"Frankenbuilds": the monster is dying...

[arachnid]

Some people just keep on doing it though, because they WANT to, evidenced
by the people who have 2000 illegally downloaded songs on their computer
yet live in a nice home and drive a great car. They have been downloading
for years and say there is nothing wrong with the practice. Nice way to
bring up children. Great example for them to follow.

Maybe they're preparing them to become corporate CEO's...

 

[arachnid]

Of course you also seem to ignore there are shareholders worldwide
expecting and demanding something for their investment. Bill Gates and
others are answerable to them and not to you, unless you are a share
holder in Microsoft.

Thus absolving Microsoft of all responsibility to behave morally,
ethically, or in a manner consistent with the interests and desires of
the consumers who make their business possible.

 

[Dale]

There are a lot of "charities" in the United States that do what you
describe: they extort money and donations from corporations by threatening
to "expose" the corporations anti-environment or racist policies - whether
or not those anti-environment or racist policies really work. And it is a
very successful fundraising technique.

Dale

Irrelevant, since it would be problematic for every business, small and
large.

It is noted you seem to have ignored the fact Microsoft and Bill Gates do
give away a great deal.
Apparently you do not approve because it is not in the precise format to
suit whatever you think they should.
However no one can tell them what to do with their property.
Just like you came up with a convenient excuse to excuse your "small
business" from the standards you try to impose on others.
Perhaps there are some that feel you do not donate enough to HFH and you
should ALSO contribute time and $ to another organization.
If you fail to abide to their desires, perhaps they could bad mouth your
dad as you do Microsoft.
Both of course are unjustified unless the rights of each are ignored.

Of course you also seem to ignore there are shareholders worldwide
expecting and demanding something for their investment.
Bill Gates and others are answerable to them and not to you, unless you
are a share holder in Microsoft.

 

[DCR]

| We have a social welfare system in the United States that, while being
| pretty much a complete failure and disaster, still provides enough food
| assistance to our poor ...

Tell that to the food banks here in NYC...
Tell that to the reporters, who have documented the rising
number of people all around the US who are luck to get
ONE meal a day...

| I did not say there are no children starving and in need of a loaf of bread.
| I said that it is personal choices that create that situation.

PERSONAL choices to cut back in federal funds to finance food
programs for the elderly, the sick and the poor.
PERSONAL choices to cut back in ADAP funds, so that people
living with HIV/AIDS are needlessly getting sicker while they are
on waiting lists.

| I have always been a devoted Republican, having, before this year,
| never voted for anyone not a Republican in a national election in my life.

I, personally, have never voted for anyone who I did not think
was the best QUALIFIED

| Considering the current state of affairs related to the complete dismissal
| of the U.S. Constitution, our personal liberties, personal privacy, the
| selling of our government to Halliburton, the selling of the FDA to the
| beef lobby, I will probably never again, as long as I live, vote for another
| Republican.

Again, you should vote for the most QUALIFIED. But good for
you, in that you are able to see the current depravity and hypocracy
of King George and his gang of thugs.

| So, you're pretty much wrong on every count but thanks for your comments.

Wrong? Since when does "wrong" mean being outraged by the
dismal FACTS of life in the United States under this current regeim?

Can anyone believe that this imbecile went to Yale and Harvard?
He can't even string three words together to make a cogent sentence.

How about the fetid womb he came from? Barbara Bush, as she
looked on the people of New Orleans in the Superdome: " This
is working out splendidly for them, isn't it, since they are poor
anyway?"


DCR

 

[mxh]

Thus absolving Microsoft of all responsibility to behave morally,
ethically, or in a manner consistent with the interests and desires of
the consumers who make their business possible.

It might be interesting to know exactly what MS behaviour you consider to be
immoral?
Also interesitng would be to know how their immorality (perceived or real)
changes your behaviour, if it does at all?

mxh

 

[Dale]

Comments inline:

| We have a social welfare system in the United States that, while being
| pretty much a complete failure and disaster, still provides enough food
| assistance to our poor ...

Tell that to the food banks here in NYC...
Tell that to the reporters, who have documented the rising
number of people all around the US who are luck to get
ONE meal a day...

Another place where that loaf can be obtained without stealing it.

| I did not say there are no children starving and in need of a loaf of
bread.
| I said that it is personal choices that create that situation.

PERSONAL choices to cut back in federal funds to finance food
programs for the elderly, the sick and the poor.
PERSONAL choices to cut back in ADAP funds, so that people
living with HIV/AIDS are needlessly getting sicker while they are
on waiting lists.

