07-22-07 12:15 PM
In today's digest, we have:
* Linux Gets Fancy Web-based Applications for the Desktop
* Igel and Keithley Choose GNU/Linux for Their New Products
* The ECMA Hoax Exposed; More Microsoft OOXML Dirty Little 'Tricks'
* Deals with Microsoft Mean Death to Individual Linux Companies,
Not GNU/Linux
* Review of Lenovo's Linux-enabled New Laptop
* Wal-mart to Sell Ubuntu GNU/Linux PCs!
* Linux in the Economist
* Linux More Suitable for Mission-critical Systems (More Affordable
Too)
* Linspire in Trouble After Microsoft Deal, KC Responds
* Linux Kernel Gets a Large Number of New Features
* Mandriva Shows Its Love for Intel's WinXP/Linpsire Laptop
* [Rival] Windopz "7" -- Not This Decade (Vista Or Nothing Until 2010
or Beyond!)
* [Rival] Microsoft's Dishonesty and Secrecy Leads to Frustration
* FFII President Explains What OOXML is REALLY About
* motorola Must Now Concentrate on Linux
* Linux Summits and Conferences Coming Shortly
* Simpilicity Wins Tomorrow's Computer Generation
* India's Press Covers Linux Live CDs, MSBBC Covers Windows Zombies
* Luis Villa Debunks the GPLv3 Myths (Created by Microsoft and Ilk)
* Free and Open Source Software Improving, Collaboration Merits Listed
* Puppy Linux 2.17 Released, Sylbal 07.1 (Linux) is Out
* [Rival] Microsoft Zune Fanfare "a Fart in a Bathtub"
* [Rival] Bad News to Security, Windows Lets Feds Watch Your
Keystrokes, Access PC
* The Joys of Having Many Linux Distributions (and Another Myth
Debunked)
* Open Access versus the Wireless Oligopoly, Courtesy of Google
* Telegraph Covers Linux Laptops Story from Africa
* [Rival] Blue Consequences of 64-bit Windows Vista
* Linux Steps in Where Windows Cannot Cope -- Ultra-mobile PCs
* Linux Market Share Over 21% in India?
* Chennai Corporation Moves All Computers to OpenOffice.org
* Internet Explorer Users Denied Access to Web Sites
* Dell Comes to UK Shops, Possibly with GNU/Linux PCs
* Complete and Refurbished Linux PCs for $150
* Review of the New Puppy Linux, Screenshots of the New OpenSUSE Alpha
* [Rival] Microsoft Hit by Yet Another Class Action Lawsuit (2 Already)
* Microsoft Blames Typo for False Promises (Vapourware Tactics?)
* Release of Syllable's Builder for GNU/Linux
* More Examples of Killer Apps for GNU/Linux
* How the Market Fails to Understand Free Software
* Another Company Chooses GNU/Linux for Its Routers
* Gentoo Founder Wants His Foundation Back
* Project Takes Knowledge Away from Corporate Hands, Officially
Launched
* Rising Interest Level in Zealand Open Source Awards
This is a digest of the previous 24 hours (GMT day) of [News] postings
in comp.os.linux.advocacy. If you have any comments, suggestions or
remarks, please reply to this message and I will take account of all
that I can. The digest is created from my leafnode news spool, which is
pre-filtered, so some posters' articles might not appear.
Try the faq at: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/
for more information about cola.
Just like other public, unmoderated discussion fora, cola has
its share of disruptive posters. This blog has been created by
a concerned cola netizen to assist newcomers in identifying them:
http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/
In order to find the last week's digests, try:
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups/s...off&qt_s=Search
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message-ID: <98758695.j0Zzvm5G6f@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux Gets Fancy Web-based Applications for the Desktop
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:10:24 +0100
Pyro delivers Web apps to the Linux desktop
,----[ Quote ]
| The Pyro project has launched its "Pyro Desktop," a new Linux application
| with the lofty goal of "true integration between the Web and modern deskto
p
| computing." Pyro offers an interesting new approach to deploying Web-based
| applications on the Linux desktop, reminiscent of Opera's and Vista's
| widgets.
`----
http://desktoplinux.com/news/NS8083744407.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1627042.a0tcSmeMBe@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Igel and Keithley Choose GNU/Linux for Their New Product
s
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:12:13 +0100
Linux thin clients support virtualisation
,----[ Quote ]
| Igel is readying Linux-based thin clients capable of hosting VMware virtua
l
| machines. The company will ship Linux-based thin client firmware next week
| that adds support for VMware's Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), and
| optionally includes Leostream's VDI Connection Broker.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8459604605.html
Silicon wafer test systems switch to Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| The S600 systems formerly came with a Sun V240 workstation running Solaris
.
| Now, the company supplies the systems with a new x86-based control compute
r
| running Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), WS version 4, update 4, it says.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6761840514.html
Press releases without pictures were mention before. There are many more
details available now.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <6593644.yH9f2Ic8ln@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] The ECMA Hoax Exposed; More Microsoft OOXML Dirty Little
'Tricks'
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:22:56 +0100
ECMA: Stranger than Fiction
,----[ Quote ]
| I've joked about the Ecma process before, but I never thought I'd see it
| written out officially like this. Standards are made available "on time"?
| Minimise the "risk" of changes? I thought the whole purpose of technical
| review was to find the problems and fix them? As always, the man who pays
the
| piper calls the tune.
`----
http://www.robweir.com/blog/2007/07...an-fiction.html
Proprietising Standards
,----[ Quote ]
| But when you proprietise standards, you touch me. And that is precisely wh
at
| is happening with OOXML. Microsoft's own expert at the Portugal meeting sa
id
| so pointblank: Microsoft will add proprietary extensions, he said, to do
| things ODF can't do.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?...070720073215943
IEEE group changes voting rules
,----[ Quote ]
| I mention this because this general issue of stacking committees to force
| favourable votes is now under examination with respect to OOXML and the
| ISO/IEC JTC1 Fast Track process.
`----
http://www.sutor.com/newsite/blog-open/?p=1746
The whole OOXML mess smells really really bad. Everywhere you look. Where do
es
Microsoft find these people? Are they being brainwashed 'boot-camp style'
until they become so predatory and deceitful?
Related:
Guest Commentary: The converter hoax
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft maintains that while it would have been easy to support the Open
| Document Format (ODF) natively, it had to move to MS-OOXML because this wa
s
| the only way for them to offer the full features of its office suite. But
if
| Microsoft itself is not able to represent its internal data structures in
the
| Open Document Format (ODF) in its Microsoft Office suite, how could an
| external conversion programme from MS-OOXML accomplish this task? The answ
er to
| both questions is that it is not possible because two things cannot be the
| same and different at the same time. _ _ _
`----
http://www.heise.de/open/artikel/92735
http://www.openxml.info/index.php?o.../>
7&Itemid=13
Portugal's ISO says no room for IBM & Sun in the room ! ?
,----[ Translation ]
| Portugal, and more concretely, its national organisation of certification
IPQ
| is a member "O" (observator) of ISO/IEC for the voting of OOXML (ISO DIS
| 29500). _
|
| WARNING: the first meeting of the Technical Commission "Language for docum
ent
| definition" was on Monday 16 of July. The vote was delayed. Representative
s
| of IBM and Sun were not allowed to attend because there "was no available
| space in the room" _
|
| Dear G [Sun Microsystems] due of restricted number of members of the C
T
| (Commissao Tecnica) that can attend the scheduled meeting room to host the
| meeting, we cannot, in this stage, accept your proposal of integration of
the
| CT. _
|
| With my best regards,
| D [Microsoft as president of the Technical Commission]
`----
http://mv.asterisco.pt/2007/Jun/cat.cgi?MS%20OOXML
,----[ Translation ]
| _ _ * More details are emerging from Portugal regarding the kerfuffle th
ere
| _ _ over Ecma-376. If you read Portuguese, here you go -- just click on
the
| _ _ link. I asked a Groklaw member to do a rough translation, and if you
see
| _ _ ways to improve it, sing out, but it gives a bit of the history of h
ow
| _ _ this committee that has no room for Sun or IBM (see previous News Pi
cks
| _ _ item) was formed and how it happened to choose a Microsoft represent
ative
| _ _ to be president of the committee that decides whether to "approve"
| _ _ Microsoft's submission as a "standard". Unless I'm missing something
, it
| _ _ appears to have been set up so Microsoft can "approve" itself. Now t
hat's
| _ _ handy. Here's the translation of the part about how Microsoft is
| _ _ represented on this committeee with no room for IBM or Sun:] _ _
_ _ _
|
| _ _ _ I was present on the meeting of the Technical Commission (CT) cre
ated
| _ _ _ to award the ISO standards in the area of structured documents (i
n
| _ _ _ Portugal) _
|
| _ _ _ A Technical Commission (CT) did not exist when ISO 26300 (Open
| _ _ _ Document) was submitted neither when there was a submission of OO
XML
| _ _ _ (ECMA 376, potential ISO 29500) for the the fast track, and that
was
| _ _ _ the reason why Portugal did not submit any opinion nor had any ri
ght to
| _ _ _ vote. We expect that now, with the pressure made and the CT creat
ed
| _ _ _ there would be right to vote. _ _
|
| _ _ _ The CT was created by the Computing Institute, in which is delega
ted
| _ _ _ the responsability for the norms of the IT sector; a delegation g
ranted
| _ _ _ by the Portuguese Institute of Quality (IPQ), the point of contac
t of
| _ _ _ ISO in Portugal. Its creation is motivated mainly by the pressure
s and
| _ _ _ availability of some people when the proposal for fast tracking o
f
| _ _ _ OOXML and a neccessity to avail now the OOXML as standard ISO and
as a
| _ _ _ Portuguese National Standard _ _ _
|
| _ _ _ In the meeting they were present:
|
| _ _ * 2 persons from II (Instituto de Informatica [Computing Institu
te])
| _ _ * 1 person from the local government (Alentejo region)
| _ _ * 1 person from Jurinfor [Jurinfor is a Microsoft partner]
| _ _ * 2 persons from Microsoft
| _ _ * 1 person from Primavera [Primavera is a Microsoft partner]
| _ _ * 1 person from ISCTE
| _ _ * 2 persons from Assoft [reportedly, most members of ASSOFT are
Microsoft
| _ _ partners]
| _ _ * 1 person from the Inst. Informatica da Seg Social [Computing I
nstitute
| _ _ of the Social Welfare Department]
| _ _ * 1 person from the Inst. Tecn. Informacao da Justiça (eu) [Tec
hnical
| _ _ Institute Information of Justice (eu)]
|
| The meeting dealt basically with the bureaucracy details of the creation o
f
| the CT. It didn't go into details of OOXML; that discussion will be held i
n
| the next meeting, on July 16th about 14:30 in the II [Instituto de
| Informatica, I assume] _
|
| The CT, thus, was composed of 8 vocal elements, one representative for eac
h
| of the organisations present. The II [Instituto de Informatica] is arr
anging
| and hosting the initiative and is a not-named representative. _
|
| The 8 vocals will readily follow to the election of the president of the C
T.
| There was 1 candidate in the place (Miguel Sales Dias, from Microsoft). I
did
| not present my candidature but made myself available in case the rest of
| representatives deemed it neccesary -- informed not adequate since to begi
n
| with, as a member of the OpenDocument Alliance, I had a conflict of intere
st. _ _
|
| The vote results were 7 votes in favour of Miguel Sales Dias, of Microsoft
,
| who was designated to preside over the CT, and a (1) blank vote.
|
| It was decided to adopt consensus as the form of adoption of any proposed
| norm, following to majority vote in case there is no consensus in the CT a
nd
| if there is a strong opposition to submit any norm. _
`----
How the Game is Played: INCITS V1 Narrowly Votes Down OOXML
,----[ Quote ]
| As significantly, Rob reports that a very dramatic increase in the members
hip
| of V1 was observed in the months leading up to the vote – most of whom w
ere
| coincidentally were representatives of Microsoft business partners, and th
e
| great majority of whom voted as a block in favour of advancing the
| specification in a manner that would permit, and against any vote that wou
ld
| prevent, final approval as an ISO/IEC standard. _ _ _
`----
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/stand...urt-at-the-iso/
http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iow...000/PX03096.pdf
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1378763.CODAdztp0j@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Deals with Microsoft Mean Death to Individual Linux Comp
anies, Not GNU/Linux
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:24:47 +0100
Patent Deals With Microsoft Mean Death To Linux?
,----[ Quote ]
| These companies were given access to thousands of man hours worth of code
and
| software, and they repay this kindness by outwardly betraying the licence
| that made this possible for them in the first place.
|
| [...]
|
| Linux users are fine leaving things alone. Microsoft, on the other hand, s
ees
| things from a completely different perspective.
`----
http://www.madpenguin.org/cms/?m=show&id=7966
------------------------------
Message-ID: <17696684.FFnUKpGFEN@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Review of Lenovo's Linux-enabled New Laptop
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 03:47:26 +0100
First Look- ThinkPad T61p
,----[ Quote ]
| Another high point that can't be seen by looking at the system is that the
| system is Linux-certified and can run SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10, as
| well as Red Hat and Turbo Linux.
