Michael Jardeen: ...one OS to rule them all!

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 07:42:55 GMT

MS dominance poses security threat
Biology stirs software 'monoculture' debate Dan Geer lost his job, but gained his audience. The very idea that got the computer security expert fired has sparked serious debate in information technology. The idea, borrowed from biology, is that Microsoft Corp. has nurtured a software "monoculture" that threatens global computer security....more [CNN] A great example of the price of speaking your mind. The concept is so simple and so elegant, and so hard to really argue against...mj

Wed, 28 Jan 2004 09:32:10 GMT

Gates takes a side-swipe at Apple, Linux security
As the MyDoom virus spread rapidly across the Internet on Monday, Bill Gates extolled the value of such attacks and warned against other operating systems' complacency [...] "A high volume system like [Windows] that has been thoroughly tested will be by far the most secure," Gates told the audience at the Developing Software for the future Microsoft Platform conference at London's Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. "To say a system is secure because no one is attacking it is very dangerous," said Gates, referring to operating systems that have a smaller share of the desktop market, such as Apple Mac OS and Linux...more [ZDnet UK] HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! My OS is more secure because it's so insecure. Bill you really reached on that one...mj

Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:21:47 GMT

Microsoft seeks XML-related patents
Microsoft has applied for patents that could prevent competing applications from processing documents created with the latest version of the software giant's Office program. The company filed patent applications in New Zealand and the European Union that cover word processing documents stored in the XML (Extensible Markup Language) format. The proposed patent would cover methods for an application other than the original word processor to access data in the document. The U.S. Patent Office had no record of a similar application. [...] XML capabilities have been one of the main selling points for Office 2003. The patents could create a barrier for competing software, such as future versions of OpenOffice and StarOffice, from working with Microsoft's XML format...more [CNET] This harkens back to the bad old days that gave Microsoft it's monopoly hold over the computer world. By controlling the document format, Microsoft was able to force companies to convert. If you have only one way to access a universal document type, you have no choice but to use the product associated with it. It also allows you over time to force upgrades. This would address two of Microsoft's biggest threats, open source, and slow migration to newer programs...mj

Sat, 24 Jan 2004 20:00:09 GMT

Apple's core: The Mac turns 20
Despite Microsoft's dominance, Apple fans remain loyal Its dedicated users are so passionate they're often described as religious about their love for the machine. Twenty years ago, on January 24, 1984, Apple Computer launched the Macintosh. It contained virtually unknown features, including simple icons, and an odd little attachment called a mouse...more [CNN] 20 years ago today computers were turned from machines without personality, to machines you could personalize to your hearts content. The future of computers was put on display and nothing has been the same. This is more then just hyperbole, it's true. Whether you are on a Mac, Windows, or Linux, the interface you use all descend from that machine released 20 years ago today...mj

Thu, 22 Jan 2004 21:44:00 GMT

Some other stories

Some Dell PowerEdge servers die after smoking
- I guess this means that Dell is losing it's luster. (inside joke)
Governments vote against Microsoft
- the saga continues!
Porting problems put carrier swaps on hold
- my employer seems to be doing well.
Nevada coroner puts photos of deceased on Internet
- not sure how I feel about this one.
RIAA embarks on new round of piracy suits
- another stupid move fromt he group that defines DUH!
Savage discounts from MS flush OSS desktop from London council
- another sign of M$ weakness.
The Gates-trix
- pretty amusing job.
Bush in 30 Seconds
- great ads about something that is not funny.
Enjoy - it's a confusing and amusing world...mj

Thu, 22 Jan 2004 19:53:18 GMT

ESERVE doesn't serve...
Check out this article about the Bush Administrations attempts to set up Internet voting for overseas Americans. While I applaud the effort, the fact that it violates the idea of open accessibility by limiting access to all voters is just one more reason to hold off. This system does not allow users of Linux, or Macintosh computers the ability to vote. On the internet there is no reason to limit access. It is after-all a world of open standards, and to limit it to one standard and disenfranchise voters is not the American way (or at least it shouldn't be)...mj

Fri, 16 Jan 2004 09:40:23 GMT

Dancing to oblivion the M$ way...
Last year Microsoft made three decisions that it will come to see as the beginning of it's fall from dominance. The little things are what kill you in the end. Makes me think of the second level manager who said it isn't the last sick day that cost you the job, it's the 1st day you just stay home because you don't feel like going to work. One event was it's decision to expose it's source code to the Chinese government in a failed attempt to stave off Linux. Ask yourself, if Microsoft can show the Chinese government it's source code (a historic enemy of the US), then why can't it show the rest of us? The second event was the decision to pay SCO for a UNIX license. The thinly veiled attempt to sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt in the linux community combined with it's new ad campaign only shows how afraid M$ is of Linux. It's a good thing, because they should be afraid of Linux. The third and most important decision was to sell Office for just $37 in Thailand. It begs several questions: 1. Why are we paying $400-$600 for it?, 2. The only product that can have a 69% margin is a monopoly product, 3. It means that we are all subsidizing Thailand's purchases of Office, 4. Shouldn't we all just refuse to buy it unless we can get the same prices! That's what the government of Israel is doing. ... Soon this blog will go silent. I do not plan on paying up for another year of service. It's been one hell of a ride. I hope you got something out of this, I know I did. Bush still sucks...mj

