And COBOL was My baby!
Posted on 11/26/2004 8:55:01 AM PST by JusticeTalion
MICROSOFT Corp. is staging another attack against software pirates with an amnesty program for unwitting users of bootlegged copies of its Windows XP operating system (OS).
The project enables the software giant to collate information about the sources of pirated software and quickly work with authorities to capture illegal traders.
In addition, the company also wants to get to the source of the problem, which it suspects is the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) sector. It promised not to prosecute individuals.
In its website, Microsoft announced the Windows XP Counterfeit Project for users who are “unsure” if they are using legitimate versions of the OS that came pre-installed in computers.
The company suspects that most pirated Windows XP copies were from resellers of OEM computers, which explains why the Counterfeit Project largely targets pre-installed versions.
Microsoft will require suspicious users to have their software submitted to them for analysis.
Users would have to apply online, then send the illegal copy -- as well as the official receipt of the PC they bought and a witness statement -- to Microsoft’s Redmond office.
Microsoft will replace the counterfeit versions, according to their terms and conditions of offer.
However, the deal only covers PCs bought before November 1.
The project also covers some European countries. There are no definite plans to make the project a worldwide activity.
I am home networked with 3 XP Pro boxes.
I have zero compliants with XP.
I like WixXP and Microsoft has been a great company.
I've tried Linux (still have it running) for over a year and it's not ready for home users.
No, the garage PC builder cannot compete with Dell, butt...
There is a HUGE market for people to rescue home users from worms, virus and general user stupidity. There is a good market for software training.
My model for the new, consumer based, one man computer shop is the gas station model. Sell upgrades and repairs. Make an appointment, drop off your computer at the shop and come back to pick it up, virus free with the operating system running right.
In fact, an old gas station building would do the trick. A small office out front where you drop off your computer. The operator comes out of the back when the door goes ding (just like the old hoses at the pumps). The garage section is the workshop, where the public is only allowed by invitation.
One of the major advantages that Linix and Free-Source have is that they really do follow the traditional hacker ethic where the free and unimpeded flow of information is the goal, and the ego and recognition that comes from a good "hack" or developement is the goal. The traditional hacker ethic from the old TX-0 and PDP-1 days is still alive and well. The problem is that right now the developers are more interested in adding functions and control, not at simplifying. I believe that this is just a stage however. Remember that interactive computing was first embraced and developed by the same type of mentality. Open source efforts such as Linux work well to replicate technology that is already well understood. But by it's nature, open source is not good at innovation. That implies that commercial operating systems will probably keep their lead on Linux for implementation of new technologies such as speech and handwriting, not to mention better integration of new peripherals.
Overall, open source is okay at innovation, but I would agree that this is one of the weaker links at this point. Take a look at open source projects such as Mozilla and OpenOffice though, and you will see that while office applications and web browsers have been around for a long time, the open source versions tend to have significant usability improvements over their commercial counterparts. Take Firefox for example, not only is it more stable and secure, it also has elements such as tabbed web-browsing and the structure necessary for pipelining web downloads -- both of which are valuable features not found in the leading commercial ventures. Couple that with the fact that the people who gain the most from open source are highly technical types, and are not representative of the user community. That means there is no appreciation of the things the typical, non-technical user wants, or even the understanding of what that non-technical user needs. How are such people ever going to produce software that appeals to the non-technical user?
That is indeed a problem, but one that has been showing definate signs of change. Take a look at old 6.x versions of Red Hat and then compare them to the newer versions of Fedora, and you will see that some definate simplification has occured. One thing about technical guys is that once the thrill is gone, nothing frustrates them more than repeating pointless tasks. RPM package installers for instance are an example where up-close control has given way to automation.
As things progress and more companies change over to Linux environments, you will see a rush of Administrators and Help Desk people clamoring for ease of use enhancements so that they don't have to keep dealing with the "end-users". Inevitibly this will lead to change. I'm happy to see Linux (and Apple) doing well in certain segments. Microsoft does much better when they have competition. They tend to get sloppy when they don't (which is why Internet Explorer stagnated so long). But that needs to be tempered with a realistic understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of open source.
