Microsoft → Re: What's to come of Vista?

THANK YOU!

Folks, we are talking about an OS here, not, as Microsoft wants you to believe, THE ONLY AND LAST PIECE OF OVERPRICED DO EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT BIT OF SOFTWARE YOU WILL EVER NEED.

As Ozo points out, an OS is there to run other application. Of course MS is trying to own every bit of space there is by developing software that is supposed to:

-- Replace Acrobat by making its own PDF (or something like PDF) docs.
-- Word processing and other "productivity" software (Office).
-- All media stuff.
-- Stuff that acts like Java but isn't.
-- MSIE (ugh).
-- Etc., etc., etc.

Once we end up with only MS software running on an MS OS we will truly be in the crapper. Kinda like corporate Communism - no competition, no choice, no nuttin.

I don't hate MS stuff - I run XP on most of my systems and use Office, but they really are bullys who want to throttle the competition.

In answer to the OP's question, hell, these are just OS's. Whatever works...

You are right, it is only an OS, but it works and is not subject to forcing users to learn different installation procedures based on which distro they happen to choose. (I also use Unbuntu and it is fine and has reasonably user friendly application installation services, but not as clean a user experience as MS has arranged in several of their OS versions)

MS is not in a position any longer to essentially "kill" competitors bu including their functionality in the OS. MS is exposed to application competition as even the list you provided shows:

MS is trying to own every bit of space there is by developing software that is supposed to:

-- Replace Acrobat by making its own PDF (or something like PDF) docs. (Who loves Acrobat Writer with its high price and Reader with its slow startup and bloated size? anyway you can always use CUTE PDF and Foxit for free substitutes which run on MS Vista just fine)
-- Word processing and other "productivity" software (Office). (Last I heard MS has not shown any indication of making OFFICE a free part of Vista. There are plenty of alternatives even the free Open Office if you prefer something else. They all run just fine under VISTA)
-- All media stuff. (Plenty of free alternatives run under Vista)
-- Stuff that acts like Java but isn't. I'll grant that I still don't "get .NET, but it doesn't seem to be obnoxious in any way and co-exists with JAVA just fine)
-- MSIE (ugh). (Firefox for me, thank you and Vista doesn't hamper my choice at all.)

I don't like the fact that Microsoft has a virtual monopoly in "windows", but it works (Vista is fine in my view and XP Pro is mature and stable), but I have installed several Linus distros and although I finally selected Unbuntu, It hasn't convinced me to give up Vista or XP for general use.

My conclusion, I would like a more competitive OS environment, but not at the expense of the open support for alternatives that MS XP and Vista have established as of today. I'd like to see a more humble and less predatory appearing MS that is more hungry to constantly improve, nd less aggressive in high pricing models.

Let's be very fair and recognize the good with the bad. Better debate, more probability of getting improvements.

True enough, although I just spent an hour trying to get a new Vista box's wireless connection hooked up (it was a mix of UAC and the firewall that was blocking it) while it took the other three XP boxes about three minutes each to get connected.

In the end their problem is THE problem with for-profit, proprietary software - pressure from Wall Street to come up with something new every few years. I agree with the folks who consider Vista just a major service pack (3?) of XP. Other than the eye candy, UAC, and the slightly better firewall, it's pretty much the same bird; I haven't noticed that it's any faster or more secure than XP.

I too have a Unbuntu box with Open Office and Firefox (which is my default browser on all my machines, including the Mac) and I love it, although it isn't quite as seamless as XP.

Anyhow, MS had the right to compete in the market, but, although in the main I agree with you, their "take no prisoners" approach - to this day - is very annoying. For example, their silly claim that Linux violates over 200 of their [un-named] patents - very silly and overly aggressive stuff. Basta.