Ssssshh!.... That's against Microsoft's licensing. It's also against the "Windows Genuine Advantage" and the Microsoft "Trusted Computing"...

Unless that is you have signed whatever Microsoft requires for a copy.

Free: No.

Why?: That is one of a number of ways that Microsoft makes money. Also, there are various other aspects in there that restricts your freedoms.

Regards,
Martin

Got no worries on that score. Don't need torrent.........MS is kindly giving me 10x 32bit & 1x 64bit copies at the end of the month, so I'm happy to wait.

I just installed Windows 7 Ultimate x64 on my main machine and I have to say that I'm impressed with the final outcome.

The visual effects are faster when compared to Vista; networked has been improved: I used to only get 25-35MB/s with Vista, upgrading to Win7 has given me 45-55MB/s throughput on the same hardware! I like the Peek effect and the ability to dock a window to the left or right side, and I think SuperFetch has been overhauled for better performance. I also like that I can finally link the Download virtual folder right to my Start button (by the Documents and Pictures links), it seems this was a no-brainer and should have been done with Vista. It also seems that Microsoft has gone out of their way to make sure they do not make their applications the default for everything. There are far less UAC prompts, though I hope that doesn't mean it's less secure. Overall, I'd say 7 is snappier than Vista just from my last 18 hours of use. This OS should easily run on older hardware better than Vista did.

One dislike is that I still don't care for the blue task bar, I still think the black task bar from Vista was sleeker. I'm also disappointed in that my motherboard's AHCI function must have bugs in it because it never worked with Vista and it doesn't work with 7 either. This really screwed me up because I forgot that it didn't work with Vista and I wanted the faster performance AHCI gives you over standard "Enhanced Mode ATA" through the use of NCQ in modern hard drives.

---

I just installed Windows 7 Ultimate x64 on my main machine and I have to say that I'm impressed with the final outcome.

The visual effects are faster when compared to Vista; networked has been improved: I used to only get 25-35MB/s with Vista, upgrading to Win7 has given me 45-55MB/s throughput on the same hardware! I like the Peek effect and the ability to dock a window to the left or right side, and I think SuperFetch has been overhauled for better performance. I also like that I can finally link the Download virtual folder right to my Start button (by the Documents and Pictures links), it seems this was a no-brainer and should have been done with Vista. It also seems that Microsoft has gone out of their way to make sure they do not make their applications the default for everything. There are far less UAC prompts, though I hope that doesn't mean it's less secure. Overall, I'd say 7 is snappier than Vista just from my last 18 hours of use. This OS should easily run on older hardware better than Vista did.

One dislike is that I still don't care for the blue task bar, I still think the black task bar from Vista was sleeker. I'm also disappointed in that my motherboard's AHCI function must have bugs in it because it never worked with Vista and it doesn't work with 7 either.

Apart from the AHCI comment, your comments there are pretty much echoed in a "Linux vs Windows 7" article in this months Linux Format magazine. (It's very unusual for them to include an article like that... As explained in the article.)

This really screwed me up because I forgot that it didn't work with Vista and I wanted the faster performance AHCI gives you over standard "Enhanced Mode ATA" through the use of NCQ in modern hard drives.

Yes, NCQ (for HDDs) can give a nice improvement in certain circumstances, but it is far from essential in a desktop environment.

Isn't AHCI used for USB?


Let us know how you get on with "Windows 7". I'll be moving over to the latest Mandriva sometime this month.

Regards,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Isn't AHCI used for USB?

USB 2.0 uses ECHI and USB 3.0 will be using xHCI.

---

Isn't AHCI used for USB?

Oooops... Got that one wrong! AHCI is indeed used for SATA...

Good luck,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

A few further links:

[...]

This one is certainly set to buzz for a while yet...

Indeed a "first", and already a "second"!

And it's still buzzing!


A few more of the articles and related fun:

Why did Microsoft really release open-source code?
Over the past few days, corners of the Internet have been conflicted over Microsoft's recent - and unusual - handout to the open-source computing community.

In Major Shift, Microsoft Contributes Code to Linux Community
In its latest embrace of open source software, Microsoft has taken the once unthinkable step of contributing 20,000 lines of code to the Linux community under the General Public License (GPL) version 2.

Microsoft’s Linux Code Apparently About Avoidance of a GPL Lawsuit

Reader’s Take on Microsoft Open Source
... Microsoft tries to obliterate the meaning of “Free Software”...

