Stock Market...

[W. Wayne Liauh]

I have heard a lot of good things about Windows XP; however, we may begin to 
see cracks in Windows just when it finally becomes stable.  This is an ironic 
but true aspect of human nature.  Remember when WinCE was a lousy junk it was 
considered to have so much potential?  Now WinCE has ridded essentially all 
its kinks, but who cares about it any more?  Ditto its big brothers.

OTOH, with Win2K, which is the system I am running, my experience is that you 
almost have to upgrade every application software.  Cost of upgrades is a 
major concern. But more importantly, there are a lot of legacy software 
programs which either don't have upgrade versions, or their upgrades simply 
suck.  I expect the same to be true for Windows XP.

Another problem with Windows XP is that it has become a massive and almost 
unmanageable slob,  and is extremely inflexible.  What we need is a 
transparent, appliance type OS for our desktops.  Windows XP, though as good 
as it has appeared, may not be the right system.

Finally, yes, it is not very easy to configure a commercial Linux server.  
But who says that you can simply grab a "free" software and build your own 
trouble-free server to run your business all by yourself without the need to 
learn the product or pay a consultant?  You get what you pay for, whether you 
are running Linux or other proprietary OS like Windows.


On Saturday 08 September 2001 14:20, you wrote:
> Not just one successful example.  Linux is simply not ready... not easy
> enough for a complete newbie to implement.  Even though our server side
> software is of higher quality than Microsoft, this is only on the hidden
> backend.  What the great unwashed masses see are the user interfaces, and
> we are still 5 years behind Microsoft in these enterprise server
> administrative interfaces.  While KDE and Gnome are great improvements in
> the desktop user interfaces, server administration interfaces are almost as
> bad as they were years ago.
>
> I've been playing with Windows XP lately and I am completely alarmed by the
> improvements in Microsoft's next generation of software.  I hate to admit
> this, but Windows XP will be the first consumer Windows operating system
> with the stability and reliability of Windows NT/2000.  Some of you may be
> upset at this admission, but ever since Windows 2000 we can no longer blame
> Microsoft for instability and blue screens of death.  Nearly all problems
> in Windows now are due to hardware or driver problems.  I have been using
> Windows 2000 for nearly two years, and in all this time it has NEVER
> crashed except when I was using experimental nVidia Detonator drivers, or
> overclocking too far.
>
> Windows XP will be just as stable, but it also includes many
> anti-competitive abuses in tying virtually all software you may need,
> destroying competition (Citrix, CD burning software makers, competing
> instant messenging, etc.), while constantly encouraging users to sign-up
> for Passport and use Hailstorm services during normal usage of the
> operating system.  If you uninstall Windows Messenger (MSN Messenger), it
> breaks other components that relies on Passport like Netmeeting.  Yes, you
> can no longer use Netmeeting without having a Passport account.  It has
> built-in "remote desktop" capability similar to Citrix or VNC with full
> sound transmission. It is GREATLY superior and optimized over these
> competing products (possibly because it was developed using undocumented
> Windows API interfaces).  It also has a built in firewall that is superior
> to ZoneAlarm or Black Ice.  It includes very poor CD burning software, and
> it has a broken ASPI layer making competing CD burning software inoperable
> without a 3rd party driver.
>
> All of these "improvements" make it sound good, but the abuses exist under
> the hood in the anti-competitive bundled software features and breaking
> compatibility with software that Microsoft doesn't like.  I sure hope the
> courts force Microsoft to delay the retail release of XP, force them to
> remove the "need" to use Passport, and also remove these arrogant further
> abuses of their desktop operating system monopoly in their attempt to
> dominate other software and services markets.
>
> Windows XP is a severe threat because normal users will not recognize these
> abuses.  Microsoft made it inconvenient to use 3rd party software, so users
> will use the included Microsoft equivalents that work better than 3rd party
> software due to their undocumented hooks in the operating system.  Windows
> XP will continually pester them to sign-up for Passport, and Windows
> Messenger users will skyrocket, sucking competition from competing AIM and
> ICQ.
>
> The government is our only hope.  The same government that is controlled by
> corporate America's dollars.  (Don't expect any help from the spineless
> government.)
>
> Warren Togami
> warren at togami.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "W. Wayne Liauh" <LiauhW001 at Hawaii.rr.com>
> To: "Linux & Unix Advocates & Users" <luau at list.luau.hi.net>
> Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 1:39 PM
> Subject: [luau] Re: Stock Market...
>
> > One of the biggest problems with Linux is its "lack of stability".  Not
> > about functional stability but version stability, something unavoidable
>
> for a
>
> > product that evolves at such a lightening speed.
> >
> > However, as Linus stated a few weeks ago, there is not much that need be
>
> done
>
> > on the 2.4 kernel, meaning that the Linux kernel is finally stabilized.
>
> Now
>
> > with the improved SMP, journaling FS, USB, and DRI firmly in place, I
>
> think
>
> > business owners can finally feel comfortable about Linux.  The end of the
>
> 2.4
>
> > kernel signals the beginning of a new era for Linux.  However, to entice
> > business owners to adapt Linux, we need have locally successful examples,
> > I.e., can we convert a local bank or a law/accounting/doctor's office
> > into Linux?
> >
> > All it takes is one successful example!
>
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