Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sat 22nd Sep 2012 22:07 UTC
Ubuntu 12.10 will include advertisements for products on Amazon. It will look like this - if you search, product suggestions will pop up. This seems like a rather slippery slope to me, and I certainly wouldn't want this on my desktop, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or anywhere else. On the web - fine, I'm on your site, not mine - but my desktop is mine, and mine alone. Not that it matters - open source, someone will disable them. Biggest concern: does this mean my search queries get sent across the web?
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RE[5]: It's just a lens
by UltraZelda64 on Sun 23rd Sep 2012 04:48
in reply to "RE[4]: It's just a lens"
Member since:2006-12-05
I don't see how adding another proprietary operating system to the mix will help anything.
As you said, the license is the real problem for most proprietary software including both Microsoft's and Apple's, and not just for operating systems. The problem is, the licenses are practically always a problem and I don't imagine that magically changing out of nowhere. Companies know people don't care, they'll just buy the software anyway, not even reading the license.
The companies know they have their customers by the balls because they don't even get to *read* the license until after they tear away the shrink-wrap and put the disc in the drive, and by that time it's too late: the store won't take it back for a refund, because you've already opened it, and they suspect you to have copied the disc and registration key, you dirty thief!
I would be surprised if any company would ever come up with a license for their proprietary software product that I could truly agree with, and actually mean it when I am forced to click "I agree" to proceed with the installation. Sorry, but I just don't see it happening.
RE[6]: It's just a lens
by allanregistos on Mon 24th Sep 2012 00:18
in reply to "RE[5]: It's just a lens"
Member since:2011-02-10
I don't see how adding another proprietary operating system to the mix will help anything.
As you said, the license is the real problem for most proprietary software including both Microsoft's and Apple's, and not just for operating systems. The problem is, the licenses are practically always a problem and I don't imagine that magically changing out of nowhere. Companies know people don't care, they'll just buy the software anyway, not even reading the license.
As you said, the license is the real problem for most proprietary software including both Microsoft's and Apple's, and not just for operating systems. The problem is, the licenses are practically always a problem and I don't imagine that magically changing out of nowhere. Companies know people don't care, they'll just buy the software anyway, not even reading the license.
Partly wrong. You are correct that most sys admin will not read the whole long license agreement, but they do review it for the sake of legality. We received faxes from authorities asking us to validate our software licenses, or else the police will come, so its wrong to say COMPANIES will not read licenses. Home users, yes.
RE[5]: It's just a lens
by lucas_maximus on Sun 23rd Sep 2012 13:43
in reply to "RE[4]: It's just a lens"
Member since:2009-08-18
$100 dollars for a license that never runs out, is supported for 10 years (works out at about $10 a year ... and you call that expensive).
The cost argument is negligible given the amount of time, you have support.
I still have my original XP and 2000 licenses and they still work and install fine. $100 is a pittance.
Edited 2012-09-23 13:45 UTC
Member since:2008-07-10
RE[6]: It's just a lens
by darknexus on Sun 23rd Sep 2012 14:33
in reply to "RE[5]: It's just a lens"
Member since:2008-07-15
$100 dollars for a license that never runs out, is supported for 10 years (works out at about $10 a year ... and you call that expensive).
Well, since most computers come with Windows anyway, it's a non-issue for most consumers unless they want to upgrade.
The cost argument is negligible given the amount of time, you have support.
Support, eh? Where is this support you mention? The last time I wanted to report a problem I found in Windows there was nothing but an auto-reply email.
I still have my original XP and 2000 licenses and they still work and install fine. $100 is a pittance.
2000 always will, though good luck finding updated apps that'll still install on it without some manual effort. As for XP… well, we'll see if it still installs and runs just fine once Microsoft takes the XP activation servers offline.
RE[6]: It's just a lens
by JAlexoid on Mon 24th Sep 2012 08:15
in reply to "RE[5]: It's just a lens"
Member since:2009-05-19
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/13/13 14:35 UTC
The third and final WWDC product I want to talk about is - of course - OS X 10.9 Mavericks. While iOS 7 was clearly the focus of this year's WWDC, its venerable desktop counterpart certainly wasn't left behind. Apple announced OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the first OS X release not to carry the name of a big cat.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/11/13 17:07 UTC
We already talked about iOS 7 yesterday (after a night of sleep, it's only looking worse and worse - look at this, for Fiona's sake!), so now it's time to talk about the downright stunning and belly flutters-inducing new Mac Pro. As former owner and huge, huge, huge fan of the PowerMac G4 Cube - I haven't been this excited about an Apple product since, well, I would say the iMac G4. This is the Apple I used to love.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/10/13 23:13 UTC
Apple held its big keynote event thing at WWDC earlier this evening, but since I was away with friends I've had to read up on it later in the evening. The company announced iOS 7, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, and they gave a preview of the new Mac Pro. Especially the Mac Pro impressed me, and while iOS 7's new Holo/Metro-inspired theme looks messy and garish to me, I do commend Apple for finally breaking the mold. This news item will focus on iOS 7 - I'll dive into the Mac Pro and OS X 10.9 tomorrow (it's late here now).
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/08/13 14:57 UTC
And yes, the PRISM scandal is far, far from over. More and more information keeps leaking out, and the more gets out, the worse it gets. The companies involved have sent out official statements - often by mouth of their CEOs - and what's interesting is that not only are these official statements eerily similar to each other, using the same terms clearly designed by lawyers, they also directly contradict new reports from The New York Times. So, who is lying?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/07/13 11:40 UTC
This story is getting bigger and bigger. Even though most Americans probably already knew, it is now official: the United States government, through its National Security Agency, is collecting the communications and data of all American citizens, and of non-Americans using American services, through a wide collaboration with the large companies in technology, like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and so on. Interestingly enough, the NSA itself, as well as the US government, have repeatedly and firmly denied this massive spying on Americans and non-Americans took place at all.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/04/13 12:45 UTC
Ah, patents - the never-ending scourge of the technology industry. Whether wielded by companies who don't actually make any products, or large corporations who abuse them because they can't compete in the market place or because they're simply jerks, they do the industry a huge disservice and are simply plain dangerous. According to The Wall Street Journal (circumvention link), president Obama is about to take several executive actions to address patent trolls - which may seem like a good idea, but I am very worried that all this will do is strengthen the positions of notorious patent system abusers such as Apple and Microsoft.
Linked by nfeske on 05/31/13 10:12 UTC
With version 13.05, the developers of the Genode OS Framework take measures to ensure that Genode continues to scale well with a growing number of users and the steadily broadening platform coverage. Further highlights are the improved SoC support for Exynos 5, OMAP4, Raspberry Pi, i.MX, and new components for realizing headless systems.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/29/13 16:59 UTC
At the D11 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook once again took the stage to be interviewed by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. While most of the interview can be replicated by picking and reading 10 random Apple fanblog stories - there were still a number of very interesting things that warrant some closer scrutiny.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!More Features »
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2006-05-23
Yes, because we all want another god damn proprietary operating system.
Why the hell not? It would help create some bona fide competition on the desktop market, which IMO Apple and Microsoft badly need, both being effective monopolies in their respective niches.
Anyway, the problem with OSes isn't that they have proprietary licenses, it's that they have unfriendly licenses. Take Windows for example... You pay $100+ for a physical medium that's licensed to maybe 3 computers, no exception for VMs, have to buy a new license when installing on a new computer, etc. This is not a user-friendly state of affairs, but MS can afford to keep things this way because they have the market cornered. Having alternative, proprietary desktop OSes available might force them to price and license their OS more competitively.