`----
http://www.xyzcomputing.com/index.p...sk=view&id=1112
Another new Linux laptop (preloaded customised Xandros) that gets into the
press:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xbox360update/858457418/
Related:
Lenovo Unveils Its Highest Performing Notebook: A Linux Workstation
,----[ Quote ]
| Lenovo on Tuesday introduced its highest performing notebook, a Linux mobi
le
| workstation powered by an Intel Centrino Pro processor.
`----
http://www.informationweek.com/news... />
7658864310
Lenovo says it will supply Linux in NZ pre-installed
,----[ Quote ]
| Good news, we say. But we also have to ask, why not promote this option mo
re?
`----
http://m-net.net.nz/1762/latest-new...z-pre-insta.php
San Diego rolls out laptops with Linux _
,----[ Quote ]
| For the project's hardware, San Diego is working with Lenovo to custom-des
ign
| the laptops.
|
| Officials in San Diego--the second-largest school district in
| California, with more than 130,000 students--hope that by implementing the
ir
| Always-On Learning Initiative cautiously instead of rushing head-first
| into the project, they will be able to avoid costly financial and
| technology mistakes that might hamper the initiative's progress.
|
| [...]
|
| For the project's hardware, San Diego is working with Lenovo to
| custom-design the laptops.
`----
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/sho...?ArticleID=7178
LCTP Series Linux Laptops
,----[ Quote ]
| Pre-loaded Red Hat/Fedora Linux, Ubuntu Linux; distribution CDs
| included. Optional Dual-Boot Install with Windows XP.
`----
http://www.linuxcertified.com/linux-laptop-lctp60.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <98758695.kX4fZWNzvL@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Wal-mart to Sell Ubuntu GNU/Linux PCs!
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 03:56:11 +0100
Wal-mart to offer low-cost Linux PC?
,----[ Quote ]
| Wal-Mart will sell a sub-$300 "back-to-school" PC this fall pre-loaded wit
h
| Microsoft Windows Vista and OpenOffice.org productivity software. The Ever
ex
| GC3502 PC is based on a 1.7GHz Via C7-D processor, and will be available
| later this year preloaded with Ubuntu Linux.
`----
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS6819255233.html
Dell, Lenovo, Epson, Acer, Asus...
H-P, Toshiba not confirmed yet...
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3579641.hCHApg6VBD@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux in the Economist
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 03:57:59 +0100
Hello world - Avoiding punitive roaming charges abroad
,----[ Quote ]
| Unlike the iPhone, the Neo comes with global positioning and navigation ma
ps,
| a slot for a Smart Digital memory card, and a Linux-style “applications
| manager” for downloading, updating or removing software applications. It
also
| offers BlackBerry-style instant e-mail along with the ability to synchroni
se
| with a PC.
|
| A host of applications—from exercise programmes and calorie counters to
| alcohol breathalysers—are being made available by a global community of
Linux
| programmers. Check out what’s coming at www.openmoko.org.
`----
http://www.economist.com/science/di...tory_id=9531007
No publication can escape the existence and importance of Linux.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2018866.85Rv1iBNIc@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux More Suitable for Mission-critical Systems (More A
ffordable Too)
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:02:20 +0100
Open source and mission critical: The Linux application server landscape
,----[ Quote ]
| In 2005, Michael Dortch, executive editor and director of IT infrastructur
e
| management strategies at the Robert Frances Group, penned a report compari
ng
| Linux application server total cost of ownership (TCO) with Microsoft's
| Windows and Sun Microsystems' Solaris. In that report, Linux won handily,
| prompting Dortch to recommend that all IT managers at least give the Linux
| application server a serious look for mission-critical data centre tasks.
|
| [...]
|
| What a lot of our clients are finding today, however, is that, with Linux
and
| Open Source application servers, the wisdom of the crowd has solved those
| standards-based problems. And because the management tools are freely
| available and malleable, they find that the big sell was "cheap and free"
but
| is now "What will complete my processes faster?" Open Source used to be
| inexpensive and free, but now IT is finding value [in it] because it's
more
| responsive and responsive.
`----
http://searchenterpriselinux.techta...806&uid=2087385
Related:
Forrester: Open Source is everywhere, and increasingly used for
mission-critical applications
,----[ Quote ]
| Forrester just issued an insightful report on the increasing adoption
| of Open Source in the enterprise. The verdict? Open Source is everywhere,
| and taking an ever-increasing piece of the enterprise pie
`----
http://weblog.infoworld.com/openres...e.aspx?id=20569
Linux Crossing Threshold to Real Mission Critical Computing
,----[ Quote ]
| ...Linux developers are steadily chipping away at the most
| significant functional gaps that limited its suitability for
| these workloads in the past, allowing it to progress far beyond the
| "edge of network" domain where it has traditionally thrived. The
| impressive wins by Novell and Red Hat prove that user perceptions
| about Linux's limitations are gradually crumbling as well.
`----
http://ideasint.blogs.com/ideasinsi..._crossing_.html
Linux goes to Wall Street, puts on a show
,----[ Quote ]
| "The Financial Services firms are leading the enterprise adoption of
| Open Source technology, including Linux," says Zachary. "By watching
| the consumption patterns of these firms, Open Source vendors can
| gain a good understanding of the types of products and services
| that are commercially viable.
|
| [...]
|
| "We see a growing role for Open Source software beyond Linux in
| financial services companies and that's why many companies are
| expanding the governance policies and procedures around using
| Open Source software."
`----
http://community.linux.com/article....310216&from=rss
Next Gen, Mission-Critical Apps To Be Deployed on Linux Says Report
,----[ Quote ]
| By now it should be obvious to even the most casual industry observers
| that Linux operating systems - and open source-based software in general -
| have reached critical marketplace mass. Recent Linux deals and
| announcements by Oracle and Microsoft have only reinforced the "open
| source is enterprise-grade" message that IBM, Unisys and other "Master
| Brand" hardware, software and services vendors have been preaching for
| years. In short, open source, especially Linux, is becoming "legitimised"
| by the major vendors for enterprise environments, and user executives
| are more than happy to believe them.
`----
http://www.linuxelectrons.com/News/...nux_Says_Report
CIO study finds Linux ready for prime-time
,----[ Quote ]
| The company predicts a steep rise: only 18 percent of businesses
| will be using Linux in business-critical roles by the end of 2007.
|
| "Linux operating systems - and open source-based software in general
| - have reached critical marketplace mass," said the study's authors,
| Bruce Guptill and Bill McNee of Saugatuck Research.
`----
http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news...RSS&NewsID=7681
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2320328.8DPN9p4mAK@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linspire in Trouble After Microsoft Deal, KC Responds
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:04:38 +0100
Freespire, Linspire, and Microsoft patents
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft denies that this is the case, and argues that, in particular, th
e
| GPLv3 has nothing to do with it. However, with its July 5 Covenant to
| Customers concerning its Linspire deal, Microsoft is trying to put even mo
re
| distance between any potential patent claims and the GPLv3.
`----
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7598947159.html
Wow. I've never been called "a well-known open-source advocate and author"
before...
------------------------------
Message-ID: <10685915.B2foO1xMbi@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux Kernel Gets a Large Number of New Features
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:08:33 +0100
Linux: Xen Merged
,----[ Quote ]
| The Xen virtual machine monitor was recently merged into the upcoming 2.6.
23
| Linux kernel in a series of patches from Jeremy Fitzhardinge.
`----
http://kerneltrap.org/node/13917
Linux: lguest Merged
,----[ Quote ]
| Rusty Russell's lguest was recently merged into the upcoming 2.6.23 Linux
| kernel.
`----
http://kerneltrap.org/node/13916
Linux kernel gains virtual SAN drivers
,----[ Quote ]
| The mainline Linux kernel will gain new support this quarter for virtualis
ed
| SANs (storage area networks).
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8736773877.html
This was probably mentioned before.
Related:
Linux contributor base broadens
,----[ Quote ]
| With more companies funding Linux work, the core hackers now delegate
| 70% of the coding
`----
http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2007...butor-base.html
Linux Summit: Forget Microsoft. Let's Get Back To Development
,----[ Quote ]
| "We add 2,000 lines of code a day to the Linux kernel. We work on
| 2,800 lines of code a day. I've never seen the pace of change that
| Linux has shown," said kernel developer Greg Kroah-Hartman, citing
| the accelerated pace on the Open Source operating system.
| _ _ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^
`----
http://www.informationweek.com/news...cleID=199904052
Linux Symposium 2007 - a summary
,----[ Quote ]
| Greg Kroah-Hartman has been digging through the kernel source repositories
| for statistics much like your editor has. The resulting numbers are simila
r,
| though Greg has cranked through the full 2+ years of history in the mainli
ne
| git repository and, thus, has a longer-term sort of view. Among other thin
gs,
| he concluded that, in that time, the kernel developers have averaged almos
t
| three changes per hour - every hour - during that time. About 2000 lines o
f
| code are added every day. That is a pace of development which is matched b
y
| few - if any - projects anywhere in the world. Greg also notes that the
| number of developers involved is growing with each release. This, he says,
is
| a good sign; the kernel community is bringing in new developers, important
to
| keep the process healthy. _ _ _ _ _
`----
http://lwn.net/Articles/240402/
40 feet of kernel developers
,----[ Quote ]
| OveQuoter 40 feet long, hopefully I can find a wall that long for people t
o
| be able to look at the thing...
|
| I also uploaded the PDF files if others want to try their hand at printing
| this monstrosity out.
`----
http://www.kroah.com/log/diary
Kernel Comparison for Linux (2.6.18) verses Windows (2003 R2)
,----[ Quote ]
| This aims to be the most comprehensive kernel comparison of the
| latest most popular Unix style kernel verses the latest most
| popular current kernel.
`----
http://widefox.pbwiki.com/ Kernel%2...0Windo
ws
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2242026.Y2A5i6rtMv@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Mandriva Shows Its Love for Intel's WinXP/Linpsire Lapto
p
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 05:30:46 +0100
Mandriva & Intel Showcase the Intel-powered classmate PC at the KDE Develope
rs
Conference
,----[ Quote ]
| Mandriva & Intel presented and demonstrated the Intel-powered classmatePC
to
| KDE developers at the aKademy 2007 conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
`----
http://www.hartware.de/press_6844.html
See this one...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pioneeradam/859019604/
Cute, but a ripoff. Free software != lottery.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1411111.Mc3lHsl017@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Windopz "7" -- Not This Decade (Vista Or Not
hing Until 2010 or Beyond!)
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 07:04:01 +0100
Oh. My. God. Vapourware tactics. Again.
Next version of Windows: Call it 7
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is planning to ship its next major version of Windows--known
| internally as version "7"--within roughly three years, CNET News.com has
| learnt.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9593_22-6197943.html
What happened to the "2008 promise"? Ballmer, are you watching? "2-year rele
ase
cycle"? Is Fiji just the Service Pack (i.e. when Vista is no longer alpha
quality)?
One wonders if the name "7" is an indication of some immaturity. Either way,
such an announcement is surely going to drive _a lot_ of people (and
especially businesses) away to Macs and Linux. It also confirms that the cod
e
is a total mess (see below) and explains why Microsoft attacks Linux so
viciously, even trying to attach itself to it before GPLv3 was finalised.
More here:
Windows Seven: Think 2010
,----[ Quote ]
| Yes, it is going to take us at least three years to release Windows Seven.
| Longer if it’s buggy and doesn’t hit the “quality bar.”
|
| The Windows teams a while back set themselves the goal of releasing new
| versions of Windows client and Windows server every two years, alternating
| between major and minor releases.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=592
Related:
More than half of Microsoft Vista needs re-writing
,----[ Quote ]
| "Up to 60% of the code in the new consumer version of Microsoft new Vista
| operating system is set to be rewritten..."
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=30516
Microsoft cuts Windows virtualisation features
,----[ Quote ]
| The company is changing three key features of the hypervisor
| technology to try to stick to its schedule of releasing the
| technology within 180 days of completing its Windows Server
| "Longhorn" operating system, due to be finalised before the
| end of the year.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6182852.html
,----[ Quote ]
| "In the long years since XP was launched, Apple have come out with five
| major upgrades to OS X, upgrades which (dare I say it?) install with about
| as much effort as it takes to brush your teeth in the morning. No nightmar
e
| calls to tech-support, no sudden hardware incompatibilities, no hassle. Wh
y
| hasn't Microsoft kept up? Unmaintainable"
|
| "Right now, Microsoft has nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. After all
| the hype surrounding Vista, the Emperor has finally been revealed in all
| his naked glory. Some folks have been predicting the demise of Microsoft.
I
| wouldn't go that far, but I am wondering how we?re ever going to take
| Microsoft seriously again?"