Sun, 11 Jan 2004 07:38:02 GMT

So what's the big deal?
Are you wondering about the big HP/Apple iPod deal? You should be. It was the big deal that didn't get done in time to spin our heads at the Macworld keynote. It's a huge deal that trumps Dell, and deals a blow to M$'s desire to own the music market with it's pathetic Windows Media Format. For a great insight into the deal go check out bill palmer's commentary. Stay tune...mj

Thu, 27 Nov 2003 06:33:15 GMT

Dell cancels Indian tech support
After an onslaught of complaints, computer maker Dell Inc. has stopped using a technical support center in India to handle calls from its corporate customers. Some U.S. customers have complained that the Indian technical-support representatives are difficult to communicate with because of thick accents and scripted responses....more [CNN] This was a bad idea from the start. FIrst of all these are jobs that should stay in the US, and second it is a great example of the general lack of real support for customer service at most US corporations. Dell deserves the black eye, and shows once again why low cost doesn't mean quality...mj

Tue, 11 Nov 2003 03:59:58 GMT

Quick Reads...

Plan A for Microsoft: Is Microsoft's new version of Windows a radical innovation or a return to the company's winner-take-all software strategy from a decade ago?
Microsoft Faces Showdown at the EU Corral: Microsoft faces a major showdown in Brussels this week when it gets a last chance to defend itself against European Union regulators' charges it abused its dominance of desktop computer operating systems.
Microsoft: Back to its old ways?: Is Microsoft's new version of Windows a radical innovation or a return to the company's winner-take-all software strategy from a decade ago?
Lindows-Microsoft legal spat builds: Microsoft proffered legal papers seeking to disavow California class-action settlement claims submitted via the Linux distributor's MSfreePC Web site.

More MS BS...mj

Sat, 01 Nov 2003 17:16:39 GMT

EU Expands Probe of MS...
The European Commission widened its probe into Microsoft Corp for anti-competitive practices on Thursday, asking computer hardware makers for details of their licensing deals with the software giant. Competition regulators at the European Union (news - web sites)'s executive have written to major computer makers, such as IBM, to seek details of how Microsoft licensed them the operating systems they sold with personal computers...more [Yahoo Microsoft Antitrust News] Just one more example of Microsoft at work: "Microsoft's license agreements often oblige manufacturers to waive their rights to sue the firm if it breaches patents the manufacturers hold for technologies used in Microsoft software." Think about what that means. If Microsoft signs you to a license agreement, you lose the right to sue them if they steal your patents! Only a Monopoly can get aways with such an outrageous clause. I would love to hear from one of my Microsoft friends with an explination of how such a clause could be justified. Perhaps I'm missing something here...mj

Thu, 16 Oct 2003 08:08:29 GMT

Mac Supercomputer: Fast, Cheap
The brand new "Big Mac" supercomputer at Virginia Tech could be the second most powerful supercomputer on the planet, according to preliminary numbers. Early benchmarks of Virginia Tech's brand new supercomputer -- which is strung together from 1,100 dual-processor Power Mac G5s -- may vault the machine into second place in the rankings of the worlds' fastest supercomputers, second only to Japan's monstrously big and expensive Earth Simulator....more [Wired] Fast I figired, but cheap, a Mac! I am sure that Michael Dell is sitting in his office figuring out how to top this one. I also expect that the Windows whiners will try and say that the test was rigged...mj

Thu, 25 Sep 2003 06:10:21 GMT

Security Report Puts Blame On MS
Viruses, worms and other cyber-attacks that are crippling computers with increasing frequency cannot be stopped as long as the software of one company -- Microsoft Corp. -- dominates computing, according to a paper prepared by corporate technology officers and researchers. "The security situation is deteriorating," says the report, which is to be released today. With Microsoft operating systems used on more than 90 percent of the world's personal computers, the authors write, most computers are vulnerable to attack and networks are easily compromised...more [Washington Post] Monopoly May Pose a Security Risk
Such widespread use puts all users in jeopardy, report suggests. Whatever Microsoft's strengths or failings as a developer of reliable software, the mere existence of an operating system monopoly is a critical security risk, argues a new report released Wednesday at a Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) gathering in Washington, D.C. Written by seven IT security researchers, "CyberInsecurity -- The Cost of Monopoly" calls on governments and businesses to consider in their buying decisions the dangers of homogenous systems, and to diversify the software mix deployed in their organizations. It also urges the U.S. government to counterbalance Microsoft's user lock-in tactics by forcing the company to offer multiplatform support for its dominant applications, including Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office products....more [PC World] Gee, you think someone might start getting the point. Instead we just push forward to an even more limited future, with even more MS 'features' designed to restrict our choices. It was also nice of Bill and Melinda to donate $160+ million the week after it was announced that they will get $180+ million in a dividend check...mj