Journalists Suggest Banning Windows, Maybe Suing Microsoft Over DDoS Attacks
Recent DDoS attacks (Windows botnets running amok) affect many people and lead to hard questions

How Vista 7 Hype Gets Generated and Why GNU/Linux is in a Good Position
... Microsoft seems to be silencing those who complain about Vista 7. There is a huge marketing budget which kicked in last year and some prominent bloggers were bribed. ...

Microsoft Keeps Trying to Inject Software Patents Into ODF and Other Standards
“Embrace. Extend. Patent. On Tuesday, Microsoft was granted US Patent No. 7,571,169 for its ‘invention’ of the Word-processing document stored in a single XML file that may be manipulated by applications that understand XML. Presumably developers are protected by Microsoft’s ‘covenant not to sue,’ so the biggest question raised by this patent is: How in the world was it granted in light of the 40-year history of document markup languages?

A Look at the Microsoft-funded SCO Lawsuit in Light of Newer Anti-Linux Microsoft Lawsuits
“…Microsoft wished to promote SCO and its pending lawsuit against IBM and the Linux operating system. But Microsoft did not want to be seen as attacking IBM or Linux.”

Microsoft Windows Zombies Also Knocked Facebook and Gawker Offline, More “Critical” Microsoft Flaws Discovered
... now that the Web is saturated with Windows botnets, anyone with an axe to grind can take Web sites of choice offline.

Microsoft Keeps Running from the Law… and from Tax
It says it all really. These stories of Microsoft tax evasions have become so repetitive that they are tiresome and predictable by now.

Quick Mention: Huge Migration to GNU/Linux in Brazil (52,000,000 Students)
Russian regions go through a similar phase and Japan considered moving all schools to GNU/Linux just over a year ago.

Warning: Hideous website for this one! Microsoft Office for Linux 'inevitable'
Microsoft will release a version of Office to run on Linux within the "next couple of years"

Microsoft decides not to push Windows 7E on Europe, after all
Is there anyone who still doubts that Microsoft's 7E plan was a stroke of diabolical genius...

Anytime Upgrade is like calling you a idiot
... Then you see the anytime upgrade button - it is like being called a idiot for not buying the best version to start with.

Yes Linus, Microsoft hating is a disease. And it's a pandemic
Could it even lead to the forking of the kernel? Divide and conqueror? Microsoft would like that, a nice side effect to compliment drawing business away from GNU/Linux.

Microsoft Confirms Existence of Anti-GNU/Linux Teams
... Microsoft actually has internal “teams” that attack Open Source and Linux...


Phew! Some heavy reading there, some amusing, some stark, and overall in my humble view just amazing. There's quite a few stark reader comments to the articles also.

Might this really split the Linux kernel into fractions to then be more easily conquered or destroyed? Or has Microsoft really changed into "something new"?...

The only thing I can guess for this one is that this topic is going to stay hot for some time yet...

Regards,
Martin

(Usual disclaimers apply and any comments of mine are all just my own personal views. And ofcourse I have nothing to do with the links given!)

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Your views may or may not have anything to do with the links given, but I notice that every single link you provide is always something critical of Microsoft and their business practices from other authors. I have yet to see you ever provide anything positive and worth reading about MS (and no, they're not that hard to find, it just depends on which circles you choose to hang out in).

This is why I made that comment that you RedX'd and had removed.

---

Your views may or may not have anything to do with the links given, but I notice that every single link you provide is always something critical of Microsoft and their business practices from other authors. I have yet to see you ever provide anything positive and worth reading about MS (and no, they're not that hard to find, it just depends on which circles you choose to hang out in).

This is why I made that comment that you RedX'd and had removed.

Your comment this time is as it should be, and is fair comment about the negativity. However, the articles are amazing for exposing a little of what does go on. The red-x was for your additional comments previously, as was commented in the red-x.

(Shouldn't both these posts now be deleted due to discussing moderator actions?...)


Out of interest, can you offer five recent positive comments about Microsoft that are NOT Microsoft sourced or "pseudo-testimonials" or marketing hype?

Or has Microsoft become too successful at it's own game and is now somewhat too big for it's own good?

Regards,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Let's take Microsoft out of the picture for a moment! What's left for home users? Mac's? - too expensive!!!

Linux? Only for geeks!!! Home users want an operating system that starts up, does what they want & then shut down. Until it becomes as simple as putting a CD in, clicking install & fires up, linux will never be able to takeover the home user market!