`----
http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2007/...ista_end_dream/
A history of Microsoft Windows - the inside story exposed
,----[ Quote ]
| 2004: (...)
| THE MANAGEMENT: "What do you mean it still doesn't work? Try
| harder!"
|
| 2005: (...)
| "MAKE IT WORK! FOR GOD'S SAKE, MAKE IT WORK! Well, throw it away
| and use the server version then, that seems all right. Look, they
| won't know the difference, drop the database stuff, nobody remembers
| what we said in 1995 now! That was ten years ago! "Apple has what?
| 3D acceleration? So, we have DirectX. What, in the desktop? Really?
| What, even Stallman's beardie-weirdies have it? Oh hell. Right, you
| lot, make it look like this!"
|
| 2006: Windows Vista
| THE MANAGEMENT: "Look, if we trickle it out to those mugs, I mean,
| valued customers who've already paid, we can say we released it this
| year and it'll buy us some more time..."
|
| 2007: No, really Windows Vista, honest
| MARKETING DEPT: "Never mind the features, look at it! Isn't it shiny?
| Yes! Pretty!"
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37962
Microsoft admits Vista screwed - report
,----[ Quote ]
| Vista SP1 is code named "Fiji", presumably after a pretty looking
| island which is paralysed by coups.
|
| In a statement regarding the service pack Microsoft admits that
| Vista has "high impact" problems.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37125
MS Insider: The Office Crew Isn't Smart Enough to Supplant Real Windows
Developers
,----[ Quote ]
| "With Alchin retiring, MarkL and MarkZ, two of the most talented
| architects in MS already having left, the picture gets really
| ugly for the Windows division," my friend claimed, and the BV's
| core team members, Ian McDonald, Jack Mayo, Todd Wanke, Clyde
| Rodriguez and others are starting to connect the dots.
|
| [...]
|
| He concluded ominously. "A trainwreck of biblical proportions looms.
| Pick a good seat on the sidelines, trainwrecks this large take
| awhile to complete. Vista may be the last MS OS for some time to
| come, especially if Cutler decides to play hardball."
`----
http://www.emailbattles.com/2006/09...ows-developers/
http://tinyurl.com/35eqrt
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2149378.dirguM1mKz@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft's Dishonesty and Secrecy Leads to
Frustration
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 07:07:48 +0100
Can Microsoft create a reality-distortion field?
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has shown itself adept at exaggerating the importance of
| its “breakthroughs.” (Windows Vista, case in point.)
|
| [...]
|
| Will Microsoft’s new era of “no comment” help usher in a Microsoft R
DF? Is an
| RDF something Microsoft should desire to emulate in the first place? (My
| vote: No.) What do you think?
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=590
Related:
Skeletons in Microsoft’s Patch Day closet
,----[ Quote ]
| This is the first time I’ve seen Microsoft prominently admit to silently
| fixing vulnerabilities in its bulletins — a controversial practice that
| effectively reduces the number of publicly documented bug fixes (for those
| keeping count) and affects patch management/deployment decisions.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=316
Beware of undisclosed Microsoft patches
,----[ Quote ]
| Forget for a moment whether Microsoft is throwing off patch counts
| that Microsoft brass use to compare its security record with those
| of its competitors. What do you think of Redmond’s silent patching
| practice?
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=527
Microsoft's Jeff Bell Calls Out Message Board Poster
,----[ Quote ]
| he poster was especially critical of Bell during the press conference,
| which Bell didn't take kindly to, as his private message read:
|
| _ _ "And your contribution to society is...what?"
|
| Wait, wait, wait. It's one thing to insinuate a high-ranking Microsoft
| executive has effectively called you out, but the connections grew as more
| people started watching the train wreck. _
|
| [...]
|
| We're still waiting on a response from Microsoft, but between Peter Moore
| leaving for EA Sports and a top-ranking executive taking message board tau
nts
| to heart, it's been an interesting week for the company. _
`----
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3161391
Microsoft : Arrogance leads to Vulnerability
,----[ Quote ]
| Chatting with the Microsoft senior sales people, I was struck by
| their incredible arrogance. They know the company?s products are good,
| but they have no qualms whatsoever about charging top dollar as a
| result.
|
| It reminds us how Microsoft used to behave when it comes to their
| products' security records. IE5 and 6 were nothing short of being
| proper Swiss Cheese with loads of holes in them but hey, they had 95%
| of the browser market at that time and couldn't care less.
`----
http://securityblog.itproportal.com/?p=514
INSECURITY WARNING -- Windows Vista and W2K3 Server Do Not Support SNMP v3
,----[ Quote ]
| Some computers may get compromised, unfortunately, because Microsoft
| has chosen to go this route.
`----
http://www.libervis.com/topic/ inse...support_snmp_v3
Funny Thing - M$
,----[ Quote ]
| Last night Joe and I got in this huge discussion, and I was cursing out
| Microsoft. It’s been rough the past couple of days and M$ has not been m
aking
| my life very easy. Every time I turn around I have to ghetto-fy my web sit
es
| to make them work in IE… _
|
| See… There are these things called Web Standards which were put into pla
ce to
| make web designer’s lives easier. As in, if they script to web standards
,
| then all standards compliant browsers will show the site exactly correct.
| Well, I always script to web standards. The PROBLEM is that Microsoft deci
des
| that they are just going to do things THEIR way... _ _
|
| [...]
|
| Besides the fact that all of the Microsoft employees I have ever encounter
ed
| must have been brainwashed. I don’t know where they dig these people up.
|
| [...]
|
| And if they AREN’T brainwashing them, then they are just hiring incompet
ant,
| pompous dumbasses. And if either is the case, why should anyone support th
eir
| company? _
`----
http://www.camp-site.org/blog/?p=21
Microsoft Is Sheer Arrogant Claim Xbox 360 Customers
,----[ Quote ]
| "Sheer arrogance from MS and they have lost what was once a loyal customer
,
| I will never purchase another MS product again!! As a consumer I expect
| and Demand to be treated better than that or simply put I will take my
| business elsewhere!"
`----
http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Gaming/Console/J2Q7C5X9
How Microsoft Refused to Speak With Me About Windows Error Reporting
,----[ Quote ]
| Have you ever wondered what really happens to those Windows error reports
you
| can send to Microsoft whenever a Windows app crashes? How many reports it
| must receive before taking action? Or whether it's worth your time and eff
ort
| to send duplicate reports if the error occurs repeatedly? _ I did, and I
| asked Microsoft. Unfortunately, after a week and a handful of assurances t
hat
| they were working on responses, the software giant refused to speak with m
e. _ _
`----
http://advice.cio.com/al_sacco/ how...r_reporting_wer
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3230479.MNyPgKXxYN@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] FFII President Explains What OOXML is REALLY About
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 07:12:00 +0100
Fighting OOXML
,----[ Quote ]
| The normally boring world of international standards has turned into a blo
ody
| fist fight between the most brutal monopolist of modern times, and the
| Community. Just the name, “Office Open XML” makes my head spin, and wh
en I
| start to read Microsoft’s so-sincere explanations that “users demand m
ultiple
| standards”, my blood begins to boil. But before I turn green and rip off
my
| shirt, let me take a deep breath and look calmly at how Microsoft is tryin
g
| to do to ISO what Borat wanted to do to Pamela.
|
| [...]
|
| This fight is over the future of Microsoft’s desktop monopoly. If OOXML
gets
| passed as an ISO standard, Microsoft will be rolling out more ‘standards
’ and
| end up with a stack of ISO standards that only it can implement. It is
| already spinning “open standard” to mean “closed format heavily prot
ected by
| secrets and patents”. Free software won’t be able to implement OOXML,
and
| users will be locked-in to Microsoft’s proprietary world for decades. It
’s a
| clever abuse of the standards process.
`----
http://www.fsdaily.com/Community/Fighting_OOXML-1/
Microsoft Sprang October Surprise on Novell
,----[ Quote ]
| Ahh, it seems that Novell didn't know until two weeks before its infamous
| deal with Microsoft was announced that there was a sine qua non patent
| component to the thing. The poor little innocent thought Microsoft was
| negotiating interoperability for the sake of interoperability until Micros
oft
| had Novell salivating like Pavlov's dogs and then Microsoft explained the
| fact of life. We have this tale from someone who was there and says it's
| true.
`----
http://www.sys-con.com/read/405243.htm
Noooxml-club -- NoOOXML CLub
https://lists.ffii.org/mailman/listinfo/noooxml-club
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1396367.Tk0X0DnHhV@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] motorola Must Now Concentrate on Linux
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 07:21:18 +0100
Opinion: Buh-Bye, Moto
,----[ Quote ]
| On the high end, motorola needs to work their new and highly-touted Linux
| expertise and recruit the open-source community to create a passionate new
| world of motorola fanatics. Drop all that music-phone nonsense that you're
| not particularly good at. Instead, open up your devices, join those
| Open-Everything consortiums and promote your high-end phones heavily in
| Europe and Asia as powerful platforms free of the expensive burdens of
| proprietary intellectual property.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20070720/tc_zd/212015
Related:
,----[ Quote ]
| "Linux will take a significant--I'm not allowed to say 'dominant'--market
| share of mobile phone operating systems," she predicted. motorola expects
| 60% of its phones will use a version of embedded Linux "in a short
| time," Wyatt said.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20070617/tc_cmp/199904892
Motorola selling Razr2 phone in S.Korea
,----[ Quote ]
| motorola accounted for 11.5 percent of the Korean handset market as of the
| end of April. Samsung Electronics Co. held 55 percent and LG Electronics I
nc.
| had 19 percent, according to Korea-based ATLAS Research Group.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070629..._motorola_razr2
Motorola Announces Intention to Form Industry-wide Consortium to Lead OpenSA
F
Project
,----[ Quote ]
| The company also announced the first release of the Open Source code
| related to the project. The consortium also will manage any future
| development of the OpenSAF code base. Leading companies including
| Ericsson, HP and nokia Siemens Networks have expressed support for
| this initiative.
|
| The Open Source project will establish a broadly adopted high availability
| operating environment that can be leveraged by computing technology
| companies, _
`----
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/...se,130782.shtml
Motorola Unlocks IPTV Set-Tops
,----[ Quote ]
| motorola is opening up access to the software in its VIP 1200
| Internet-protocol-TV set-top boxes with an application-development platfor
m
| based on the Linux operating environment. _
`----
http://www.multichannel.com/article...ndustryid=47194
Motorola touts Linux support for 32-way ATCA blade
,----[ Quote ]
| Some of the first widely available 64-bit chips were based on Alpha,
| and Alpha was the second architecture (after x86) to support Linux,
| back in the mid-90s. Linux founder Linus Torvalds wrote the
| port himself, paving the way for ports to many other
| architectures, which quickly followed.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8399120644.html
Review: Motorola's Linux Powered ROKR Z6
,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola's MOTOROKR Z6 has an awful lot going for it. It has a capable
| music player, takes good photos, and offers new voice technology that
| we've _
| never seen from a major manufacturer. It is, to be sure, an eminently
| enjoyable slider phone. I would have liked for its internal antenna to
| have _
| performed a bit more strongly and I'm not real fond of the d-pad's nail
| file like surface, but apart from those few things, I really have enjoyed
| the past few weeks I've had with the Z6.
|
| I'm very pleased to be able to give the motorola ROKR Z6 a "Highly
| Recommended" rating.
`----
http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Page=1&Id=3379
Motorola finally launches U.S. Linux phone
,----[ Quote ]
| Linux/Java has topped CEO Ed Zander's list of things to look for
| from motorola as it attempts a financial turnaround. At a New
| York press conference this morning, Zander introduced Linux-based"
| Rokr" and "Razr2" models, along with new top-level executives.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8879219087.html
Moto ROKR e6 Linux-Based Smartphone Gets Screen Time
,----[ Quote ]
| It's exiciting that Moto's not using Windows Mobile for its smartphones
| but making its own Linux-based OS. Samsung is rumoured to be doing the
| same thing, but hasn't had the speed Moto's enjoying. While we'd like
| to see anyone make an alternative to WinMo, the jury's still out on if
| Linux is the answer.
`----
http://crunchgear.com/2007/05/02/mo...n-t
ime/
Mot ships 800,000th Linux-based IP-STB
,----[ Quote ]
| motorola said its millionth IP-STB to ship was a VIP1510 model
| (pictured above), which runs Linux on a MIPS-based processor
| with hardware MPEG-2 acceleration. The company also offers
| 17xx-series IP-STBs with both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 acceleration,
| and a VIP1200 model, said to support standard- and high-definition
| (SD/HD) video, surround sound, and interactive applications such
| as multi-cast and VoD (video-on-demand).
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5096707139.html
Hands On With The First iDen Linux Phone
,----[ Quote ]
| Nextel's iDen network isn't dead, motorola says. To prove that they're
| still innovating in iDen phones, they showed a surprise new handset
| today at CTIA: the i876, the first iDen phone based on Motorola's
| new Linux/Java platform.
`----
http://www.gearlog.com/2007/03/hand...irst_iden_l.php
The motorola LAZR?
,----[ Quote ]
| Features of the chromed-out clamshell are said to include a half gig
| of internal storage with no expansion slot, Linux (a trend we'll see
| more and more in Moto's new models), some manner of text-to-speech
| system for emails and SMSes, and a frickin' two inch external display.
`----
http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/24/the-motorola-lazr/
Motorola E690 PDA phone with Linux on board
,----[ Quote ]
| It seems that they are returning to the penguin with their next
| offering, the E690 PDA phone. Naturally, it rocks quite the slim
| profile (what else would you expect given the relative popularity
| of the Q and the RAZR); in fact, its styling is eerily reminiscent
| of the SLVR L7, less the numpad.
