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Comment Re:I Hope They Get Anti-Piracy to Work This Time (Score 1) 403

by MongooseKY (#27888283) Attached to: Windows 7 Anti-Piracy Plans

You do realize that a normal copy of Windows XP Home is $199 for full, $99 for upgrade but you can get a 3pack OEM for $264 right?

The problem with that, at least as I understand it (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), is that the OEM license is only good for a single installation (installation = unique hardware combination). If you upgrade your entire computer, or upgrade "too many components", you have to pay the Microsoft tax again because the OEM copy you have already paid for once cannot be validated against your new hardware.

I've been using the same XP license since XP was released, and within that time period I've done about 4 complete system rebuilds. I'm not at all interested in buying the same OS 3 extra times simply because I like to keep a current computer.

I like the idea of a lower priced family pack - big business gets a break on their per-copy licensing, why shouldn't the home user? I normally loathe Apple's business practices, but in this case it sounds like they have the right idea. Microsoft should follow their lead and make their OS more attractive to the multi-computer homes out there, which I am sure there are more of these days.
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - IBM to Laid Off Employees: Offshore Yourself! (infoworld.com) 1

Submitted by
snydeq
snydeq writes: "IBM has been offering employees some rather objectionable layoff choices as it continues its quiet layoff of thousands of employees, according to various insider reports. Employees considered 'satisfactory performers' are being given the option to relocate to 'growth markets where your skills are in demand.' Those who choose to offshore themselves to India, China, Russia, or beyond do so in lieu of severance, and must agree to work on local terms and conditions, including pay. 'If you take the job, IBM won't pay severance but will pay "a portion" (undefined) of your relocation expenses, including tax and visa services," said one IBM'er who declined a job in Malaysia due to the accompanying two-thirds paycut. 'Not a good deal for many of my colleagues who have 20-25 weeks of severance under their agreement.' Meanwhile, some IBM workers who still have jobs are being given a very tough choice: Move across the country at your own expense, or get fired with no severance package. The cuts at IBM are being done amid strong financial results."
Earth

The Environmental Impact of Google Searches 516

Posted by timothy from the compounding-wild-ass-guesses dept.
paleshadows writes "The Times Online reports that researchers claim that each query submitted to Google has a quantifiable impact. Specifically, two queries performed through a desktop computer generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a cup of tea. From the article: 'While millions of people tap into Google without considering the environment, a typical search generates about 7g of CO2 [whereas] boiling a kettle generates about 15g [...] Google is secretive about its energy consumption and carbon footprint. It also refuses to divulge the locations of its data centers. However, with more than 200m Internet searches estimated daily, the electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions caused by computers and the Internet is provoking concern. A recent report [argues that] the global IT industry generate[s] as much greenhouse gas as the world's airlines — about 2% of global CO2 emissions.'" Google makes an interesting focus for such claims, but similar extrapolations have been done before about, for instance, the energy costs of sending a short email.

Comment Re:Pussies (Score 1) 401

by MongooseKY (#25119353) Attached to: Defusing the Threat of Disgruntled IT Workers
That's a good approach if you don't work for an IT company that considers any outside work using any skill you possess to be competition, thus rendering you useless outside their four walls. Not only do they hang the constant threat of offshoring over your head, cut your pay, and refuse to give you raises, they also refuse to let you moonlight with your skills to make up the difference! Guess which big three letter company I work for?
Windows

Vista Named Year's Most Disappointing Product 842

Posted by kdawson from the foregone-conclusion dept.
Shadow7789 writes "No surprise here, but to complete its humiliation, PC World has declared that Windows Vista is the most disappointing product of 2007. Quoting: 'Five years in the making and this is the best Microsoft could do?... No wonder so many users are clinging to XP like shipwrecked sailors to a life raft, while others who made the upgrade are switching back. And when the fastest Vista notebook PC World has ever tested is an Apple MacBook Pro, there's something deeply wrong with the universe.'"
Windows

90% of IT Professionals Don't Want Vista 619

Posted by CmdrTaco from the oh-so-sad dept.
A survey by King Research has found that Ninety percent of IT professionals have concerns using Vista, with compatibility, stability and cost being their key reasons. Interestingly, forty four percent of companies surveyed are considering switching to non-Windows operating systems, and nine percent of those have already started moving to their selected alternative. "The concerns about Vista specified by participants were overwhelmingly related to stability. Stability in general was frequently cited, as well as compatibility with the business software that would need to run on Vista," said Diane Hagglund of King Research.
Windows

