__/ [ Martha Adams ] on Wednesday 20 September 2006 14:18 \__
> I think I see a powerful Linux promotion option in this thread.
> Microsoft
> keeps changing their softwares; consistent along its whole range from
> msdos to the latest upcoming Vista, is the poor quality of their
> products.
> For example, look at their "editor" that they use through their current
> Windows: it works like they never updated it since early msdos.
There are a few possible interpretations of this:
1. Microsoft wants to rely on 'mature' code as to avoid creating
vulnerabilities
2. It is driven by nothing by laziness and lack of (formidable enough)
competition
3. Fear of being accused of replacing and displacing the competitors (taking
'full control' of the platform, which is something Microsoft is /already/
being accused of). Low cost (or inexistent) cost of bundling and linking
makes this a 'crime' no matter what...
4. Backward compatibility (programmatically-speaking, as well as
habitually-speaking). I very much doubt this though. Vista is an
illustration of the point that the O/S has not really evolved in a dozen
years. Heck, XP was released when I was a teenager and Vista is akin to a
Service Pack. Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence, KDE works on Plasma
and Apple offers many innovative features as well (Vista copies a few from
Apple as well as UNIX/Linux). And it /still/ lags behind, despite that
perpetual chase that thrives on imitation, FUD, and marketing.
> Now they are deserting their Windows 98 and their Millennium: the
> promotion option that I see progresses along two lines.
>
> 1) Text materials. Simple, direct, how to save your files, replace your
> OS with a Linux, and restore your files. Add to it, emphasis that Linux
> OSs do not fail across upgrades like Microsoft OSs do. Also, mention
> the exploits of Microsoft's Gestapo, the Business Software Alliance.
>
> 2) Software. Provide software that backs-up an owner's software
> files in form returnable to the Microsoft OS; *or* into a new Linux
> system. Make this software so that it does not fail across Microsoft
> upgrades. Remind the user that the Business Software Alliance is
> limited in its exploits to Microsoft products. Thus the user is free to
> return to Microsoft, if he wants; or to go on to Linux. (An early taste
> of freedom -- it will probably grow.)
>
> I think the most remarkable things about this whole computer activity
> field, are the frequency of bad support and instruction text writing,
> and the continuous push toward more complexified software. I see
> bad writing leading to redone software, as if the software was the
> problem. I see bad software redone by complexifying it rather than
> by cleaning-up and simplifying it.
One could argue that Microsoft does not want editors in Windows to compete
with the "Cash Cow" -- Microsoft Office.
> So now Microsoft is preparing a new OS, doubtless with its Digital
> Restrictions Management and its Windows Genuine DisAdvantage,
> oops, "Advantage" improved: *what a wonderful opportunity* for
> Linux.
Best wishes,
Roy
PS - I am still not sure why you so adamantly choose to top-post. I am hoping
that the Wikipedia page < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_post > will make
a case compelling enough to change your mind or consider installing QuoteFix
for OE, or simply upgrade to Thunderbird which is FOSS, cross-platform,
boasts a plethora of powerful extensions, and imports everything from OE
using a wizard (in a non-lossy fashion for all I can tell).
--
Roy S. Schestowitz | "Turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie"
http://Schestowitz.com | Open Prospects ¦ PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
Tasks: 131 total, 1 running, 129 sleeping, 0 stopped, 1 zombie
http://iuron.com - knowledge engine, not a search engine
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