`----
http://www.htlounge.net/articles/18...-boar
d-
Motorola Initiates Industry-wide Project to Create Open Source High
Availability Operating Environment Based on Service Availability Forum
Standards
,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola, Inc. today announced it is initiating a new open source
| project to develop a complete high availability operating
| environment based on Service Availability Forum(TM) (SA Forum)
| standards.
|
| ... Combined with ATCA based hardware and a Carrier Grade Linux operating
| system, OpenSAF provides a key high-availability component to complete a
| full carrier grade commercial-off-the-shelf solution.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070228/cgw014.html?.v=88
Motorola touts new Linux/Java phone platform
,----[ Quote ]
| motorola is showcasing its Linux and "kJava" based music phone for
| U.S. and European markets, at the 3GSM World Congress this week
| in Barcelona. The MotoRIZR Z6 is said to be based on a "new Linux
| operating system that incorporates kJava."
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5483295736.html
Motorola Announces New 10Gbps AdvancedTCA Communications Servers
,----[ Quote ]
| Centellis 4000 will include support for Wind River® Platform for
| Network Equipment, Linux Edition and MontaVista Linux Carrier
| Grade Edition, offering customers choice as well as demonstrating
| the flexibility of its open systems. The Centellis 4000 platform
| and associated 10G Blades are designed for Communications
| Platforms Trade Alliance (CP-TA) compliance.
`----
http://www.linuxelectrons.com/News/...cations_Servers
http://tinyurl.com/2jg6o5
64 million smart phones shipped
,----[ Quote ]
| Linux devices represented over 90 per cent of the 1.5 million phones
| motorola shipped in Q4, while three quarters of both RIM and Palm's
| shipments were in North America.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37571
FEATURE: Mobile Linux: Why it will become the dominant mobile OS
,----[ Quote ]
| I see the mobile Linux wave out in the ocean and am sounding the
| alarm--the mobile Linux tide is rising. Be prepared.
`----
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story...e-os/2007-01-03
Linux expected to be leading Smartphone OS market by 2010
,----[ Quote ]
| I just came across this research by Diffusion Group, which found
| that Linux is set to become the leading Smartphone OS by 2010.
`----
http://irfanhabib.wordpress.com/200...r />
-by-2010/
Shifting Gears at Motorola
,----[ Quote ]
| To address a steep drop in profits, CEO Ed Zander is cutting jobs and
| betting on an open-source software platform for smarter phones
`----
http://www.businessweek.com/technol...0119_186156.htm
Motorola makes Linux breakthrough with RIZR Z6
,----[ Quote ]
| Motorola's first Linux handset for the US market, the RIZR Z6, is
| also likely to be the first in the industry to run an "open"
| operating system - Linux, Symbian OS or Windows on a single-
| rather than dual-processor architecture.
|
| This shows that Linux is making significant improvements in its
| suitability to be an operating system for mobile devices, and
| could give motorola a significant headstart in the battle to
| create low power, low cost smartphones.
|
| [...]
|
| The RIZR Z6, demonstrated at the CES show and expected to ship by
| mid year, is said to be based on Freescale's i.MX31 system-on-chip,
| one of the first to use the ARM11 core. motorola will also add a
| new, faster Linux user interface, called JUIX (pronounced "juice").
|
| As Linux becomes more mainstream in cellphones, many players are
| seeking to address its user interface shortcomings, notably Nokia,
| which has become a Linux convert of late, and Access, the Japanese
| browser maker that acquired Palmsource and is adapting the
| well-liked Palm UI for mobile Linux.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/0...la_linux_phone/
Review: motorola ROKR E2 Music Phone
,----[ Quote ]
| Conclusion
|
| I am really happy with the motorola ROKR E2. I like its funky looks
| and I certainly love the new UI. I am glad that motorola is finally
| shaping up and realising all the shortcomings of its previous aging UI.
`----
http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Page=1&Id=2983
Motorola Begins Bringing Linux To Market
,----[ Quote ]
| motorola today announced two upgraded devices it hopes will bring
| Linux into the hands of mainstream users - even in the US.
`---- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=2021
Motorola A910 Linux Phone Gets FCC Approval
,----[ Quote ]
| The phone runs a special Linux-Java operating system and
| boasts WiFi connectivity over UMA. The A910 is equipped
| with a 1.3 megapixel camera and Lumi-LED Flash technology.
`----
http://www.mobilewhack.com/reviews/...al.htm
l
http://tinyurl.com/y5whve
Can Linux save Mot's mobile phone biz?
,----[ Quote ]
| According to a report at the Chicago-area Daily Herald, Motorola
| CEO Ed Zander blamed poor earnings on lower unit volumes and
| greater-than-expected global price competition, particularly
| in India, Africa, and South Asia.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2046550275.html
Sound of good music - motorola Rokr Z6
,----[ Quote ]
| One of the more impressive aspects of the new Z6 is its voice-dialing syst
em,
| a credit that goes to Motorola’s new Linux platform.
|
| The function comes handy especially while driving a car, or doing somethin
g
| where the user cannot physically reach the handset. The email management
| system found on the Z6 is satisfactory; the only thing it lacks is Push Ma
il.
`----
http://www.business-standard.com/co...>
ft=0&chkFlg=
Motorola Replaces Bitfone with Red Bend Client for FOTA
,----[ Quote ]
| The Waltham, Massachusetts-based developer of FOTA technology has
| unveiled a global contract to provide motorola with its vCurrent
| Mobile client for bundling onto "select motorola mobile devices --
| including a number of handsets based on Motorola's Linux-Java
| software platform" in order for firmware updates to be sent to
| them by the manufacturer itself and by its mobile operator customers.
`----
http://www.computerwire.com/industr...
85A798D
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1261725.5DbKYZPj6R@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux Summits and Conferences Coming Shortly
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:34:31 +0100
Software Freedom Law Centre to Host Legal Summit
,----[ Quote ]
| A few years ago, the idea that savvy developers and IT professionals would
| need to know anything about intellectual property law would have been
| dismissed as a bad joke.
`----
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,175...3129TX1K0000616
Ubuntu Live and OSCON: Open-Source Software Heads Northwest
,----[ Quote ]
| Ubuntu Live, which runs Sunday July 22 through Tuesday July 24, is the
| first "official" event for the Ubuntu community. It's really perfect timin
g
| for such an event, as there has been quite a bit of forward movement for
| Linux on the desktop in the last few months.
`----
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2...u-live-and.html
Dell will be there as well. Maybe H-P will make some big announcement.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1808574.7kWyLrMkcW@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Simpilicity Wins Tomorrow's Computer Generation
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:37:22 +0100
A revolutionary idea for tomorrow’s PCs
,----[ Quote ]
| Big operating system vendors could lose out big-time in a distributed Linu
x
| world. In some ways this is unfortunate, whether you like them or not thos
e
| companies have made a huge contribution to computing in the last couple of
| decades, keeping pace with user demand while innovating along the way.
`----
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com...w_s_p
cs
Very large article.
Test group claims AMD still leads on power efficiency
,----[ Quote ]
| The test is a client server benchmark where world wide web transactions ar
e
| processed against a server configured with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server fr
om
| Novell, the Apache2 web server software and the mysql relational database.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=41138
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1290102.11Kf3onolV@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] India's Press Covers Linux Live CDs, MSBBC Covers Window
s Zombies
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:41:54 +0100
Live CDs: icebreakers to open sourcing Indian Education
,----[ Quote ]
| Sangeeta Naik argues that live CDs can make a significant difference to
| education in India.
`----
http://www.expresscomputeronline.co...hnology02.shtml
Net criminals shun virus attacks
,----[ Quote ]
| Computers, usually Windows machines, get enrolled in a botnet when their
| owners open an e-mail bearing a virus or visit a booby-trapped webpage.
`----
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6908064.stm
What does the BBC mean by "usually"? Show me that Mac botnet. Show me! :-)
[ They are always Windows machines. Always. Presumably Ashley Highfiel
d
has been on his Redmond Marketing Course... always blame the user,
never the Microsoft part. It doesn't bode well for when the Microsoft
(MS-BBC) iPlayer comes along and doesn't work properly - this will
also be, by definition, the user's fault, I'm sure. I wonder how A.H.
sleeps at night? Ed. ]
Related:
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
http://slated.org/bbc_microsoft_bias
------------------------------
Message-ID: <592500035.YsZUgzq1jW@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Luis Villa Debunks the GPLv3 Myths (Created by Microsoft
and Ilk)
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:43:22 +0100
GPL v3 Q&A with Luis Villa
,----[ Quote ]
| Most users won’t see any change from the shift from v2 to v3- they’ll
be able
| to keep trucking, since users have all the same rights they used to have,
| plus a few new ones. There are new requirements for contributors and
| distributors, but they should be threatening only to the small minority of
| companies who want to benefit from the GPL while competing on a basis othe
r
| than quality and service.
`----
http://www.redhatmagazine.com/2007/...ith-luis-villa/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1959405.TacNiRvenu@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Free and Open Source Software Improving, Collaboration M
erits Listed
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:48:06 +0100
Ready, steady... Sprint! Creating open-source ECM
,----[ Quote ]
| Holding focused meetings, also known as "sprints," over several days to
| develop, test, and document software is proving very helpful to the
| open-source Plone community in quickly adding more functionality to its
| content management software.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/2...infoworld/90360
Sun developing Open Source JavaFX Script compiler
,----[ Quote ]
| Source code for an experimental JavaFX compiler that supports a limited
| subset of the JavaFX Script is already available, and Sun hopes to work
| closely with the Open Source software community to create a complete JavaF
X
| Script compiler that supports that entire language.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/journals/lin...script-compiler
Open source configuration management tool and community gather steam
,----[ Qoute ]
| With some 3,500 downloads and support for more than 1,000 devices from the
| likes of Cisco, Juniper, Check Point and others, ZipTie can help network
| managers leave manual inventory and configuration management practices
| behind, supporters say.
`----
http://www.linuxworld.com/newslette...7/0716nsm2.html
Five Things Wikipedia's Founder Has Learnt About Online Collaboration
,----[ Quote ]
| Speed is incredibly important. A fast and flexible system will always beat
a
| paranoid system that wants to get everything right before publication.
`----
http://www.cio.com/article/121711
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2818434.nMuRgmWr5L@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Puppy Linux 2.17 Released, Sylbal 07.1 (Linux) is Out
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:51:36 +0100
Puppy Linux 2.17 Just Released
,----[ Quote ]
| Puppy Linux, started by Barry Kauler, is a small (28-72M), fully featured
| Linux distribution.
`----
http://www.puppylinux.org/user/viewpage.php?page_id=3
Sylbal 07.1 (Linux) Released
,----[ Quote ]
| PapugLinux is a minimal GNU/Linux live CD based on the Gentoo Linux
| distribution for x86 computer architecture.
`----
http://www.sylbal.net/papugLinux/papugOverview.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3289625.5Jl3NgOJjo@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Zune Fanfare "a Fart in a Bathtub"
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:32:54 +0100
Zune tops million mark, again
,----[ Quote ]
| After the false alarm back in May, yesterday's announcement that Microsoft
| has now officially reached their goal of one million Zunes sold (or is tha
t
| shipped?) had about as much fanfare as a fart in a bathtub.
`----
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-97...1_3-0-
5
So, Microsoft deceived on numbers and now it keeps deliberately quiet. It ha
s
done the same thing with XBox360 and Vista. can this company ever be trusted
?
[ This will be in shops, not sold. It will not show the number of retur
ns,
either. Ed. ]
Related:
,----[ Quote ]
| "This is a relic of old-line consumer products companies like Philip
| Morris, or fraudsters like Miniscribe who literally shipped bricks in
| lieu of disk drives to hit sales targets.
|
| [...]
|
| Channel stuffing is the business practice where a company or a sales
| force within a company inflates its sales figures by forcing more
| products through a distribution channel than the channel is capable
| of selling to the world at large.
|
| [...]
|
| We have a game we play around the office here with Microsoft press
| releases. The game is, "Find the words that make the headline true."
| It's not always easy.
|
| [...]
|
| Sony, like Microsoft, announces units shipped, not actually sold.
| This allows both companies to advertise sales numbers based on how
| many units they can force retailers to accept, not on how many units
| customers actually buy; both have considerable market power to push
| excess unsold inventory into the channel."
`----
http://www.informationarbitrage.com...soft_phili.html
Uh-Oh, Vista! PC Sales Levels Are Normal
,----[ Quote ]
| "Vista hasn't been a catalyst for PC sales," he said. "Looking at the
| weekly data, there really isn't anything happening with sales that
| has anything to do with Vista."
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/cont...a
l.html
Is that 1 Million Zunes Shipped or Sold?
,----[ Quote ]
| Stephen Baker, NPD's vice president of industry analysis, says he believes
| that Microsoft could have shipped 1 million Zunes. "They have not sold 1
| million players through nor do I believe they will by the end of June," he
| said. "That number is likely to be around 750,000."
|
| Microsoft's modest sales goal--at least compared to more than 100
| million iPods--may or may not be in sight, depending on whether
| that number is shipped or sold.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/cont...2129TX1K0000535
Rumour: Is Microsoft cheating their [Xbox 360] sales?