Sat, 06 Sep 2003 18:46:01 GMT

Microsoft: Asia not playing fair...
A plan by Japan, China and South Korea to develop an operating system alternative to Microsoft's Windows software could raise concerns over fair competition, Microsoft said Friday. Japan, the world's second-largest economy, made a proposal at an Asian economic summit this week to build an inexpensive and trustworthy open-source operating system that would be based on a system such as Linux, which can be copied and modified freely. "We'd like to see the market decide who the winners are in the software industry," said Tom Robertson, Microsoft's Tokyo-based director for government affairs in Asia...more [CNET News] No I am not making this stuff up. This is from the worst predatory monopolist of our age. Hey, if your OS works so much better then this should be no problem. Perhaps M$ should think about putting some of that 45+ billion dollars (in monopoly money) they have in the bank, towards improving their code base. Oh, and Tom, this is the market deciding who the winners are...mj

Sat, 06 Sep 2003 18:38:01 GMT

Microsoft settles Be suit for $23 mil
Microsoft announced late Friday that it will pay more than $23 million to settle an antitrust suit filed by onetime operating system rival Be. Microsoft did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement, in which Be will receive $23.2 million after attorneys' fees. The total amount Microsoft will pay was not immediately clear from a joint statement by the two companies...more [CNET News] HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA pathetic...mj

Thu, 04 Sep 2003 14:11:25 GMT

Another day, another MS security hole!
Recently on a mail list I made an analogy between Microsoft and car theft. The response from people was to defend Microsoft in light of all the recent problems. My claim was that MS is like the person who leaves the keys in their car for a car thief. They responded: "Just because someone left their keys in their ignition does not give the right for CRIMINALS to steal the car." I replied: "After you had your 50th car stolen, no insurance company would insure you since they would assume that you are an idiot, the police would stop responding to your calls, and your family might suggest a nice home for you to live in." Think about it as you read the latest news. In our software monoculture, we have left ourselves open to attack. MS has 45+ billion dollars in monopoly money they have earned from building unsecured software, what would happen if they put 20 billion of that into developing secure code, and not just new ways to make more money, and force people into more upgrades they don't want?...mj

Sat, 23 Aug 2003 21:08:00 GMT

China blocks foreign software
A new policy from China's governing body states that all government ministries must buy only locally produced software at the next upgrade cycle. The State Council's move, aimed at breaking the dominance of Microsoft on desktop computers, will eliminate Microsoft's Windows operating system and Office productivity suite from hundreds of thousands of Chinese government computers over the next few years. Gao Zhigang, an official with the Procurement Center of the State Council, told reporters that the new policy will be in place by year's end. At a special congress held to encourage ministries to upgrade to WPS Office 2003, a China-made office productivity suite, Gao said the government will purchase only hardware preinstalled with domestic operating systems and applications. Those seeking exceptions will need to submit a special request...more [Cnet] This is a big move. It may also set the stage for other countries to do the same. Why should any other country trust MS when they are a US company? From a security and economic sense it makes a lot of sense. MS has met it's match...mj

Sat, 16 Aug 2003 01:00:36 GMT

"IT...Full Employment Act"
...Why are Linux computers gaining in popularity with large organizations while Macs, which are based after all on BSD Unix, aren't?... ...Adopting Linux allows organizations to increase their IT efficiency without requiring the IT department to increase ITS efficiency. It takes just as many nerds to support 100 Linux boxes as 100 Windows boxes, yet Linux boxes are cheaper and can support more users. The organization is better off while the IT department is unscathed and unchallenged...more [I, Cringley The pulpit] The cranky old man of computers is dead on in this equation. He also makes some compelling points about the dangers and misconceptions of outsourcing...mj

Sat, 09 Aug 2003 18:45:11 GMT

SCO - Death Without Dignity
Once upon a time, very long ago, a company named Microsoft set out to create a version of Unix for personal computers, and they named it Xenix. Thus begins a long and very twisted tale....more [AAXNet Issues] If you have the time give it a read. It's an interesting [if biased] look a the twisted world of software development, and the history of Unix. As usual M$ has their fingers all over this. I love the part about how they paid off SCO for the license, and SCO then shredded all the evidence from the Caldera DR-DOS Anti-Trust case. I do have to say that for a desperate last gasp this is one moth [SCO] that is going up in a huge ball of fire...mj

