Comment Re:An analytical look at Office for UNIX (Score 1) 479
> And Linux isn't bloated.
Depends on what you mean. Here we're comparing an entire operating system to a single application. Makes me wonder about the application.
> Of course it does. It's not a UNIX app.
I think he was referring to the old UNIX rule of writing programs that do one job and do it well. Here, with Word, it tries to do everything.
> How do you figure?
I would bet he's right on it running as root. Remember, this is Microsoft, not known for making the best engineering decisions. They'll probably have some weird reason.
> But then that's a fault of UNIX allowing an application to bring down the system.
Unix doesn't allow an application to "bring down the system". However, if it's running as root and the code sucks, an exploit could allow a cracker to "bring down the system."
> Pray tell how a UNIX port would give you LESS freedom?
When all the newbies begin using Word for everything, including very small notes.
> That's just ridiculous.
No, it isn't. That's exactly what Microsoft is leaning towards. The more people it can get on it's Passport service, the better for them. And what better way than to force them to? With all these new products being .NET based, there has to be some level of network authentication so you can download those pieces that you need to run the program. Not very many people who are used to running Unix like this idea.
> Even if Microsoft does sell a lot of Office/UNIX, then the Koffice/StarOffice people will have a whole lot of customers available to directly lure -- right now they have to convince many people to change platforms!
I don't think that "customers" are the right word to use here. How about "users"? Right now, they already have a whole bunch of customers to directly lure from each other. Adding Microsoft Word to the group only adds a poisoned apple pretending to be a fresh piece of fruit.
> Don't make me laugh. Every new iteration brings a new really really stupid and annoying 'feature'... (e.g., clippy, smart menus, smart tags)
No, it is quite user friendly, such that even the most ignorant user can type a nice looking paper. I work at a computer lab for a university, and I've seen ignorance at it best. But even those people appear to be "experts" when hiding behind these made-for-idiots programs.
> Who'd bother to hack a hack?
Why, a hacker or course!
Depends on what you mean. Here we're comparing an entire operating system to a single application. Makes me wonder about the application.
> Of course it does. It's not a UNIX app.
I think he was referring to the old UNIX rule of writing programs that do one job and do it well. Here, with Word, it tries to do everything.
> How do you figure?
I would bet he's right on it running as root. Remember, this is Microsoft, not known for making the best engineering decisions. They'll probably have some weird reason.
> But then that's a fault of UNIX allowing an application to bring down the system.
Unix doesn't allow an application to "bring down the system". However, if it's running as root and the code sucks, an exploit could allow a cracker to "bring down the system."
> Pray tell how a UNIX port would give you LESS freedom?
When all the newbies begin using Word for everything, including very small notes.
> That's just ridiculous.
No, it isn't. That's exactly what Microsoft is leaning towards. The more people it can get on it's Passport service, the better for them. And what better way than to force them to? With all these new products being
> Even if Microsoft does sell a lot of Office/UNIX, then the Koffice/StarOffice people will have a whole lot of customers available to directly lure -- right now they have to convince many people to change platforms!
I don't think that "customers" are the right word to use here. How about "users"? Right now, they already have a whole bunch of customers to directly lure from each other. Adding Microsoft Word to the group only adds a poisoned apple pretending to be a fresh piece of fruit.
> Don't make me laugh. Every new iteration brings a new really really stupid and annoying 'feature'... (e.g., clippy, smart menus, smart tags)
No, it is quite user friendly, such that even the most ignorant user can type a nice looking paper. I work at a computer lab for a university, and I've seen ignorance at it best. But even those people appear to be "experts" when hiding behind these made-for-idiots programs.
> Who'd bother to hack a hack?
Why, a hacker or course!