,----[ Quote ]
| All in all, there are some sobering thoughts with very broad implications
| for any company if that were true. That being said, would you buy
| from Microsoft, or any other company for that matter, if they were
| cheating their sales?
`----
[url]http://xbox360.qj.net/Rumor-Is-Microsoft-cheating-their-sales-/pg/49/aid/89595[/ur
l]
Open Source Fights Back
,----[ Quote ]
| Question: The OpenSourceParking.com announcement cites a Netcraft
| report, which found that GoDaddy.com's migration from Linux to Windows
| caused Apache to lose server share. Was this event the sole impetus
| for OpenSourceParking.com?
|
| Perens: Not the first. It's part of a continuing behaviour pattern by
| Microsoft that I think it's fair to call "dirty fighting." GoDaddy was
| using Apache (I assume on Linux) because it was a great technical
| solution. They didn't switch to IIS on Windows Server 2003 for any
| technical reason. The switch was accompanied by a press release by
| GoDaddy, containing Microsoft promotional language. Now, I've changed
| many servers from one thing to another, but I've never made a press
| release about it. GoDaddy wouldn't be doing that unless Microsoft had
| offered them something valuable in return. There has been talk in the
| domain business that Microsoft has been offering the large domain
| registries a wad of cash to switch their parked sites. There is no
| other reason to do this than to influence the Netcraft figures.
`----
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=15108
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3607059.IfmxKO40AN@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Bad News to Security, Windows Lets Feds Watc
h Your Keystrokes, Access PC
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:38:05 +0100
Researchers Seek Cash for Software Flaws
,----[ Quote ]
| For some security researchers who uncover flaws in leading computer progra
mmes,
| a nod of appreciation from software companies is no longer enough. Now the
y
| want money.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070721/sell..._info.html?.v=5
Week in review: Keyloggers and crime fighters
,----[ Quote ]
| Federal agents have a new weapon in the war on crime: keyloggers.
`----
[url]http://news.com.com/2100-1083_3-6197799.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news[
/url]
Shame on NatWest. They assume people have keyloggers (Windows malware), so
login is very cumbersome.
Why would a high-street bank need to have corridor pages with ads for securi
ty
software (never mind what O/S the visitor uses):
"Win one of 500 McAfee Internet Security Suite 2007 Packages (RRP 49.99GBP)
when you make a payment during July
If you use OnLine banking to make a payment during July, we will enter you i
nto
our Free Prize Draw for a chance to win one of 500 McAfee Internet Security
Suite 2007 CDs. With this package, you can enjoy 8 in 1 protection when you
surf the web, shop, bank and e-mail. We have 500 to give-away, so make a
payment for a chance to win!"
That's what you have to click through every time you log in... to a national
banking institution.
Intel sues firm with ex-FBI agent for allegedly stealing its identity
,----[ Quote ]
| Intel Agents was formed by an ex FBI special agent with 25 years of servic
e
| in both criminal investigations and intelligence fields.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=41135
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1244087.2of9oQBAAF@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] The Joys of Having Many Linux Distributions (and Another
Myth Debunked)
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:42:50 +0100
359 Choices
,----[ Quote ]
| I would also strongly dispute the notion that IT managers would be daunted
by
| these many distros. No offence, but any IT manager worth their salt is not
| just going to visit Distrowatch to find their first Linux distribution
| deployment. They're going to research other sources, talk to peers, and ve
ry
| likely contact the larger commercially oriented distribution companies. So
| again, tossing out the Big! Scary! 359! Distros! number is really just
| that--a scare tactic.
`----
http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_stor...20-028-26-OP-SW
Tech media doesn’t get open source
,----[ Quote ]
| I just want to tell the tech media that
|
| * Open Source is not a business model. It is a platform on which
| different business models can play out. It is a great leveler of
| the business playing field.
|
| * Open Source is fully democratic. Please take time to understand
| how consensus is built in the Open Source communities, especiall
| in the kernel group.
|
| [...]
`----
http://www.krishworld.com/blog/open...br />
ing.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2330580.qc6bJrVA8C@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Open Access versus the Wireless Oligopoly, Courtesy of G
oogle
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:46:06 +0100
Google’s open access challenge
,----[ Quote ]
| Since their wireless oligopoly is their primary source of profits, a
| successful move by Google could also force AT&T and Verizon to compete in
the
| wired space, freeing more bits on their current networks, which are now be
ing
| hoarded for pay TV services.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=1235
5 pieces of overlooked news from Google’s earnings call
,----[ Quote ]
| 2. Wireless. Google is committed to pursuing a future of open wireless
| networks for phones and other devices, where people can freely and simply,
in
| Eric Schmidt’s words, “get a device, plug that device into a wireless
network
| and be able to use the full capability of the Internet.” Why? Those peop
le
| will “become very significant Google advertising users.”
`----
http://blogs.business2.com/utilityb...o_q
uote
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3411562.i1fuSKgiUK@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Telegraph Covers Linux Laptops Story from Africa
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:48:53 +0100
Connecting the world [with OLPC]
,----[ Quote ]
| The XO-1's frugal power requirements are due in part to a highly efficient
| central processing unit with on-board graphics processor and memory, and b
y
| using microchip memory instead of a hard drive to store data and the
| operating system - in this case a version of Linux, the open-source platfo
rm,
| although a Windows version may be available later.
`----
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connecte...r />
en119.xml
Don't let Erik watch this. He would accuse these kids calling them spammers.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2286241.GxxRzqEWCK@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Blue Consequences of 64-bit Windows Vista
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:58:33 +0100
Windows Vista 64-Bit Blue Screen of Death
,----[ Quote ]
| I’ve been running Windows Vista 64-bit for quite some time now; a few ti
mes
| the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) has come up when the system crashed.
`----
http://www.josenet.com/windows-vist...screen-of-death
On the mobile:
http://www.funny-city.com/photos/mobile_windows.shtml
Not good...
How to Packet injection Aireplay-ng & Windows XP
http://en.airdump.net/hacks/packet-injection-windows/
Related:
Dell doesn't ship 64-bit versions of Vista
,----[ Quote ]
| If you want to install Windows Vista Ultimate with 64 bit version,
| you can purchase teh version from Dell, as Dell ship only Vista
| ultimate in 64 bit version. It all happens due to business
| contract with microsoft.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39644
Vista users get the 64-bit blues
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is keen to stir up enthusiasm for Windows Vista, but
| when it comes to the 64-bit edition of the recently released
| operating system, the software giant is sending decidedly
| mixed messages.
`----
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/softwa...39273707,00.htm
http://tinyurl.com/224e3f
Microsoft Windows Vista: MISLEADING!
,----[ Quote ]
| Do you have a 64-bit processor? Did you think you were going to get a
| 64-bit OS when you purchased your copy of Windows Vista?
`----
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxDd9iDcZWY
Next Release of OneCare Won't Support Vista x64
,----[ Quote ]
| When Microsoft announced that it was ready to roll out Windows Live
| OneCare version 1.5 to coincide with the general release of Windows
| Vista, it omitted one important fact: the product will not support
| Vista x64 or XP x64.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/cont...2129TX1K0000535
http://tinyurl.com/26ndme
iPhone’s 64-bit Windows Incompatibility Investigated
,----[ Quote ]
| Is 64-bit Computing Limiting for the Casual User? For the average home use
r,
| there is absolutely no need to even consider going this route at this poin
t.
| When you consider the fact that we remain in a holding pattern with adopti
on
| and developers don't appear to be overly anxious to help out those adopter
s
| who are using this platform, one has to wonder why anyone is bothering wit
h
| 64-bit options as this point.
`----
[url]http://www.osweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2602&Itemid=449[
/url]
iPhone not supported under 64-bit Windows XP or Vista -- oops
,----[ Quote ]
| Apple's official (read: the non-marketing document which no one reads)
| iPhone: Minimum system requirements document does say that "64-bit edition
s
| of Windows are not supported." Go ahead, try to find it in the small print
,
| we'll wait...
`----
http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/30/...>
-vista-oops/
Microsoft Vista 64 bit is no go in 2007
,----[ Quote ]
| Without an exception, they all think it's too early and the drivers
| won't be that polished for 64 bit either. AMD and Intel have CPUs which
| can support 64 operating systems but the drivers are still lame,
| unpolished and slow compared with 32 bit.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36938
Vista 64 VS Vista 32
,----[ Quote ]
| Vista 64 has a slight advantage over the 32 Bit version speed
| wise, unfortunately due to the stringent drivers requirements
| for the 64 Bit versions, at this point
| my recommendations are to stick with the 32 Bit version of
| Vista until most of _hardware manufacturers and software
| manufactures (including Microsoft) decide to actually take
| advantage of the 64 Bit architecture!
| Even better: get serious and do some progress in this
| industry, I am sick and tired to just see marketing
| numbers and not actually progress here.
`----
http://vistaincompatible.com/forums...?num=1171842357
Windows XP 64 is crap and things break and printers dont work and
quickbooks doesnt work the list goes on
,----[ Quote ]
| Morale (sic) of the story is - if you are using Microsoft products, stay
| away from the cutting edge - it sucks pretty bad.
`----
http://www.pintmaster.com/20061212/...e-list-goes-on/
http://tinyurl.com/yguyum
Support for Microsoft Windows XP x64 Not Worth Anything
,----[ Quote ]
| Almost no one is supporting Microsoft Windows XP x64, the 64-bit
| version of Windows XP.
|
| There are no Antivirus programmes that work with x64 and most
| applications won't work with x64 (unless they run the crippled
| 32-bit equivalent).
|
| Programmes won't install printer drivers because, apparently, no one
| can figure out how to write a 64-bit printer driver.
|
| If Windows XP x64 has this much trouble with basic elements such
| as printer drivers, how can anyone expect the much maligned Windows
| Vista to be of any value?
|
| Frankly, my high opinion of Microsoft is quickly fading away, and
| my shop used to be a staunch Microsoft shop.
|
| Open Source alternatives are looking better and better every
| day.
`----
http://roacm.blogspot.com/
Why There is Better Driver Support in 64-bit Linux Than 64-bit Windows XP
,----[ Quote ]
| In the free world of Linux I have a working, usable, fast
| and stable 64-bit operating system. In the secret world of
| Microsoft I will have to return to using the 32-bit version.
| But the question is will I? I think I will stick with Linux.
| It looks like I need to go back on my hands and knees and beg
| forgiveness from my SUSE 10.1 system for every doubting it
| and for my unfaithful fling with Microsoft.
`----
http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_stor...031-26-RV-HE-MS
Sigrity Supports 64-bit Linux Computing Platforms
,----[ Quote ]
| Sigrity, Inc., the market leader in signal and power integrity
| software solutions, today announced its full support for 64-bit
| Linux computing platforms by porting all of its signal and power
| integrity software products to systems running the 64-bit Linux
| operating system.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070115/20070115005002.html?.v=1
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2299364.5JLeG7MHmK@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux Steps in Where Windows Cannot Cope -- Ultra-mobile
PCs
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:01:59 +0100
Can Linux Save the UMPC?
,----[ Quote ]
| A possible solution to many of the problems with the UMPC, especially the
| ones that deal with slow performance, is to use Linux on the device.
`----
http://www.xyzcomputing.com/index.p...sk=view&id=1111
It is already heading in this direction. Intel called Windows "fat" and it i
s
moving towards Linux, despite fear of Microsoft's wrath.
[ The linux device will be the winner of the 2000s. Ed. ]
Related:
Linux-powered Mobile Internet Device video walkthrough
,----[ Quote ]
| The finalised product could obviously change ever-so-sightly between
| now and then, but regardless, be sure to click on through for an
| in-action look at Intel's Linux-based MID, and try not to become
| too envious, capiche?
`----
http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/05/...br />
through/
UMPC News : New Linux distro for MIDs to be launched in May. Redflag
Mid Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| The new distro will have a 500MB footprint, will support
| power-saving features, boot time is shown as 18 seconds on
| one of the slides.
`----
http://www.umpcportal.com/modules/n...php?storyid=480
Has Intel Given up on the UMPC as a Mass Market Device?
,----[ Quote ]
| I remember being struck by the idea that the device didn't quite know if
| it was a business or consumer tool, and at more than $1000, I couldn't
| see many people running out to buy one. Seems I was right (nice to be
| right once in a while). According to Gruener's article, Intel has
| decided to scrap the UMPC (or at least send it to the niche market
| pile) in favour a new mass-market device it's dubbing the Mobile
| Internet Device or MID (because we couldn't do this without
| another acronym).
`----
http://byronmiller.typepad.com/byro..._is_ready_.html
Whatever Happened To The Origami?
,----[ Quote ]
| Ultimately Origami is a classic example of how a viral buzz can
| work against a product release. Expectations were too high and the
| final product was puzzling and didn't fulfill any specific consumer
| demand. By the time the systems were actually released the hype had
| died down and there was practically zero consumer awareness. I've
| actually considered the possibility that the viral Origami campaign
| was a warm-up for the Zune campaign that followed later in the summer.
