Since many members have wished me off their threads I have decided to engage your minds here in this thread regarding MS. You could say that this is just another, “Alpha is bashing MS again!” thread. To you it may seem if I am against the people at Redmond and that is almost true. I am against overpriced digital enslavement. I despise seeing smart computer people falling for DRM as a necessary evil. In order to talk about the current situation maybe we should step back in time just a bit and consider some points about whose computer you have there?

Not so long ago Bill Gates said, “Let's face it, the average computer user has the brain of a Spider Monkey.” Let me repeat that, “Let's face it, the average computer user has the brain of a Spider Monkey.” He made so many comments over the years that there are entire sites out there dedicated to quotes from Bill Gates. Don’t you remember a few years ago when the DOJ was after Bill, he decided to make himself ‘Chief Software Architect’? Now during the Vista release he is announced as, “Let’s welcome Bill Gates the Chairman and CEO of MS.” When Bill Gates declares the ACU to be a ‘SPIDER MONKEY’ and those same ACU’s prove his point I start to wish I could deplane.

We don’t deserve to have a person that we made wealthy refer to us as a ‘SPIDER MONKIES’. The developing cult mentality that allows MS to become more outlandish at every turning point seems to suffer from group think mentality and it appears that Bill Gates is correct even though he used the label of ‘Spider Monkey’. I don’t see Bill Gates as a potential leader of the US. I do see him as a threat to the quality of life and to diversification here in the US and even abroad.

Let me shift gears here and move on to the current line of MS products; these being Vista and Office 2007. The computer I’m using is a test bed for both products at the moment and everything appears to be fine. Some think of the word fine along the lines of problem free or OK or even good. I however learned that I should treat the word ‘FINE’ as an acronym. When defined this way fine stands for… F’ed UP, Insecure, Neurotic & Emotional. For me this fits well as both a dynamic and in fact as I will explain.

Many are emotional about the release of Vista since XP seems to be out dated, tired and boring. Years have gone by and surely MS has become even better at doing the ‘code’ thing so Vista will be much better. MS in fact took more than five years and billions of dollars to bring this product to market so we can assume that it will be ‘The Bomb’ of operating systems and office systems. Many among us will be lulled into defending the people that consider us to be ‘SPIDER MONKIES’.

I guess that ACUs become quite neurotic around what they consider ‘their’ computers. Should the ‘Chief Software Architect’ cease to feed the ACUs the necessary code the ACUs might just acquire freedom. The ACU stomps his/her foot and is willing to spend large amounts of money, time and resources in order to keep the MS balloon floating. I contend that I am a consumer and my money speaks volumes depending on where I plop it down.

Just pointing the little things in life out to an ACU should be enough to show just how insecure someone would have to be to want to keep the MS bubble floating. Billions upon billions of dollars have been gutted from the world that might have gone to the disenfranchised or the poor or the weak. Sure Bill has donated billions to his own foundations and that appears to be a positive thing though most of that money simply does the opposite thing that it claims to do. Here you will have to look through the back pages of the news to see the negative aspects. It is true that kids are insecure but to see adults this way lets those who are not under the spell see how vast the group-think really is.

Here I could get into explaining the F part of FINE but since children come here I will simply say ‘BIG FAT MESS’ or the action used by mom and dad to produce families. For the purpose of this thread I will say that Vista is just FINE. If this is what Bill wants you to have then all is just dandy. Oh and you have to pay for it too.

MS Office System 2007:

You will be shocked by this but I have always liked Office and I have been well trained to bark, roll over and beg so I even have trouble seeing the down side to this product. I sometimes even miss ‘Clippy’ and find myself hoping that he is OK. I mainly use Word (I used it for this post) for just about everything. I do know Excel, Power Point and the rest but most of the time I bang away on Word.

Office 2007 seems like more of the same and as to be expected MS fooled with the default document type and has created a sort of ZIP package and this could be both positive and negative. All in all Office looks a bit different, launches a bit quicker, saves a different default document type, has an improved layout with the ribbon. On the other hand, Office does the same old thing and I can type out my thoughts and you can miss the point.

