Well, I can say for myself it was for reasons like this I decided to give Linux a shot. I am sick of Microsoft's wining about people copying the Winblows os, and doing everything they can to make everyones life miserable trying to secure it. Where I had to download Red Hat 7.2, put it on disks, and no one is complaining that I am letting everyone have a copy if they want it. Not to mention all I had to buy a couple of cd's, and I had Linux. XP is going to be the death of Microsoft. On Sun, 28 Oct 2001, Shaun Oliver wrote: > read on fellow listers > just another reason why not to worry about installing micro blah windbags > xp > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 22:43:04 +1000 > From: Samantha <samhowe at goanna.net.au> > To: shauno at goanna.net.au > > Microsoft is spending at least $250 million to market its new Windows XP > operating system, which has gotten some good reviews, but also plenty of > criticism from rivals who say it is designed to push smaller firms out of > the Web software business. XP integrates features such as a media player and > a chat application, two items that have been provided by third-party > software firms before. Privacy advocates are also wary of the way XP allows > users to update its software: To get a special activation number from > Microsoft, consumers must > provide the company with information about themselves and the configuration > of their computer. Changing too much hardware in the machine could render XP > useless. When the new operating system is installed, it also asks people to > sign up for Microsoft's Passport service, a password collector and > electronic organizer that some say is intended only to keep computer users > well within Microsoft's computing world. > > > Michael Robertson, the founder of MP3.com and one of the loudest voices in > the fight between the music industry and file-sharing sites, plans to take > on Microsoft with a new operating system of his own. The software, known as > "Lindows," would combine the Unix-based Linux operating system with a > graphical interface that looks like Windows, and a layer of translation code > that would allow the OS to run both Windows > and Linux programs. The Wall Street Journal reported that Robertson expects > to ship the new OS early next year. It is expected to cost consumers $99, > and the software will be designed to be downloaded, the Journal reported. A > news release about Robertson's plans is available at Lindows.com. > > > > Richard A. Clarke, the adviser for cyber-security in the newly created > Office of Homeland Security, wants the government to create a second > Internet, called Govnet, that would allow federal agencies to operate in > security. But he hasn't ignored the need for more coordinated protection of > the current Internet, according to The Washington Post. Clarke is among > those urging industry to create a "first alert" system that would > disseminate information about cyber-attacks so businesses could avert > further damage. Computer security experts said the main problem in creating > such a system has been the same for years: Corporations generally don't > trust each other, and they are reluctant to share cyber-security information > with one another. The FBI is attempting to change that with a public-private > group called Infragard that allows the anonymous sharing of information > about attacks, the Post reported. > >