I didn't mention ADAP or HIV/AIDS. I didn't even talk about food for
adults. I only talked about food for children.

| I have always been a devoted Republican, having, before this year,
| never voted for anyone not a Republican in a national election in my
life.

I, personally, have never voted for anyone who I did not think
was the best QUALIFIED

| Considering the current state of affairs related to the complete
dismissal
| of the U.S. Constitution, our personal liberties, personal privacy, the
| selling of our government to Halliburton, the selling of the FDA to the
| beef lobby, I will probably never again, as long as I live, vote for
another
| Republican.

Again, you should vote for the most QUALIFIED. But good for
you, in that you are able to see the current depravity and
hypocracy
of King George and his gang of thugs.

What does QUALIFIED have to do with it? You assume there is a QUALIFIED
person to choose. Only a very small percentage of candidates are qualified
for anything. I have to choose who I disagree with the least or who I think
will do the least damage.

| So, you're pretty much wrong on every count but thanks for your
comments.

Wrong? Since when does "wrong" mean being outraged by the
dismal FACTS of life in the United States under this current
regeim?

Only wrong in your interpretation of my comments or the source of my
political views.

Can anyone believe that this imbecile went to Yale and Harvard?
He can't even string three words together to make a cogent sentence.

The same thing happened with GW Bush's education as is wrong in the Windows
Media Player product group, in government all over, and in most big
corporation meeting rooms: There is no wrong. If you say something is
wrong or a bad idea, then you're just not being a team player and not
getting along with your co-workers. If Johnny wants to spell "apple" as
"apl" then that's ok. That's his way of spelling it.

How about the fetid womb he came from? Barbara Bush, as she
looked on the people of New Orleans in the Superdome: " This
is working out splendidly for them, isn't it, since they are poor
anyway?"

It is sad that a woman is so busy supporting her husband and children that
she can't think for herself. I admire women who are willing to be full-time
mother and partner to their husband. That doesn't excuse being naieve. I
think Bush 41's statement to his wife went something like this: "If I want
your opinion, I'll give it to you."

DCR

Dale

 

[Nina DiBoy]

"I believe you should donate whatever you do for free for the next
several months."

How would this not be problematic for a small business?

Irrelevant, since it would be problematic for every business, small and
large.

Jupiter Jones [MVP] wrote:
I do not make out giving to be a problem.
However selective reading may bring you to that conclusion.

Not irrelevant because you said "you do not make it out to be
problematic" in one post but then in another post shortly after that you
say "irrelevant, since it would be problematic for every business, small
and large."

You should think before yu type and stop putting your foot in your mouth.

It is noted you seem to have ignored the fact Microsoft and Bill Gates
do give away a great deal.

Don't ignore it. They do it because they are worried about the foothold
linux is gaining in 3rd world countries, and they figure if they don't
gift out a bunch of machines with Windows on them, they won't have
anything to worry about anymore. Bill's new found "philanthropy" kick
fits right in with this.

Apparently you do not approve because it is not in the precise format to
suit whatever you think they should.

See above.

However no one can tell them what to do with their property.

Never said that.

Just like you came up with a convenient excuse to excuse your "small
business" from the standards you try to impose on others.

I do not have a small business.

Perhaps there are some that feel you do not donate enough to HFH and you
should ALSO contribute time and $ to another organization.

We do. I was just using the Habitat for humanity as an example.

If you fail to abide to their desires, perhaps they could bad mouth your
dad as you do Microsoft.
Both of course are unjustified unless the rights of each are ignored.

Of course you also seem to ignore there are shareholders worldwide
expecting and demanding something for their investment.
Bill Gates and others are answerable to them and not to you, unless you
are a share holder in Microsoft.

I refuse to part of that machination, no matter how rich I could get off
of it. It's against much I stand for.

--
Priceless quotes in m.p.w.vista.general group:

"Price is actually no factor in piracy..." spoken by
Mike Brannigan

"But I'm not insulting people. I'm insulting Linux Loonies..."
spoken by Mike <[email protected]>

"No, I'm not sure. I was just making fun of Chad's typo."
spoken by Mike <[email protected]>

More great quotes here:
http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/kick.html

 

[Alias]

It might be interesting to know exactly what MS behaviour you consider
to be immoral?

Tricking people to install spyware -- WGA -- by LYING and saying it was
a critical update.

Also interesitng would be to know how their immorality (perceived or
real) changes your behaviour, if it does at all?

mxh

I'm fooling around with Linux right now. I used to love MS products but
the remote spying and having to activate and go through the "genuine"
process to prove I bought a legit copy was the straw that broke the
camel's back. That and IE7, WMP11 and Vista are really tacky.

