it is not a retaliation for their interest in OSS.
Remember the US price for Vista Ultimate was 379.99 USD (sale price) - 399.00 USD (full price). The full list of prices that were previously listed can be found here for comparison between the countries Amazon.com offers the software.
UK £353.99 (sale price) - £369.99 (full price) - 694.953168 USD (sale price) - 726.364368 USD (full price)
France 606.54 Euro - 786.136494 USD
All of the versions are the English language version and the difference between Germany's price and France's price raises even more concern. Both are in the same currency, the same language, but the price in France is considerably more than the German prices and is actually the most expensive location to buy Vista. With the French government's push toward open source software, it leaves one wondering if it is not a retaliation for their interest in OSS.
Labels: microsoft, os, vista, windows
Vista Innovations Displayed in OS X
There's a video on YouTube demonstrating the Mac OS X desktop using the commentary from a Vista presentation on the innovativeness of Vista.
I would not put this as an argument for switching for a Mac or Windows, but it does prove a point with the amount of comments going around about the innovations of Vista and the implications that it cannot be done with another OS.
The 'glass' feature of Vista is the first feature to be displayed in the video with a standard OS X desktop. I will not that this is also supported by the KDE desktop in Linux.
The live preview in Vista is also in OS X including videos currently being played when the mouse is brought over the task bar. The alt+tab idea in Vista of being able to see all the applications as they are running is also shown in OS X. The applications separate so that no application is on top of any other and users can choose the application from there.
The Vista sidebar is also displayed in OS X, but rather than being only a space along the right of the screen, the small applications can be put anywhere the user chooses on the desktop. The prototype that is said to be built by Fox sports displaying sports scores and information is exactly shown on OS X. Linux as well has this feature in KDE and GNOME with the user being able to write their own as well. In Linux it functions exactly as it is shown in the video.
In OS X there is a button near the top of the screen that allows you to type the name of the application you are looking for and it will list all of the applications that match. Vista is described to have this functionality within the Start menu. KDE in Linux has it in the K Menu. In KDE this feature eliminates all of the 'folders' in the menu that do not contain data on your search so you will be able to find the program even easier the next time you want to use it. Searching through documents for specific data in files is also shown in OS X from a content search exactly as is described in the speech. The same feature in Linux is in Beagle or Konqueror.
The description of parental controls in Vista is similar with a built in parental controls that can limit Internet access as well as any other application.
iPhoto within OS X functions like the photo gallery in Vista showing all of the images as thumbnails and allowing the user to change the size of the thumbnails. Searching is possible by date, keyword, and tags. The edit functions are also a part of iPhoto. Many options are possible but only cropping an image is displayed in the video. The feature to later restore the original (at any time after doing the action) is also demonstrated with OS X. The slide show feature is also demonstrated. Throughout the process no moving video is demonstrated although themes are shown. This exact same functionality is available in Linux with the F-Spot picture viewer.
The only innovation in Vista is that it has never been seen before in the Windows OS, but OS X has had these features for at least 3 years and KDE has had all of them since at least KDE 3.4 with some beginning in version 3.1.
I would not put this as an argument for switching for a Mac or Windows, but it does prove a point with the amount of comments going around about the innovations of Vista and the implications that it cannot be done with another OS.
The 'glass' feature of Vista is the first feature to be displayed in the video with a standard OS X desktop. I will not that this is also supported by the KDE desktop in Linux.
The live preview in Vista is also in OS X including videos currently being played when the mouse is brought over the task bar. The alt+tab idea in Vista of being able to see all the applications as they are running is also shown in OS X. The applications separate so that no application is on top of any other and users can choose the application from there.
The Vista sidebar is also displayed in OS X, but rather than being only a space along the right of the screen, the small applications can be put anywhere the user chooses on the desktop. The prototype that is said to be built by Fox sports displaying sports scores and information is exactly shown on OS X. Linux as well has this feature in KDE and GNOME with the user being able to write their own as well. In Linux it functions exactly as it is shown in the video.
In OS X there is a button near the top of the screen that allows you to type the name of the application you are looking for and it will list all of the applications that match. Vista is described to have this functionality within the Start menu. KDE in Linux has it in the K Menu. In KDE this feature eliminates all of the 'folders' in the menu that do not contain data on your search so you will be able to find the program even easier the next time you want to use it. Searching through documents for specific data in files is also shown in OS X from a content search exactly as is described in the speech. The same feature in Linux is in Beagle or Konqueror.
The description of parental controls in Vista is similar with a built in parental controls that can limit Internet access as well as any other application.
iPhoto within OS X functions like the photo gallery in Vista showing all of the images as thumbnails and allowing the user to change the size of the thumbnails. Searching is possible by date, keyword, and tags. The edit functions are also a part of iPhoto. Many options are possible but only cropping an image is displayed in the video. The feature to later restore the original (at any time after doing the action) is also demonstrated with OS X. The slide show feature is also demonstrated. Throughout the process no moving video is demonstrated although themes are shown. This exact same functionality is available in Linux with the F-Spot picture viewer.
The only innovation in Vista is that it has never been seen before in the Windows OS, but OS X has had these features for at least 3 years and KDE has had all of them since at least KDE 3.4 with some beginning in version 3.1.
Labels: linux, Mac, microsoft, os, OS X, vista, windows
BBC Posts OS Reviews
The BBC has published reviews from 4 computer users, two using Vista, one on Linux and one Mac OS X.
The first of the Vista reviewers had been using the OS for about 6 months and notes the 'visually stunning' display. Also considered a favorite of this reviewer is Flip 3D which provides a 3D view of all minimized tasks when alt+tab is pressed. He consideres Vista more stable than previous versions of Windows and is impressed by ReadyBoost which allows a USB flash drive to provide cache memory to increase performance.
The second of the reviewers was a software developer who had been using Vista for about a year. He focuses on the system from a software design point of view and considers Windows Presentation Foundation the biggest change between the systems. This allows for the creation of 'stunning' user interfaces and relies on DirectX to provide the features like 3D and animation. He also notes that his hardware all just worked, but acknowledged that it hasn't been everyone's experience. He did mention the cost of upgrading users' current systems as a drawback that may have many users waiting for when they upgrade their computer. Also the added expense of RAM and a graphics card that supports DirectX9. He does recommend 1 GB of RAM instead of the minimum 512 MB and recommends Windows XP users to upgrade as he considers Vista to be a large improvement over XP.
