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Fans protest Microsoft's plan to dump XP
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | February 8, 2008 | Ellen Lee

Posted on 02/08/2008 12:24:19 PM PST by my_pointy_head_is_sharp

Goodbye, Windows XP.

Microsoft, which released its latest operating system, Vista, last year, plans to stop selling Windows XP in stores and through its PC partners on June 30.

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


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: microsoft; msn; vista; winxp; xp
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp

I love it. Gates wants kinder and gentler capitalism, but, his own company is involved, fights with brass knuckles.


41 posted on 02/08/2008 1:14:59 PM PST by Daveinyork
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp
Why are they forcing Vista on us when almost everybody hates it?

To sell product to people who have already purchased Windows. Had they actually created a better operating system, people would upgrade gladly without coercion, but legacy API's and environment compatibility keep them from implementing many features and cutting down on bloat.

In my opinion, Microsoft needs to make another operating system with a more modern kernel, filesystem, and API. The problem of course, is to get developers to migrate. If they do, then users will.
42 posted on 02/08/2008 1:15:14 PM PST by dan1123 (McCain has an American Conservative Union rating of 82.3; Clinton has a rating of 9.)
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To: DonaldC
I just bought a new Dell laptop with XP. When I went to get the latest downloads from Microsoft, they slipped IE 7 into the mix without me signing off on it.

At least at the end of the download package, they asked if I wanted to install IE 7 or not. I couldn’t hit the no button fast enough! So they removed it from my temp files.

Too bad you didn’t have that option.

43 posted on 02/08/2008 1:15:30 PM PST by nralife
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To: pabianice
This will certainly create a business for independent software suppliers.

If by "independent software suppliers" you mean "piratebay.org" I agree.

44 posted on 02/08/2008 1:17:08 PM PST by Petronski (I didn't leave the GOP. The GOP left me.)
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To: tlj18
It also wouldn't make too much sense to continue to sell competing versions of the same product from the same company...

Oh, I don't know about that, GM and Ford have been doing it for years.

Uhh, wait a second, maybe I should use an example of companies that actually make a profit.

45 posted on 02/08/2008 1:20:37 PM PST by DeFault User
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To: Resolute Conservative
ry and find software that runs on more than one version of Linux/Unix.

Ummm, what?

Software built from source will run on nearly any flavor of Linux and most proprietary Unixes.

Binary compatibility can be problematic but most modern Linux flavors can either install binary packages from other Linux flavors directly or can convert them to their native format.

For instance, the proprietary Cisco VPN client that my job requires comes in a RedHat RPM. On Ubuntu, I run alien on the RPM and it converts to a Debian/Ubuntu DEB file. Then I installed the DEB. It works fine.

Such a thing only needs to be done once. The problems with Vista stay with you for as long as you use it.

46 posted on 02/08/2008 1:20:54 PM PST by Knitebane (Happily Microsoft free since 1999.)
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp

There are so many copies of XP available on the net what they are doing is irrelevant.

I went back to XP because half my software would’nt work.


47 posted on 02/08/2008 1:23:29 PM PST by qman (All Islamo-fachists must die!!!)
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To: Knitebane

Yes if you are an accomplished software designer/IT guy/hacker. If you are average joe you cannot buy software off the shelf and make it run on all flavors of Linux/Unix.

L/U is still a engineers/hackers OS not a mainstream OS.


48 posted on 02/08/2008 1:23:41 PM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp

Fine. After decades on fighting with PCs, I’m ready for my MacPro laptop.

With 4 PC’s in the house and a network that included my TIVOs, I never could get my Vista-ridden new HP dv9000 to connect with my home network, and then just as mysteriously, my 1 month old HP had a motherboard meltdown.


49 posted on 02/08/2008 1:24:02 PM PST by toddlintown (Building More Highways For Children---Huckleberry Talking Point)
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To: Daveinyork
Gates wants kinder and gentler capitalism, but, his own company is involved, fights with brass knuckles.

Bill Gates III, just like his father, is a rich socialist.