For me it is hard to imagine that the price of Office for the ACU is not less but then again Bill Gates knows what the price point should be. One way to check this is to get a Dell with a business user package and then build a similar system yourself and look at your debit memos. Mr. Dell can do it for less including shipping. All in all I like this version of Office though I believe that the people of Redmond are out of line on the price point.

If MS wasn’t a monopoly one of the other office suites might be able to keep MS’es Office price point in check but with a monopoly there is a striking lack of competition. Monopolists can set the terms and conditions there by entrenching the monopoly even deeper in our daily lives. Naturally innovation stops or slows since there is no reason to reach for the stars when you’re the only one around. Again Bill Gates’ comment regarding ACUs being MONKIES rings in my ears.

MS Windows Vista:

I find Vista to be the most SHOCKING product of all time. To me the King has no clothes with the launch of this time bomb of a product. If you look past your inner monkey you will see all of the Vista innovations as individually degrading, privacy stealing, Matrix like monopolist propaganda that looks all fresh and new. Many will, “OOooooOooOOooAHahHAHAOOOOoo(monkey sounds).” as Bill unloads his version of the Brooklyn Bridge on you. Don’t be fooled!

On the bright side we can look at a different theme and get to hear about an OS that is packed with features. I want to like Vista yet I am always skeptical when someone expects me to hand them over nearly $400.00. I tend to look closely at the features to see if they are worth that 100% increase in retail price for the product. Folks it’s your money after all and I can’t tell you what to do with it though if you gave it to me I might be able to get my kids into college. Consumers have a great weapon called CASH and by not giving it to a given company they can change to a different future.

To me Vista sells Fascism globally since it happens to be party-line software. I never thought I would see the day that Bill Gates would do a ‘COUP’ to the entire HDDVD/MEDIA industry. There are millions of PCs and why would Warner, Sony and the others want to be ‘OUT OF THE BOX’. “Alpha, I don’t buy that line about the fascism you’re selling. Big business uses capitalism and that is not fascism or even socialism so all that is left is simply good business!” is something you might say? You could dismiss my concerns as unreasonable or even paranoia. This could be, then again perhaps, you are just defending the ‘party-line’?

MS was found guilty by the FED of several things relating to MS being a MONOPOLY. During that time there was an election and the Republicans ceased control over the Senate, House, Executive and the DoJ. This administration chose to simply spank MS rather than truly break them up. MS was to separate into two divisions with the OS in one and Office in the other. Even then those that followed the OJ like trial didn’t see what that would actually do for Americans as Bill Gates would still get all of the money. As I recall the other day Bill was on the TV explaining how MS was launching Vista and Office 2007 and we see that Office and Vista are one in the same. The DoJ has no power or influence over a monopoly that is even bigger than AT&T (shocker Ma Bell is back too).

You may say, “The nuts and bolts are what you should discuss since politics have nothing to do with computers Alpha.” No matter how you slice it politics have everything to do with everything else including computers. I would rather discuss the nuts and bolts but many people here don’t see how huge the monopoly problem is and how great its influence is over the finished Vista product. Some will go as far as saying that I am spreading FUD. Those people are in way deep over their heads and there is little that can be done for them.

Vista happens to look pretty good if you’re into the glass look on the GUI. In the past I used many non-MS 3D themes and even some MACOSX themes with Throbers and everything. In other posts here I listed links to various 3D objects and effects for XP and even Vista. Here my point is that if Aero is Vista then Bill Gates wasted billions for things that had already been done. I guess we must peel some shell to get to the lobster tail so grab your nut cracker and get your bib since this could get messy.

Outside of some cosmetic stuff and counter intuitive computing that chooses to use more resources and energy than ever the guts of Vista are hinged on PMP, AACS and DRM. Others have written extensively about this yet people respond with a, “Yea but Vista is so cool!” In order to discuss this rationally we have to decide several issues in the court of public opinion. Should the legislative bodies rule in favor of corporations and businesses then the citizens need to put an end to it. I don’t know how many posts I read where someone claims that this or that is illegal. Just the other day I made a comment about how you may get a virus and the reply said that I had assumed he did something illegal since I mentioned torrents, porn and crackz. All I have to do is add a Z on the end and it must be illegal. Torrents are legal some of the contents may be questionable. Porn is legal as long as I’m 18 or older and as long as those pictured are 18 or older as well. There are many game cracks and patches that are legal.

