Vista gonna be a contender?

[D2k Sardaukar]

EDIT:

hmm looks like AVG is in trouble for its new malware scanner clicking on links when browsing the web thus giving false info to webmasters. Meh, I'm still using clamwin.

You can turn it off in Firefox, it's just an add-on there.

[Andrew]

Microsoft earmarks another $200 million for Windows advertising

Their product is so great they need to spend that much 2 years after releasing it to advertise it!? The article states they are also spending another $300 million on other advertising. So $500 million on advertising. How about improving their products instead? Or support XP longer until no one wants to use it?

[gryphon]

Dude, you have got to be kidding me to label this as news.

Advertising is all in a days work. Ferrari makes more money from merchandise then from selling actual cars. Google's revenue is about 95% from marketing (read advertising money) and 5% from 'real' services. The XboX now about roughly 3 years old and they still advertise it.

Victorinox is still advertising their 10 year old knives and the product line up of B&O hasn't changed much during the last 5 years. So if you wanna compair advertising budgets....

What do you think the Softies should be spending that extra $200 million in marketing on, as part of its attempt to help improve Vista’s (and Window's overall) image?

Judging from most of your (not just you Andrew :)) posts Microsoft can use the extra image boost.

I know most of you don't like Microsoft (Windows) for that matter. Just don't follow anyone who shouts blasphemy to anything Microsoft comes up with without knowing what it's actually about. Besides that, no matter how much Microsoft spends on improving their products, for some it's never enough. And let's face it. At least Microsoft still supported Windows95 after 10 years. Apple OS is absolute in about 4 years (won't even install) and Linux is updated 4 times a year. With support lasting not much longer then the next mayor release.

So please, honestly. What's all the fuss about

[Andrew]

So please, honestly. What's all the fuss about

That we can expect MS to try and out advertise Apple. :)

Maybe defend itself from those apple commercials some of which portray false/exaggerated information about windows.

With apples marketshare increasing MS must feel threatened.

5 years ago I don't think any of my local big box stores sold apple computers (if they did they never advertised it). Now they all do, and some computer illiterate people I know switched from windows to mac and think it is better than windows. I'm glad for more competition. If computer makers would stop installing crapware with windows it might stand a chance. I guess people get fed up with it. I get fed up with removing it every time someone I know buys a computer. 60 day norton antivirus trial! woohooooooo!

[Andrew]

IBM, Canonical/Ubuntu, Novell, Red Hat to Deliver Microsoft-Free Desktops Worldwide

Hurray more competition!

If dell canada would allow people to purchase ubuntu desktops without having to buy a monitor I might buy one from them. The US version allows to remove the monitor.

[gryphon]

That's gonna be fun to watch.

How to update your Microsoft free PC. Should I use apt-get, yum, up2date or Yast (a combination of two or more can even be used on the same system). I already pity the Dell support guy answering the calls.

-how do I get updates ?

Well sir, that depends. What is your operating system.

- my what, I use Linux.

Ok sir, but which distribution. They all have their own update commands so I have to know the distribution you are using.

- *customer hanging up and ordering Vista with his new computer*

Nice to see the Radbound University in that article. Then Lotus Notes. Who thought of that ? Bet he never used the product himself. The UK government count not even switch from MS Office. And they expect people to change to Lotus...

Like the initiative, then again the Germen government is still on my top watchlist for large Linux migrations.

[Andrew]

With my ubuntu it gives me a notification icon at top right, similar to a Windows update notification. It lists the updates and I can tell it to update if I want. It's not that difficult. Unless you are referring to the fact that there will be multiple distros being used so it will be difficult to get help. Although I would think it would come with distro specific tech support (phone, email, contact info etc).

The only difficult thing is when you update the linux kernel and it adds another one to the bootloader. But they are apparently going to fix that to make it simpler. Having to sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst and deleting the old kernel (then going into synaptic and uninstalling the old kernels) is what is difficult.

[gryphon]

I think you have missed my point Andrew. It is not just about the update function. Or any specific function for that. Both Microsoft and Linux suppliers have learned to valueable things from eachother. First if you want to give the user controle, give them back the console prompt. Second, if you want your product to be used in every home, make it shiny, graphical and easy to use (read standardised).