The Linux review lists an advantage of Linux as flexibility and ease of use even for novice users. While it is easy for novice users, it also mentions that experienced users have 'radical powers over their computer' that cannot be found in other OS's. Mentioned is the huge variety of software available that can be easily installed using package managers. The rare occurrence of viruses (and no successful spread of Linux viruses) adds to the lack of security worries in the system according to the review. Some of the desktops provide visual effects that he considers better than Vista and OS X. He does point of a drawback being that some hardware and mainstream games lack official support and as a result can be difficult to install, but points out that many people are willing to help with the issues. The main point listed that sets Linux apart from other systems is the issue of a free software license that encourages people to share the software with friends and encourages programmers to be better allowing others to view and improve their work.
The Mac OS X reviewer had switched to OS X six years ago from Windows and points out the the desktop is cleaner with no reminders and popups or other interruptions. He points out that the hardware and software work very well together and the system requires very little maintenance. His computer is used about 11 hours a day and is restarted every weekend and he cannot remember when any application crashed and has never had the OS crash. Also mentioned is the high security because of the base of the system being Unix and the lack of viruses. Also pointed out is that all of the functions just seem to work and work with Windows users too. He also mentions that he feels that he is in control of his computer rather than the computer controlling him.
I myself would agree with most of the points brought up by the person reviewing Linux but would point out that the lack of viruses does not necessarily equate to higher security. It can if you are referring to Trojans and other malware, but security also has to do with how easy the system is to break into. Provided that someone hasn't opened their system to create a security issue, Linux does tend to be very secure in that sense too though and even systems with unpatched vulnerabilities in the software running on the system can usually avoid problems.
The first of the Vista reviewers had been using the OS for about 6 months and notes the 'visually stunning' display. Also considered a favorite of this reviewer is Flip 3D which provides a 3D view of all minimized tasks when alt+tab is pressed. He consideres Vista more stable than previous versions of Windows and is impressed by ReadyBoost which allows a USB flash drive to provide cache memory to increase performance.
The second of the reviewers was a software developer who had been using Vista for about a year. He focuses on the system from a software design point of view and considers Windows Presentation Foundation the biggest change between the systems. This allows for the creation of 'stunning' user interfaces and relies on DirectX to provide the features like 3D and animation. He also notes that his hardware all just worked, but acknowledged that it hasn't been everyone's experience. He did mention the cost of upgrading users' current systems as a drawback that may have many users waiting for when they upgrade their computer. Also the added expense of RAM and a graphics card that supports DirectX9. He does recommend 1 GB of RAM instead of the minimum 512 MB and recommends Windows XP users to upgrade as he considers Vista to be a large improvement over XP.
The Linux review lists an advantage of Linux as flexibility and ease of use even for novice users. While it is easy for novice users, it also mentions that experienced users have 'radical powers over their computer' that cannot be found in other OS's. Mentioned is the huge variety of software available that can be easily installed using package managers. The rare occurrence of viruses (and no successful spread of Linux viruses) adds to the lack of security worries in the system according to the review. Some of the desktops provide visual effects that he considers better than Vista and OS X. He does point of a drawback being that some hardware and mainstream games lack official support and as a result can be difficult to install, but points out that many people are willing to help with the issues. The main point listed that sets Linux apart from other systems is the issue of a free software license that encourages people to share the software with friends and encourages programmers to be better allowing others to view and improve their work.
The Mac OS X reviewer had switched to OS X six years ago from Windows and points out the the desktop is cleaner with no reminders and popups or other interruptions. He points out that the hardware and software work very well together and the system requires very little maintenance. His computer is used about 11 hours a day and is restarted every weekend and he cannot remember when any application crashed and has never had the OS crash. Also mentioned is the high security because of the base of the system being Unix and the lack of viruses. Also pointed out is that all of the functions just seem to work and work with Windows users too. He also mentions that he feels that he is in control of his computer rather than the computer controlling him.
I myself would agree with most of the points brought up by the person reviewing Linux but would point out that the lack of viruses does not necessarily equate to higher security. It can if you are referring to Trojans and other malware, but security also has to do with how easy the system is to break into. Provided that someone hasn't opened their system to create a security issue, Linux does tend to be very secure in that sense too though and even systems with unpatched vulnerabilities in the software running on the system can usually avoid problems.
Labels: linux, Mac, microsoft, os, vista, windows
28 January 2007
EC Again Looking at Microsoft Anti-Competitive Practices
Microsoft is yet again in trouble with the European Commission. This time IBM, Oracle, Red Hat, Nokia, Sun Microsystems, Adobe, Corel, RealNetworks, Linspire and Opera are the ones making the complaint that Vista will continue practices that have been considered illegal in the EU for almost 3 years.
The chairman of the European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS) agrees that Microsoft has ignored the principles set in the EC's decision from March 2004. The ECIS states that Vista is a step to dominate the Internet and feels that the XAML markup language was "positioned to replace HTML". XAML is completely dependent on Windows and discriminates against other systems like Linux. OOXML as well works only in Microsoft Office and was not made to 'play' well with other office suites.
The ECIS believes that the result of Microsoft's actions will prevent any real choice for consumers.
On the bright side, earlier issues raised by Symantec and other anti-virus and security software creators have been solved and Symantec and a few other companies have been able to release updates in time for the release of Vista.
Like most companies, Microsoft tries to keep a strong market position, the problem comes that unlike other companies who try to release products that actually are innovative and compete with competitors, Microsoft has a strategy of releasing a not so unique Windows. If Windows were considered stable and secure that may be enough to easily hold their market position ignoring the overpriced issue with Vista. Most people use some version of Windows and it provides them with most of what they want. What it usually fails to provide is security and stability - try leaving a standard Windows system up for 2 months of standard use. Vista adds another feature that people will not like, limitations. With the security features created for Vista, users are more restricted and put in a box that allows them to use their computer how Microsoft thinks they want to use it. There is no thinking outside of the box in Vista. This is not something that will help Microsoft keep users. We are already seeing in the news people and companies saying that Vista will not work for them and they are forced to choose from Linux and Mac.
The chairman of the European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS) agrees that Microsoft has ignored the principles set in the EC's decision from March 2004. The ECIS states that Vista is a step to dominate the Internet and feels that the XAML markup language was "positioned to replace HTML". XAML is completely dependent on Windows and discriminates against other systems like Linux. OOXML as well works only in Microsoft Office and was not made to 'play' well with other office suites.
The ECIS believes that the result of Microsoft's actions will prevent any real choice for consumers.
