Tag Archives: Microsoft

Sep 24 2009

Microsoft Says Google Chrome Frame Makes IE Less Secure

From Slashdot.org:

Slashdot Technology Story | Microsoft Says Google Chrome Frame Makes IE Less Secure:
The release of Google Chrome Frame, a new open source plugin that injects Chrome’s renderer and JavaScript engine into Microsoft’s browser, earlier this week had many web developers happily dancing long through the night. Finally, someone had found a way to get Internet Explorer users up to speed on the Web. Microsoft, on the other hand, is warning IE users that it does not recommend installing the plugin. What does the company have against the plugin? It makes Internet Explorer less secure. “With Internet Explorer 8, we made significant advancements and updates to make the browser safer for our customers,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Ars. “Given the security issues with plugins in general and Google Chrome in particular, Google Chrome Frame running as a plugin has doubled the attack area for malware and malicious scripts. This is not a risk we would recommend our friends and families take.”

I’ll let some of the responses speak for me… The whole response from M$ is just laughable. Here’s some thoughts:

… stones/glasshouses …

… Friends don’t let friends use Internet Explorer anyway. …

… What do you expect; “This is great now our customers can access standards-compliant sites and have a faster, smoother web experience”? …

Of course it doubles the attack rate of malicious scripts… It makes Javascript run twice as fast.

In other news, Microsoft has said that Moores Law is a security risk, because viruses can install themselves twice as fast every 18 months.

‘Nuff said.

Jun 25 2009

Microsoft Discloses Windows 7 Pricing

From Slashdot:

Microsoft Discloses Windows 7 Pricing: It’s the tripnaut! writes “Information Week has posted prices for Windows 7. From the article: ‘The full version of Windows 7 Home Premium is priced at $199, with an upgrade from Vista or XP costing $119. The full version of Windows 7 Professional is $299, with upgrades going for $199. Windows 7 Ultimate is priced at $319, with the upgrade version at $219.’ In a nod to the global economic downturn, it is interesting to note that prices are 10% lower than Vista.”

Ahhh…. yeah. Upgrade pricing to the Ultra Premium Snow Leopard OSX: $29. Full Price: $129. Who’s got the lower cost of ownership???

Oh yea… and Ultra Premium Ubuntu: $0.

Apr 15 2009

Vista Safest? Yeah… Right!

From Slashdot:

Vista Post-SP2 Is the Safest OS On the Planet: pkluss noted Kevin Turner, COO of Microsoft making the proclamation that “Vista today, post-Service Pack 2, which is now in the marketplace, is the safest, most reliable OS we’ve ever built. It’s also the most secure OS on the planet, including Linux and open source and Apple Leopard. It’s the safest and most secure OS on the planet today.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

Feb 20 2009

Microsoft.com Makes IE8 Incompatibility List!

From Slashdot:

Microsoft.com Makes IE8 Incompatibility List!: nickull writes “Microsoft is tracking incompatible Web sites for its upcoming Internet Explorer 8 browser and has posted a list that now contains about 2,400 names — including Microsoft.com. Apparently, even though Microsoft’s IE8 team is doing the ‘right’ thing by finally making IE more standards-compliant, they are risking ‘breaking the Web’ because the vast majority of Web sites are still written to work correctly with previous, non-standards-compliant versions of IE.”

The irony in this is palpable, and it proves the old adage that what goes around comes around. Had Microsoft made an effort from the beginning to be standards compliant, they would not be in this embarrassing and ridiculous position of having their own product not work properly with their own web site. Now if we could just get them to realize that many of their products are good enough to win the competition on their own merits, and stop locking people into a vertical vendor specific, proprietary solution and embrace open standards across the board, we’d be onto something.

Yeah, and I’m really the 8th cylon.

Feb 9 2009

Microsoft to Charge for Nothing

In a shocking development…

From Slashdot:

Average User Only Runs 2 Apps, So Microsoft Will Charge for More: Barence writes “Microsoft’s decision to limit Windows 7 Starter Edition to running only three concurrent applications could force up the price of netbooks as many manufacturers opt for the more expensive Home Premium.

This is just plain evil. Unix has done (proper) multitasking since the early 1970’s. Running multiple programs is just part of what an operating system is supposed to do, not part of what you charge extra for. This is a desperation move to try and increase their profits as they try and deal with their first layoffs ever.

Jan 30 2009

The Macintosh Software Dating Game

From Mactropolis.com:

The Macintosh Software Dating Game: Circa 1983: I don’t think this video requires much description. It takes place in 1983 at an Apple Event. Featured in this “Software Dating Game” are Fred Gibbons, President of Software Publishing Corporation; Mitch Kapor, President of Lotus Development; and of course Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft.

I might have even posted this one before… But I couldn’t resist. Can’t think of a better way to celebrate the end of the week than with a good ‘ol 1983-cheese vintage Jobs/Gibbons/Kapor/Gates video clip.

This comes to you from the [wayback machine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine), from a time before [Microsoft](http://www.microsoft.com) was the new evil empire, and Jobs and Gates were cordial, if not friendly. The video is kinda hokey, and definitely dated, but fun all the same. Enjoy.

Jan 29 2009

Teachers Need an Open Source Education

From Slashdot:

Teachers Need an Open Source Education: palegray.net writes “Teachers are sorely in need of an education in what open source software is, what it isn’t, and how it can benefit their students. A recent news story at the Reg discussed the case of a Texas teacher who accused those distributing Linux to students of committing criminal acts. A HeliOS blog entry exposes a “higher education” culture of apathy, lies, and fear of open source software. Things have got to improve, and that improvement needs to start with misguided teachers getting their facts straight.”

When my town was building its new high school several years ago, and I was the then IT director at a high tech company, I volunteered to set up the entire network for the school with open source software, saving the school district, and the town, perhaps millions of dollars over the long run. I was turned down. Why? Because their computer maintenance person only new Microsoft software and wouldn’t be able to handle the *nix infrastructure. Huh? How about hiring a qualified person to run the network, and making the decision based on fiscal and educational responsibility?

Jan 21 2009

Obama Looking At Open Source?

From Slashdot:

Obama Looking At Open Source?: An anonymous reader writes “‘The secret to a more secure and cost effective government is through Open Source technologies and products.’ The claim comes from one of Silicon Valley’s most respected business leaders Scott McNealy, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems. He revealed he has been asked to prepare a paper on the subject for the new administration.”

This could be huge. I hope it’s true. If so, it could signal the end of the de facto Microsoft monopoly on office software, which can only be a good thing.