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18 Features Windows Should Have (but Doesn't)
PCWorld Magazine ^ | Monday, April 28, 2008 10:00 PM PDT | Robert Strohmeyer, PC World

Posted on 05/01/2008 5:11:26 PM PDT by Swordmaker

Some of the coolest OS features are nowhere to be found in Windows XP or Vista. Here are 18 brilliant features that Microsoft should beg for, borrow, or steal—plus tips on how you can add many of them to your PC now.

Love it or hate it, Microsoft Windows is the world's most dominant operating system. But when you look at some of the hot features found in competitors such as Linux and Mac OS X, both XP and Vista can seem a little incomplete.

From intuitive interface features like Apple's application dock and Cover Flow to basic media capabilities such as ISO burning, Windows often falls short on built-in goodies. And some features that other operating systems offer by default—such as 64-bit processing and business-networking tools—equire a premium-version license in Windows.

(Excerpt) Read more at pcworld.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: msn
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To: Golden Eagle

http://apache-gui.com

In any case, a default install of Apache lets you drop your files in the folder and they get served. Advanced configuration isn’t always necessary, especially for simple home stuff.

And just the fact that MS went out of its way to let home users host sites on their computers scary. The decision was dumb and dangerous with no thought to security, an especially “silly idea.” Kinda reminds me of Outlook.

And remember to remove the tin foil hat before you respond again.


101 posted on 05/02/2008 4:04:00 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: tacticalogic; dan1123
Have you tried powerhsell?

I second that. MS did a LOT of catch-up work there, and came off very well.

102 posted on 05/02/2008 4:06:35 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Shryke
Has that changed?

Dramatically. You can lock down just about anything in the hardware and software on client Macs. Browse Apple's OS X Server pages, you'll be amazed at what you get for $500 for 10 clients, $1,000 for unlimited.

103 posted on 05/02/2008 4:09:43 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat

Here’s some pictures of PWS management, graphically based and much simpler than Apache:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/pwebsrv/deploy/setuppws.mspx?mfr=true

I do see an FTP service there, but it is turned OFF by default:

http://www.coveryourasp.com/PWS6.asp

As is ASP page processing:

http://www.coveryourasp.com/PWS5.asp


104 posted on 05/02/2008 4:13:16 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: antiRepublicrat

Now you’re asking these “people running it from home, which likely means they really don’t know what they’re doing” as you called them, to have to download some 3rd party freeware from who knows where, install and configure it, just to get a basic GUI? This is making it easier you say?


105 posted on 05/02/2008 4:15:37 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle
This is making it easier you say?

On one hand, you don't need the GUI. On the other hand, the harder the better, because barely computer literate people shouldn't be running web servers from their homes in the first place. Very, very bad idea by Microsoft.

106 posted on 05/02/2008 4:17:16 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Swordmaker

Once you go Mac, you never go back.

Really, truly, insanely great.


107 posted on 05/02/2008 4:20:13 PM PDT by Jim Noble (ride 'em like you stole 'em)
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To: antiRepublicrat

No it actually worked great, I used it for years and know many others who did as well, and the new IIS is even better. Comparatively Apache doesn’t even have a GUI and has more security holes, case closed.


108 posted on 05/02/2008 4:30:44 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle

As of 6, IIS was a decent product. As opposed to your assertion that I just like to bash Microsoft, I’ve said that before.

But earlier including PWS it was a piece of junk riddled with holes, dangerous for anyone, especially the average home user, to run. Hey, I have a great idea, let’s have the outward-facing http server run under the system account. Exploit a an IIS vulnerability and you own the whole box!


109 posted on 05/02/2008 4:42:13 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: dan1123
to be able to send someone a much more powerful shell script and just have things work.

Define "much more powerful".

What I consider a "much more powerful shell script" might do things like send email, modify operating systems, or change databases and directories.

I'm not sure that's something I'd like to have "just work" on everybody's computer.

110 posted on 05/02/2008 5:16:54 PM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: antiRepublicrat

You’re getting nowhere, Apache had the same problem when compared to PWS, read the bottom line:

http://www.epibiostat.ucsf.edu/manual/platform/win_service.xml

So in your eyes Apache was as evil as Microsoft for making this available to home users?