On the bright side, earlier issues raised by Symantec and other anti-virus and security software creators have been solved and Symantec and a few other companies have been able to release updates in time for the release of Vista.
Like most companies, Microsoft tries to keep a strong market position, the problem comes that unlike other companies who try to release products that actually are innovative and compete with competitors, Microsoft has a strategy of releasing a not so unique Windows. If Windows were considered stable and secure that may be enough to easily hold their market position ignoring the overpriced issue with Vista. Most people use some version of Windows and it provides them with most of what they want. What it usually fails to provide is security and stability - try leaving a standard Windows system up for 2 months of standard use. Vista adds another feature that people will not like, limitations. With the security features created for Vista, users are more restricted and put in a box that allows them to use their computer how Microsoft thinks they want to use it. There is no thinking outside of the box in Vista. This is not something that will help Microsoft keep users. We are already seeing in the news people and companies saying that Vista will not work for them and they are forced to choose from Linux and Mac.
Labels: EC, microsoft, office, os, vista, windows
27 January 2007
Vista and Linux Dual Boot
Desktop Linux's writer Steven Vaughan-Nichols has written about his experience installing both Vista and Linux on one computer.
Apparently dual booting Vista and Linux is not so easy. Vista has a new bootloader ,BCD (Boot Configuration Data), which is independent of the firmware. Also the editor for the boot option, BCDEdit.exe is more hostile for the user than friendly not only for dual booting, but also just for standard editing of the boot options.
A side warning coming from him warns that unless you have a lot of time and don't mind some issues with incompatibility and know exactly what you are doing, upgrading to Vista from a previous version of Windows is not the best option.
After installing Vista on one partition and Linux on the other partition of the hard drive, one problem arises, The system will only boot to Linux as a result of Vista's BCD. The solution, is to add some lines to the bootloader settings (/boot/grub/menu.lst) in Linux.
Adding:
title Vista
rootnoverify (hd0,1) -or whereever the partition that holds Vista is
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1
The format of the "hd0,1" section above is that the first hard drive is hd0, the second hd1 and so on. In relation to partitions, which is the number after the comma, the first partition is 0 while the second is 1.
After restarting the system, you should see an option screen to boot to either Linux or Vista.
Apparently dual booting Vista and Linux is not so easy. Vista has a new bootloader ,BCD (Boot Configuration Data), which is independent of the firmware. Also the editor for the boot option, BCDEdit.exe is more hostile for the user than friendly not only for dual booting, but also just for standard editing of the boot options.
A side warning coming from him warns that unless you have a lot of time and don't mind some issues with incompatibility and know exactly what you are doing, upgrading to Vista from a previous version of Windows is not the best option.
After installing Vista on one partition and Linux on the other partition of the hard drive, one problem arises, The system will only boot to Linux as a result of Vista's BCD. The solution, is to add some lines to the bootloader settings (/boot/grub/menu.lst) in Linux.
Adding:
title Vista
rootnoverify (hd0,1) -or whereever the partition that holds Vista is
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1
The format of the "hd0,1" section above is that the first hard drive is hd0, the second hd1 and so on. In relation to partitions, which is the number after the comma, the first partition is 0 while the second is 1.
After restarting the system, you should see an option screen to boot to either Linux or Vista.
Labels: linux, microsoft, os, vista, windows
A Wow Moment - Microsoft Site Actually Working On Opera
A letter from Bill Gates is inviting people to share 'wow moments' concerning Vista.
A "wow moment" is "when you recognize that your life has changed". The wow moments that Bill Gates list includes is when Intel released the 8080 processor in 1974, the birth of his children, Warren Buffet's donation to the Gates foundation. Vista, Gates considers, will give and has given people these moments.
The website where you can share your wows doesn't work very well with any browser other than IE. Firefox doesn't load the site at all and Opera loads it but doesn't show any wows but will not allow anyone to enter a wow. By preventing other browsers from being able to post anything I assume Microsoft can block the people who may post any negative comments.
For those against the DRM in Vista, DefectiveByDesign.org will be outside the launch of Vista in New York near Times Square to share their "wow moments". Together with BadVista.org they will be distributing leaflets discussing the dangers of the DRM in Vista.
They will be meeting first at Cipriani's on 42nd Street from noon then moving on to the Nokia Theater from 2 pm. People who will be in the area are encouraged to sign up.
A "wow moment" is "when you recognize that your life has changed". The wow moments that Bill Gates list includes is when Intel released the 8080 processor in 1974, the birth of his children, Warren Buffet's donation to the Gates foundation. Vista, Gates considers, will give and has given people these moments.
The website where you can share your wows doesn't work very well with any browser other than IE. Firefox doesn't load the site at all and Opera loads it but doesn't show any wows but will not allow anyone to enter a wow. By preventing other browsers from being able to post anything I assume Microsoft can block the people who may post any negative comments.
For those against the DRM in Vista, DefectiveByDesign.org will be outside the launch of Vista in New York near Times Square to share their "wow moments". Together with BadVista.org they will be distributing leaflets discussing the dangers of the DRM in Vista.
They will be meeting first at Cipriani's on 42nd Street from noon then moving on to the Nokia Theater from 2 pm. People who will be in the area are encouraged to sign up.
Labels: drm, microsoft, vista, windows
26 January 2007
ComputerWorld Urges Users To Wait
ComputerWorld has released an article urging people to wait before switching to Vista.
The first issue listed is that Vista is not complete and isn't predicted to be until the release of the first service pack. There is a lot of hardware and software that is incompatible for the time being. Most of Creative's products have Vista drivers, while 2 are beta versions and three of their older products will not be supported. AMD is warning that drivers for ATI video cards should not be used yet for critical operations or for anything that requires productivity and is currently only a beta version. Security software makers Trend Micro, Panda, CA and Symantec will release updates to their software on Tuesday with the release of Vista. McAfee on the other had has made not indication as to when they will release updates to support Vista. Some of ZoneAlarm's product will have support for Vista within a week. The last issue of why Vista is not complete is that while DirectX 10 is great for games, there are some missing elements of its being able to be used. Video cards are only partially ready to support it and there are no games currently on the market to support it.
Another reason not to rush out and buy, is that it is rather expensive. While Vista Home Basic is cheaper with the upgrade at $99, it requires you to keep your Windows XP CD which may be a problem for people who bought computers with the XP recovery located on a hard drive partition. Also the Home version does not support Windows Media Center, the Aero UI nor does it provide Xbox connectivity.
