Posted on 04/20/2006 9:00:14 AM PDT by ShadowAce
The past few weeks have revealed much about the great paradox that is China. It is a nation that wants a capitalist lifestyle with centralised totalitarian rule. The past weeks have also revealed a lot about the Western World's biggest IT companies, Namely, they'll do just about anything to crack the giant fortune cookie market. Some will give away their software, others will allow their search results to be censored and others may even be prepared to help the Chinese Government track down its dissidents. The more principled ones among us may say: "IT companies beware of the Chinese trap." I say: "China, remember your 19th Century history. IT capitalism is a far more powerful drug for an emerging technology nation than Opium."
The meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates may have seemed to some a polite symbolic gesture on the part of China to show that it is serious about adopting Western standards of intellectual property and proprietary ownership. However, coupled with the $1.2 billion sweetheart deal that Microsoft just announced with China’s number one PC maker Lenovo, the intent of the leader of the IT capitalists is crystal clear: lock in.
Microsoft, which has around 90% of the global PC operating system and office productivity software market, has achieved its remarkable stranglehold through a process called lock-in. Those of us, which is most of us, who have had the Windows operating system on our desktops for more than a decade, know all about lock-in.
We Windows users know all about the files we have created in Microsoft Office over the years, not to mention the numerous other applications that have been developed for Windows by software companies such as Adobe, Macromedia, and smaller independent software vendors. We know how we have come to depend upon those applications and the data attached to them.
Our dependence has never become more apparent than when we discovered that there is a whole world of innovative and most excellent software that is freely available and collectively labelled under the banner of open source. Much of this software, such as Open Office.org, an excellent free replacement for the overpriced Microsoft Office, will run on both Windows and the alternative operating system Linux. Likewise, the increasingly popular Firefox internet browser, which is superior in both functionality and performance to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, will run on both operating systems.
However, there are many applications that will run only on Windows. While there are usually equivalent and even superior applications that will run on Linux, they are not easily interchangeable. This is what we mean by lock in. The longer you use the drug called Windows, the more you become addicted and locked in. The harder it becomes to make the break and move to a free and open environment where applications don’t cost an arm and a leg.
China is a nation with a unique opportunity. Yes there are a plethora of PCs on the market with pirated versions of Windows. Despite what anyone may say, it is a sure bet that Microsoft is happy about that. It’s the initial hit of free Opium. Eventually, as China is forced to tighten its regulatory requirements on PCs being sold into the market – it’s already happening with the no naked PCs rule – users will be forced to pay for their Windows operating system. In the meantime, they will be busily locking themselves into the plethora of Windows specific applications. The more they get locked in, the higher the price will be.
China make note. Windows is a drug that much of the world is trying to wean itself off. Look to the EU. Look to Brazil. Look to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the US. There is an alternative called Linux, which includes all of the applications you need to do business, and it costs a fraction of the price. You may want to buy an Xbox 360 if you want to play games however.
AGAIN...
Go back and look at the original thread title again:
"MS issues final software update for Win2K"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts
That indicates there will be no more updates, at all, for Windows 2000. In that thread, I immediately exposed the lie, just like I always do when you boys post your bunk from overseas websites.
You started lying some more, claiming that security "patches" and "hotfixes" were not "updates".
LOL, look at this comment:
"No you'll be patching your systems for five years like everyone else, thats not updating!"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts?page=44#44
Or this one LMAO:
"a hotfix != an update."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts?page=48#48
Funniest of all, you roll out a link to Microsoft, where the word "update" is defined:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts?page=50#50
What does that link say? Quote:
Software Update Definition: A software update is any update, update rollup, service pack, feature pack, critical update, security update, or hotfix that is used to improve or to fix a software product that is released by Microsoft Corporation.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=824684
LMAO! Now here today, months later, you're still lying about it, and your latest incarnations in this thread are just as hilarious!
""a security update is not the definition of an update"
and
"an update is not a security fix".
Hysterical! N3WBI3 is working hard on his upgrade to his BSCE, he's actually the pilot for the new program LOL!
"So MS will still release security fixes but no more SP's.."
And his definition from Microsoft, "An update addresses a non-critical, non-security-related bug."
Given his clarifying statements in the thread, it's so clear cut that the only reason for what we're talking about now is your continual misrepresentation of another FReeper's posts. Microsoft came up with specific language to clarify what is what with their software, yet even their lackeys ignore it.