IMO, it's just a case of everyone having a go at the biggest on the block!

---

People who buy a new PC find Windows installed. That is why Microsoft dominates the market. I just put in a CD or DVD and install Linux and then OpenOffice. That's all I have to do. If I install SuSE Linux and the disk is big enough it leaves intact a Windows partition and I have a dual boot system, so I can enjoy my MS Flight Simulator.
Tullio

---

... Mac's? - too expensive!!!

I consider that they work out far cheaper overall for being more productive for the users and more reliable. The initial cost is higher, and they are even more restrictive than Microsoft. However, they work very well for the market they are targeted at. (Aside: I consider that we would be in an even worst state for lack of freedoms if Apple were dominant. The only saving grace would be that there would be none of this silly continuous stream of viruses farce.)

Linux? Only for geeks!!! Home users want an operating system that starts up, does what they want & then shut down...

We have the 'simple' cd/dvd install now. We also have liveCDs where you don't need to install anything. You can also just simply plug in a USB stick and run linux from that by just switching on the power switch. No clicks needed at all for that one! Some people are already running linux with their NAS boxes, routers, and home media centres. Newer PCs come with a "fast start" BIOS that starts up Linux from the BIOS chip to let you surf the web, run email and a few other tasks, or you can wait longer and boot into Windows from there...

IMO, it's just a case of everyone having a go at the biggest on the block!

That is an old lame excuse and often levered by the Microsoft Marketing. Are you really getting soppy about the big bully on the block getting tickled?

(Note that Tom-Tom and another company have recently been stomped on by Microsoft. They were forced to "settle out of court" rather than attempt to stand up to the largest legal department on this planet...)


The only thing easier than installing Linux is if it were to be already installed for you when you buy a PC. Except ofcourse there is the small problem of Microsoft's "exclusivity"...

Regards,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

My answer to the above is "If Linux is that good, why hasn't it consolidated into a be-all/end-all to take on Microsoft?"

IMO, it never will because of those very same geeks popping up & knocking Microsft rather than assist in making it a powerful force.

Macs....I'm glad you agree that they are targeted at a specific market rather than an "everyone" market.

Soppy about a big bully getting tickled? Afraid not. I've just tickled them over their digitial downloads not working as stated & got rewarded, which solves my particular problem at that time.

FYI, I'm running Linux, still don't rate it for ease of access/use & as I'm the local community's system builder, I cannot afford to waste time on Linux as ALL customers are only interested in Windows, so they dictate what I provide. However, if they ALL decide to move over to Linux, I'll provide that, but I'm pretty certain that I'll be definitely dead & buried before that happens & by then, I couldn't care less!

CP/M or Gem anyone?

---

Your comment this time is as it should be, and is fair comment about the negativity. However, the articles are amazing for exposing a little of what does go on. The red-x was for your additional comments previously, as was commented in the red-x.

Your articles are only taken at face value. That is, they only show a singular perspective: that of being anything critical of all things Microsoft. I would hardly call that "amazing" or very "exposing", but I would certainly call that a bunch of speculation as to what other people think is going on, which can be quite different from what is actually going on.

(Shouldn't both these posts now be deleted due to discussing moderator actions?...)

There has been some serious misunderstandings about this "rule". Discussing moderator actions is not against policy - discussing specific moderator actions is. All I've alluded to is a RedX from you. I haven't stated what you said in the RedX (that is considered confidential) or what I said that made you RedX it.

Out of interest, can you offer five recent positive comments about Microsoft that are NOT Microsoft sourced or "pseudo-testimonials" or marketing hype?

Are you seriously telling me that its really that hard for you to find positive Microsoft comments that aren't from marketing? Do you seriously think they don't exist?

Or is this an attempt to start a game of "link wars", where I offer Pro-MS articles and you rebut them with anti-MS articles and I have to proffer additional links to back myself up, ad infinitum.

Or has Microsoft become too successful at it's own game and is now somewhat too big for it's own good?

Or have you become so jaded that you think that anything Pro-MS must be nothing more than marketing, because you're convinced it can't be anything truthful?