Also included is the fact that Vista requires a newer computer to be able to fully use Vista. Vista need at a minimum 1 GB of RAM with the best performance coming from 4 GB of RAM.
Because of the structure of the UI in Vista it requires a longer learning time then switching from Windows 2000 to XP did. The options are in different places within Vista. Also the time required to find all the drivers for not so new computers will cut into the time before you can actually use the system.
Another important thing to remember is that XP is not yet obsolete. After updates, patches and years of being in use, XP has become stable and understood by the industry. Microsoft is also committed to supporting XP for another 7 years at least and has a third service pack planned for next year.
ComputerWorld also is encouraging people to switch to a Mac rather than Vista provided they are not interested in PC gaming and don't have applications that they don't want to run without emulating Windows.
The first issue listed is that Vista is not complete and isn't predicted to be until the release of the first service pack. There is a lot of hardware and software that is incompatible for the time being. Most of Creative's products have Vista drivers, while 2 are beta versions and three of their older products will not be supported. AMD is warning that drivers for ATI video cards should not be used yet for critical operations or for anything that requires productivity and is currently only a beta version. Security software makers Trend Micro, Panda, CA and Symantec will release updates to their software on Tuesday with the release of Vista. McAfee on the other had has made not indication as to when they will release updates to support Vista. Some of ZoneAlarm's product will have support for Vista within a week. The last issue of why Vista is not complete is that while DirectX 10 is great for games, there are some missing elements of its being able to be used. Video cards are only partially ready to support it and there are no games currently on the market to support it.
Another reason not to rush out and buy, is that it is rather expensive. While Vista Home Basic is cheaper with the upgrade at $99, it requires you to keep your Windows XP CD which may be a problem for people who bought computers with the XP recovery located on a hard drive partition. Also the Home version does not support Windows Media Center, the Aero UI nor does it provide Xbox connectivity.
Also included is the fact that Vista requires a newer computer to be able to fully use Vista. Vista need at a minimum 1 GB of RAM with the best performance coming from 4 GB of RAM.
Because of the structure of the UI in Vista it requires a longer learning time then switching from Windows 2000 to XP did. The options are in different places within Vista. Also the time required to find all the drivers for not so new computers will cut into the time before you can actually use the system.
Another important thing to remember is that XP is not yet obsolete. After updates, patches and years of being in use, XP has become stable and understood by the industry. Microsoft is also committed to supporting XP for another 7 years at least and has a third service pack planned for next year.
ComputerWorld also is encouraging people to switch to a Mac rather than Vista provided they are not interested in PC gaming and don't have applications that they don't want to run without emulating Windows.
Labels: Mac, microsoft, vista, windows
25 January 2007
Update Windows, Upgrade Browser Unwittingly
For those who updated their Windows in January, the security updates contained Internet Explorer 7.
Those who clicked on the security update and ran the recommended automatic update, downloaded IE 7 which in many cases has caused crashes and some to be completely cut off from the Internet. They had no way of knowing before that they would be installing IE 7. Those installing from the custom option are told of the included browser upgrade and can opt out of installing it.
For those who have installed IE 7 against their will, removing it is as easy as going to Add or Remove Programs and selecting Windows Internet Explorer 7 to Remove. This will remove IE 7 and revert back to IE 6.
While the fix is easy to do, the irritation of having to do it is a lot greater and the distrust those people who have inadvertently installed IE 7 will now have in the Windows Update may cause people to either be very careful in the future with updating their system or to stop updating for fear of problems occurring with the update, which is definitely not the best option for users.
Updates are not the place to issue application upgrades even if they are considered (by its creator) to be more secure than the previous one. Any upgrades should be optional and require user input before beginning. The number of computers crashing while attempting to run IE 7 is an example of why.
Those who clicked on the security update and ran the recommended automatic update, downloaded IE 7 which in many cases has caused crashes and some to be completely cut off from the Internet. They had no way of knowing before that they would be installing IE 7. Those installing from the custom option are told of the included browser upgrade and can opt out of installing it.
For those who have installed IE 7 against their will, removing it is as easy as going to Add or Remove Programs and selecting Windows Internet Explorer 7 to Remove. This will remove IE 7 and revert back to IE 6.
While the fix is easy to do, the irritation of having to do it is a lot greater and the distrust those people who have inadvertently installed IE 7 will now have in the Windows Update may cause people to either be very careful in the future with updating their system or to stop updating for fear of problems occurring with the update, which is definitely not the best option for users.
Updates are not the place to issue application upgrades even if they are considered (by its creator) to be more secure than the previous one. Any upgrades should be optional and require user input before beginning. The number of computers crashing while attempting to run IE 7 is an example of why.
Labels: IE, microsoft, security, update, windows
24 January 2007
Vista Pricing Unfair
If you do a price comparison of Windows Vista worldwide, you will notice a huge difference in prices.
To do the best comparison, I used Amazon to keep it within one retailer. Below are the prices of Windows Vista Ultimate for different countries with the cost in USD (current estimates)
US - 379.99 USD (sale price) - 399.00 USD
Germany/Austria - EUR 549.00 - 711.3942 USD
Canada - 499 Canadian Dollar - 424.57245 USD
Japan - 46,100 yen - 379.361422 USD
Currently both the UK and France are not offering Vista Ultimate on pre-order. Amazon's UK site was asked by Microsoft to stop offering the pre-order. Comparisons done by others though lists the UK price as about £157 (310.05 USD) more than the US price. I will list the actual comparison when Amazon begins offering it again.
The question that arises here is why does the software cost so much more for some countries. I can understand a slight difference because of translation costs or different taxes. But taking Germany as an example about $310 is a large difference. Also translation costs can be ruled out as Japan has a similar price to the US while translating English to Japanese is more complicated than English to German. Canada seems to have a fair increase and can be assumed to be associated with tariffs. It seems that some countries are being ripped off in the pricing paying nearly double for the same software. Those countries seem to fall inside of Europe so far although Australia has reported a higher price as well also several hundred USD higher.
To do the best comparison, I used Amazon to keep it within one retailer. Below are the prices of Windows Vista Ultimate for different countries with the cost in USD (current estimates)
US - 379.99 USD (sale price) - 399.00 USD
Germany/Austria - EUR 549.00 - 711.3942 USD
Canada - 499 Canadian Dollar - 424.57245 USD
Japan - 46,100 yen - 379.361422 USD
Currently both the UK and France are not offering Vista Ultimate on pre-order. Amazon's UK site was asked by Microsoft to stop offering the pre-order. Comparisons done by others though lists the UK price as about £157 (310.05 USD) more than the US price. I will list the actual comparison when Amazon begins offering it again.