`----
[url]http://www.medialoper.com/hot-topics/hardware/whatever-happened-to-the-origami/[/u
rl]
The UMPC dies. And no one notices.
,----[ Quote ]
| If Intel has its way, then what once was the mass market UMPC will
| morph into much smaller and less powerful "mobile Internet devices,"
| hort "MID".
|
| [...]
|
| There must have been a slight disconnect between Microsoft's
| marketing strategists and hardware and product designers.
| Neither the first nor the second generation of UMPCs came
| close to the expectations the initial marketing created.
`----
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/31899/113/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2765555.askjP07tK8@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux Market Share Over 21% in India?
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:04:21 +0100
"We are implementing Linux in large govt projects across the country"
,----[ Quote ]
| Infact, Linux is continuously improving its position. This can be proved b
y
| an IDC report which says that in June 2006 Microsoft had 68 percent of the
| marketshare and Linux had 21 percent whereas in 2005, Microsoft had 70
| percent and Linux had 11 percent.
`----
http://dqweek.ciol.com/content/Columns/107072002.asp
Related:
Microsoft to Sell Low-Cost PCs in India
,----[ Quote ]
| The Indian unit of Microsoft Corp. said it will sell low-cost
| personal computers with educational content...
`----
[url]http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118295132443649987.html?mod=yahoo_hs&ru=yahoo[/url
]
,----[ Quote ]
| Specifically, Bill Gates, citing China as an example, said:
| _
| _ "Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but
| _ people don't pay for the software," he said. "Someday they will, though
.
| _ As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours.
| _ They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to
| _ collect sometime in the next decade."[1]
`----
http://www.cybersource.com.au/press...xt_billion.html
PC resellers strike against Microsoft in India
,----[ Quote ]
| Stop harassment over piracy or we move to Linux...
|
| [...]
|
| "We have been approached by dealers in other states who are also
| being harassed by Microsoft," Randeri said. "If Microsoft does
| not cooperate, we will tell our dealers to migrate to Linux."
`----
http://www.computerworlduk.com/mana...cfm?newsid=3114
Intensified Battle Lines
,----[ Quote ]
| Some years back Open Source Industry Australia (OSIA) spokesperson
| Steven D'Aprano had posed a most intriguing question, "If Microsoft
| has a problem with piracy, it shouldn't be blamed on OEMs who sell
| PCs with Linux pre-installed or no operating system at all. Should
| we discourage supermarkets from selling plain bread, because
| shoppers might steal butter from elsewhere?"
|
| [...]
|
| For long now a tag has been associated with Linux. Industry players
| and resellers say Linux has become a smart, official, cheap and
| convenient form of piracy. The charge, is however, outrightly
| rejected by the Linux vendors.
|
| At their end, Open Source vendors will not miss an opportunity to
| assert that anyone who has benefited out of piracy is the
| proprietary vendors, like Microsoft.
|
| [...]
|
| Partners are already moving close to Linux vendors for various
| reasons. The days to come will, therefore, offer interesting
| battle lines unfolding between MS and Open Source players.
`----
http://www.channeltimes.com/India/C...51.h
tml
http://tinyurl.com/37n6do
Another $100 PC is here, but what is inside?
,----[ Quote ]
| NetPC comes with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, a Linux operating
| system (and free Open Source software), an access device (for
| accessing the Internet), and connects to a server over a local
| area network and offers some free entertainment.
`----
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Story...at+is+inside%3f
http://tinyurl.com/yoqabk
HRD hopes to make $10 laptops a reality
,----[ Quote ]
| So far, the cost of one laptop, after factoring in labour charges,
| is coming to $47 but the ministry feels the price will come
| down dramatically considering the fact that the demand would
| be for one million laptops.
`----
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...how/1999849.cms
Made in India PC for just about $100
,----[ Quote ]
| While global computing giants like IBM and AMD are yet to give
| shape to their ambitious plans for a computer that costs 100
| dollars or less, an Indian company has already set its eyes on
| 10 million potential customers with its up-and-running PC
| priced at Rs 4,500 only.
`----
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=85690
Meet on free software demands policy changes
,----[ Quote ]
| P.Madhu, MP, said the Free Software movement was gaining a lot of
| momentum across the world and it was a movement for freedom,
| independence and self-reliance.
`----
http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/05/sto...30516130500.htm
Partners in Punjab unite against Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| With Microsoft resorting to penalising the channel community in an
| effort to curb software piracy, industry experts feel that it might
| induce channel to look at selling other options, including Linux
`----
http://www.dqchannels.com/content/r...t/107030506.asp
CPI(M) for free and Open Source software
,----[ Quote ]
| West Bengal Minister for IT Debesh Das said there were strategic
| benefits with free and Open Source software as it would reduce
| imports, enhance national security and reduce copyright
| infringement. National Knowledge Commission vice-chairman P.
| M. Bhargava said the world was entering into an era of
| knowledge imperialism using software as an effective tool
| and there was a need to counter this.
`----
http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/04/sto...30411510400.htm
Indian Policy Makers Call For Greater Use Of Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| A wide spectrum of policy makers called for the greater usage of open
| source to modernise India in the digital era and the re-evaluation of
| the laws pertaining to Intellectual Property. The event sought to examine
| the notion of intellectual "property," in the context of traditional
| knowledge, globalisation and the growth of the Open Source movement
| worldwide.
`----
http://in.sys-con.com/read/281396_p.htm
Forum for Open Source Initiatives in India Formed
,----[ Quote ]
| Sandeep Menon, convener of FOSII and director of Linux business for
| Novell West Asia, said, "FOSII members belong to various facets
| of the Linux/OSS (Open Source Software) ecosystem, which includes
| the industry, academia, government and the community. Though the
| initial members are all from India, some foreign members too are
| expected to join this forum to share their global experience and
| aid the initiative."
`----
http://www.itnewsonline.com/showsto...atid=8&contid=1
India can live without Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| More than 6,500 Linux systems have already been packed off to
| villages and another 6,100 Acer desktop systems with Suse on
| their way.
|
| Umashankar said that more than 20,000 desktop systems will be
| installed in schools that will only run on Suse. All ELCOT
| servers will run on Redhat. ELCOT expects to train 30,000
| government officials in Linux and Open Office too.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36689
AP to forge ties with MIT for Open Source software
,----[ Quote ]
| The Andhra Pradesh government is forging ties with the Massachusetts
| Institute of Technology (MIT), US, for collaboration in the areas of
| e-governance, data standards and service-oriented architecture.
| "MIT will provide funding and technological assistance for
| developing and promoting different software components
| including an Open Source platform," said state IT secretary
| K Ratnaprabha.
`----
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradesh
Tamil Nadu (India) Shutting the Door On Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| "The managing director of the IT procurement, consulting, and training
| agency for the Tamil Nadu government describes the reasons why he has
| chosen OSS, and also how he dealt with Microsoft executives."
`----
http://linux.slashdot.org/article.p...226229&from=rss
Kerala On Linux Express Highway
,----[ Quote ]
| The Linux slip-road that the state took is slowly becoming an
| express highway.
|
| [...]
|
| If we twist Napoleon's quote on China a bit, we can safely say, "Linux is
a
| sleeping giant, let it sleep, because when Linux moves the world moves!"
`----
http://www.efytimes.com/efytimes/fu...=16139&magid=11
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1489993.qKQc5juR0T@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Chennai Corporation Moves All Computers to OpenOffice.or
g
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:06:22 +0100
Chennai Corporation opts for Open Office
,----[ Quote ]
| More than 220 computers are networked at the civic headquarters. Officials
| decided that the licence fee alone would run to a hefty amount and decided
to
| switch over to the Open Source alternative.
|
| A senior official said: “We are able to do pretty much all we want — w
rite
| documents, make presentations and maintain ledgers.”
`----
http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/17/...71751210200.htm
Related:
100,000,000 OpenOffice.org fans can't be wrong
,----[ Quote ]
| Simon's official response explained the business rationale behind
| offering support for OpenOffice.org: "OpenOffice.org has becomep
| henomenally successful, Sun alone has shipped more than 70 million
| copies of OpenOffice.org 2.0," he said. "Out there, there
| are maybe 100 million copies of OpenOffice.org. It would be
| senseless to ignore that opportunity."
`----
http://www.businessreviewonline.com...0000_openo.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2913448.sD9Q6nUdhA@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Inetrnet Explorer Users Denied Access to Web Sites
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:14:44 +0100
Open Addict: Internet Explorer blocked
,----[ Quote ]
| I've blocked Internet Explorer from viewing our front page and will implem
ent
| that code on the rest of our site as we roll out the new format.
`----
http://www.openaddict.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=5512
Ouch. I know Richard. He's not a zealot at all. He is just tried of a compan
y
that deliberately corrupted and ignored standards.
HTML 5 Gets the go-ahead:
http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-app...work/multipage/
HTML 5 : We don't need no XHTML
,----[ Comment: ]
| This is progress, because it's based more on reality than on the usual spa
cy
| navel-gazing that defines our standards. netscape was the dominant browser
,
| then it fell behind, and Microsoft IE took over and "ad hoc" implemented w
hat
| it could and what corporate politics allowed.
`----
http://www.webforefront.com/archive...tml_5.html#more
Related:
Carrying Water for Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| Careless Web developers work tirelessly to maintain Redmond's dominance.
|
| [...]
|
| Fidelity's contractor didn't set out to build a website that would shut
| out Macintosh and Linux users. But by being lax with its choice of
| Web authoring technologies, that's exactly what it did.
`----
http://www.technologyreview.com/blo...uthor=garfinkel
Funny Thing - M$
,----[ Quote ]
| Last night Joe and I got in this huge discussion, and I was cursing out
| Microsoft. It’s been rough the past couple of days and M$ has not been m
aking
| my life very easy. Every time I turn around I have to ghetto-fy my web sit
es
| to make them work in IE… _
|
| See… There are these things called Web Standards which were put into pla
ce to
| make web designer’s lives easier. As in, if they script to web standards
,
| then all standards compliant browsers will show the site exactly correct.
| Well, I always script to web standards. The PROBLEM is that Microsoft deci
des
| that they are just going to do things THEIR way... _ _
|
| [...]
|
| Besides the fact that all of the Microsoft employees I have ever encounter
ed
| must have been brainwashed. I don’t know where they dig these people up.
|
| [...]
|
| And if they AREN’T brainwashing them, then they are just hiring incompet
ant,
| pompous dumbasses. And if either is the case, why should anyone support th
eir
| company? _
`----
http://www.camp-site.org/blog/?p=21
Why Microsoft Expression Web redefines irony
,----[ Quote ]
| Expression is Microsoft's suite of web development tools slated to
| replace the wonderful application known as Front Page. A quick visit
| to the site for this tool yields a fairly typical Microsoft webpage.
|
| [...]
|
| WHOA! Did they not even listen to their own marketing garbage? 144
| Errors! No DocType? Are you kidding me?
|
| [...]
|
| Bravo to our good friends at Microsoft for setting such a great example
| and leading the masses to a more standards compliant internet! (and
| for giving web standards geeks something to hate on).
`----
http://shifteleven.com/articles/200...s-
irony
Is Microsoft learning from Web standards mistakes?
,----[ Quote ]
| In a video interview with ZDNet Australia last month, Microsoft blogger an
d
| group manager of technical community, Frank Arrigo, explained how importan
t
| it is for the Redmond giant to follow Web standards.
|
| "Standards are important," said Arrigo, who admitted that Microsoft had be
en
| guilty of ignoring them in the past. "If you look at IE6, we didn't quite
| follow all the standards but standards are important ... IE7 as an example
is
| trying to address that."
`----
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/softwa...39280240,00.htm
http://groups.google.com/group/comp...c1ad063dcc0400d
,----[ Quote ]
| Wow, this is absolutely devastating! As near as I can tell, the poor
| guy at Microsoft has been trying to support open standards against
| management. He doesn't say much about the history, i.e. the fact that
| Microsoft didn't do anything with IE until they were recently forced to
| by Firefox competition. The feedback is amazing. Example:
|
| Quote:
| -------------
| So if you believe that the reason for IE's lack of standards support is
| something other than malice of forethought to strangle other browsers,
| you are wrong. If you have followed the anti-trust trial you would have
| seen the actual evidence for these decisions. Microsoft is an
| anti-competitive company run by unethical shitheads.
|
| This won't change until the workforce is slashed and the entire company
| culture changes. Steve Ballmer is the king of the shitheads, so when he
| goes things might get better. But until then, expect MS to only do the
| absolute minimum to defuse the worst criticism. Remember my words:
| unethical shitheads.
| -------------
| End quote
|
| Erik cited this same guy's blog a few days ago to support the notion
| that Microsoft is dedicated to standards compliance and is doing the
| reasonable thing (I think that's why he cited it). The way this story
| has developed, it shows exactly the opposite, and is very revealing
| about sentiments out there in the developer world.
`----
Who Questions Bill Gates' Commitment to Web Standards?
,----[ Quote ]
| (Gates "...we contributed more Web standards than anyone! We have our
| smartest people who go and work on that stuff . . . we just did the
| OpenOffice . . . our office XML formats we contributed to them . . . we've
| got XML at the core of all our products."
