Microsoft Predictions

Discussion in 'polls' started by Checkout, Aug 17, 2002.

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  1. Checkout

    Checkout Security Rhinoceros

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    I understand you may vote in several categories.

    This is not MS bashing - well, not particularly - but I believe Bill Gates has always wanted to be the guiding architect of computing, and for the benefit of (primarily) Microsoft, and big business. I believe he sees the home computer as the supplanter and rightful heir of the home entertainment system (DRM in other words) and we'll all pay the kind of charges to MS that we now pay to cable and satellite.

    I believe that while MS does not own the infrastructure of the Internet, it practically owns the superstructure of it. If it bought AOL Time Warner, it would have title to years and years - decades - of copyright material to apply DRM to.

    I believe that the fortunes of MS are de facto "US Interests" and will be jealously guarded as such, even to the extents of awarding dubious patents such as the DRM OS.

    I believe that publishing the internal and external interfaces of Windows, as IBM was obliged to, might spawn competitive and fully functional competitive versions of Windows, and I beieve that would be healthy.

    I also believe that the EC has more muscle than MS would be wise to challenge.

    I'd be interested in your thoughts.

    (BTW, "claddified" should have been "classified" but my fingers went AWOL)
     
  2. Should I buy more stock in Microsoft now or just hold on to the shares I own and become fluent with Passport?


    How does one vote yes or no in your poll? o_O o_O

    As far as putting the horns on an evil empire..I am more concerned about AOL right now..they are agressive and without scruples..that is the one to watch...if they do not self destruct in the mean time.
     
  3. the Tester

    the Tester Registered Member

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    Predictions about Microsoft.Now that's a wide open topic!LOL.As far as Microsoft buying anything,I don't doubt that they will buy more companies to further their income and control.What they will put in their os packages is unpredictable,nothing would surprise me there either.I firmly believe that there has to be more competition.I think everyone would benefit from that.Microsoft is way too big right now and that's not healthy for consumers in my opinion.
     
  4. Checkout

    Checkout Security Rhinoceros

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    Sorry, there weren't enough options for that!
     
  5. UNICRON

    UNICRON Technical Expert

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    I am no M$ advocate but you can't deny they are successful for a reason.

    You could use an entirely free os with entirely free software (for thre most part) that does not spy on you. Yet you insist on paying M$ and then b!tch about it. Amazing really, M$ can make a product that angers people so much yet they still buy it to avoid the learning curve of a new os.

    I could tell you that linux mandrake is about as easy to operate (redhat too but it is less secure) as windows, and within a month, you could be pretty self suficient in its use. Hell, my eight year old daughter can use Mandrake as easily as windoze. Not to mention the chances of being a victim of a successful internet attack is about 1000 times less. I noticed that warning about PGP having a security vunerability in it, but as it turns out, the issue is with the M$ Outlook plugin, not in PGP. M$ will find was to ruin stuff they didn't even make :(

    For "a hunerd bucks" you could get an emulator that can run win98 at the same time and run it better than windoze can run by itself, so you can still use MS Office, photshop etc. You can get a program that allws you to play DirectX games. Some games like Unreal tournament run on linux out of the box.

    The reasons for using an OS you hate are growing short. I still have a windoze box as well as my linux box, but I find that I use it less and less all the time.

    That being said, there are still good reasons to use M$ OSs, but only if you have nothing to complain about ;) For what I use windoze for, it does a fine job. For things it doesn't do well, like be connected to the internet, I don't use it.

    My computer runs better without a hunerd security programs running to keep me safe from things I shouldn't be vunerable to in the first place.

    I am done complaining about M$. In less time than all that compaining took me, I downloaded a free OS that works. THAT is the only message that will ever get through to M$. Otherwise there is little incentive for them to fix their sh!t since people will buy it anyway. They must get a good laugh out of that ;)
     
  6. snowy

    snowy Guest

    not sure how to respond...........why....because after years of visiting security BB's I am left with the opinion that with the exception of a rare few people.....the majority find M$ a familiar topic of discussion.....but refuse to actually give it up for another OS....if Windows was a car..it would fall under the LEMON LAW.......M$ didn't build a better Mouse Trap...it just uses a better Cheese to lure its victims...an the Brand Name of the Cheese is "ease of use"
    Like Unicron..I have also downloaded MANDRAKE....my lack of understanding caused two bloched installation attempts.....or perhaps it was because my os was already corrupt....don't know and don't care.......I'll keep trying to install MANDRAKE until I get it right......
    At this late date.......there should be absolutely no need to answer any of the questions herein listed....the answers are out there......an either people are in a state of denial or blind.
    M$ Windows provided a great Learning system....to keep it working properly a person HAS to learn how computers work.........M$ windows also provided a livelyhood for many software vendors....an faced with the lost of their income said vendors have reason not to want to see Windows dis-continued......vendors may have the skill to provide products for other os's but few show interest in doing so.......
    an yes I will continue using Windows into the foreseeable future.......but do so with the full realization of what it is.....what its used for......my goal in life is not to become a computer wiz.....meaning I will always be lacking in knowledge.......however..not lacking in confidence to try and try and try again until I succeed in learning to use another operating system