Ironically the 'shell' freedom of Linux has been sacrificed for a nice GUI that every one can relate to. (what ever happend to the 'he I want a direct console prompt'). Beneath that nice shiny button warning you about updates, the help desk has to be trained in all the functions of the OS. Now as the update manager, windows manager and application folders still differ from installation to installation. That means training a support guy for KDE, Gnome, Redhat, SuSe and maybe Ubuntu. Sure you can give a guy the general Linux-for-support training. Yet I doubt training students to support 3 mayor Linux distributions is gonna work. It's has enough as it is to get professional support for Windows Apple, or RedHat at this time. So one student for 3 Linux distro's . ..I wouldn't hold my breath.

For a couple of mayor hardware and software suppliers to join forces and start supporting Linux. I think that's a very good initiative. Yet that can only mean one thing. Standarisation in Linux. Which again is a good thing. for Linux. Not for the individual distributions and the people contributing to it. Linux will have to get a 5 year plan. They will have to get rules on where and how to install applications (yes they are almost there, of they make up their mind about usr and local) and they will have do to away with 5 mayor distributions to choose from.

The OS based upon Linux has come a long way. And certainly most of it for the good of the OS. I just doubt it will have a serious impact, or adoption base unless they join forces and standardise the stuff into the extreme.

[Andrew]

Would you think that if linux is standardized to the extreme, would they still have custom different distros that have different window manager and default programs? Much like ubuntu officially supports ubuntu, xubuntu, kubuntu, edubuntu, then there are the dozens of unofficial versions such as religious (christian/muslim), regional(I believe there are some for brazil and asia, etc), along with ubuntulite, fluxbuntu etc.

They are all "standardized" in the sense that they are all based upon the same distro (which itself is based upon debian). But all these varieties make it easy to get a custom version that suits a specific groups needs. All the while for the most part relying on ubuntu update servers for software/security. So get rid of all the different distros (suse/ubuntu/redhat), so that they use the same architecture, but they could simply brand different versions of it (rearrange the furniture). It would make it easier to update the core OS (if all linux devs were working on a single OS, but different flavours possible, it would work better?).

I think the linux OS is decent, but I think it still needs to work hard on the software. More/better software available would be good. There seems to be a good amount of "competition" (or choices) between most software (audio/video/webbrowser). I'm always eager to see the updates when new versions are released. From big projects such as openoffice to very small projects such as conky.

And back on topic, I'm still happy with my windows XP even though vista has been out for 1.5 years. Hope I'm not missing much ;)

And don't say DX10, since it would be useless to me unless I buy a gaming machine which wont happen.

EDIT:

Windows XP Still Outselling Windows Vista

OH SNAP!

[gryphon]

Coming close. :)

it's just that all those different versions of Ubuntu ( I know you are a fan ;)) are irrelevant. And to simply get rid off all the different distros (suse/Ubuntu/redhat) is just my point. In that list Ubuntu has the least change of getting into HP and Dell (no reference needed I guess ;)).

You where referring to Ubuntu correctly as a distribution based upon Debian. In that line Ubuntu is obsolete and Debian should be compared to Redhad, BSD and SuSe.

For Vista I think the biggest blow will the the corporations who have no plans to switch at this time. Server 2008 might change that although I doubt that will happen any time soon.

Of all my computers in active duty, the last two running XP will be reinstalled with Vista by the end of this month. (note that I'm not using Vista on my primary laptop) So it being a contender. . . don't think we have that choice much longer. Just like Win98. People will switch. And for now I think OSX and Windows are the top candidates.

[D2k Sardaukar]

Vista works great for me. I like it. It looks great and has new stuff in. Glass effect is very nice.

I got Vista 64 bit on a DuoCore E8400 and an Ati hd4870, so the pc is fast enough to run Vista.

[Andrew]

A third of new PCs being downgraded to XP, says metrics researcher

Yah but MS is still getting paid so I don't think they care. :P

[Megashrap]

Yea,I went back to xp mainly due to Vista being a pain in the ass with trying to install alot of games.However I do love the way Vista handles driver installations like a dream. The option to have windows search for the driver actually works in Vista.

[Andrew]

However I do love the way Vista handles driver installations like a dream. The option to have windows search for the driver actually works in Vista.