The question that arises here is why does the software cost so much more for some countries. I can understand a slight difference because of translation costs or different taxes. But taking Germany as an example about $310 is a large difference. Also translation costs can be ruled out as Japan has a similar price to the US while translating English to Japanese is more complicated than English to German. Canada seems to have a fair increase and can be assumed to be associated with tariffs. It seems that some countries are being ripped off in the pricing paying nearly double for the same software. Those countries seem to fall inside of Europe so far although Australia has reported a higher price as well also several hundred USD higher.
Labels: microsoft, vista, windows
Make XP Work Like Vista
For those who don't want to spend money to upgrade to Vista yet, PC World has listed some applications that will make your XP look and work more like Vista.
Many of the applications are free while one costs about $20. The applications let you reskin your XP to look like anything from your interests to something similar to the Aero Glass feature in Vista. Other applications provide advanced searching abilities and a Vista-like Start menu - one with more features than Vista even with shortcut keys and and many add-ons. Also included is an application to provide a miniature preview of the application from the taskbar.
Of the programs listed on PC World I would recommend the Desktop Sidebar for it's ability to quickly access many applications, its calendar and calculator. The best feature of the application is the ability to add different add-ons to it for such things as weather, news, and an email checker.
I'd also recommend the Visual Task Tips which shows a preview of an application from the taskbar that can be resized by scrolling the mouse.
There is also another site recommending more applications to make XP look like Vista that provides good descriptions of the applications and options.
Many of the applications are free while one costs about $20. The applications let you reskin your XP to look like anything from your interests to something similar to the Aero Glass feature in Vista. Other applications provide advanced searching abilities and a Vista-like Start menu - one with more features than Vista even with shortcut keys and and many add-ons. Also included is an application to provide a miniature preview of the application from the taskbar.
Of the programs listed on PC World I would recommend the Desktop Sidebar for it's ability to quickly access many applications, its calendar and calculator. The best feature of the application is the ability to add different add-ons to it for such things as weather, news, and an email checker.
I'd also recommend the Visual Task Tips which shows a preview of an application from the taskbar that can be resized by scrolling the mouse.
There is also another site recommending more applications to make XP look like Vista that provides good descriptions of the applications and options.
Labels: microsoft, vista, windows, xp
23 January 2007
Internet Love Email Virus
There is a virus going around email right now with the subject of Internet Love
It claims to be from Symantec and contains an attachment (attachment.dat).
Below is the text of the actual email that was sent.
This message has been processed by Symantec's AntiVirus Technology.
greeting postcard.exe was infected with the malicious virus Trojan.Peacomm and has been deleted because the file cannot be cleaned.
For more information on antivirus tips and technology, visit
http://ses.symantec.com/
Do not go to the above website, as you can see it is obviously not Symantec's website - notice the ses in place of www.
It claims to be from Symantec and contains an attachment (attachment.dat).
Below is the text of the actual email that was sent.
This message has been processed by Symantec's AntiVirus Technology.
greeting postcard.exe was infected with the malicious virus Trojan.Peacomm and has been deleted because the file cannot be cleaned.
For more information on antivirus tips and technology, visit
http://ses.symantec.com/
Do not go to the above website, as you can see it is obviously not Symantec's website - notice the ses in place of www.
Labels: email, internet, safety, trojan
21 January 2007
APC's Ten Reasons Against Buying Vista
APC Magazine has released an article talking about the ten reasons not to buy Vista.
Those reasons include the fact that is isn't necessary as XP does everything Vista does and any of the advanced features for games, don't have any games written yet to take advantage of them. The cost is also a reason and the fact that in Australia the cost is considerably higher than the US. The hardware upgrade requirements are mentioned along with the lack of support for many drivers including Creative's EAX for 3-D sound as well as many software applications having problems in Vista including the Firefox browser. Most importantly is the fact that it is a target of many virus and malware creators looking to exploit the OS.
Those reasons include the fact that is isn't necessary as XP does everything Vista does and any of the advanced features for games, don't have any games written yet to take advantage of them. The cost is also a reason and the fact that in Australia the cost is considerably higher than the US. The hardware upgrade requirements are mentioned along with the lack of support for many drivers including Creative's EAX for 3-D sound as well as many software applications having problems in Vista including the Firefox browser. Most importantly is the fact that it is a target of many virus and malware creators looking to exploit the OS.
Labels: microsoft, vista, windows
20 January 2007
Vista is Over-Hyped
Along with Novell's Vista and Linux comparison, earlier this week Linus Torvalds made statements at the opening of linux.conf.au in Australia about Vista being 'over-hyped'.
Linus doesn't see Vista as something completely new and although Vista's interface may look completely different, the fundamentals of the Windows OS haven't changed much. He also sees Vista as a possible advantage for Linux. As a result of the high system requirements for Vista, he thinks users will use Linux as an option on machines that would not run Vista as Linux will run very well on most modern computers.
This being said he still doesn't expect a large growth this year in the number of Linux users. The number of people used to using other operating systems are very large and they are not really interested in learning another OS. He does believe Linux has many opportunities in the embedded market though.
While Novell's site pushes the advantages of Linux (especially SLED) over Vista, Linus talks about the areas where the Linux community needs to focus to get more users and in many ways provides a strategy for the year for the OSS and Linux software communities.
Linus doesn't see Vista as something completely new and although Vista's interface may look completely different, the fundamentals of the Windows OS haven't changed much. He also sees Vista as a possible advantage for Linux. As a result of the high system requirements for Vista, he thinks users will use Linux as an option on machines that would not run Vista as Linux will run very well on most modern computers.
This being said he still doesn't expect a large growth this year in the number of Linux users. The number of people used to using other operating systems are very large and they are not really interested in learning another OS. He does believe Linux has many opportunities in the embedded market though.
While Novell's site pushes the advantages of Linux (especially SLED) over Vista, Linus talks about the areas where the Linux community needs to focus to get more users and in many ways provides a strategy for the year for the OSS and Linux software communities.
Labels: Linus, linux, microsoft, novell, os, sled, Torvalds, vista, windows
19 January 2007
Storm-Worm Blows Through Computers Worldwide
F-Secure has posted a video showing the spread of the so called Storm-Worm.