`----
http://www.molly.com/2006/12/14/who...ndar
ds/
Microsoft does not want us to use IE
,----[ Quote ]
| Why else would the company release a new version of the browser with so
| many glaring and obvious incompatibilities with other browsers? Why else
| make it virtually impossible to visit any web site, without running
| against multiple warnings and blocks? Why else make it so difficult tot
| est existing and new versions of the browser, that you have to run a
| completely new OS image?
|
| Microsoft management must want people off of IE.
`----
[url]http://burningbird.net/technology/trends/microsoft-does-not-want-us-to-use-ie/[/ur
l]
Vista and British Library put da Vinci online
,----[ Quote ]
| The British Library has created an updated version of its application
| called "Turning the Pages" which allows people to browse parts of
| its 150 million piece collection via a web browser. We heard how
| this works better using Vista.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/0...otebooks_vista/
[ British heritage locked into Microsoft formats - what a brilliant idea
.
Ed. ]
Former WaSP Interoperability Advocate Hired by Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| The lady who in September 2005 called Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's
| claim in a BusinessWeek article that his company would eventually
| "win the Web" "deplorable in the light of what the Web means to the
| world, to users, to designers and developers and to put it into
| Microsoft parlance, customers," now finds herself working for him.
`----
http://www.betanews.com/article/ Fo...soft/1170263944
Perspective: Microsoft's amusing standards stance
,----[ Quote ]
| One fun thing to do in Web browsers is to check how well documents
| conform to standards. For example, you can pass the URL of
| Microsoft's letter to W3C's validator. Doing so reveals that
| the letter is not written according to the HTML specification.
| The validator finds 33 errors in the most lenient mode. (One of
| the errors is the use of the "layer" element. (The "layer" element?!)
|
| Microsoft--please--if you think standards are so important,
| why not start using them?
`----
http://news.com.com/2010-1013_3-616...
9824569
Software rivals say Microsoft's Vista illegal in Europe (at CNNMoney.com)
,----[ Excerpt ]
| Software manufacturers, citing 2004 European Commission finding,
| contend the operating system violates server laws in Europe.
|
| [...]
|
| "Vista is the first step of Microsoft's strategy to extend its market
| dominance to the Internet," the ECIS statement said.
|
| It said Microsoft's XAML markup language was "positioned to replace HTML,"
| the industry standard for publishing documents on the Internet.
|
| Microsoft's own language would be dependent on Windows, and discriminatory
| against rival systems such as Linux, the group says.
|
| They said a so-called "open XML" platform file format, known as OOXML, is
| designed to run seamlessly only on the Microsoft Office platform.
`----
http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/26/new...rce=yahoo_quote
,----[ Quote ]
| From: _ _ _ Bill Gates
| Sent: _ _ _ Saturday, December 05, 1998 9:44 AM
| To: _ _ _ _ Bob Muglia (Exchange); Jon DeVaan; Steven Sinofsky
| Cc: _ _ _ _ Paul Mariz
| Subject: _ _Office rendering
|
| One thing we have got to change is our strategy -- allowing Office
| documents to be rendered very well by OTHER PEOPLES BROWSERS is one of the
| most destructive things we could do to the company.
|
| We have to stop putting any effort into this and make sure that Office
| documents very well depends on PROPRIETARY IE capabilities.
|
| Anything else is suicide for our platform. This is a case where Office has
| to _to destroy Windows.
`----
http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iow...000/PX02991.pdf
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1477271.GhIHMPBtyZ@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Dell Comes to UK Shops, Possibly with GNU/Linux PCs
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:16:21 +0100
Dell Signs Deal With British Mobile Retailer
,----[ Quote ]
| The company is also now selling three PCs with the Ubuntu 7.04 Linux OS
| installed, a move driven by customer demand, Dell has said.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/200..._pcworld/134859
Yesterday:
Dell flirting with U.K. retailer
,----[ Quote ]
| It's still unclear whether Carphone Warehouse will be stocking Dell PCs af
ter
| or during this promotional deal.
`----
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-97..._3-0-
20
Michael Dell: Linux Coming to SMBs, Europe Soon
,----[ Quote ]
| At July 10 show, Michael Dell confirmed a posting on the Direct2Dell site
| that the company has specific plans to expand its Linux offering. This wil
l
| include a focus on SMBs as well as the European market.
`----
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2156607,00.asp
OS expert forecasts a future beyond Windows
,----[ Quote ]
| Mac OS and Linux become legitimate enterprise choices, says Joe Habraken
`----
http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/...ws.asp?id=43320
------------------------------
Message-ID: <11410521.mQL1Lxp3lB@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Complete and Refurbished Linux PCs for $150
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:19:12 +0100
,----[ Quote ]
| Refurbished IBM Net Vista Desktop with PCLinuxOS 2007 installed. Intel PII
I
| 900mHz, Intel chipset with onboard graphics and LAN. Also includes 256mb r
am,
| 20GB IDE HDD, 40x CDROM, 15" TFT LCD (see specs. below), keyboard, mouse a
nd
| a fresh PCLinuxOS 2007 LiveCD.
`----
http://linfx.com/content/view/22/9/...t
emid=9
One can probably get such PCs for free.
[ PCs are durable, and so is Linux... Ed. ]
Recent:
16,000 Linux computers delivered - for free
,----[ Quote ]
| With his non-profit organisation called Alameda County Computer Resource
| Centre, he built up a volunteer organisation, collects donated stuff from
the
| companies who provide them, strips any proprietary OS and software off the
| drives, re-installs everything with Linux and free applications, and then
| gives them to schools or other not-for-profit organisations or individuals
| without too much cash.
|
| A great man with a great mission. CNN called him a hero already.
`----
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/89792/index.html
Related:
WEEE directive threatens Microsoft OEM sales
,----[ Quote ]
| There's a possibility Microsoft may well dump the OEM scheme and that
| could prompt small firms that don't want to be WEEEing to install Linux
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| or even pirate OSes.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40305
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2353406.VMT7RRs9pH@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Review of the New Puppy Linux, Screenshots of the New Op
enSUSE Alpha
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:23:23 +0100
Review: Puppy Linux 2.16.1
,----[ Quote ]
| Puppy Linux comes as a light weight 90mb ISO that can be burnt to a mini-c
d
| (210mb cd) and boots into a simple to use live cd session. Bootup into th
e
| live cd is quick and painless.
`----
http://www.raiden.net/?cat=2&aid=274
OpenSuSE 10.3 Alpha 6
,----[ Quote ]
| Yesterday's release of OpenSuSE 10.3 Alpha 6 marks the first time there is
a
| single installation CD for OpenSuSE, but also added in this development bu
ild
| is the Linux 2.6.22 kernel, GCC 4.2, and other updated packages.
`----
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pa...&item=784&num=1
Also from Novell:
[Novell's] Hack Week
,----[ Quote ]
| For the first time that I can recall, the leading answer was of the
| form “nothing – it was perfect”. But there were also other helpful t
houghts
| such as earlier notification for better planning and more community
| involvement.
`----
http://www.novell.com/ctoblog/?p=54
------------------------------
Message-ID: <15405972.Tp19h6ZBra@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Hit by Yet Another Class Action La
wsuit (2 Already)
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:28:43 +0100
Microsoft sued over Xbox 360 "red ring of death"
,----[ Quote
| According to the writ, issued in the names of Christine Moskowitz and Davi
d
| Wood, Microsoft rushed to market with the Xbox 360 but suffered
| from "numerous hardware defects", known as the "red ring of death".
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=41133
See Cringely's new remarks below (with text highlight). Perfect match.
Yesterday (yes, all in one day!):
Microsoft's game division suffers $1.89B shortfall
,----[ Quote ]
| Among the grim financial figures were a few nuggets of interesting news.
| Apparently the EDD is beefing up its staff, since the company's report say
s
| that "headcount-related costs increased 15 percent [for the year], dri
ven by
| a 9 percent increase in headcount and an increase in salaries and benefits
| for existing headcount, partially offset by a decrease in stock-based
| compensation expense." _ _
`----
http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6175367..._clk=latestnews
Microsoft's Xbox 360 Problems Continue with New Failure Rate Information
,----[ Quote ]
| A former EB Games employee has stated that out of all of the XBox 360
| consoles he has sold for the last year, about 33 percent of those units ha
ve
| been taken back to EB Games after the console _
`----
http://www.associatedcontent.com/ar...br />
nue.html
Microsoft faces second class action lawsuit over scratched discs
,----[ Quote ]
| In the second such lawsuit to be filed this month, Microsoft is facing leg
al
| class action due to the Xbox 360's reported inclination to scratch game
| discs. According to InformationWeek, the suit alleges that "Microsoft
| improperly and/or negligently manufactured the Xbox 360 console in a manne
r
| that causes the expensive game discs ... to be scratched, rendering the ga
mes
| unusable." _ _ _
`----
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/19/m...cratched-discs/
Cringely the Unemployable on the fallacy of Web 2.0, Microsoft ruthlessness,
and the CB radio of our decade
,----[ Quote ]
| Davidson: Which software company would you hate to compete against? What
| makes you single them out?
|
| Cringely: Microsoft of course. They have the deepest of pockets, unlimited
| ambition, and they are willing to lose money for years and years just to m
ake
| sure that you don't make any money, either. And they are mean, REALLY mean
.
|
| Davidson: Why do you think Microsoft is mean? Are you implying some kind o
f
| malicious intent rather than just ruthlessness?
|
| Cringely: Maybe "mean" is the wrong word to use for Microsoft. "Ruthless"
is
| good. The company is built in the image of Bill Gates and Bill is a guy wh
o
| gets caught-up in the game of business and doesn't typically see its perso
nal
| cost. To use what might seem to be an obscure example, just look at all th
e
| various partnerships and industry consortia that Microsoft has announced
| through the years that never produced a product or even a usable
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^
| specification. There have been literally dozens of these operations that a
re
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^
| intended solely to freeze the competition until Microsoft can figure what
the
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^
| heck it actually wants to do. To Microsoft its a PR exercise that helps th
em
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| compete but to customers it is just a damned lie. That's ruthless. There a
re
| plenty of other examples I can give but you get the point. I represent the
| concerns of users, not vendors, and Microsoft doesn't really care about
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| users.
| ^^^^^
`----
http://blog.businessofsoftware.org/...ely-the-un.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3046830.adWmyK8vTY@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Microsoft Blames Typo for False Promises (Vapourware Tac
tics?)
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:32:10 +0100
Typo leads to Vista SP1 confusion
,----[ Quote ]
| News agencies and bloggers picked up on the post, prompting the WDK team t
o
| update the e-mail on Wednesday, saying that the original had featured a
| typographic error, and that the build available was for the upcoming Windo
ws
| Server 2008.
`----
http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-619...icrosoft/?p=587
Microsoft: No Rush to Vista SP1
,----[ Quote ]
| Those enterprises holding off Windows Vista deployments for Service Pack 1
| maybe shouldn't wait on Microsoft.The question: Should they deploy Vista o
r
| XP?
|
| Until today, the silence around SP1 was downright frightening. Other than
| responding to a Google legal complaint, Microsoft has been mum about SP1's
| delivery. Microsoft still is not saying when, but it is now saying the upd
ate
| isn't that important.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/cont...2129TX1K0000535
,----[ Quote ]
| From nathanm Mon Oct 01 11:42:05 1990
| To: billg; bradsi;
| Subject: SPARC, MIPS & Compaq
| DateL Tue Oct 02, 22:57:14 1990
|
| [...]
|
| The purpose of announcing early like this is to freeze the market at the
| _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| OEM and ISV level. In this respect it is JUST like the original Windows
| announcement ..
|
| One might worry that this will help Sun because we will just have
| _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| vapourware, that people will stop buying 486 machines, that we will have
| ^^^^^^^^^
| endorsed RISC but not delivered .. So, Scott, do you really think you
| can fight that avalanche?
`----
http://edge-op.org/iowa/www.iowacon...PLEX_0411_A.pdf
Imaginary Innovations
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft, Intel and motorola were especially vocal in promoting
| alliances with media brands that, a year later, have fizzled or
| haven't come to fruition at all.
|
| Last year, Microsoft pumped up the crowds about its URGE music
| service, which it created in conjunction with Viacom's MTV. But
| while MTV is just now beginning to promote the service, Microsoft
| seems to have moved on in favour of the Zune Marketplace and the
| potential of satellite TV on Media Centre PCs and Xbox 360s.
`----
http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/04/va...artner=yahootix
http://tinyurl.com/y8fdkr
Vapourware '06: Return of the King
,----[ Quote ]
| 8. The "IPod Killer"
|
| Every time we hear about a new portable audio device, it's touted
| as the magic bullet that will end the iPod's reign once and for
| all.
|
| Oh, you mean that thing? The one with the ugly design and clunky
| user interface? Does it at least work with iTunes?
|
| Microsoft's Zune was supposed to do the trick, but it's sitting
| on the shelves (even the SanDisk Sansa is selling better than Zune)w
| hile the kids are all enjoying their freshly unwrapped, shiny new
| iPods.
|
| Note to everyone: It's a White Wire World. Get over it.