So am I. Competition breeds innovation, and makes quality and robustness a more primary consideration. Apple has done a great job of "dumbing-down" their operating system while at the same time adding more functional control simultaneously. In terms of the Browser Wars, Microsoft won with Internet Explorer, and it's taken awhile for new competition to come out with innovative advantages and to start challenging market share. With the surging popularity of Firefox, it is safe to assume that we will be seeing a new IE sometime not too long from now. If Safari were to be released for use on Windows, it would further erode market share, and put even more pressure on Microsoft.
It wasn't my intention to convey that Gateway used such unethical business tactics.
If a producer steal for gain then they should be dealt with, and with fervor to greatest extent of the law!
It surprises me however that MS would extend a hand of amnesty if their concerns are 100% legitimate, which they may very well be.
Thanks for your post. I thought I was going crazy w/SP-2! After install, I couldn't access any secure site. I finally deinstalled and things went back to normal. Any suggestions?
Nice idea on the computer gas station! May I mention it in my colunm?
I will credit you
Not a clue. Installing SP2 shouldn't have changed any of your settings for accessing websites. I only had a couple minor glitches.
I do very much like the fact that XP let's you roll back everything to a time when stuff worked. That's saved my life a couple times.
CPM is not a Microsoft OS and Kaypro did not run Microsoft OS's either.
I just dug through my old 5.25" disks to prove you wrong and guess what?
You're right. CP/M v2.2 was copyrighted by Digital Research.
So, I stand corrected. I did write stuff for school in Microsoft Basic on my "transportable" Kaypro. The masterdisk for MS Basic has 1980 copyright label.
You'll love this one:
A local smallish computer place had a bustling business. In addition to making no-name boxes all with preinstalled Windows and Office, they were also aggressivley selling at computer shows.
They were selling the OEM CD's at the computer shows: The store system customer got a "WinXX" directory full of *.cab files on their HD, but no CD's. In addition, they were selling "Preformatted" (They called them) Hard drives with Windows and Office.
They were also pocketing the state sales tax from the shows.
In the middle of all this, they were building a palatial house.
When it all came down, everything unravelled, the store closed, and the house stands, half done, with sheathing flapping in the wind.
If everyone hates Windows and Office so much, why do they steal it?
Yup, DOS by the way was a rip off (copy) of CPM. Not sure where basic came from but I do believe Bill Gates was a basic guru and that early versions of DOS were written in basic. I am pretty sure the world would have dropped basic long ago if Bill Gates did not keep forcing it on us. It is (or was) a terrible programming language. I haven't looked at it since C became popular so maybe it's been improved in the last 20 years or so, but it used to suck big time.
IIRC, MS contracted with IBM to develop DOS. Somewhere along the line, IBM decided to ditch the Personal Computer, and more or less gave MS the rights to DOS.
The rest is history.
Basic was written at Dartmouth over 40 years ago by Kemeny who went on to become President of Dartmouth College.
And COBOL was My baby!
And in doing so set a new standard by which all terrible business decisions are measured. The old standard was Ford's Edsel, but IBM blew the doors off the Edsel decision with it's bone headed move to blow off PC Operating systems.
I always kinda liked COBOL, highly under rated programming language. But the chick has got to go, even my poorly working old eyes protest having to look at her.
Some simple tips are in order. Update your A-V often (once a week is good, every day is better). Check the settings on your firewall. If a program doesn't absolutely have to have access to the internet cut it off. If it does then give it as little access as possible. Set the firewall to disallow your Internet Explorer to act as a server. Use AdAware and Spybot once a week.
Learn the small things. Use Ctrl+Alt+Del now and then and see just exactly what is running in the background. Note the name of anything that you don't recognize and Google it. Then decide on whether to get rid of it. Use "msconfig" and check just what takes over your computer at Startup.
It sounds complicated but you would never hop into your car for a trip without checking the oil, water, brake fluid and such. Why do it with your computer? It becomes a habit just like driving.
I have been vigorously attacked (hacked at) three times by people who decided I was a likely target. None of them worked. To most my computer does not even exist on the internet (as if I had it turned off thanks to Zone Alarm). Run your computer through Shields Up and see how many green squares you get. I get them all and so can you with a bit of searching and knowledge.
Freepmail me if you need a bit more help.
God bless our troops wherever they may be.
"Nice idea on the computer gas station! May I mention it in my colunm?
I will credit you."
Sure. If you want to credit me by name, ping me by Freepmail.
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