Alias

 

[Glenn Shaw]

I disagree. There were no DAT devices ever offered in the United States
because of the digital copy protection which, for all intents and
purposes, banned DAT in the US.

Not quite correct. Sony tried to offer DAT as a consumer recording
medium in the US in the late 1980s, but the RIAA threatened to sue *any*
manufacturer who released a DAT recorder in the US because, at the time,
DAT recorders *LACKED* *ANY* copy protection. It took the passage of the
Audio Home Recording Act to allow DAT recorders to be sold in the US:

"In 1990, shortly after DAT recorders hit the market in the US, the RIAA
and the National Music Publishers Association moved to block the sale of
the device. DAT recorders made near CD-quality copies of music - and
that, said the RIAA, would damage the ability of artists, songwriters,
and other industry players to profit from pre-recorded CD,
cassette-tape, and vinyl sales.

"With the passage of the act, the RIAA won copyright protection by
requiring that every DAT deck sold in the US be equipped with technology
that recognizes the source material, allowing original files to be
copied multiple times but not permitting those second-generation files
to be duplicated. The act also imposes a 2 percent royalty on the
wholesale price of DAT and MiniDisc recorders and a 3 percent sum on
blank digital tapes and discs. These royalties, says the RIAA,
recognized that both the devices and the medium were being sold to copy
music, and attempt to offset the loss in sales."

(Source: Wired 7.08: The Law of Increasing Returns:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.08/dl_returns.html)

These royalties, along with the customarily high launch prices typical
of new consumer technologies (remember when DVD players used to cost
more than $1,000 when they were first introduced?), ended up pricing DAT
recorders out of reach for the average consumer, with initial prices
topping $1,200 (eventually dropping to around $500 as production ramped
up). These prices, combined with the increasing availability of
affordable computer-based CD recorders, ended up forcing the format out
of even the high-end audio market in the US (due to low sales) and into
the recording studio, a market that Sony and its DAT licensees never
intended the format to go into.

DAT was a success in high end audio
systems in many other parts of the world.

Emphasis on "was": Sony, the last manufacturer to offer DAT recorders,
ended production on their final model last December (2005) due to slow
sales (less than 100 units per month at the time), effectively making
DAT obsolete. The film and television industry still makes some use of
DAT, particularly since some recorders support SMPTE time codes, but
those are slowly being replaced by hard disk-based digital recorders.

 

[Glenn Shaw]

...

|I disagree. There were no DAT devices ever offered in the United States

WRONG!
I bought a Sony DAT at J & R Music World in downtown Manhattan about
5 or 6 years ago.

I'm curious, DCR: Do you recall how much you paid for it? And was it a
model made for the US market? (If it was an import, it would support
Dale's assertion that DAT decks weren't sold here.)

 

[Dale]

I could see how WGA was a critical update. I sure wouldn't want a windows
installation of pirated software because I don't know what else is in it.
If they stole windows, what would they add to it to steal my information.

Then again, you can buy a completely legitimate Windows from HP and your
computer will be so full of spyware and trojan horses, with just the factory
installed software, that nothing short of a format and reload from scratch
will clean it up. And the scary thing is, with Vista, you may not have a
disk from HP or Dell with which to do a clean, no-spyware, no-adware,
installation of Vista.

Dale

 

[Alias]

I could see how WGA was a critical update. I sure wouldn't want a
windows installation of pirated software because I don't know what else
is in it. If they stole windows, what would they add to it to steal my
information.

You need WGA to tell you if you bought a legit copy or not? Most pirated
copies, btw, do not come with malware. That's FUD put out by Microsoft
to scare people like you.

Then again, you can buy a completely legitimate Windows from HP and your
computer will be so full of spyware and trojan horses, with just the
factory installed software, that nothing short of a format and reload
from scratch will clean it up. And the scary thing is, with Vista, you
may not have a disk from HP or Dell with which to do a clean,
no-spyware, no-adware, installation of Vista.

Dale

So build (or have one built for you) a white box and put a generic OEM
copy of Windows on it. I would never, ever, buy a desktop from a major
OEM like HP or Dell.

Alias

 

[DCR]

As I recall it was around $800.00 and was a fully warranted US model,
I used to work for a professional video sales/service company and I am
still able to get tapes there, although they are very expensive, and I
rarely use the deck anymore. I am doing video production now and
sometimes I use it for recording narration, but the quality of HDV audio
is superb.