Let's see, Red Hat's made enough to spend, what, over $300 million on another company? And as far as the comparison, it's nonsense. That money went to Microsoft as well as Linux.
As usual, you're going on semantics, ignoring explicit clarification by the FReeper that destroys the current argument.
No, it was simply another one of those times you lied. There is not need to defend Stallman's position of wanting to get rid of all patents when that is not his position.
Now you're lying too, of course!
Go back and look at the original thread title, again:
"MS issues final software update for Win2K"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts
DID YOU NOT JUST READ THE WORDS "SOFTWARE UPDATE" IN UNISON?
NOW READ THIS:
"Software Update" Definition: A "software update" is any update, update rollup, service pack, feature pack, critical update, security update, or hotfix that is used to improve or to fix a software product that is released by Microsoft Corporation.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=824684
DID YOU NOT AGAIN JUST READ THE WORDS "SOFTWARE UPDATE" IN UNISON? MULTIPLE TIMES, DID YOU NOT?
This is another perfect example of lies from you guys. And this is one that's been going on for months!
Updated, since these noobie antiRepublicans have spun such a hysterical web of lies, and have tried to extend them now for months:
Go back and look at the original thread title again:
"MS issues final SOFTWARE UPDATE for Win2K"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts
That indicates there will be no more "software updates", at all, for Windows 2000. In that thread, I immediately exposed the lie, just like I always do when you boys post your bunk from overseas websites.
You started lying some more, claiming that security "patches" and "hotfixes" were not "updates".
LOL, look at this comment:
"No you'll be patching your systems for five years like everyone else, thats not updating!"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts?page=44#44
Or this one LMAO:
"a hotfix != an update."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts?page=48#48
Funniest of all, you roll out a link to Microsoft, where the word "software update" is defined:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts?page=50#50
What does that link say? Quote:
Software Update Definition: A software update is any update, update rollup, service pack, feature pack, critical update, security update, or hotfix that is used to improve or to fix a software product that is released by Microsoft Corporation.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=824684
LMAO! Now here today, months later, you're still lying about it, and your latest incarnations in this thread are just as hilarious!
""a security update is not the definition of an update"
and
"an update is not a security fix".
Hysterical! N3WBI3 is working hard on his upgrade to his BSCE, he's actually the pilot for the new program LOL!
What does that have to do with N3WBI3? Otherwise, despite semantics he specifically clarified his position in the beginning -- a position that is factually correct.
LOL, what, now you want to claim his posts were not his? Probably LOL! Somebody hacked his Linux right, and was posting under his name. Your other lies are no better.
You had already created another BS thread yourself, as well, prior to this one. Look at my very first post on this one:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1434031/posts?page=41#41
To: ShadowAce
More of your bunk from overseas. I'll be upgrading my Windows 2000 for free for 5 more years, just like everybody else. If you knew much of anything about the industry, you'd have known better than to post an article with such a ficticious title. n3wbie did the same thing already too, on this very subject.
Yeah, just like this bunk of an article. "China, beware the evil capitalists!"
So to reiterate the question posed by AR... Why is my name in this your complaining about two threads I did not start..
He didn't post the article. He stated his position early on in #18. Anything else is you trying to catch people on semantics, not a real debate.
Oh that's sweet. I'm supposed to believe that, given your documented history of misrepresenting other FReepers? Your documented history of flat-out lies?
All that matters is you three boys are there most every time, perpetuating those lies
"So MS will still release security fixes but no more SP's." Where's the lie in that?
Hey I don't care if you believe it or not, it's obvious who the liars are. Anyone still arguing over a bogus thread from overseas that claimed all software updates for Windows 2000 were ending last summer just can't stop themselves! Admit the thread was BS and should have been retracted, like the other one was, or continue to get it thrown in your face.
Yes, Mr. Quixote. It is pretty obvious.
Unfortunately, you don't see the irony, do you?
Hey I'm just waiting on one of you jokers to admit the thread was BS, it's only been 9 months now. You know, like all the other recent BS that's been posted on here lately, like Google is releasing a version of Linux, IBM is switching internally to Linux (AGAIN), you know, the endless stuff you from you guys that always turns out to be complete BS?
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