Tagged: microsoft
So... something has been irritating me lately... It might come as no surprise that Windows bothers me to no end. Its sheer idiotic use and changing of the GUI is mind numbing. Because for the change they're making... it really doesn't make it more user friendly... its making it more flashy and dumbing it down for those that still believe computers to be magical boxes. They're not. Don't get me wrong... the hardware that is going into them is amazing and the hardware designers that are making it are doing a superb job.... My complain is not with them, it is with the idiot software being put on that hardware.
Windows was never designed to be use en-mass as a server... because the dependance on a gui and the fact they felt the need to change the GUI... Microsoft can claim all they want to and even be justified in the GUI changes made to their "Consumer" OS... Windows Vista... Windows 7... But why must they change the GUI on the Server? Why must they make it like their Consumer OS? They should not be designing a GUI for grandma and think thats the same interface that their tech workers want to use to manage 100 Servers... Its stupid. And for that Microsoft... You have earned my disdain, and will continue to have it. It is that reason I bought my wife a Mac, and I will buy my Daughter a Mac. I will continue to use Linux, and I will recommend every Server install to be of a Linux or Mac variety. Why? Because they don't sully my intelligence for the likes of a few that will NEVER use the Server version of your OS.
In light of seeing your more recent financial troubles... I lavish in it. To see that the world is coming around to my way of thinking with each passing release of your OS. I wait for the day that we will see your OS drop somewhere in the 20-40% range. That is, in my opinion, where you belong.
Been a long time since I last posted... not sure why really, just haven't felt like writing lately. I've worked out a deal with school and redid some of the payment options, so I'll be getting back underway with school starting monday. However, one of my classes is all about Windows. Lately my Windows install on my laptop has been driving me nuts. I don't understand anymore why people like that operating system... Why people willingly put up with the crap that happens with it... you install a couple apps and they'll over run your machine making it crap slow... whats wrong with that picture? I don't understand... why would you subject yourself to it? I guess not knowing that it doesn't have to be that way is one thing, but please for the love, when will it die! Joking, joking... partly atleast :) Windows has its place, its not on my desktop however. I won't willingly subject myself to that much torture. I do understand why others use it, for the apps mostly, familiarity and hardware support tied for second. The day will come (hopefully soon, but I won't hold my breath) that Windows won't be the only common thing on the desktop anymore, the market is big enough from multiple players. When that day comes we'll see real innovation, after all, what innovation really needs is healthy competition. I guess the question that remains is, Will Windows and Microsoft know how to play a game with the turf being equal? If you've been paying attention to the MS vs ODF ordeal, it seems they're pulling out every last stop they can come up with to prevent the turf from being equal for *all* sides. Their latest is an attempt to "open" their new Office XML format, thats turning out to be not so "open". They must think people are dumb. The "open" format they're trying to push, still prevents people from writing GPL'd apps that support the format.... Now how open can an "open" format be that still has restrictions? Silly Microsoft, tricks are for kids.
I'm sorry, but I'm laughing about this one... I mean this is like the age old "Pot calling the kettle black". I mean... The purpose of this is nothing more than to trump their own horn. Make people more optimistic about their situation in China. After all, this is the only source Microsoft has left to grow into... (Along with India... but they've fought that battle already... and lost) The article is up on zdnet.co.uk. Funny stuff I tell ya. I laughed through the whole article.
Heres a couple quotes... I think they speak for themselves:
"I think Linux in China really has an issue with their business model," said Tim Chen, the chief executive of Microsoft China, in an interview with The Seattle Times this week. "The Chinese [Linux] companies, are not making money," he said.
Interesting... really? The chineese government doesn't think so... in fact, they rather like the fact that the money they spend on Linux in China, *stays* in China. The also don't like enabling foreign powers to control how they use software, which is why they regulated the use of foreign software.
Chen also claimed that the growth rate of Windows on the server was faster than that of the open source operating system and that young people in China "really adore" Bill Gates, the founder and president of Microsoft.
.... I'm speachless... What the crap is this? I know quite a few Microsoft geeks, and I couldn't say any of them "really adore" Bill Gates...
Refering to the latest group of Microsoft defectee's:
"Actually that's exciting. We're being viewed as the company that has the best talent in China," said Chen.
Interesting point of view... However I would have phrased it more like "We're being viewed as the company that *had* the best talent in China". But whatever helps you sleep at night.
Anyway, I thought it was so funny I had to share.
In a recent unsealing of a court document in the Microsoft vs. Google lawsuit(I mean who isn't in a law suite against microsoft?), over the hiring of Kai-Fu Lee. In a swarn statement made by Mark Lucovsky, Ballmer is being accused of threatening employees not to leave for Google. Heres the quote:
"At that point, Mr. Ballmer picked up a chair and threw it across the room hitting a table in his office," Lucovosky recounted, adding that Ballmer then launched into a tirade about Google CEO Eric Schmidt. "I'm going to f***ing bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I'm going to f***ing kill Google."