DCR


| DCR wrote:
| >
| > "Dale" wrote...
| >
| > |I disagree. There were no DAT devices ever offered in the United States
| >
| > WRONG!
| > I bought a Sony DAT at J & R Music World in downtown Manhattan about
| > 5 or 6 years ago.
|
| I'm curious, DCR: Do you recall how much you paid for it? And was it a
| model made for the US market? (If it was an import, it would support
| Dale's assertion that DAT decks weren't sold here.)
|
| --
| Glenn Shaw | Indianapolis, IN USA
| To reply by e-mail, swap the net and cast

 

[mxh]

Tricking people to install spyware -- WGA -- by LYING and saying it was a
critical update.

Yes, that wasn't the brightest move on their part. Nor was the original
EULA. Fortunately, they changed that.

I'm fooling around with Linux right now. I used to love MS products but
the remote spying and having to activate and go through the "genuine"
process to prove I bought a legit copy was the straw that broke the
camel's back. That and IE7, WMP11 and Vista are really tacky.

I've dabbled in Linux, but don't really have the time to make a proper
effort. It's doubtful, however, that any forays into Linux would be more
than experimentation. I'm too deeply vested in PC and would have to entirely
revamp my business network to accomodate Linux. Not an option. I would like
to see Linux or some other OS become serious competition, though.

mxh

 

[Alias]

Yes, that wasn't the brightest move on their part. Nor was the original
EULA. Fortunately, they changed that.

Yeah, they're coming out with a new one to be released soon. I wonder
how many paying customers will have problems with that one.

I've dabbled in Linux, but don't really have the time to make a proper
effort. It's doubtful, however, that any forays into Linux would be
more than experimentation. I'm too deeply vested in PC and would have to
entirely revamp my business network to accomodate Linux. Not an option.
I would like to see Linux or some other OS become serious competition,
though.

mxh

Linux has changed a lot lately. For example, to install Ubuntu, you need
to change the BIOS to load the CDROM first. Slip in the Ubuntu CD. It
starts to install. You have to choose your language and it comes with
hundreds of languages, unlike Windows that comes with only one language.
Then you choose your location. Then you have to choose a user name and
password. That's it! Once Ubuntu loads, you will be offered about 200
updates that I downloaded and it installed without a hitch. I really
like the Evolution email program. Here's a screen shot:

http://www.ubuntu.com/include/img/evolution.png

Look familiar?

Alias

 

[Richard Urban]

I like Ubuntu also. But until I can place a CD/DVD into the drive and have
an installer open automatically that just lets me click OK, along with where
I want the program to be installed to, I will not be using it for anything
other that experimentation.

I also need AutoCad, without being constrained in any way.

As far as I am concerned it (Linux) is good for web browsing - period!

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Alias]

I like Ubuntu also. But until I can place a CD/DVD into the drive and
have an installer open automatically that just lets me click OK, along
with where I want the program to be installed to, I will not be using it
for anything other that experimentation.

Have you tried using the Add/Remove program in Ubuntu? There are
hundreds of programs you can download and install by just clicking a
couple of times.

I also need AutoCad, without being constrained in any way.

I don't know if AutoCad works with Ubuntu, sorry.

As far as I am concerned it (Linux) is good for web browsing - period!

I have used it for that, emailing and IMing to Yahoo Messenger. I have
also used OpenOffice. Now, if I can just find a good fax program for it ...

Alias

 

[Richard Urban]

I must admit that I think Ubuntu has great potential. But until I can build
a computer, install Ubuntu, give it to my daughter-in-law, and have her be
able to "really" use it, as she uses Windows XP, Ubuntu will go no further.

It is just not user friendly to the degree that any version of Windows is.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Alias]

I must admit that I think Ubuntu has great potential. But until I can
build a computer, install Ubuntu, give it to my daughter-in-law, and
have her be able to "really" use it, as she uses Windows XP, Ubuntu will
go no further.

It is just not user friendly to the degree that any version of Windows is.

Windows is only "user friendly" because you're used to it. Think back to
when you first used Windows.

Alias

 

[Richard Urban]

Windows is user friendly in that you don't have to cope with command lines,
unless you want to. Not so for Linux - any version.

Linux is still too much for the geeks, as DOS was. If you don't know the
commands there is an awful lot you can not accomplish.

Even the act of installing virtual machine addition, which allow better
usability under VMWare, is NOT straight forward. Give me an installer where
I can just click a button and have it install. Is that so hard to do?

When that is accomplished I can give it to my daughter-in law, not before.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!