The Storm-Worm is passing through emails pretending to be a news article about the current storm in Europe. The heading in the email states '230 dead as storm batters Europe'. Attached to the email is a virus and Trojan named Small.damTROJAN. The virus allows the spammer to take control of the infected computer and allows the message to be sent to others. So far it is estimated that this virus has infected over 10,000 computers.
The Storm-Worm is passing through emails pretending to be a news article about the current storm in Europe. The heading in the email states '230 dead as storm batters Europe'. Attached to the email is a virus and Trojan named Small.damTROJAN. The virus allows the spammer to take control of the infected computer and allows the message to be sent to others. So far it is estimated that this virus has infected over 10,000 computers.
Labels: email, spam, trojan, worm
Spam Newsletters and News
Spammers have developed a new way of avoiding email filters.
It seems spammers are taking standard newsletters that may be sent by legitimate well-known sources and adding either malware or adware in the message or adding links to malicious websites.
Similarly there are also spam emails emerging with the appearance of breaking news stories to try to get users to open them.
All of these types of spam can carry a Trojan and according to Sophos' monitoring there was a point where up to one in 200 emails contained a Trojan. The spam usually contain files such as Full Clip.exe, Full Story.exe, Full Video.exe, Read More.exe, and Video.exe.
It seems spammers are taking standard newsletters that may be sent by legitimate well-known sources and adding either malware or adware in the message or adding links to malicious websites.
Similarly there are also spam emails emerging with the appearance of breaking news stories to try to get users to open them.
All of these types of spam can carry a Trojan and according to Sophos' monitoring there was a point where up to one in 200 emails contained a Trojan. The spam usually contain files such as Full Clip.exe, Full Story.exe, Full Video.exe, Read More.exe, and Video.exe.
Labels: adware, email, phishing, scam, spam, spyware, trojan
Novell Compares SLED 10 to Vista
Novell has just launched a site comparing Vista and Linux and not surprisingly lists SLED (Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop) as a better option for business users.
Even with the expected bias from the Novell side, SLED would still win. At a cost of only $50 with a complete office suite comparable to MS Office (OpenOffice.org) included along with other software, it easily beats Windows Vista on price. For the same functionality using the business upgrade of Vista, the user would have to pay $179 for the upgrade or $299 for the full installation of Vista and yet another $499 for the full version of MS Office Professional or $329 for the upgrade. This issue is ignoring any additional costs to upgrade your hardware to meet Vista's high requirements.
Also pointed out is the security differences between Linux and Vista. Linux has the years of UNIX use to back up it's security, while Vista has the previous versions of Windows which have been always been a security problem. Also pointed out are the statements from professionals about the security features of Vista stating that some of the features are too intrusive and many users will be tempted to turn them off. AppArmor, Novell's idea of extra security solutions, isolates unusual behavior and stops possible vulnerabilities in different applications from becoming a problem.
Two reasons Windows is insecure are given. The first, Windows contains a huge amount of code (over 50 million lines). This amount of code is very difficult to maintain and debug. The other reasons is that Internet Explorer and other applications are very closely integrated with the OS and are given administrator rights. This allows attackers to use those applications to gain access to the system.
Other problems with Vista's security were also found. The features tend to be user unfriendly making people not want to use them. Some of the biggest vulnerabilities from previous versions of Windows were still a problem in Vista as of May 2006.
Also listed are greater usability and flexibility with Linux over Windows.
Because of Linux being open-source the flexibility cannot be argued. Greater usability can be argued, although even if you argue that SLED is not more usable than Vista, it is definitely not less. The desktop environment was designed after researching how users use their desktop. With the ability to preview the applications you are switching to as well as the applications running on that desktop, the alt+tab functionality greatly increases usability. Similar features when switching desktops using ctrl+tab provide the same increase in usability and productivity. Much of the same functionality is provided in both SLED and Vista in other senses. Both provide a 3-D interface - SLED with less hardware requirements. Multimedia capabilities are included in both with SLED having more options. Applications for collaborative work are provided in SLED and Vista has Outlook express for such tasks.
Even with the expected bias from the Novell side, SLED would still win. At a cost of only $50 with a complete office suite comparable to MS Office (OpenOffice.org) included along with other software, it easily beats Windows Vista on price. For the same functionality using the business upgrade of Vista, the user would have to pay $179 for the upgrade or $299 for the full installation of Vista and yet another $499 for the full version of MS Office Professional or $329 for the upgrade. This issue is ignoring any additional costs to upgrade your hardware to meet Vista's high requirements.
Also pointed out is the security differences between Linux and Vista. Linux has the years of UNIX use to back up it's security, while Vista has the previous versions of Windows which have been always been a security problem. Also pointed out are the statements from professionals about the security features of Vista stating that some of the features are too intrusive and many users will be tempted to turn them off. AppArmor, Novell's idea of extra security solutions, isolates unusual behavior and stops possible vulnerabilities in different applications from becoming a problem.
Two reasons Windows is insecure are given. The first, Windows contains a huge amount of code (over 50 million lines). This amount of code is very difficult to maintain and debug. The other reasons is that Internet Explorer and other applications are very closely integrated with the OS and are given administrator rights. This allows attackers to use those applications to gain access to the system.
Other problems with Vista's security were also found. The features tend to be user unfriendly making people not want to use them. Some of the biggest vulnerabilities from previous versions of Windows were still a problem in Vista as of May 2006.
Also listed are greater usability and flexibility with Linux over Windows.
Because of Linux being open-source the flexibility cannot be argued. Greater usability can be argued, although even if you argue that SLED is not more usable than Vista, it is definitely not less. The desktop environment was designed after researching how users use their desktop. With the ability to preview the applications you are switching to as well as the applications running on that desktop, the alt+tab functionality greatly increases usability. Similar features when switching desktops using ctrl+tab provide the same increase in usability and productivity. Much of the same functionality is provided in both SLED and Vista in other senses. Both provide a 3-D interface - SLED with less hardware requirements. Multimedia capabilities are included in both with SLED having more options. Applications for collaborative work are provided in SLED and Vista has Outlook express for such tasks.
Labels: linux, microsoft, os, sled, vista, windows
17 January 2007
Google Offers Free Calls to Businesses
Google is offering a new service with Google Maps and search results. Businesses with a green phone shown next to their advertisement can be called free of charge through Google.