Now... I've never been found of Microsoft, nor have I ever been impressed by Steve Ballmer as a person with character. This, however, is not a display that should *EVER* be presented in front of employee's... no matter who you are. I can understand the fact that hes upset...(he probably feels that way alot lately...) but to start acting like this in front of an employee that is leaving for another company. (the fact that he despises Google is beside the point) Is very unprofessional. In a statement issued by Ballmer about the incident:
"Mark Lucovsky's account of our conversation last November is a gross exaggeration of what actually took place," Ballmer said. "Mark's decision to leave was disappointing and I urged him strongly to change his mind. But his characterization of that meeting is not accurate."
Which it might be, though it might not as well. Since it is Ballmer that has the most at risk if it is true. Also notice the wording, he doesn't specifically deny throwing the chair or having a tantrum... I'll let you make your own conclusion however.
For atleast a year, Microsoft has been announcing that we need software patents because they are needed to protect innovation(no doubt they mean their own innovation). However, I'm really having a hard time figuring out just what they've ever innovated? Apple... they have many to their name, and Windows Media Center is not an innovation... Its a best effort copy of Tivo. And MythTV has been extending that original innovation into more... which could be argued as innovation in its own right... What exactly has Microsoft innovated? Their new graphics rendering engine(Avalon) for Vista? Nope... at best it extends whats already in Mac OS X(cocoa?). A database that is the filesystem(when its eventually released), nope been done already, say IBM AS/400. As I said... having a hard time thinking of one thing Microsoft has ever innovated on (technology wise only). So if any of you know please let me know by all means.
In the wake of more than 5 anti-trust suits, the new one on the block is Go. They are claiming that Microsoft threatened Intel(which had invesed in Go), and coerce Compaq, Fujitsu, Toshiba and other computer makers not to use Go's operating system. Given MS's history, I don't think its that far of a stretch. They've been paying out millions in anti-trust settlements as of late, to the tune of atleast 3 billion. I understand their place in the computer industry, unfortunatly its not where they are currently. I guess it goes without saying that I'm an open source advocate, however that does not mean I think linux should take MS's place, nor do I think Linux will completly erradicate Windows in all markets. I do think however, that Linux will take the business sector. Why? MS is killing themselves in this market. I think the more applications they buy and package as their own, the more they eliminate what got them where they are in the first place. They're transitiong to a point where, your either going to have to be all Microsoft or everyone else. Which I don't think alot of companies are going to like. And they will choose "everyone else". More and more companies aren't liking vendor lock in. Why? because vendors abuse it, they take it for granted and then have the nerve to charge you out of this world prices for their lack of responding to your companies needs, and then act offended when you tell them your thinking of going to other vendors and/or products. I find it somewhat amusing that these vendors don't seem to get the transitions that are happening. The IT market is changing, but they're trying to play the aged old game they've been able to play since IT began. Its not going to work, if they don't adapt they'll suffer a slow and painful death... Just look at SCO. They've excellerated the process by attacking it when they don't fully understand it, and they've meet their end. They'll be out of customers long before they get their trial. Thats still assuming they can make it that far.
The IT market is changing, IBM seems to get it, as does Novell. SCO doesn't... which are you?
Was browsing GrokLaw today, and came across and article of a college student getting sue'd by Microsoft. Because their return policies are rediculous, he ended up selling some unopened software he bought at his universities book store on eBay.
One part that really got me going was this:
It wasn't until the day after Christmas that Zamos realized he'd actually been sued.
He found his case on LexisNexis. "They were so shady about the whole thing," he says.
So they run around sue'ing people and not telling them? Or making the wording so convoluted that the average person that doesn't speak legalize doesn't understand that thats what they are reading... *that* my friends is *MESSED UP*. Who is this company that is now acting so threatened by anything that moves, they need to sue anyone that even mentions their name?
Its honestly getting to the point where its all rediculous. I mean really... Guess when you have it all, the only way you can go is down? :)
How did it turn out you might ask? Well, its all under an NDA of coarse, but here is what he said he wanted out of the whole thing:
Finally, Zamos gave Microsoft the migraine it hadn't expected. He requested a trial by jury, knowing that the company wouldn't want to spend tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills just to snuff one kid in Ohio. He was right. The lawyers said they'd drop their suit -- if Zamos dropped his countersuit.
But that wasn't good enough for Zamos, who'd wasted hours of his time and $40 in Kinko's copies. He didn't want billions of dollars or a new Ford Mustang. He wanted an apology and reimbursement for his copies.
I love it, I want $40 for my copies and an apology.
Think they'll think twice before they sue again? I wouldn't hold your breath...
Ok, I've been living with Fedora Core 3 for a couple weeks now... I also use Core 3 as a Desktop at work and I must say, for a Linux Desktop, Core 3 is great. However, my complaints are simply about multimedia on the web. All to often things are just written for Windows, and all the formats windows programs can typically read. My multimedia needs are simple... I want to be able to watch movie trailers off of apples web site! I've download all of the latest codecs from Mplayers website, and installed them in /usr/lib/win32 however playing off the web is still a pain... I really hope this will be fixed soon.