---

People who buy a new PC find Windows installed. That is why Microsoft dominates the market. I just put in a CD or DVD and install Linux and then OpenOffice. That's all I have to do. If I install SuSE Linux and the disk is big enough it leaves intact a Windows partition and I have a dual boot system, so I can enjoy my MS Flight Simulator.
Tullio

That's a bit disingenuous to say. I personally find it a bit hilarious that Linux users claim that the only reason MS is so successful is because they come preinstalled on every PC out there - which ignores the fact that there are quite a few people familiar with Linux as an alternative OS and they simply do not want it. Even those that are not aware of Linux are turned off by the fact that they will lose access to most of their applications they are comfortable with, all to simply "throw off the shackles of MS" which most people don't feel that way, despite claims by Linux users to the contrary. About the only way a Linux user can appeal to anyone is through the Anti-MS campaign and the praises of "free software".

Which brings us back to the original topic: even Linus Torvalds doesn't want to be associated with any of that rhetoric, nor the marketing of "free software" as being better than closed source proprietary software in every alleged aspect. This at least makes me respect the guy a bit more, which is more than I can say for most of the Linux pushers out there.

---

OK. Have a good Patch Tuesday.
Patch Tuesday
Tullio

---

My answer to the above is "If Linux is that good, why hasn't it consolidated into a be-all/end-all to take on Microsoft?"

It hasn't, it isn't, and that was never the intention.

If Microsoft were to fall by the wayside or morph into a different beast in some way due to the influence of Linux, then that would only have been due to some 'side effect'.

Note that my view is that Linux should never become the "be all and end all". All that would mean is that one effective monopoly gets replaced by an equally unhealthy monopoly that just happens to have a different name.

... I cannot afford to waste time on Linux as ALL customers are only interested in Windows, so they dictate what I provide...

Is that not more a case of them only ever having seen and heard "Microsoft" at school and on TV and in most retail shops/stores? Most people have not even heard the name Linux.

An interesting local change recently is that a large retail store chain have moved the Linux mags up from the bottom shelf to the middle shelf. PC mags are still on the eye-level shelves. Curiously, the Linux mags are listed under the name Linus (rather than Linux)... Perhaps "Linux" is too obscure a name...


People will not ask for something if they do not even know what it is or that it even exists at all.

Regards,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

... Mac's? - too expensive!!!

I consider that they work out far cheaper overall for being more productive for the users and more reliable. The initial cost is higher, and they are even more restrictive than Microsoft. However, they work very well for the market they are targeted at. (Aside: I consider that we would be in an even worst state for lack of freedoms if Apple were dominant. The only saving grace would be that there would be none of this silly continuous stream of viruses farce.)

Again with this ridiculous claim that viruses are exclusive to Windows alone. I strongly believe that even if Apple were the dominant supplier, hackers would be focusing on finding and exploiting OS X's weaknesses before they're patched - just like Microsoft's operating system.

As for Macs being cheaper in the long run for being more productive and reliable, I have a few friends in IT positions at other companies, and by their own testimony the Mac users expect as much out of their machines as they do their home PCs and are often disappointed when they are unable to do as much. There is also the one user who actually got hacked by (stupidly) allowing a key logger onto his system - but Macs don't get viruses, so it must have been a Windows machine. Silly IT pros confusing Macs and PCs all the time. ;)

Linux? Only for geeks!!! Home users want an operating system that starts up, does what they want & then shut down...

We have the 'simple' cd/dvd install now. We also have liveCDs where you don't need to install anything. You can also just simply plug in a USB stick and run linux from that by just switching on the power switch. No clicks needed at all for that one! Some people are already running linux with their NAS boxes, routers, and home media centres. Newer PCs come with a "fast start" BIOS that starts up Linux from the BIOS chip to let you surf the web, run email and a few other tasks, or you can wait longer and boot into Windows from there...

Those are all great examples of how a select niche of users are putting Linux to use, or how motherboard companies are putting Linux to use royalty free for certain added features, but none of it actually shows how an average computer user can switch to Linux, pay the bills, run their financial software (both of which are completely possible to do on Linux), and let the kids play their games when they're done using the computer, all without having to reboot the machine or run the "Wine Is Not an Emulator" software. Nor does it properly portray the hells an individual has to go through just to deal with Linux's arcane and arbitrary "library hell", or having to change out the kernel because it doesn't support something they just put into their computer, or having to mess with manual configurations of each piece of software just to get them to work. Or having to run to another machine that is actually working just to get help from support groups on the internet (and most of the time that other machine that simply works is a Mac or a Windows machine).

Linux does excellent in it's niche markets, but it won't be entering into the home market anytime soon. And by home market, I mean replacing Windows as the dominant OS, not by being used in Net-top boxes, Blu-Ray players, or some other obscure form of machinery that the average person doesn't use as flexible as their PC.