Mon, 04 Aug 2003 06:16:23 GMT

Guess what? Microsoft won
In his 2001 book, "Pride Before the Fall: The Trials of Bill Gates and the End of the Microsoft Era," John Heilemann wrote: "We are already witnessing the end of Microsoft as we know it...with the dotcom boom, Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft's position seems, if not tenuous, then increasingly peripheral. The real estate it controls, the PC desktop, remains the most valuable territory on the digital map. But, as everyone can see, with the rise of the Net, the universe of computing is expanding and exploding, while the desktop seems only to be shrinking in strategic importance." That may have constituted the biggest rush to judgment since the Chicago Daily Tribune declared Thomas Dewey the new U.S. president in 1948...more [CNET] The sad truth is that I agree with him -- M$ did win. The only dark clouds come from Linux, shear hubris, failed diversification, a lack of real innovation, and lawsuits. Only time will tell how this will play out but I expect to see M$ spend a lot of time in court dealing with continued problems -- the corporate DNA just can't avoid it...mj

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 03:30:57 GMT

The Numbers Didn't Lie...
Read this attack on the PC FUD weenies who attacked Apple for it's numbers when it introduced the G5. So who really should eat crow? The real answer is that for the first time in several years you have a real speed competition between Apple and the Wintel world. Time will tell where this one goes...mj

Sat, 05 Jul 2003 00:31:09 GMT

MS plans largest company lay-off
When Eric Poore began working as a customer service representative for Microsoft's technical call-routing center in 1997, he was told his advancement opportunities were endless... ...Four years after Poore lost his first position to outsourcing, he is about to lose his six-year career because Microsoft is in the process of a massive relocation of Customer Central call center jobs to India and Canada. Employees estimate that Microsoft is planning to eliminate at least 800 jobs in the next fiscal year at the company's Las Colinas facility outside of Dallas, Texas and shift the work offshore...more [WashTech] First it was the H1B Visa, now it's just easier to simply send the job to them. Off shore migration of work in the midst of a recession, and the highest unemployment in many years, is simply disgusting. Companies should be financially punished when they send work out of the country. Sadly though they get rewarded. Does anyone else see what's wrong with this?..mj

Mon, 16 Jun 2003 04:32:55 GMT

Maine school gives students own laptops
The end of the school year is near and children are playing baseball outside. But the students in Shawn Favreau's classroom are focused on their laptop computers. For their final social studies project, they're using the computers to create multimedia presentations on ancient Greece. Some of the Freeport Middle School students find it hard to imagine going back to using just pencils and paper. We still do the same things. We just do it differently. The teachers are winging it. They're looking for ways to make it more interesting," said student Kaitlyn Beaule. "I think it's a lot more fun."...more [CNN] The key here is that these are Apple iBooks. This program shows how technology can be such a great aid in bringing back interest into school. Some will say that this could have been done cheaper with Windows machines...WRONG! The cost of software and the cost of maintenance would have backrupted the program. Only Macs could be given out in these numbers and have so few problems. Score a big one for Apple...mj

Sat, 31 May 2003 20:36:44 GMT

More on AOL/M$ Deal
If you want some more good stuff on the deal check out Tristan's site (cool name too)...mj

Thu, 29 May 2003 23:27:16 GMT

Microsoft to pay AOL $750M
Tech titans settle Netscape lawsuit, set seven-year licensing pact for AOL to use Internet Explorer. Microsoft will pay $750 million to AOL Time Warner to settle an antitrust lawsuit filed by AOL on behalf of its subsidiary Netscape last year, the companies said Thursday. The two companies also set a seven-year licensing agreement that allows AOL Time Warner to use Microsoft's Internet Explorer browsing technology in its flagship Internet service provider service without having to pay royalties. AOL Time Warner is the parent of CNN/Money...more [CNN/Money] It's cool what 46 billion dollars of monopoly money can buy you. Once again Microsoft gets to buy their way out, and secure their monopoly. This agreement pretty much means the death of Netscape. What becomes of the Mozilla project remains to be seen. This is a brilliant move by both companies. AOL Time Warner gets a huge infusion of cash to deal with debt issues, and secure a royalty free use of Explorer for seven years. Microsoft get rid of the biggest of the antitrust cases it faced. They get to pay it off with cash reserves earned from their monopoly, and ensure both AOLs use of Explorer, and the final death of Netscape. If I was in the Netscape division right now, I would be spiffing up my resume...mj