What's his is his. What's your's is his too.

50 posted on 02/08/2008 1:25:20 PM PST by Knitebane (Happily Microsoft free since 1999.)
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp

Leaving XP for Vista is like a woman leaving a man who beats her for one who shoots her.


51 posted on 02/08/2008 1:25:42 PM PST by Richard Kimball (Sure, they'd love to kill me, as long as they can do it without admitting I exist)
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To: dan1123
After all, it took a loss to Carter to foment the conservative success that became the Reagan Revolution.

The problem is, can anybody at MS write code anymore? Office 2007 is a PITA. Vista has already been discussed. I think MS is collapsing under the weight of it's own bureaucracy.

52 posted on 02/08/2008 1:28:32 PM PST by Richard Kimball (Sure, they'd love to kill me, as long as they can do it without admitting I exist)
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To: Resolute Conservative
If you are average joe you cannot buy software off the shelf and make it run on all flavors of Linux/Unix.

You probably don't have to.

The Ubuntu software repositories contain tens of thousands of programs. All of them work on Ubuntu. RedHat/Fedora/CentOS have about the same number.

If you absolutely must have a proprietary software package installed on your Linux box and your flavor isn't supported you have a couple of options.

Talk to your software dealer. They will probably say that your flavor isn't supported. That doesn't mean it won't work. It probably just needs a one time tweak.

53 posted on 02/08/2008 1:28:59 PM PST by Knitebane (Happily Microsoft free since 1999.)
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To: Resolute Conservative
Apple, please that is the same as the eccentric aunt coming over for tea. Those will never hold the market as long as there are x number of versions out there.

Except that the "eccentric aunt" doesn't nag me, doesn't restrict my activities, keeps everything in her house in good working order, doesn't break my stuff and makes everything easy to find and use.
We should all be so lucky.

54 posted on 02/08/2008 1:30:36 PM PST by blowfish
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To: Knitebane

Well sadly over 70% ( if not more ) of the business world runs MS compatible products and since my employer wants to get money from those businesses I am regulated to writing code for MS machines and use MS tools to write that code. I equate MS to politics. It would be nice to be able to work on something else but in reality it isn’t happening anytime soon, at least before I retire in about 15 years.

I spent time over the years working on a Unix box wanting to write fat client apps and almost starved to death.


55 posted on 02/08/2008 1:35:52 PM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: blowfish

I installed Vista after delaying as long as possible and turned off the UAC and dumped the Aero themes and it works just fine. I have yet had to restart the machine since I got it and I run Visual Studio, Sql Server, internet, 2 email processes, Visio, Word, Excel, a zip program, and a terminal service tool while on a network all at the same time every day.


56 posted on 02/08/2008 1:40:18 PM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp
Fans protest Microsoft's plan to dump XP

The other night I saw an Apple computers display at Best Buy. I stopped and played for a few minutes and was favorably impressed.

When I am ready for a new computer, I will for the first time, give Apple a good look over.

57 posted on 02/08/2008 1:41:11 PM PST by RJL
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To: Resolute Conservative
Well sadly over 70% ( if not more ) of the business world runs MS compatible products and since my employer wants to get money from those businesses I am regulated to writing code for MS machines and use MS tools to write that code. I equate MS to politics. It would be nice to be able to work on something else but in reality it isn’t happening anytime soon, at least before I retire in about 15 years.

You have my sympathy.

It sucks to be stuck in MS world. But you should be fine. I mean, whoever heard of a software company being the undisputed leader and then going away?

Now I have to get back to my Ashton-Tate DB4 and my Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets.

58 posted on 02/08/2008 1:44:12 PM PST by Knitebane (Happily Microsoft free since 1999.)
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To: my_pointy_head_is_sharp

XP has “fans”?


59 posted on 02/08/2008 1:45:45 PM PST by SlapHappyPappy
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To: Resolute Conservative

I’m happy for you.


60 posted on 02/08/2008 1:48:01 PM PST by blowfish
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