Not surprizing, as I have seen enough problems on my systems with X-drivers to confirm that something is wrong. This is not even with accelerated use. Error messages about error setting MTRR register using inappropriate ioctl, a Matrox driver that corrupts the screens of other consoles after ctrl-alt-F2 switching to another consoles. This is not the difficult hardware interface without specs problem, but just bugs. One problem is not enough eyes looking this code over. The work is being done by too few people, and they cannot see their own errors (common problem with all code). What will fix these bugs is more people going into the source and finding a bug cause, and maybe even submitting a fix. I've got a matrox driver to look at, and I am afraid that the error may not even be there, as I cannot find the text of the error messages (they mis-spelled a word which should make it easy to grep for, but so far no luck, not even in the /usr/bin).

One should realize that the attacks by some people (and many lawyers) upon the freedoms of others, if all were allowed to succeed, would restrict most of the free speech and idea sharing, such as in the US. It has been done before and is what places like China engage in now. Listen to them and you will hear, that there will always be "other people" who need to be restricted in what they post/transmit/say, according to the some who are bothered by it. There are too many people that for everything want to have someone else to blame. And too many lawyers who are willing (for a hefty fee) to make the attempt to stick it to the someone selected to be the scapegoat. This is a much wider problem than this one case.

This particular machine run Win98-SE, with Firefox, around 300MHz. Its our email machine, which does not seem to get attacked by virus etc.. My working machines are Linux. If this machine was to upgrade it will be to Linux, or maybe XP, if a copy can still be found. Vista is not even considered viable for so many reasons, such as the obnoxious one-sided "agreements". I have one customer that was still using Win3.1 on one machine because it was running custom diagnostic software. I think the upgrade frenzy that some people try to start is for their own benefit, and not yours. I agree with the old folks, if it still works use it. You can never catch up with some of these web sites for more than a short while, then they are pushing for another upgrade. This has more to do with fashion frenzy to have the latest thing than it does in any true advance in solving the owner's problems. It seems to add to the owner's problems instead. So if you can ignore the crazed fashioneers who go on about the latest video codec and how your old software does not left you see their movie of the car jumping up and down, then you will be fine with what you got working.

Not new to us, but I still find those who want to stand by their Microsoft, because they are uncomfortable with the unfamiliar alternatives. Microsoft is a weak link in every computer security issue because they continue to put wide-open holes into their system in order to be all encompassing. I believe that they just consider the few that get attacked and taken as being acceptable losses, and look at the masses of the herd (where they make their money). Someone at the higher levels of government making this public may have several effects: 1) Embarrass Microsoft to not stupidly repeat the same mistakes (maybe). 2) Start some agenda towards minimum standards for security. 3) Show that there are more secure alternatives, and make them more familiar.

X should provide a selection mechanism for user interface customization, and then pass that on to every application. If there was a common cut and paste mechanism then this would be even better. Apps could still reserve a buffer for themselves. There is more than one answer to most interface decisions and this will continue, there is no use in insisting that the current behavior is "right" and everyone better learn it. What is needed is that the user be able to select an interface model at the top level and that it be honored by all apps running under that level. The reason I adopted Linux is to able to fix interface problems and not be stuck with the choices that someone else made.