[quote][quote]IMO, it's just a case of everyone having a go at the biggest on the block!

That is an old lame excuse and often levered by the Microsoft Marketing. Are you really getting soppy about the big bully on the block getting tickled?

...and that is just an old and lame excuse often levered by open source afficionadoes who can't come up with a solid argument, so they blame it on "Microsoft marketing" or "Microsoft lawyers".

(Note that Tom-Tom and another company have recently been stomped on by Microsoft. They were forced to "settle out of court" rather than attempt to stand up to the largest legal department on this planet...)

More "Microsoft hatred" as all I'm hearing. "Oh, Microsoft's legal department is a bunch of bullies!" "Oh, Microsoft's legal department is attacking some other company into settling out of court!" "That big bully Microsoft is just so evil"

Personally, I think Microsoft would be an even cooler company if they had Steve Ballmer shave his head completely bald, had him dress up in a gray suit and give him a cat to carry around with him. And whenever he speaks, he should always end every sentence by lifting his pinky finger up to the corner of his mouth as if he just said something really evil! :)

The only thing easier than installing Linux is if it were to be already installed for you when you buy a PC. Except ofcourse there is the small problem of Microsoft's "exclusivity"...

Sure, Linux is easy to "install", but once you do that there's nothing to actually do on the OS. Browse some websites? Yay! Use OpenOffice? Yay! There's far too much insanity to deal with on Linux than you (and others) make it out to be.

...and I'd argue very much about Linux being "easy" to install. I used your Mandriva 2009 Spring Live DVD, which worked perfectly in live mode, but once I tried actually installing it, it kept locking up or failing to install all the drivers necessary to be stable.

---

OK. Have a good Patch Tuesday.
Patch Tuesday
Tullio

No problem here. I actually enjoy Microsoft's Patch Tuesdays. This one will be no different.

---

Your articles are only taken at face value. That is, they only show a singular perspective: that of being anything critical of all things Microsoft. I would hardly call that "amazing" or very "exposing", but I would certainly call that a bunch of speculation as to what other people think is going on, which can be quite different from what is actually going on.

My comment is that it is the contents of the published articles that are amazing. Or is Microsoft about to embark on a very lucrative libel/slander campaign to clear its good name? Or are those articles accurate enough to be safe from being sued?

Out of interest, can you offer five recent positive comments about Microsoft that are NOT Microsoft sourced or "pseudo-testimonials" or marketing hype?

Are you seriously telling me that its really that hard for you to find positive Microsoft comments that aren't from marketing? Do you seriously think they don't exist?

Or is this an attempt to start a game of "link wars"...

There's no need for futile "links" wars.

I've shown a selection of links from where I've been exploring on the web from a Google search about the Microsoft GPL story. For you to offer some balance to that, what is the "real" story that we should be following?


Regards,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

... I cannot afford to waste time on Linux as ALL customers are only interested in Windows, so they dictate what I provide...

Is that not more a case of them only ever having seen and heard "Microsoft" at school and on TV and in most retail shops/stores? Most people have not even heard the name Linux.

An interesting local change recently is that a large retail store chain have moved the Linux mags up from the bottom shelf to the middle shelf. PC mags are still on the eye-level shelves. Curiously, the Linux mags are listed under the name Linus (rather than Linux)... Perhaps "Linux" is too obscure a name...


People will not ask for something if they do not even know what it is or that it even exists at all.

Or is it that after they hear about Linux, they find out they have to give up everything they've enjoyed about their PC simply to go with something else that doesn't run whatever they pick up off the shelf at the store?

The problem isn't the lack of hearing about Linux, the problem is too many choices that force people to give up what they're already comfortable with and see no reason to change.

---

(Note that Tom-Tom and another company have recently been stomped on by Microsoft. They were forced to "settle out of court" rather than attempt to stand up to the largest legal department on this planet...)

More "Microsoft hatred" as all I'm hearing. "Oh, Microsoft's legal department is a bunch of bullies!" "Oh, Microsoft's legal department is attacking some other company into settling out of court!" "That big bully Microsoft is just so evil"...

So what is your spin on Microsoft vs Tom-Tom GPS over the now very old VFAT disk format?

Why did Microsoft single out Tom-Tom?

Why have there been no such cases brought out many years ago against many others?

Indeed, why did the Tom-Tom case not go to court?

Regards,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)