That is good to hear because every time I reboot windows XP it asks for a driver that doesn't exist. I've documented this in a thread I made a year ago, but have not found a solution other than formatting and guessing what crapware it was I uninstalled and not uninstall it.

[Megashrap]

I had just installed Vista and went to grab my motherboard cd for drivers,but when Vista started installing drivers it did everything motherboard, sound, graphics...plus they were all updated ones.It was a shock to see it go so smoothly.

[Andrew]

Heh, I don't trust Windows update website to have any up to date drivers. At least I've never noticed it to ever list them.

Currently it is checking to see if I have latest windows update software stuff to actually get updates. Hmm, for some reason seems to get stuck there. sigh.

Also for some reason on start menu if I open a program I only open once a month or less it automatically goes onto the "used most often program list". It didn't do this a couple months ago.

EDIT:

windows update worked while I was talking to insurance agent. It doesn't list any updates for my audio card. With vista would windows update have up to date drivers? I have realtek audio, which is very common among cheap computers that don't have creative version.

[Megashrap]

All  I can say is it(Vista)found up to date drivers for everything my creative SB audigy, geforce 8400 card and mainboard.How it did that I'm just not sure but it was sweet not having to even load any of my driver cd's at all.That's a first for me.Sort of like having some third party driver search program.

[Andrew]

Open source group sues Quebec, Microsoft for no-bid software contracting

In a July 15 filing publicly released yesterday (PDF available here), FACIL cites public records showing seven separate procurements from February to June of this year ordered from Microsoft by Guy Chouinard, Quebec's Director-General for Acquisitions, totaling $10,711,986.05 CAD. Free alternatives to that software from Quebec suppliers may not have been considered, FACIL believes, for the simple reason that the software is free. In other words, since the government can't bid zero, it can't bid.

In 5 months the Quebec government spent $10 million on Microsoft software!?

That is a lot of money (ok not really, but for a bankrupt province it is). I like the fact that there was no bids available. They just bought it from MS without putting out a tender. Gotta love Monopolies.

I wouldn't mind knowing how much $ my government is spending on software and such and whether tenders are put out or they just purchase whatever MS offers. Oh wow vista and office2007, quick hand over more money to do the same thing the previous software did!

Quebec government sued for buying Microsoft software - CBC article.

[gryphon]

Andrew, don't mix up two things here.

First a government employee who doesn't consider other alternatives has nothing to do with an evil company selling Windows. It's a worker not doing his job. Nothing more and in today's world not that uncommon.

Mind that a lot of applications and security policies governments need, only work on Windows based computers. Or a relative difficult combinations of multiple systems, making it not easy to implement.

Next. They pay Microsoft a specific amount per year (so do I by the way) and in return are allowed to run the latest version of Windows / Office. Schools, governments and large corporations don't have the same license deals as home users have.

Take the number of workstations your government has, and let say about 100 Euros a year per workstation. You should have the tip of the iceberg in software licenses.

[Megashrap]

Well, I broke down and bought windows Vista Premium upgrade. So far everything is rock solid. One thing though what this aero thing and were do I find it cause it says I have it on my box.

[gryphon]

could you elaborate on that where do I find it part...

exactly what are you expecting to see...

[Megashrap]

I don't know...It is just checked on the back of my box as having it.....again,,wtf is it? how do I use? Do I need it? But agia WTF IS IT!!

Tis is what is says on the mVizta upgrade box."elegent windows desktop experience".SO I guess my question is."how do I experience that wonderful thing'?  :P

[Andrew]

Umm, I dunno, I don't use it.

Maybe post a screenshot of your web browser and windows explorer open? Is the windows borders translucent (see through)?

Actually look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Aero

if it doesn't look like the screenshots is must be disabled.

[Megashrap]

Well,I hope this might help....

[Andrew]

Sadly no not really? :P

Unless the red part at the top is your background showing through the program. Then yes it is enabled.

Dunno if you were expecting compiz level eye candy.

Maybe some parts of it are disabled?

Try reading

http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/vista/vista_aero_windows.htm

PS if you don't use the "most visited/getting started/latest headlines" links in firefox I would right click to the right of them and deselect "bookmarks toolbar". I have around 6 of my most used links there, actually now that I think of it I will probably delete a couple and add a bunch more.