____/ AHappyCamper on Thursday 01 November 2007 10:30 : \____
> "NEW YORK - Linux, the free operating system that's a perpetual underdog
> in the desktop market, is showing up in computers in Wal-Mart stores
> this week for the first time.
> ADVERTISEMENT
>
> About 600 Wal-Mart stores will carry the $199 Linux-powered "Green gPC"
> made by Everex of Taiwan, Wal-Mart said. It was available online on
> Wednesday.
>
> A comparable Everex PC that comes with Windows Vista Home Basic and more
> memory costs $99 more, or $298, partly because the manufacturer has to
> pay Microsoft Corp. for a software license. Both computers come with
> keyboard, mouse, and speakers, but no monitor."
>
>
>
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071031/ap_on_hi_te/wal_mart_linux_computer;_ylt=Aje5Oj6A9goybbqjgTAbFQeor7oF
>
>
> Typical of the author, and of the skewed Yahoo reporting, a few FUD
> opinions are spouted. When journalists quote Microsoft, credibility is
> shot.
Watch these if you haven't...
What happened to the guts?
,----[ Quote ]
| Of one thing I am fairly certain. Microsoft all but eliminated
| mainstream software competition. As a result, Microsoft became
| the primary source of advertising revenue for mainstream publications.
| You don't bite the hand that feeds you. So instead of publishing
| issues calling for a worldwide boycott of Vista because it focuses
| more on what you can't do than what you can do, you see special
| editions praising Vista as the greatest advancement in computing
| since Windows 95. Granted we all know that Windows 95 was a dog
| from day one, but by the 90s, the mainstream press had already
| become rampant with Microsoft sycophants and they pushed Windows
| 95 like it was the second coming.
|
| [...]
|
| In short, I'd love to see a mainstream publication become an
| advocate for the consumer once again.
|
| As noted above, there are exceptions, including Linux Journal,
| most other FOSS-centered publications and even The Register.
| But we're the little guys.
`----
http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1000173
http://slated.org/bbc_microsoft_bias
Bill Gates lends cash to buy newspapers
$350 million to MediaNews
,----[ Quote ]
| Gates involvement has been very behind the scenes. In fact many of
| those involved in the deal didn'teven know he was one of the investors.
| It was carried out through the Gates Foundation, the world's largest
| philanthropy outfit.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33849
Beeb slammed for 'fawning' to Bill Gates
,----[ Quote ]
| BBC viewers have flooded the corporation with complaints over how it
| covered the launch of Microsoft Vista earlier this week.
|
| In one cringingly servile interview worthy of Uriah Heep, the
| Beeb's news presenter Hugh Edwards even thanked Gates at the
| end of it, presumably in appreciation at being allowed to give
| the Vole vast coverage for free.
|
| In other TV news items presenters excitedly explained how Vistac
| ould be obtained and installed - details courtesy of the BBC's
| website.
|
| But British viewers, currently forced to pay a £131.50 licence
| fee to maintain the BBC's "impartiality", were less than impressed.
|
| Scores got in touch to complain that so much was Auntie up Bill's
| bum that you could barely see her corset.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37411
The real question: How to keep Microsoft on the transparency track
,----[ Quote ]
| Some media members are simply shocked that Microsoft's PR team keeps
| dossiers on the reporters and bloggers who cover the company. That's
| old news, folks. And not even very interesting news.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=353
Wrong Yesterday Wrong Today Wrong Tomorrow
,----[ Quote ]
| I just got through watching a segment on the Today Show on NBC
| highlighting the launch of the Microsoft Zune.
|
| First of all, I thought journalists were suppose to reveal their
| affiliations with any product if such an affiliation exists.
| Microsoft owns a stake in NBC ie MSNBC News Network.
|
| [...]
|
| Second, all the side by side product comparisons showed 4th Gen iPods
| with monochrome screens with no song selected or playing, while the
| Zune was playing a video.
|
| [...]
|
| This isn't the first time NBC has misled its morning viewers with
| puff pieces about the Zune.
`----
http://fixyourthinking.com/2006/11/wrong-yesterday-wrong-today-wrong.html
Should MSNBC really be "reviewing" (Microsoft's) Gears of War?
,----[ Quote ]
| MSNBC recently reviewed Gears of War, calling it the Xbox 360's first
| killer app.... Nowhere on the page is any indication of the possible
| ethical issue MSNBC is "Microsoft-NBC", and the site is hosted as a
| subdomain of msn.com (a major Microsoft portal). Is this really balanced
| journalism?
`----
http://www.thisisby.us/index.php/content/should_msnbc_really_be__quot_reviewing_quot__gears_of_war_
PC World Editor Resigns When Ordered Not to Criticize Advertisers
,----[ Quote ]
| Apparently he also told the staff that product reviews had to be
| nicer to vendors who advertise in the magazine. The sad thing is
| that given the economics of publishing in this day and age, I
| doubt anything even comes of this even tho it essentially
| confirms that PC World reviews should be thought of as no
| more than press releases. I know that's how I will consider
| links from them in the future. But congratulations to anyone
| willing to stick to their guns on such matters.
`----
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/03/1810239&from=rss
Dan Rather: Journalism has 'lost its guts'
,----[ Quote ]
| To longtime CBS broadcaster Dan Rather, American journalism in recent
| years "has in some ways lost its guts."
|
| [...]
|
| I do not exclude myself from this criticism... By and large, so
| many journalists--there are notable exceptions--have adopted
| the go-along-to-get-along (attitude)," he said.
|
| [...]
|
| "In many ways," said Rather to loud applause, "what we in journalism
| need is a spine transplant."
`----
http://news.com.com/2100-1025_3-6166528.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
Among many more examples I could add here...
--
~~ Best of wishes
Roy S. Schestowitz | Linux: most popular O/S, yet not most widespread
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU/Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
Mem: 515500k total, 439856k used, 75644k free, 1616k buffers
http://iuron.com - next generation of search paradigms
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