Please understand that I do condone file sharing, mass downloading, cracking, reverse engineering torrents, screeners, porno and all the rest. There is no crime since there is no money that I make. My money is earned between 6AM and 6PM by actual work. Computers have become commercial add machines and poor replacements for companionship. PMP, AACS and DRM punish those that spend money on media or maybe to put it differently choose to waste money on frivolous crap. Shocker of shockers AACS was cracked so decryption of HDDVD and B-Ray can commence full blast.

Hardware and software (including media) cost more for the masses due to DRM and going after families for file swapping. Back in the day 12” records were copied to cassette or even 8-track for lots of reasons and I never remember a record store allowing me to return a scratched record or even a warped one yet I spent thousands and made copies of everything. The discs have changed, the songs are just as meaningless if not more so. The content in some cases is foul and immoral and these people are so cut throat that they organize and create RIAAs and MPAs.

Over the past few years people have been brainwashed into thinking of moral issues as criminal issues. If I rent a movie then I suppose I should charge my friends the price of admission if they watch it with me and then mail that into the MPA? The rental center actually charges money for members to watch it and if you copy one Metallica video Lars shoves a drum stick in your butt. Any way if the label “cyber pirate” makes you feel better that’s great but labels are wrong. After all Bill chose to label ACLs as SPIDER MONKIES.

I want to give you an example of how deep this goes. The DMCA grants all media holders the right to keep one copy of a given piece of media. You are by law allowed to make a copy. Those that don’t have kids might not realize how few scratches you can get on a PS3 B-ray disc before it stops working. AACS is the encryption used on HDDVD and prevents you from making that legal copy; in the next breath devising a method to decrypt that AACS DVD amounts to an offence of the DMCA that grants the right to make the backup copy. Laws have to protect the commonwealth and be fair. MS fits into this madness with PMP or Protected Media Pathway.

On its face PMP seems pretty good but then you have to wonder how it is going to benefit the user. What they tell you is that it protects you from ‘evil doers’ and in reality thanks to HDDVDDecrypter HDDVD encryption is dead unless there is an AACS part II. So if you want to keep in a compliant state with PMP you will need new hardware and a new OS that works with that hardware to authorize playback of HD Media. Part of the reason we are told that the cost of Windows has nearly doubled is because DRM, PMP and AACS have to be part of the kernel core.

With the addition of the PMP to the core it appears that Bill Gates has decided that the RIAA has to do it Bill’s way or be out of the box and increases the cost of ownership to you and me since the new PMP scheme requires DX10 video cards with HDMI (or for the moment compliant DVI), compliant sound cards that prevent HD media from leaving the PMP, etc. I don’t have enough for a HDTV and it looks like my PCs are headed for the Stone Age and this one is only a year old. Face it these are becoming toys of the rich kids. I can be a “POOR SPIDER MONKEY” now.

Simple things like a proper UNC are great provided all of the shares are still accessible. If you’re having issues with Linux based devices don’t cry to Microsoft since they are making it hard to connect. I posted about my NAS that is a problem child now with Vista. Microsoft recommends a Windows Server based solution in all of these situations.

I don’t mind product validation but at the same time I don’t know for sure what information this PC is leaking back to the mother ship? The best way for people to gain control back from the monopolies and force businesses to improve is through keeping our money at home. Competition is key in order for capitalism to prosper. Here we have MS making the software, Dell and a few others doing hardware and MAC doing iPODs. How can Linux be expected to flourish when MS literally pays millions to deface Linux?

Well I will stop here even though there is more to this picture. With luck perhaps a few of you will reply to this thread and try to discuss your concerns, fears, etc. regarding what I stated before has to be one of the most freedom bashing products ever unleashed in our time!

