Microsoft star gazing

SFGate ^ | May 13, 2008 | Deborah Gage

[period end of story]

[Slapshot68]

This was already available, to a degree, with a program called Celestia.

http://shatters.net/celestia/

[TYVets]

Ping for viewing

[ShadowAce]

[webschooner]

The bloodsuckers over at M-soft don’t do anything for free. They prolly take some personal information from you if you use this. There’s a motive there. There is no heart at M-soft to do goodness out of.

Tanks but no tanks.

[aft_lizard]

Thats stupid, almost every free program wants some form of personal info on you. I guess they are all bloodsuckers as well.

[webschooner]

No, it’s not stupid. It’s a pragmatic opinion based on the past history of M-soft. I don’t trust them. You can trust them if you like.

[Still Thinking]

If past history is any guide, this would indicate that Microsoft now owns all the stars so depicted.

[period end of story]

The bloodsuckers over at M-soft don’t do anything for free.

We'll see.

[aft_lizard]

Like what past history? MS has never been known to release your personal information, while tons and tons of free programs from small companies have been known to. Say what you will about the stability of a few of their products, MS has ran a clean operation for consumers.

[webschooner]

I did not say I was afraid that M-soft would release personal information. I said what I said, which is that I don’t trust them and I don’t like the way they do business, based on past experience.

[KoRn]

*

[weeder]

This is a great resource. This will make evenings outside with my Questar much easier, as opposed to flipping through star charts.

[aft_lizard]

Then what you are saying is you don’t like them because a lot of others don’t either because it is the cool thing to do, rather than real evidence that they have harmed you in a real personal way. Like I said MS may have some programs that are open to attack from malicious software, but their end business practices for consumers have been on the up and up, unless you have evidence that needs to be brought to light that they purposely and maliciously pursued a negative business relationship with you.

[Incorrigible]

 

ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US !!!

 

[antiRepublicrat]

but their end business practices for consumers have been on the up and up

I can name quite a few negative business practices for the end user -- the whole OEM Windows refund business, unconstitutional licenses, blocking valid eBay sales of their products, etc.

But this looks pretty cool. Don't forget that MS has also written kiddie porn detection software and given it away for free to police departments, with free support. I know from people who lived around there that MS is VERY free with the charity money for local needs. Microsoft has done some horrible things, but it isn't all bad.

[TexasRepublic]

I wish Micro$oft would get its head out of the sky (or its lower orifice) and provide us with a better operating system than Vista.

[messierhunter]

http://www.starrynightstore.com/17235.html
Also, you could purchase Starry Night Pro Plus which has an "AllSky" image feature where you can explore the entire celestial sphere as one gigantic CCD image stiched together. You can also use the software to control your own real telescope.



http://www.stellarium.org
If you don't have a couple hundred dollars to throw around you can use a free program called Stellarium, which does a great job rendering a realistic looking night sky for any given date and location. You can even import a panoramic image of your yard so that you can see exactly when objects will set behind your house & trees, which is great for planning an observing session under the real sky.

[aft_lizard]

I can name quite a few negative business practices for the end user — the whole OEM Windows refund business, unconstitutional licenses, blocking valid eBay sales of their products, etc.>>>

Your boys at Apple do the exact same thing.

[JoJo Gunn]

Thats stupid, almost every free program wants some form of personal info on you.

I have collected countless freebies over the years that doesn't ask for squat. 

If you're going to make such sweeping statements then don't be a bedwetter when you're considered a shill.