    snowman
     
  7. root

    root Registered Member

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    Hey Checkout, I want to select all, but I can't.
    UNICRON, I won't argue with you, but I will state my opinion. Bill Gates has done an excellent job of making people in general dependant on his OS. This especially applies if you use a computer extensively in a business. You cannot use Mandrake or any other Linux and use a program like Autocad, integrate the drawings and spec sheets in PDF, into the latest MSWord documents and send it to numerous customers, that only use MSWord.
    Soon, I will probably swith to Linux, because I will not let Bill Gates run my life, nor have any more of my money. I am still very very angry that that arrogant SOB will not offer services and products with choices for people to install and use or not use. He knows that people will not voluntarily do things the way he wants, so he uses his position to MAKE the people do things his way or switch to using an OS that has one tenth of one percent of the versatility and support that Windoze has.
    Something else to keep in mind too. Once enough people are using Linux, you will see more and more exploits showing up and the security game will be under way there too.
    I am also considering a MAC. :(
     
  8. UNICRON

    UNICRON Technical Expert

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    Well many professional Autocad people use linux, and windoze sure ain't the native home of PDF. I guess the M$ Word part of the equation is the key. Linux has several emulators that can run M$ Office, and progs that can read and write in doc format. M$ Office has been many people's reason for staying with windows. Even if I needed wondoze to amke word docs, I'd probably still use linux to do the autocad stuff.

    and everytime someone says that, M$ position is strenghened. I'll agree the support is much less, but versitility? Well you prolly wouldn't say that if you used it. The way to get more support is to increase its user base, the vendors will follow. Purely economic there.

    True, how a kernal that has been scrutinized by thousands for years fairs against one that has code no one but M$ can see will be interesting to see. That test will make or break the open source argument.

    well OSX is nice but really if is just unix with a pretty face, then how different can it be than a linux dist that is basically unix with a pretty face? They only difference I see is price, and restricted hardware. M$ Office is available on the MAC, I wonder how long till they release a linux version? Would they ever?

    Time will tell.
     
  9. snowy

    snowy Guest

    you guys ever look at Star Office....I've used it...nice!
    May not be up to your particular needs.....only you could tell that.....there is also another linux program thats imo beats M$ office hands down....been awhile an can't recall the name....Gold "something"..........
     
  10. root

    root Registered Member

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    Hi Snowy, yes I tried Star Office a few version ago. I wish I would have downloaded the last version while it was free there for a couple of days. Now its some $$.
    When I tried it, it worked ok but had an ugly look to it. That improved, I imagine.
    Here's the thing guys and gals. For what I do, Linux would prolly be fine. For what my wife does at work, I don't know. My rant was basically about Bill Gates pulling off what he tried to do. He made people dependant on WinBloze. Linux is finally becomming a viable contender, but it does have a ways to go. I will give it my support when it gets easy enough for me to set up on my own machine. I do not want to learn a whole new operating system where I have to know a bunch of command line crap. I ain't compiling no stinking kernal. :D I don't even know where it lives or what it looks like. I don't know nothin bout no IP chains or whatever.
    So, I'm not sure what to do right now, but wait and hope.
    A million years from now it will be Bill who? :rolleyes:
     
  11. UNICRON

    UNICRON Technical Expert

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    root, command line stuff is no longer necessary for day to day operations. you don't need to recompile anything. Mandrake for instance is as easy to install than windoze ever was. There are still a few things that need ironing out to be sure, but we'll get there.

    The last time i have a look at star office I thought is was no real competition for M$ office IMHO, and now Sun wants money for it. Perhaps that will allow it to evolve, I dunno. I haven't looked at it lately though.
     
  12. javacool

    javacool BrightFort Moderator

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    MS will most likely NOT release Microsoft Office for Linux within the next 10 years - why?

    MS doesn't see Mac OSX as compitition (which I have to agree with - it is only installed on closed hardware - sold by one company). If Mac OSX had been able to run on any PC from the start, it may not have ever seen a compatible Office version.

    MS sees Linux as some real competition - although from the "ease-of-use" standpoint, it may be a little easier for a beginning computer user to pick up Windows, Linux is improving every day. I'm sure MS realizes that many people are holding back on switching because of Microsoft Office (either they use it at work, or at home and they just don't feel like having to learn another program, or go through the trouble of an extra step (or two) to try make it work with Linux).

    The Mac OSX version of Office lets you share and work on files with the Windows version - I would imagine if a Linux version of Office is EVER created that this feature will be "conveniently" buggy. ;)

    -Javacool
     
  13. UNICRON

    UNICRON Technical Expert

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    you can run MS Office on linux if you use an emulator, there are a few, some cost money some don't. You can get a windows VM for linux that allows you to install windows 95/98 in its own sandbox. You can get a directX emulator to play games that require it.

    Know that the linux advocates don't wait for MS to make things work on linux, they just code their own version of anything they want.

    I run the trillian messenger client (to emulate MSN messenger) inside a windows emulator. No actual MS code, but there is a dummy file system to pretend it is windows so I can install stuff.
     