PAX

Man, what a tirade! I think you need to take a chill pill dude. First off, this is a free market and people can do what they want. They will succeed or fail on the merits of their actions/inactions or in Bills case, their products. Obviously, MS got something going.

Second, Apple isn’t much better. Apple controls everything and will chase you into court if you even ‘think’ about infringing on one of their patents/copyrights. Apple innovates, controls production and OKs all segments of its market share. Imagine if MS, Dell, HP and Gateway were all the same company and if anyone else wanted to make a PC it would first have to go through MS? Kinda stupid if you ask me.

And lastly, Bill will do more for the world than you could possibly do in 10,000 of your lifetimes. NO JOKING! He will have spent, upon his death, approximately 15 billion dollars of his net worth on helping out others. Look into it, you’ll be amazed how many US school programs MS is giving to.

You know, spending more than an industrialized countries total GNP on charity is something you will never match and it should humble you just a little. MS is not the devil, if it was then half of the companies in the US would be too. It’s the nature of capitalism dude.

Edit: Oh, yea... Go buy Linux or OSX then... be over with it already!

They are silly man this is how WHQL works. You pay to be part of the bigger picture or your OUT. Who are these guys hanging with Steve B??

Wow I have to keep that in mind! Please do me a fav if you don't mind and tell me how you feel about being a SPIDER MONKEY? Also since you decided to read my post why not comment on the points? I made a point about party line being the way and your reply skips over reality and goes on to point out about all of the GOOD that BILL does.
Here is another Bill Gates quote while you ponder your inner monkey...
"It's been shown that most people download viruses unwittingly - they don't know they're doing it until it's too late. That's what I mean here. We're talking about protecting the consumer."

Nice post… everyone should read it and then do some research on their own to verify what you said is correct. Most will deny what is happening as they like their licensed copy of Vista.

Pro-Vista users need to realize what M$ is doing to the PC and with our right of fair use. I have already moved over to Linux and recommend others to due the same. If Vista does make it on 90% world’s computers, Vista 2 may just put an end of free computing altogether IMO.


SUSE
ubuntu
OS X
ReactOS
BAD VISTA

Option A. Spend about the same amount you would when you buy a new computer and let everyone do everything for you for having things work.
Option B. Get a degree in Computer Engineering, because you know you'll have to in order to use Linux.

Vista isn't that bad. It has it's quirks, but I have to agree with BaronMatrix, this operating system is awesome.

And no, I didn't read the long post by Magnum. Got to get some sleep before I go to work.

I'm sorry to point this out again, but you're just another software / music / movie pirate throwing his toys out of the pram because his cracked illegal software isn't going to work on Vista.

I think I'll come and steal your car, and your PC. Its ok though - it isn't a crime as I don't plan to make any money from it.

You do realize you can run off-network? Our testbed runs everything off network for 1 year or more, including Vista (from Beta to Production). If you're worried about your freedoms, why in blazes are you using the INet? The governments have been tracking you long before the manufacturers ever thought about it - I personally know it goes back prior to 1990 with bb sites. Even if the world stopped using all MS products today, you would still be tracked and there is really nothing you can do about it even if you bitch to high heaven because you are using a public gateway. When I contracted to an ISP, they were tracking Mac, Linux, OS2, mainframe/midrange user and MS connections - both encrypted and unencrypted. That is the toll for using the road - you want to stop paying, then stop using. Same for DRM - I have no issues because I refuse to use the bad tech that is employed by HDDVD and Blue Ray. I have had no issues with any of my other media. As for Office, there are a dozen free varities to use instead. If you just want to whine, find a forum for that - there are enough "anti-" boards out there for people to vent on.

Er - I'm not worried, and the only whining I'm doing is at the whiners...

Sorry, early morning and hit reply on wrong button without thinking. Need more caffeine, please...

Amen to that

Why comment on a post you didn't read :?:

I'm sorry to point this out again, but you're just another software / music / movie pirate throwing his toys out of the pram because his cracked illegal software isn't going to work on Vista.

