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Submission Summary: 0 pending, 52 declined, 6 accepted (58 total, 10.34% accepted)

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Linux Business

Submission + - Linux and Windows EEE PCs have same return rate (laptopmag.com)

Submitted by
darkonc
darkonc writes: "Laptop Magazine has an interview with ASUS CEO Jerry Shen where he talks about the past and future of the EEE PC. Included in that interview is a question about the infamous claim that Linux netbooks have a higher return rate than Windows netbooks. Shen claims that Linux and Windows EEE PCs have similar return rates."
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - $700B Bailout Proposal Would Remove Oversight (kuro5hin.org)

Submitted by
darkonc
darkonc writes: "A Kuro5hin article has a pointer to a proposed version of the $700B financial buyout legislation (backup copy here). It's pretty short and to the point — The secretary can do pretty much whatever (s)he sees fit with the money with no judicial or administrative oversight.

What would you do with $700B and no strings attached?"
Yahoo!

Submission + - Icahn shoots foot over M$ Yahoo acquisition? (cnn.com)

Submitted by
darkonc
darkonc writes: "According to a CNN Money article, Carl Icahn (who is currently in a dogfight with Yahoo's board over their decision to rebuff Microsoft's $32B offer as 'too low') said Tuesday that Microsoft Corp. "can't compete" over the next 5 years unless it acquires Yahoo. Under that premise, it would seem probable that Yahoo is worth far more to Microsoft than the $32B that they offered — and that the board is right.

Icahn also refused to answer an audience member question about whether or not he's in communication with Microsoft."
Linux Business

Submission + - HP: Load Linux, Lose Waranty

Submitted by
darkonc
darkonc writes: "Currently highlighted on Groklaw's newsbytes is an article on linux.com about a woman who bought a Compaq laptop and loaded Ubuntu on it. When, some time later, the keyboard started acting up she called the Compaq for warranty repairs..
"Sorry, we do not honor our hardware warranty when you run Linux." she was told. Even an HP PR rep was unable to "do the right thing" when given a couple of weeks to work on it. It looks like HP could be an especially bad vendor for people hoping to avoid Microsoft's Monopoly Tax on arbitrary machines."
Media

Submission + - NFL Blocks Church Superbowl Parties, Allows Bars.

Submitted by
darkonc
darkonc writes: "It appears that the NFS doesn't want their fans praying for their teams, but they've got nothing against driving home drunk afterwards.
CNN/Sports Illustrated has the story of the NFL pouring cold water on churchs' plans for 'dry' Superbowl parties . When NFL officials saw the announcement for one such party, they told the church involved where to go with the idea. When the church turned the other cheek and resolved the initial issues (charging for the party and using the 'Superbowl' trademark), the NFL responded with more complaints ("Your TV is too big"). The Church then gave up. The NFL explained that, while it plans to treat all churches in this manner, they didn't plan to take action against bars engaging in similar activities."
Microsoft

Submission + - Vista Beta Users Get First Taste of DRM

Submitted by
darkonc
darkonc writes: "Some people testing Microsoft's Windows Vista got an unexpected holiday surprise: their TVs stopped working.... Microsoft blames this on the fact that they only licensed the MPEG2 CODED for RC1 until the end of 2006 (Beta users were told that the software was good until April), but even people with third party decoders can't access their content (both live and stored). This is how "Trusted Computing" is supposed to work. If somebody in Redmond (or elsewhere) decides that you can't use certain content, nothing that you try to do should allow you access — Owning the content, or obtaining the rights by some other path, is no defense.

5 million people downloaded RC1, and some have access to Vista Final or RC2 (100K copies downloaded). The rest will have to wait until the end of January to access their suddenly banned content."
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft Squeezes Win2000 Users

Submitted by
darkonc
darkonc writes: "InformationWeek has a story on how Windows 2000 users are being squeezed by Microsoft as Vista and Office 2007 are being released. While some new software is legitimately unable to run on Windows 2000, other software (like MS' anti-spyware product) will install and run flawlessly — but only if you remove an explicit check for Windows 2000 in the installer.
(( Free software advocates will happily note how their legacy support issues are not necessarily beholden to their original distributor))"
Microsoft

Submission + - "I'd Buy A Mac..." Allchin

Submitted by
darkonc
darkonc writes: "Groklaw has an article about the second day of the Iowa 'Comes v. Microsoft, Inc., ' class action antitrust case. One of the more interesting quotes from the second day of the case comes out of a 2004 email from Jim Allchin to Bill gates: "I would buy a Mac today if I was not working at Microsoft.".
I wonder how that one got past Microsoft's apparent practice of destroying all emails as soon as practicable."
Microsoft

Submission + - MS/Novell Agreement Has Trap-Door Clause.

Submitted by
darkonc
darkonc writes: "Groklaw has an article asking What Happens *After* the 5 Years, when the Microsoft/Novel deal expires? In trying to answer that question, however, she noticed something that may be even more disturbing for CIOs. The deal has what might be called an escape clause — or a trap-door clause, depending on which side of the subsequent lawsuit your company ends up on.
"Microsoft reserves the right to update (including discontinue) the foregoing covenant ....", or as PJ put it, "... one must assume that the covenant not to sue is actually a covenant not to sue unless Microsoft wants to sue. It's up to you whether you find such language reassuring." (emphasis mine)."

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