Vista Sales Rate Fell Last Quarter 449

Posted by kdawson from the peaked-too-early dept.
Microsoft is not directly mentioning Vista demand while they brag about how much money they made last quarter, because sales fell. "[Microsoft] shipped approximately 28 million copies of Vista in the latest quarter ended September, or 9.3 million copies per month. Though the Windows developer pointed to 27 percent growth in business licenses and noted that many home users were buying the more lucrative Vista Home Premium or Ultimate editions, the rate represents a decline from the 10 million per month reported early in summer."
Microsoft

Driver Update Can Cause Vista Deactivation 875

Posted by CmdrTaco from the thank-god-we're-all-safe-from-pirates dept.
KrispySausage writes "After weeks of grueling troubleshooting, I've finally had it confirmed by Microsoft Australia and USA — something as small as swapping the video card or updating a device driver can trigger a total Vista deactivation. Put simply, your copy of Windows will stop working with very little notice (three days) and your PC will go into "reduced functionality" mode, where you can't do anything but use the web browser for half an hour."
Bug

Vista Runs Out of Memory While Copying Files 661

Posted by kdawson from the how-hard-can-it-be dept.
ta bu shi da yu writes "It appears that, incredibly, Vista can run out of memory while copying files. ZDNet is reporting that not only does it run out of memory after copying 16,400+ files, but that 'often there is little indication that file copy operations haven't completed correctly.' Apparently a fix was scheduled for SP1 but didn't make it; there is a hotfix that you must request."
Windows

Consumer Group Demands XP for Vista Victims 592

Posted by CowboyNeal from the more-poison-is-the-cure dept.
thefickler writes "Dissatisfaction with Windows Vista seems to be swelling, with the Dutch Consumers' Union (Consumentenbond) asking Microsoft to supply unhappy Vista users with a free copy of Windows XP. Not surprisingly, Microsoft refused. This prompted Consumentenbond to advise consumers to ask for XP, rather than Vista, when buying a new computer."
Microsoft

Mom Blasts Ballmer Over Kid's Vista Experience 767

Posted by Zonk from the i-know-bill-gates-i-call-him-money-for-short dept.
Lucas123 writes "While on stage at a Gartner's ITxpo conference today, Ballmer got an ear-full from the mother of a 13-year-old girl who said after installing Vista on her daughter's computer she decided only two days later to switch back to XP because Vista was so difficult. Ballmer defended Vista saying: 'Your daughter saw a lot of value'; to which the mother replied: 'She's 13.' Ballmer said that Vista is bigger than XP, and 'for some people that's an issue, and it's not going to get smaller in any significant way in SP1. But machines are constantly getting bigger, and [it's] probably important to remember that as well.' Says the mother: 'Good, I'll let you come in and install it for me.'"
Windows

Microsoft Extends XP's Life By 6 Months 278

Posted by kdawson from the slow-on-the-uptake dept.
A reader writes "Despite Microsoft releasing Windows Vista more than nine months ago the adoption rate has not been as Microsoft hoped. Bowing further to pressure from OEMs and consumers, Microsoft has extended the life of Windows XP, which was due to end sale by OEMs on January 1 next year, to a new date of June 30. Asked if this was an indication of a strong demand for XP, a Microsoft representative sought to downplay the extension, stating 'We wouldn't term it strong, we would describe this as accommodating a certain element who needs more time.'"
Microsoft

Microsoft Should Abandon Vista? 1119

Posted by Zonk from the seems-a-bit-harsh dept.
mr_mischief writes "An editorial written by Don Reisinger over at CNet's News.com takes Microsoft to task for the outright failure of Vista. He suggests that Vista may be the downfall of the company as, despite years in development, Vista was delivered to market too early. His suggestion? Support those who are running it, but otherwise ditch Vista and move on. 'Never before have I seen such an abysmal start to an operating system release. For almost a year, people have been adopting Vista and becoming incensed by how poorly it operates. Not only does it cost too much, it requires more to run than XP, there is still poor driver support ... With Mac OS X hot on its tail, Vista is simply not capable of competing at an OS level with some of the best software around. If Microsoft continues down this path, it will be Vista that will bring the software giant to its knees--not Bill Gates' departure.'"
Windows

PC Makers Offering a Bridge Back To XP 523

Posted by kdawson from the bridge-too-far dept.
The Telegraph is reporting on efforts by PC manufacturers to give customers buying systems pre-installed with Windows Vista a much-sought way to downgrade to Windows XP. ( A few months back we discussed Microsoft's similar concession for corporate customers.) "It took took five years and $6 billion to develop, but Microsoft's Vista operating system, which was launched early this year, has been shunned by consumers — with computer manufacturers taking the bizarre step of offering downgrades to the old XP version of Windows."

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