I think I'll come and steal your car, and your PC. Its ok though - it isn't a crime as I don't plan to make any money from it.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr so you say I'm just a pirate? Shiver me timbers....
Not! 1st off pirates loot for personal gain and that gain is in the form of gold, gewels, skins, cash, etc. As far as infringment goes (since we know pirates are those that sell knock-off versions of products) I would have to again recieve money for said product. The bottom line is that while I condone downloading and P2P there is not much digital stuff that intrests me. I mentioned the Party-Line and you seem to reflect the verbal realization of that party. Who knows what files you have?

This was a great reply till the last part. Here I don't whine or even vent. I simply stated that the members here are ACUs (me too) and the Grand High Exalted PoBaa considers your brain like that of a SPIDER MONKEY (mine too). He can have as much or as little money as he can but making the Ultimate purchase requires more than money. You can guess what that other thing is! Wow I had no idea that my ISP by law can do a stately inspection on all of the packets going in and leaving my PC. I had no idea that the PROVIDERS can plug CARNAVORE into all of the ISPs to harvest IPs and KEYWORDS. I'm pretty sure that everyone knows these things? If not well the heads up is the GOV does whatever it wants now!

I never mentioned the ISPs/GOV. I talked about MS and Bill gates then mentioned the PMP. Did you read the mostly positive Office review? There are never enough views in opposition to a MONOPOLY that has assumed the RIGHT to invade my privacy, home, space, data, papers, etc. There are never enough views in opposition to products that offer the consumer little more then what they already had for nearly twice the price! To sum you up in a bow, you toe the 'Party Line' while I do not!

Let us consider your reply: You state things that little hackers and grandmothers know. It is along the lines of stating the world is round after looking at it from space. Your tone changes more and you could simply move to another thread but instead you imply that if I don't want to pay the toll I should get off the bridge. You then move from sneak attack mode to frontal assault with, "If you just want to whine, find a forum for that - there are enough "anti-" boards out there for people to vent on." I started a thread that you could have skipped but instead you want to toe the Party-Line and to that I say "DON'T TREAD ON ME!" I have the right to post here just like you. I didn't attack you at all, heck I never mentioned you. You are a SNIPE, a parasite thinking that you can have it both ways. You can run on or off NET!

My views are counter to yours so then that entitles you to ask that ME and MY views get out of your forum? You are not even a blip on my horizon with your Fascistic outlook. You are transparent and foolish. Always remember and never forget that a fool and his money are soon parted!

Vista could run great or poorly and as it happens I commented on just that and said that Vista runs pretty good on my system. The ramifications of supporting a known monopoly with your money are the issues! I will not be chased away by you and if you wish to challenge the assertion that Big Bill made (that your mind is that of a SPIDER MONKEY) that is great. It would appear that BG is correct though since his comment does not upset you nor do you challenge it.

You said that HD was 'Bad Tech' and you refuse to use it. So when you look at a DVD on an old set side by side with a HD set with the HD version of the same movie the HD picture looks so much worse due to the?????? If your pointing out that the encryption scheme (PMP/AACS) forces you to buy all new compliant hardware for your PC or that the encryption scheme (AACS) forces you to buy an expensive HDTV and HDDVD/B-Ray player and w/ all things factored you will not buy said devices since you lack the funds or don't want to for another reason of your thinking then it is bad due to the encryption? There has to be a reason it is Bad Tech. 1) Hardware 2) Protection 3) Both.... you don't elaborate but then you move on to the, "If you just want to whine..." part.

My assertion is that AACS has driven up the cost of PCs PERIOD. AACS is the reason being pitched that MS now charges nearly double for Windows. AACS has been defeated but we all still have to pay for it. Your leader BG went on the record like SJ did and commented that DRM is mostly a bad idea and then went ahead and used it anyway. AACS, DRM, PMP, TPM, etc. are being thrust into my day (and yours) so we the consumers need to debate the ramifications of this mess. Is Vista so much better then XP that is should cost $400.00 retail? DX10 is Vista only, so when the new games come out we are being forced to go to Vista, are we not?

AACS has nothing to do with Windows and MS, and nothing to do with PCs. It's on-disc copy protection. Perhaps you mean HDCP instead? Although, again, that has nothing to do with Windows/MS and nothing to do with PCs. It's a hardware based solution found on most players and modern TVs as well. It's not an MS created DRM.

