[TechieXP]

First it may depend on the security problem, again so easy to blame Microsoft. First off a doctor can no more protect you against a disease it doesn't know about, no more than MS can totally protect you against a hole in its OS. Windows has over 40 million lines of code. FACT: ALL SOFTWARE IS INHERNTLY BUGGY. FACT: ANY SOFTWARE CAN BE EXPLOITED...if someone is willing to spend the time to do so. Windows is used by 90% of the computer market, if any other OS like Linux or Mac OSx had that much market share they would be having the same problem.

As far as what you said on Windows boot time. There is a video on YouTube where someone pitted Windows XP's boot time vs Mac OS I believe it was version 7 or earlier. Linux at this stage is a barebones OS depending on what you need it for. Here is another fact, depending on what components you install Linux can take a while to boot as well. Fact, Windows boots in less than 2 mins providing you don't have tones of drivers installed and you don't have an anti-virus installed. Anti-virus programs are designed to check system files while system is booting which slows boot time significantly, because this is the most critical stage of vulnerability. Drivers impact startup as well especially with these newer computers. Take a look at your system folder and check out the file sizes of some of the sys files on your system. Video and Sound cards especially have huge files, especially when you are trying to support the additional functionality of a device. Microsoft's drivers for hardware only provide basic functionality and the sys files are much smaller and better written then retail bloated ones. Also Linux core doesn't have the need to support as many device, and applications as Windows either. Windows has over 200,000 retail applications to support and several thousand that aren't retailed based. Mac and Linux don't even come close combined. Also teh overall speed of your pc makes a difference at boot as well. With that analogy you're comparing apples to oranges.

As far as you last paragraph, for the market share that MS has we shouldn't be paying $400 for an OS. However ppl shell out double that for video games and a system that can only do one thing. If you took Windows and broke it up into the cost of programs that do what Windows does, the cost would exceed $400, which means Windows Vista's cost is justified to some extent. Without Windows, your computer would simply be nothing accept and appliance that does nothing but light up and take up space. Based on what Windows makes your computer do I personally don't think its that bad. Most issues aren't even MS's fault. If ppl actually knew how to use a PC they would have way less problems.

If you feel ac or Linux is so much better try it an see. Windows benefits out weight it problems my a huge margin. Sure it isn't perfect, but if you expect a few 100 imperfect men to make perfect software then you're expecting to much. Its also very obvious that it isn't an easy task, because look where the other 2 guys are. Steve is rich, but not because of Mac. In fact he is making more from Ipod sales then all Apple's other stuff combined. Mac sales have increased mostly because of the Ipod and due to some of Windows problems.

Vista has some issues but I found they were not even as bad as Windows XP was at first. Everyone crys about how bad Windows XP was until it was fixed. Now everyone loves XP. Vista has the same issues, but obviously the problem is more deep rooted then a SP can fix. So the fix is a newer version. I too think that is crap and MS should provide a new copy of Vista that is fixed for free as they can afford to do so.



Mac and Linux both have plenty of flaws. But if you had the potential to rob any bank which would you pick? Local Bank (Linux)? Bank Of America (Apple)? Or The Federal Reserve (Microsoft)?



It's easy to say MS should make Windows more secure and eliminate all the problems. Don't we wish doctors could make our bodies more secure and with no problems for what we pay for healthcare. In fact since healthcare is in fact has an endless supply of patients, don't you think that the cost for services should be cheaper? Since America is the largest user of fossil fuels, don't you think gas should be less expensive? Just like any other product if you don't like it, you can use an alternative. Fact is Windows is the best that is why it gets attacked so much.

[lionroar]

Very well put, but your anology with healthcare is way off. First of all high cost in healthcare is not becuase of the high level of patient's, but becuase there are not enough bold individuals out there that would venture in the field of medicine. There is also a matter of the cost of tuition, it takes about 8 years at least to be a professional surgeon, that is alot of dough. Anyways back to technoloy. Technology is about making people's life more efficient and cost effective. You are telling me that paying for a new OS every five years or so is cost effective? Highly doubt it. Windows will not give you a free updated copy of Vista, it might though give you a discount for previously buying a version, but is that fair? I do not think so.That is like going for new tires for your car and the technician forgeting to put the knot bolts on the tires and charging again for a service that he did not do fully complete to start with. When people pay high exagerating prizes for something professionally done, like Vista, there should be some accountablitity as well. After all, these 100 imperfect men were hired because they were the best and brightest to take up on the challege to make a good product, making the big bucks and they failed miserbly. How irresponsible is that?