`----
http://www.wired.com/news/technolog...tory_page_next1
Microsoft Murders Max
,----[ Quote ]
| Well, it's official at any rate. Contrary to what you've heard, Windows
| Vista will not be shipping with any of the original technologies,
| features, capabilities, or subsystems originally promised (and for
| those of you that really couldn't tell: it's called sarcasm!). First
| it was the real Aero - complete visual control over one's system.
| Amazing graphics, sidebars that were a part of the Windows Core,
| Aero Diamond. Then it was NGSCB and its amazing security features
| - not DRM, but total privacy control; your privacy. Monad. Last
| we heard, it was WinFS, the king-pin feature that was promised
| to change the way you think of data... And now the last one is
| gone: Microsoft Max is dead.
`----
http://neosmart.net/blog/archives/277
Microsoft exec "guarantees" graphical superiority for 360 titles
,----[ Quote ]
| The idea of a "guarantee" of better-looking titles is substantially
| silly, however. Graphics quality is often subjective, and without a
| clear horsepower advantage of one system over the other, it will be
| difficult if not impossible to claim that titles on one system look better
| than those on another.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061003-7894.html
What Longhorn was supposed to be:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=b9ifQvQCO7Y
------------------------------
Message-ID: <14123481.AfMU2Otqyg@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Release of Syllable's Builder for GNU/Linux
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:41:05 +0100
New Syllable Build System for Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| The Syllable project has released a new package of Builder, the system tha
t
| builds Syllable, its native applications, and ported applications. Builder
| can also be installed on Linux.
`----
http://www.osnews.com/story.php/182...stem-for-Linux/
Linux (Tux) sighting at a British ice cream shop:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/plasti...r />
comment=1
------------------------------
Message-ID: <10058639.DcGFKmte47@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] More Examples of Killer Apps for GNU/Linux
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:35:29 +0100
Christer Edwards: SSH Saves The Day.. 1400 Miles Away! Enable Automagic Logi
n
,----[ Quote ]
| Simple as that. SSH connection, two commands and a very thankful brother
all
| from 1,400 miles away…
`----
http://swik.net/Ubuntu/Planet+Ubunt...+Saves+The+Day.
+1400+Miles+Away!+Enable+Automagic+Login
/bef8p
Pan - a feature-rich newsreader for Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| In summary, Pan offers some rich features that lightweight newsreader clie
nts
| don't have. Its simplicity and usability makes Pan suitable for all types
of
| users.
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/118038
Related:
Top 10 Killer Apps For Linux
,----[ Enumerated Bulletpoints ]
| Apache
| Synaptic/Adept/YUM
| Konqueror
| Beryl/Compiz
| AmaroK
| K3b
| Apollon (frontend for giFT)
| MPlayer + MEncoder
| Deskbar
| Screem HTML/XML Editor
`----
http://everythingelse.wordpress.com...rams-for-linux/
Katapult yourself to keyboard productivity
,----[ Quote ]
| Katapult is a small but useful application that will let you keep your han
ds
| on the keyboard. You don't have to remember any complex key combinations t
o
| switch tracks while chatting or performing calculations or checking spelli
ng
| while doing your homework. Katapult is simple enough to use that there's n
o
| learning curve involved.
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/117058
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2339657.FNGV7bxquT@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] How the Market Fails to Understand Free Software
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:38:32 +0100
Blindly applying proprietary metrics to open source
,----[ Qoute ]
| I am constantly amused at how people try to apply the metrics of proprieta
ry
| software to open source.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=1221
Server market share is still measured in terms of revenue even though Linux
is
far cheaper and it can be deployed without an acquisition.
The ascent of software
,----[ Quote ]
| So the next time you hear someone referring to Open Source as communist, o
r
| un-American, it's worth remembering that the spirit of sharing information
| with others for the greater good is one of the things the country was buil
t
| upon.
`----
http://www.businessreviewonline.com...scent_of_s.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <5911714.UAkfja2NcW@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Another Company Chooses GNU/Linux for Its Routers
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:43:42 +0100
How Compaies Save Money using Midrange Linux Routers
,----[ Quote ]
| The Linux operating system is a key technology that is transforming the
| midrange router market. Linux is a great router operating system (OS), but
| most big-name manufacturers like cisco still use old proprietary technolog
y
| like IOS that is over a decade old.
`----
http://www.telephonyworld.com/cgi-b...497
7008
Related:
Hyperic Joins Vyatta Ready Partner Programme and Expands Open-Source Network
ing
Ecosystem
,----[ Quote ]
| Vyatta, the leader in Linux-based networking, today announced that
| Hyperic, the leader in multi-platform, open-source systems management,
| has joined the Vyatta Ready partner programme.
`----
http://home.businesswire.com/portal...735271148521978
http://tinyurl.com/2s2gce
Datatrend Technologies to Integrate Vyatta Open-Source Networking on IBM
Hardware
,----[ Quote ]
| Vyatta, the leader in Linux-based networking, today announced that
| Datatrend Technologies, an IBM Business Partner specialising in
| data centre optimisation for more than 20 years, has joined the
| Vyatta Ready partner programme and will distribute Vyatta's
| open-source networking software as a fully integrated appliance
| using IBM System x and BladeCenter servers.
`----
http://home.businesswire.com/portal...411798258883839
Partner Progam: Vyatta Partner Programme To Accelerate Adoption Of Open-Sour
ce
Networking
,----[ Quote ]
| "Developing our Vyatta Ready partner programme is an important step in
| the rapid growth of our global partner ecosystem, which we believe
| will make our Linux-based networking solution a standard fixture
| in growing networks and data centres around the world," said Keith
| Hartley, vice president of alliances at Vyatta.
`----
http://www.itreselleronline.com/con...a&VNETCOOKIE=NO
Open source and secret sauce
,----[ Quote ]
| Open Source router outperforming cisco device in test revives the
| "commodity" vs. "special purpose" debate
|
| [...]
|
| Marketing trumped technology, however. Competitors would say "you don't
| want to trust your network to a PC" -- even though it really wasn't a PC.
| And FUD prevailed. Today we can expect to hear the same comments made in
| reference to open source. Will they work this time?
`----
http://www.networkworld.com/columni...ml?fsrc=rss-ibm
Comcast invests in Vyatta, Open Source router maker
,----[ Quote ]
| The company has raised a total of $18.5 million so far. The
| investment indicates that cable carriers are getting serious
| about chasing the small and medium sized businesses, and
| competing with the telephone companies in more than just
| consumer markets.
`----
http://gigaom.com/2007/04/01/vyatta-comcast/
Free Linux router distro gains sophisticated QoS
,----[ Quoye ]
| A small, Linux router distribution for x86 has added QoS
| (quality-of-service) management features claimed capable of
| classifying packets regardless of port. The 1.0.beta4 release
| of Zeroshell now includes QoS software from the open source
| "L7-filter" project, along with a QoS management interface.
|
| Zeroshell is available as a live CD or bootable CompactFlash
| (512MB) image. It includes a Web-based user interface, and
| supports many advanced features; see our earlier coverage
| for specifics.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS9446520379.html
Vyatta Delivers Twice the Performance of cisco at Half the Price
,----[ Quote ]
| Vyatta today announced the release of independent third-party testing
| results from The Tolly Group that measured the throughput and
| performance of the open-source, x86-based Vyatta router and
| firewall appliance versus the proprietary cisco 2821 ISR.
|
| "This report shatters the myth that proprietary hardware products
| are a better choice than standard x86-based systems for network
| infrastructure," said Dave Roberts, VP of strategy and marketing
| at Vyatta. "For the majority of routing applications, open-source
| software and x86-based hardware can easily address the performance
| requirements and at significantly lower price points."
`----
http://www.topix.net/content/prweb/...88209670
Will an Open Source router replace your cisco router?
,----[ Quote ]
| By using VMware, I was able to get this new router up in less than 30
| minutes--as promised by the evaluation guide. In fact, half of that time
| came from downloading the file. In addition, I ended up reading some of th
e
| guide to learn the default login and the basics of the user interface.
|
| In my opinion, Vyatta shows a lot of promise. While I'm not recommending
| throwing out cisco routers in favour of Vyatta just yet, spending 30 minut
es
| to familiarise yourself with what it can do is a smart idea.
`----
http://articles.techrepublic.com.co...s
ubj=tr
http://tinyurl.com/37zkvp
Open source router on par with Cisco, users say
,----[ Quote ]
| "I'd say that any PC we could put [Vyatta OFR] on today is going to be
| way faster than Cisco. I would not be doing backbone routing with this,
| but I would not hesitate to say this will compete against Cisco
| either," Newnam said. "Well, as long as we're not switching half of
| the U.S. of course."
`----
http://searchopensource.techtarget....0
0.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1201107.dTdBtLMxin@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Gentoo Founder Wants His Foundation Back
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:48:06 +0100
Daniel Robbins: So, Can I have Gentoo back?
,----[ Quote ]
| I just want to let all of you know that I gave you, the community, and the
| Gentoo Foundation a tremendous project and made many personal sacrifices t
o
| make Gentoo great and successful. I never viewed Gentoo as a volunteer job
-
| when I was serving as Chief Architect, it was always more than a full-time
| job and I often (mistakenly) put the needs of the Gentoo community above t
he
| needs of my own family.
`----
http://blog.funtoo.org/2007/07/so-c...entoo-back.html
Related:
Gentoo Linux 2007.0
,----[ Quote ]
| While late, the first Gentoo release of the year is now available
| for download. Gentoo 2007.0 features a rewritten LiveCD
| installer, updated packages, GNOME 2.16.2, and other
| improvements over Gentoo Linux 2006.
`----
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pa...&item=714&num=1
Gentoo 2007.0 [Review]
,----[ Quote ]
| Like most major distros, it's not that often that we see a new
| release from the Gentoo team. In fact, it's twice a year, which
| is still more often than few others. The difference with Gentoo
| though, is that the new releases are not always awaiting much
| anticipation, since the bulk of the updates can be had through
| the system updater, Portage.
`----
http://techgage.com/article/gentoo_20070
Review: Gentoo 2007.0
,----[ Quote ]
| While Gentoo has kept up graphically with its sexy interface, it's
| been left several miles behind in terms of usability as the elite
| for Linux enthusiasts. The problem is that it's missing so much
| genuinely helpful GUI configuration, even enthusiasts are going
| to start considering an easier life.
`----
http://www.thepcspy.com/articles/li...ew_gentoo_20070
,----[ Quote ]
| Gentoo remains an excellent choice for users who want a completely
| customised distribution with an excellent package system, but it
| will never be practical for many Linux users. The inclusion of a
| graphical installer seems helpful, but it ends up taking away the
| instruction and customisation that a by-hand Gentoo installation
| can provide. Anyone wishing to get into the meat of their machine
| should stick with the installation instructions provided with
| Gentoo and go through the process himself.
`----
http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry1456.html
Gentoo Linux 2007.0 Screenshot Tour
,----[ Quote ]
| After several delays, the Gentoo Release Engineering team is proud
| to announce the release of Gentoo Linux 2007.0, code named 'Secret
| Sauce'. This release includes a completely rewritten version of the
| Gentoo Linux Installer on the AMD64 and x86 live CD and live DVD
| images.
`----
http://osdir.com/Article9832.phtml
Want to Learn Linux? Start With Gentoo
,----[ Quote ]
| Most people, of course, aren't interested in this level of
| appreciation, content to outsource that understanding to other
| people. And I suppose I am a bit of an anomaly, since one of the
| first things I'd do if I won Powerball would be to build my own
| car. But for those of you that are interested in Linux, there
| aren't many better places to start than Gentoo.
`----
http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2007/02/...rt-with-gentoo/
Cool Beryl demo on Linux!
,----[ Quote ]
| This is a short video demonstrating the cool effects Beryl provides
| for X under Linux. This is running using xorg, beryl and nvidia under
| Gentoo Linux.
`----
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpybBKdcUQw
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1525667.2oAFyZkSb7@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Project Takes Knowledge Away from Corporate Hands, Offic
ially Launched
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:52:46 +0100
Open Library goes online with public domain book collection
,----[ Quote ]
| Do we really need multiple projects like this, or would everyone be better
| off by pooling resources and building a single, massive database? The
| Internet Archive's Brewster Kahle recognises that this question will arise
,
| and he tackles it head-on in his vision statement for the Open
| Library. "Won't some of the big commercial digitisation projects deliver t
his
| future?" he asks. "They are part of it, but if we go no further, we may ha
ve
| an expanded bookstore, or a single means of organising the materials, but
we
| may not be building on the open tradition of a library."
`----
Open Source Awards
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:53:47 +0100
Awards boost open source
,----[ Quote ]
| Some of the nominated projects are run by a one-man-band, while others are
| nationwide, says Daish. Open-source business system provider Catalyst IT a
nd
| the Open Source Society are the driving forces behind the awards.
`----
[url]http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/devt/B5F88AE8F05339A1CC2573170012E0F4" target="_blank">http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...C2573170012E0F4
------------------------------
End of Cola Digest
--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| News Digester |
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