Sure, if you want to play HDCP protected movies, you'll need HDCP equipment (well, technically you can play them anyway, just with a 480p image). But how does MS profit from that? How does MS profit from your purchase of an HDCP compatible monitor and GPU? Please explain this to me.

I agree with you and Forbes Magazine current issue has a less-then stellar review of Dim Vista

AACS has nothing to do with Windows and MS, and nothing to do with PCs. It's on-disc copy protection. Perhaps you mean HDCP instead? Although, again, that has nothing to do with Windows/MS and nothing to do with PCs. It's a hardware based solution found on most players and modern TVs as well. It's not an MS created DRM.

Sure, if you want to play HDCP protected movies, you'll need HDCP equipment (well, technically you can play them anyway, just with a 480p image). But how does MS profit from that? How does MS profit from your purchase of an HDCP compatible monitor and GPU? Please explain this to me.
ROFLOL... That is beyond funny. Observe please....

Hardware must now be part of the PMP (protected media path) this path is comprised of the audio and video and everything related. All drivers must be digitally signed by WHQL. Sony PS3 & X Box 360 are both HD and both HDDVD and B-Ray are AACS protected. On a PC the (example) HDDVD ROM is encrypted and also contains the keys for decryption (media must be playable). The hardware also contains a device key. Software decryptors like Power DVD are also assigned keys. Keys can be blacklisted to prevent producing copies...

The computer contains memory and it is here that the keys have been sniffed as well as from the USB port. It turns out that the operating system plays a part in the operation of any PC (hence the name). The Vista kernel manages all PMP and encryption. All devices must contain valid KEYS (digital signatures) and the totality is that every system winds up with a unique PID. These PIDs (KEY) can be pulled, changed etc. by MS on the fly. Should you load encrypted content (HDDVD) the kernel authorizes the content (opens the PMP) as a result you get to see or hear your HD media.

MS has made a media oriented OS this time around. It is AACS compliant and is part of AACS. Vista goes deeper yet since it has DRM (digital rights management). The WHQL prevents you from using hardware decryption that is not AACS approved. I make a device that plugs into USB then breaks AACS but MS must authorize all PMP related drivers (non PMP too). Look at the subject title and see for yourself. I posted a picture of Steve B chilling w/ some homies. Those homies al have the "KEY" so to speak. The Biggies are all represented...

They are all committed to MAKING AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE. They are all together even the Sony guy. This is what happens when there is a MONOPOLY. The smaller gangs all join up and they arrange everything so they all reap reward. VISTA, HARDWARE & SOFTWARE that are part of the PMP all need digital keys. The new DX10 video cards have to have a CHIP that has KEYS for HD MEDIA. It is a fact. The hardware must face the OS since otherwise you would be able to skip the OS. The software (Like Power DVD) has to work w/ the OS or be excluded.

This is forcing HD Media down your throat under the blanket of DX10. Soon the price of HDDVD ROMs will fall ($500.00 at this time) and they will phase out all standard DVDs (over time). Go to Comp USA and see how many XP systems there are?? Ding....NONE

The Vista kernel is all about encryption and protecting the PMP and all of these together make up the PMP on a computer. Vista was delayed because of problems relating to HDDVD and B Ray (that is from an inside tip). Using an XP PC, a XBOX 360 HDDVD ROM, a valid HDDVD movie and WIN DVD HD someone was able to find the necessary keys to decrypt the HDDVD to his/her HD. Folks MS requires $400.00 to get the cream of the crop OS and part of the reason it took 5 years and billions of bucks is the faulty notion that HD Media cannot be legally copied. The DMCA says that you can make a back-up copy and then says that you can’t break encryption…..
It turns out that MS will make billions due to HD and Vista @ $400.00 is part of those BILLIONS. Computers are going full circle in a way… Way way back they were super expensive then over time they became cheaper and better. This was due to competition and things were better since there were standards. Now PCs are about to get expensive again since HD is part of the bottom line.
PAX