111 posted on 05/02/2008 5:17:10 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle
You’re getting nowhere, Apache had the same problem when compared to PWS, read the bottom line:

Thank you very much:

In fact, Windows 95/98 offers no security on the local machine, either. This is the simple reason that the Apache Software Foundation never endorses the use of Windows 95/98 as a public httpd server. These facilities exist only to assist the user in developing web content and learning the Apache server, and perhaps as a intranet server on a secured, private network.
Apache made it available saying never to make it outward-facing, mainly as an internal learning tool. Yet Microsoft shipped PWS with Windows 98, advertising that you can run your own public web server.
112 posted on 05/02/2008 5:25:06 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat

You’re geting nowhere, so did Microsoft:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307439

Quote:

Personal Web Server and Peer Web Services are basic Web publishing services for use in low-volume, protected, and secure networks.


113 posted on 05/02/2008 5:34:45 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: antiRepublicrat
I second that. MS did a LOT of catch-up work there, and came off very well.

I like it.

It the interest of full disclosure, I also liked REXX, which a lot of people think is a little weird.

114 posted on 05/02/2008 5:34:53 PM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: dan1123
To be fair, Mac stole 2,6,15, and arguably 16 from the Linux community.

Don't think so on 15 & 16... remember that Mac OS X IS UNIX.

115 posted on 05/02/2008 6:02:49 PM PDT by Swordmaker (Remember, the proper pronunciation of IE is "AAAAIIIIIEEEEEEE!)
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To: Golden Eagle

Oh yeah, the average computer newbie who got ‘98 and saw the ads for PWS and installed it off his ‘98 CD really looked at that KB article to see that. In the early days of the WWW Microsoft was very good at putting dangerous technologies in the hands of people who had never seen a computer before.

Meanwhile, Apache was made for those who knew what they were doing and followed instructions and warnings. It was a separate product you had to know about, go to Apache and download (usually over dialup).


116 posted on 05/02/2008 6:14:04 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat
In the early days of the WWW Microsoft was very good at putting dangerous technologies in the hands of people who had never seen a computer before.

ROFL

Apache was made for those who knew what they were doing

But you've been saying over and over it was somehow better for the clueless end users you keep insulting.

It was a separate product you had to know about, go to Apache and download (usually over dialup).

No good for the clueless noobs then, which was your original point remember. Guess not. But even if you were a professional you were no better off security wise than with PWS, due to the underlying O/S, as this thread also shows. But I'm sure you'll move the goalposts again now, look for some way to blame Microsoft for something else.

117 posted on 05/02/2008 6:28:47 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
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To: antiRepublicrat

I am not just talking about lockdowns. How familiar with AD are you? Advanved GPOs and such? Can you, for example, offer support to a mac station from your mac station, which shares his desktop? Can you control what type of cetificates the workstations will accept? Are there millions of options?


118 posted on 05/02/2008 7:24:44 PM PDT by Shryke
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To: discostu; antiRepublicrat; dan1123
AR found your answer AOR, it’s an OS setting, win2K might not actually have it (I don’t have a 2K machine handy to check) but XP definitely does, Control Panel, Printers and Other Hardware, Mouse, Pointer Options, down near the bottom is Hide Cursor When Typing.

Thanks, much; but that is already checked.

What happens is the mouse's arrowhead shaped pointer changes into an "I" shaped pointer , when the arrow passes over a box into which I can type, like the one I'm typing in now.

The "I" shaped pointer is still visible, and right now is obscuring two letters in words on two lines.

To be fair, sometimes when I start to type it does disappear--but just as often I have to grab the mouse to make it go away (infuriating to a touch typist, when having to constantly do this, esp. when entering data into database fields).

Flaky, like every other thing MS does.

Thanks, everyone, but we've wasted too much time on this already.

by the time we figure out even this little thing--if it can be figured out--the software will be outdated anyhow, and it's on to the latest bug release.

119 posted on 05/02/2008 7:26:04 PM PDT by Age of Reason
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To: Golden Eagle
ROFL

That's when I know this is over and you can't debate anymore. Don't think we've forgotten. Bye.

120 posted on 05/02/2008 7:29:27 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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