Click-to-Call allows people to click on the green phone icon in Google Maps or search pages and after entering their phone number be connected to the business. When someone enters their number, they receive a call from Google who will after the phone is answered begin calling the business requested. The number of the user is blocked while the caller ID feature on the caller's phone shows the number of the business. The caller is not charged even if the number is long distance. This of course doesn't apply to mobile phones where normal airtime fees are still charged.
The service is also currently only available inside the US.
If you think someone is entering your number as a prank you can contact google at adwords-support@google.com and the number will be blocked for the user for some time.
Click-to-Call allows people to click on the green phone icon in Google Maps or search pages and after entering their phone number be connected to the business. When someone enters their number, they receive a call from Google who will after the phone is answered begin calling the business requested. The number of the user is blocked while the caller ID feature on the caller's phone shows the number of the business. The caller is not charged even if the number is long distance. This of course doesn't apply to mobile phones where normal airtime fees are still charged.
The service is also currently only available inside the US.
If you think someone is entering your number as a prank you can contact google at adwords-support@google.com and the number will be blocked for the user for some time.
13 January 2007
Internet Scam Threatens Lives
A new email scam has started to work its way around the Internet. Rather than offering you money for a small amount of money sent for fees, this time the scam is threatening people's lives.
An email claiming to be from a hitman who has been hired to kill the person is currently being sent out. This email asks recipients for as much as $80000 claiming that the hitman will ignore his contract to kill the person if he receives the money. The hitman claims to have followed the victim around for 10 days and will produce a tap proving that there is a contract to kill the person after the first payment of $20000. The email also warns users not to go to the police or FBI or the hitman may be forced to kill the person.
An email claiming to be from a hitman who has been hired to kill the person is currently being sent out. This email asks recipients for as much as $80000 claiming that the hitman will ignore his contract to kill the person if he receives the money. The hitman claims to have followed the victim around for 10 days and will produce a tap proving that there is a contract to kill the person after the first payment of $20000. The email also warns users not to go to the police or FBI or the hitman may be forced to kill the person.
11 January 2007
Copying Stubborn Embedded Files from Emails
Have you ever received the email with an embedded file that you wanted to save but just couldn't with a right click?
Evolution users have an option to do so quite easily. When the email is selected a ctrl + u will bring up a window showing the encoding of the email. In this window will be a Base64 form of all embedded files and attachments within the email. Any other email client that allows users to view base64 encoding of the files will work for this too. If you copy that code into a file, you can then use perl to decode it into the binary original again. I would recommend using vi - you need the text with no additional characters (i.e. carriage returns).
From a Linux command line you can then type:
perl -MMIME::Base64 -ne 'print decode_base64($_)' < inputfile > outputfile
You've now got the original image or other file.
Evolution users have an option to do so quite easily. When the email is selected a ctrl + u will bring up a window showing the encoding of the email. In this window will be a Base64 form of all embedded files and attachments within the email. Any other email client that allows users to view base64 encoding of the files will work for this too. If you copy that code into a file, you can then use perl to decode it into the binary original again. I would recommend using vi - you need the text with no additional characters (i.e. carriage returns).
From a Linux command line you can then type:
perl -MMIME::Base64 -ne 'print decode_base64($_)' < inputfile > outputfile
You've now got the original image or other file.
Labels: base64, email, linux, perl
09 January 2007
Skype's TV Content Project Heavy Bandwidth User
Skype founders are currently working on what is being called the Venice Project. The goal is to provide video and TV content over the web rather than traditional means of broadcasting television.
While this may be a good move to many people, there is one issue. The service currently requires a huge amount of bandwidth. For one hours worth of viewing, the service uses about 320 MB for downloads and 105 MB upload. For beta users the service warns users with a 1GB usage limit that it will reach that limit within 10 hours. If a way is found to compress the stream more, it might be more usable for more users, but currently it's a bit too much for people with bandwidth usage limits to use regularly without penalties from their ISP.
While this may be a good move to many people, there is one issue. The service currently requires a huge amount of bandwidth. For one hours worth of viewing, the service uses about 320 MB for downloads and 105 MB upload. For beta users the service warns users with a 1GB usage limit that it will reach that limit within 10 hours. If a way is found to compress the stream more, it might be more usable for more users, but currently it's a bit too much for people with bandwidth usage limits to use regularly without penalties from their ISP.
07 January 2007
National Grid Offers Online Outage Check
The National Grid, which provides US customers in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire with power is alerting users of the ability to check for outages for its NY customers. These customers can now go online and get information about power outages that affect their homes and communities.
From www.nationalgridus.com/stormcentral, customers can check power outages or report an outage. Estimated time of restoration is also given for outages as well as the number of customers who are affected by the outage. Because of privacy concerns, customers are required to enter their account or telephone number along with the last four digits of the SSN of the account holder in order to get address specific information. To get information about a county including the number of people affected nothing is needed though.
One note to remember, at the time of writing this, the site did not allow the Opera browser to use the site. One option for Opera users is to right click the site and after clicking 'site preferences' will be given a screen with several tabs across the top. If you click on the 'Network' tab the bottom of the window has a drop-down list titled 'Browser identification'. If you mask your Opera browser as Firefox or IE, it will work with no difficulties. Without doing this, going to the home page of the national grid gives you a warning that the site only supports IE and Netscape. The other option is from this warning page, you are still able to go to the home page by clicking home in the right top corner of the site. From there though there is no link to the storm central page unlike with other browsers and users must change the browser identification. Going directly to the storm central page without doing this will give an error that the page could not be found.
If you are an Opera user in the service area who wants to use the service without having to go through the extra hassle of changing the browser's identification, you might try contacting the national grid to see why it is not supported and if it will be. You might also point out that it does work perfectly well with Opera 9 so their isn't an issue, but you just would prefer not to have to mask your browser.
From www.nationalgridus.com/stormcentral, customers can check power outages or report an outage. Estimated time of restoration is also given for outages as well as the number of customers who are affected by the outage. Because of privacy concerns, customers are required to enter their account or telephone number along with the last four digits of the SSN of the account holder in order to get address specific information. To get information about a county including the number of people affected nothing is needed though.
One note to remember, at the time of writing this, the site did not allow the Opera browser to use the site. One option for Opera users is to right click the site and after clicking 'site preferences' will be given a screen with several tabs across the top. If you click on the 'Network' tab the bottom of the window has a drop-down list titled 'Browser identification'. If you mask your Opera browser as Firefox or IE, it will work with no difficulties. Without doing this, going to the home page of the national grid gives you a warning that the site only supports IE and Netscape. The other option is from this warning page, you are still able to go to the home page by clicking home in the right top corner of the site. From there though there is no link to the storm central page unlike with other browsers and users must change the browser identification. Going directly to the storm central page without doing this will give an error that the page could not be found.