Anyways no doubt in my mind that if Linux were in the same situation, in terms of market share, we probably have a similiar situation. In my opinion why we do not have that many programs is becuase of the GLP license. As it stands this is a debatable issue. On one end it protects the little guy from Windows, and on the other it puts developers that want to sell their programs in an ackward situation giving out their code.

Without Windows, your computer would simply be nothing accept and appliance that does nothing but light up and take up space. If anything I think the we would probably be better off with out Windows. It has been as problem to start with. I do not blame Bill for retiring, some how I think he left Balmer to fend for himself. With Google as a possible threat and the traditional desktop moving online, apple and linux. this cow is bound to go dry. Linux as it stands is facing a few dilemas, we yet need to come with a promising operating system that appeals to a broad base of users, not just the geeky type. So far I can only think of three: fedora, ubuntu, and kde. Until that time comes we will never put Windows in it's place. I think though the more the news spreads about opensource the more people will embrace it over time. Windows will have no choice but to give it close to free in order to compete, other wise it will just vanish like worldcom for example.

+ Vista has some issues
but I found they were not even as bad as Windows XP was at first.
Everyone crys about how bad Windows XP was until it was fixed. Now everyone loves XP.+ You are missing the point, Windows XP was about it's issues,as that was expected to be fixed, it was about the timing. It takes time for people to adopt to something new like an OS, in this case Windows XP, and people finally did. They got used to it, and what did Windows do again, came up with it's new monstrasity "Vista". It was not even out of beta yet, still they shobbed onto people's throat. Look at Excel and Word. A complete fiasco. How are you going to make people think one way with the dropdown menu concept and then switch to some thing that I am just too discusted to explain. They really need to get it together. Their eyes are on greed and not on the consumer.

[GOED]

This is the latest on the Iphone patches of Ver. 2. Even their browser has holes to patch.

As I said before, MS applications, including 3rd. party are more vulnerable to attacks because Windows applications provide a benefit to hackers to spend the time creating Viruses and means to attack them so that they can make money. Windows applications hold the largest percentage of market share, making it more attractive to hackers.

This story clearly shows that Apple is also vulnerable to attacks, so the comment that we would be better of not having Windows at all is just a rediculus illustration of how poorly informed some people are about other operating systems.

Taking into account that the OS for the Iphone is not as big as the OS for a Mac, it goes to show that Apple is not perfect on the way they program their OS's as well.



Apple has released iPhone OS 2.2 and iPhone OS for iPod touch 2.2 fixing a dozen vulnerabilities in the older versions.

There are three major categories of vulnerabilities in this update. There are a few malicious content fixes, where viewing such content can cause "unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution." CoreGraphics, ImageIO and, interestingly, the Excel file viewer, are all in this category.

There are three fixes to Safari. One is a malicious content bug, like the ones above. One allows malicious iframes to spoof the user interface: "Safari allows an iframe element to display content outside its boundaries" which is a bank scamming site's dream feature. The update disallows this. The final one could allow a malicious program launched through Safari to initiate a call without the user's permission, and even to stop them from canceling it for a period of time. None of these three appear in last week's update to Safari on Windows and the Mac.

Three vulnerabilities are fixed in the Password Lock feature, a feature which has had at least two other bug fixes for not-dissimilar problems in the past (here and here). One new bug could allow user of a locked phone to call anyone with the emergency call feature. A second one could disable the Passcode Lock during a device restore and a third one means that SMS messages sent to a locked phone display in their entirety. All these are addressed in the update.

Two remaining bugs could lower the level of encryption in the PPTP VPN app or reveal form field data.

[TechieXP]

I am so glad you brought this up for 2 huge reasons. 1st for all teh Apple fans who say that Apple products NEVER have problems. 2nd it shows that when a product in fact has a huge user base, ppl will exploit it.

IPOD has a huge markethsrae compared to all other portable players combined, just as Windows does. And here is the punch. ONE problem will be felt my millions so thus one problem seems like a lot bec it effects lots of ppl. Remember what a virus is. it is a diesease that is spreaded through no fault of your own. All it needs is one carrier to get it out in the right place and it become an epidemic. Apple can no more protect its customers from everything and since MS had millions of millions times what Apple has any problem will explode rapidly because of that fact. This however doesn't mean MS can't try a lil harder. But again, just as a doc can't protect u against something he doesn't know about, nor can developers.

The reason no one picks at Linux or Apple is bec they are to small to matter and it wouldnt get the wanted attention. When you want to get your 15 mins of fame you need to do more than crash your car into apole, you need to drive it into the side of a prominent building :-).

Now Steve can see what ubiquity on the market can do to company resources.