  14. javacool

    javacool BrightFort Moderator

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    And that seems to be (currently) the best way to go about things.

    If Microsoft actually coded Office specifically for Linux, so it could run without the emulator or VM, then I would imagine Microsoft's massive monopoly of the desktop might just start decreasing rather drastically.

    -Javacool
     
  15. UNICRON

    UNICRON Technical Expert

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    that was odd, the red text in my post (that I fixed) was a bbc code snippet. dunno how it got in there.
     
  16. crkit1

    crkit1 Registered Member

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    ;) Not that I know anything about nothin', cus I don't, but...If the average person goes into a regular retail store to buy a PC, they won't find one without M$ OS already installed. Let us not forget MS Dos. That average consumer (like me) will also find M$ products and links to other M$ stuff in there (with free upgrades,etc.). They see that and say, "Wow, look at all this 'free' stuff. How kind is Mr. Gates?" That supports a sense of consumer loyalty that is hard to dissuade.
    By the time that consumer knows better, if they ever do, which is improbable, all of their programs and utilities are either M$ or so entangled with it that it would cause considerable pain to change.
    You guys are so advanced that you can banter all this to and fro with ease. But, I know that you are not average Joes.
    I'm just saying that, by the sheer numbers, M$ will have to win for now with the average consumer or gov. trying to control/spy on companies and consumers, and thereby with the average business trying to reach that consumer.
    2 cents only :D
     
  17. controler

    controler Guest

    I am going to go reformat my OS now so you bad boys can't get me LOL
    Dang i just wrote the longest post I ever had and it vanished.
    Was telling how Playboy was once the monoply untill Penthouse came along and that I still have copies of 1964 Playboy. Oh oh here comes the Blaze LOL

    I think Hackers are now focusing more on Linux for faults than they used to.
     
  18. Paul Wilders

    Paul Wilders Administrator

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    Take care of your "logged in" setting ;).

    regards.

    paul
     
  19. Bethrezen

    Bethrezen Registered Member

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    hi all

    as for whats instore for ms i dont know and all this talk about othere oses one small prob there 99.999% of app are writen for windows which means that there is very litle avalble for other oses pluss if ya go to ya local pc shop id be willing to bet that you will only find windows pc in the vast magority of them

    pluss another problem is that to get other apps( games for instance) to work on other oser like linx they need to be recoded/rewriten which is somthing the avridge jo like me cant do hell i still learin all the lil intracesees of windows 98se of cores probabley one of ms better effots especaly when compeared to there latese incarnation xp yeah sure the tec in 98se is a lil behind the times but in my opinion 98se is more stable and secure coz its been round longer and ms has had time to work out most of the bugs

    yeah sure id love to have a leaner meaner faster more stable more secure os that can run it all who wouldnt

    if someone where to bring out a striped down recodeed bug free/security hole free or as close to bug and security hole free as possable and more stable version of windows that could run it all not only windows apps but other oses appt like linx and was as easy to use as windows then id gladley use that insted but untill someone comes up with a better version of windows that can run it all i think ill be stickin with win 98se and then when ms stop surportin that and i need to upgrade i think ill switch to 2000 of ME

    depending on which is the better but as far as i can tell ME and 2000 are the same os just under difrent names

    question what is the diffrence between me and 2000 which is the better more advanced anyway
     
  20. Daniel SR

    Daniel SR Registered Member

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    I use windows because of the games (yes I like it) and photoshop which I use to do my job, although I recently discovered (it maybe old news to u guys) a software called CrossOver that enable Linux to run windows based softs (photoshop included). Eventually I'll switch to linux someday, but for now i'll keep the M$ OS in my PC. Windows is the only soft (if u can call an OS the "only" soft lol) i have in my machine, I use OpenOffice, which is a great replacement for M$ Office, Trillian and Netscape browser/mail, to name a few M$ alternatives.
     
  21. bigc73542

    bigc73542 Retired Moderator

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    I am not a card carring fan of microsoft but just think for a moment. What would home computing and the internet be without the developments they have come up with. I truly believe that they have (borrowed) from other developers but without their software, surfing the web might be a whole lot different and not necessarilly for the better. Linux is not yet a viable substitute for windows for the average user. That just about leaves useing a mac. I have never used one so I can't judge what that is like.I am not defending microsoft but I respect what they have accomplished even though they do need a lot more work.
     
  22. meneer

    meneer Registered Member

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    Hi root, you are right, the old free staroffice was not the best you could get. Now, however, there's OpenOffice (.org), that will get you a free office suite on both linux and windows. Latest version is very cool: export to pdf, flash and palm worddoc format. I like it a lot.
    And: it's just as compatible with MS Office as MS Office itself.
    So: go for it :)
     
  23. DougRees

    DougRees Registered Member

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    The minute Windows contains FBI software is the minute I switch to Linnux.
     
  24. DougRees

    DougRees Registered Member

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    In fact, why doesn't the computer community collectively develop FREEWARE to disable any kind of crappy stuff the #$%#$% U.S. government comes up witho_O
     
  25. nadirah

    nadirah Registered Member

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    Does Billy gates have a magic crystal ball to see the future?
     
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