If you are an Opera user in the service area who wants to use the service without having to go through the extra hassle of changing the browser's identification, you might try contacting the national grid to see why it is not supported and if it will be. You might also point out that it does work perfectly well with Opera 9 so their isn't an issue, but you just would prefer not to have to mask your browser.
05 January 2007
PDF Exploit is a Big Threat
A warning to Acrobat Reader users. Links to PDF files can include JavaScript which can be used to view, copy and modify the entire contents of a user's hard drive.
Originally it was thought that such malicious code would only affect servers and would have limited effect on user's computers. The nature of Java prevents it from modifying any file on a computer it is remotely running on, saving users from security vulnerabilities. What has recently been discovered is that if the link were directed at a PDF file on the user's computer, it could then run locally on the system allowing someone to view the user's files, modify and delete them as well as send files to the attacker.
The limitation to this is that the JavaScript has to know the location of a PDF locally installed on your system. You may be thinking that this saves you and makes it that much more difficult, but also consider that when Acrobat Reader installs it installs sample PDF files, which could very easily be used. Also consider the possibility of the attacker convincing the user to install the file themselves in a specific location (social engineering seems popular). After the people install the file, the attacker is in.
Adobe has yet to confirm the exploit, but has stated that they believe Flash Player, modern browsers and reader should prevent the affect of such an exploit.
Originally it was thought that such malicious code would only affect servers and would have limited effect on user's computers. The nature of Java prevents it from modifying any file on a computer it is remotely running on, saving users from security vulnerabilities. What has recently been discovered is that if the link were directed at a PDF file on the user's computer, it could then run locally on the system allowing someone to view the user's files, modify and delete them as well as send files to the attacker.
The limitation to this is that the JavaScript has to know the location of a PDF locally installed on your system. You may be thinking that this saves you and makes it that much more difficult, but also consider that when Acrobat Reader installs it installs sample PDF files, which could very easily be used. Also consider the possibility of the attacker convincing the user to install the file themselves in a specific location (social engineering seems popular). After the people install the file, the attacker is in.
Adobe has yet to confirm the exploit, but has stated that they believe Flash Player, modern browsers and reader should prevent the affect of such an exploit.
Labels: pdf, vulnerability
1 TB Drive Announced by Seagate
Seagate has announced its plans to release a 1TB hard drive sometime in the first half of 2007. The 3.5 inch drive will be made possible by the use of perpendicular recording rather than the previous standard of longitudinal recording. Along with this, Seagate brags that their drive will have use fewer heads and discs which reduces the operating temperature of the drive along with weight, power consumption and noise. Also gained is a higher level of reliability.
Labels: harddrive
03 January 2007
Telelogic Offers Free UML Modeling Software
In order to promote a industry standard in Unified Modeling Language (UML), telelogic has released a modeling tool for free, Telelogic Modeler.
Modeler allows for programmers and software designers to communicate their intended design using graphics that make up the UML language. Also included is a feature to create documentation with the push of a button which not only saves time in a task that is probably the most hated task in the industry, but also reduces the chance of error. Included is a web-based knowledge base where designers can share best practices.
For those interested in trying the software, it can be downloaded here.
Modeler allows for programmers and software designers to communicate their intended design using graphics that make up the UML language. Also included is a feature to create documentation with the push of a button which not only saves time in a task that is probably the most hated task in the industry, but also reduces the chance of error. Included is a web-based knowledge base where designers can share best practices.
For those interested in trying the software, it can be downloaded here.
Labels: documentation, programming, uml
02 January 2007
Vista and XP Equal in Performance
Microsoft has had Vista and Windows XP performance tested by Principled Technologies. The results from this test indicate that XP and Vista are about equal in terms of performance. Vista performs noticeable better after a reboot than XP, but generally they are equally responsive. Some tasks were completed faster by Vista, while others were faster in XP, but by no more than half a second. Microsoft's Performance Team is happy with the finds and points out that Vista offers more capabilities out of the box.
Yes Vista offers more features, but when taken into account that you first have to purchase higher-end hardware to use Vista and do not really gain the advantage of better performance over XP, I see very little reason why businesses would be willing to spend the money to upgrade. The system is too expensive and the ROI is almost nothing.
Yes Vista offers more features, but when taken into account that you first have to purchase higher-end hardware to use Vista and do not really gain the advantage of better performance over XP, I see very little reason why businesses would be willing to spend the money to upgrade. The system is too expensive and the ROI is almost nothing.
Labels: microsoft, os, performance, vista, windows, xp
Outrageous Views of Linux and Open Source
Surfing through the Internet, I came across something that was almost impossible to believe. It seems one person calling themself Shelly the republican was so bold as to call Linux a threat to America and a terrorist tool. She goes so far as to say that American engineering is the highest quality in the world and that free solutions like Linux are insecure and will destroy the economy of the US along with make the country more vulnerable to hacking and crashes. Windows is considered a very stable, quality OS that isn't vulnerable to hacking or crashing. She later goes on to state how big of a security risk it would be if Linux controlled government computers.
This post is so outrageous it seems difficult to believe that anyone could possibly believe it, but judging by the comments, there are those who do.I wonder if they also consider GNU and GPL terrorist organizations? Do they know that they are America-based?
I won't spend too much effort countering such a post, but I am curious if this person has considered UNIX which as I recall is the system that runs the government computers. It's free, Linux is based on it ... oh no ... the terrorists must have succeeded. As for the idea of being easy to hack, most of the internet runs Apache and when setup properly it is considerably more secure than a Windows box running IIS. And crashes, why is it Linux boxes generally have a longer uptime than Windows based computers.
This post is so outrageous it seems difficult to believe that anyone could possibly believe it, but judging by the comments, there are those who do.I wonder if they also consider GNU and GPL terrorist organizations? Do they know that they are America-based?
I won't spend too much effort countering such a post, but I am curious if this person has considered UNIX which as I recall is the system that runs the government computers. It's free, Linux is based on it ... oh no ... the terrorists must have succeeded. As for the idea of being easy to hack, most of the internet runs Apache and when setup properly it is considerably more secure than a Windows box running IIS. And crashes, why is it Linux boxes generally have a longer uptime than Windows based computers.
Labels: GNU, GPL, linux, os, OSS
