The real joke

[piratePenguin]

It's an no secret that I'm an Open Source goon. Of course, I also use Microsoft Windows and MacOS X alongside Linux, Solaris, AIX, HPUX, and a host of other operating systems. Every OS has its strengths and weaknesses in my line of work.

Anyway, I've been following the recent goings-on over Microsoft's new Windows version called "Vista." Judging from the hype and buzz of this abomination called an "operating system," it seems that the American consumer is once again all too willing to sacrifice their individual liberties and personal data on the altar of Technological Convenience.

First in a series of absurdities is that Microsoft's latest version of Windows will intentionally not work with current monitors. Next, it is revealed that Microsoft Vista will ultimately not function with current PC hardware architecture. And that's just the beginning.

This incompatibility is not because Microsoft's new OS is so much more powerful. On the contrary, the only increase in power is what Microsoft has gone out of its way to bestow to multinational corporations so they can control what you can do with your personal computer.

If any other vendor produced any other product that so willfully and invasively abrogated our individual liberties, there would be mass outcry, public hearings and relentless boycotts.

...but with software, it seems the average user will gladly abandon all pretense of being a free and critically-thinking individual just so they can appear to be "on the cutting edge."

That is the sad joke in all this.

http://www.sacredcowburgers.com/leftovers/commentary.cgi?the_real_joke (links to references on the webpage)

[Aloone_Jonez]

Well how the fuck can people beta test it if it won't run on anything?

I don't really believe this as MS aren't exactly going to deny themselves income from people upgrading. I can't see that many people going out and buying a new computer just to run Vista.

[Refalm]

Well how the fuck can people beta test it if it won't run on anything?

I don't really believe this as MS aren't exactly going to deny themselves income from people upgrading. I can't see that many people going out and buying a new computer just to run Vista.

I know many people who will upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista, just because it's the new Windows.
And if their PC can't cut Windows Vista, they'll upgrade that too.

[piratePenguin]

I'd say MS get far more sales off OEMs than stores. All the OEMs will be shipping Vista, just like they're shipping XP now when 2000 is, according to alot of people, better.

[Aloone_Jonez]

If I remember rightly Windows 2000 wasn't aimed at the home user but more at businesses, ME was aimed at the home user back then, and it was the worst Windows ever.

We use Windows 2000 at work and I can't really compare because it's set up so shitly compared to my XP machine.Overall I think Windows 2000 is better than XP home though I don't know about XP professional, I often wish my PC had been shipped with XP Pro because it has better security and configureation tools, i.e. it's more like NT should be it's not as cripple with all the bullshit.

I don't know much about the MS OSes of last 10 years or so but when MS first released Windows 95, they carried on supporting 3.1 for awhile. You also had a choice between Windows 96 and MS-DOS 6.22 with Windows 3.1 when you bought a new for a year or two after.

I can't remember this happening with Windows 95, 98, ME XP, this is probably because 95 and 98 were very similar as was ME which was the worst of the three. I suppose when XP came along it was so much better you would've been stupid not to have accepted it.

I hope people are given a choice for at least the first year or so when Vista comes out then if it's shit it'll fail but if it's really that bad and they're not given a choice then they just won't bother buying new PCs.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

I'd say MS get far more sales off OEMs than stores. All the OEMs will be shipping Vista, just like they're shipping XP now when 2000 is, according to alot of people, better.

Yeah M$ just can't lose ... they've entrenched themselves deep ... I wonder if there will ever be a time in the very distant future when M$ will just disappear, just cuz they are full of shit, monopolistic, exploitative, oppressive, etc. Somehow I think their empire will grow without limits, feeding on ignorance and stupidity, then they will be nearly unstoppable ... maybe I'm just being pessimistic ... ?

[Aloone_Jonez]

All empires reach their dimise at some point, look at what happend to the Romans, shit we might have to wait just as long for MS to give up the ghost.  :eek:

[H_TeXMeX_H]

Hmmmm .. if you look at it that way then M$ will only decline when it stops expanding ... I don't think that will happen anytime soon because their growth depends on all technological growth cuz almost everything runs some form of Winblow$. And every computer (except for Macs) has Winblow$ pre-installed on it. And of course no one cares about this uncontrolled expansion cuz they're ignorant or are being payed well by Gates to shut up.

[Aloone_Jonez]

Or they could release the shittest version of Windows ever so no one bother's buying new computers, and technology stops growing as a result.

[Calum]

technology will stop progressing and developing just because the next release of windows is shit? what are you talking about? it hasn't happened in the last 25 years so why should it start happening now?

if anything microsoft has continually stifled development in both the hardware and software arenas by its ruthless appropriation of the entire market through the use of broken or unspecified standards.

[worker201]

I know many people who will upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista, just because it's the new Windows.
And if their PC can't cut Windows Vista, they'll upgrade that too.

You know some dumb motherfuckers.

So do I.