Vista Getting Some Un-Due Flack

You know, the more of these articles "critiquing" Windows Vista I read, the more comical they become. Julio Ojeda-Zapata of the Pioneer Press has done a critique that I don't agree with. Much like some of these critiquers, they are comming out and saying "oh, Vista isn't special, its just Mac OSX"

Instead of re-writing a blog post, I will just show you my responce to Julio's article in the paper:

JULIO,

I thought your critique of Vista was a little off. You left out the important part about lack of business functionality with Mac OSX. I don't buy software because its "different," I buy software because it works... and Windows has 95% of the market share, not because they pointed a gun to our heads, but because over the years, their product has been the better product for just about everyone for just about every kind of use... so everyone uses their choice and their money to purchase what works best for them. Does Microsoft charge you 100 bucks per service pack like Apple has done with OSX 10.1 10.2 10.3 (service pack 1, 2 and 3?) No they do not.

So, in respect to "Ripping the other guy off" I would argue that every time Apple tries to increase their market share or cater to businesses or gamers, or anyone besides the Photoshop user, they are copying what Microsoft has already done. But let me ask you this. What would you rather have: An Operating system that you can use with a wider variety of software, and you can install on any computer you wish (including computers you make yourself)? Or an OS that is not only less compatible, but that forcibly restricts their user as to which computer they can put it on?

Also, when you look at safety and security... you have to account for the the users as well. For example:lets pretend you are a very safety orientated person. You want the safest car you can get so you can be as safe as possible. So you buy a Volvo. you drive your Volvo like any safety orientated person would... safely. You have the car for 3 years and never get into an accident. What is it, the car or the driver that is safe? I would argue that like a Gun, it’s not the machine that does the killing or the saving, but it is the user of the machine.

Now, enter Mac users. They are arguably cultist. They will admit to this. you would be hard pressed to find as many anti-mac clubs as you would anti-windows clubs. Is this because of their software being a failure? Not with 95% of the market share. People vote with their money remember. The anti-windows clubs exist because there are people who find the need to push and rebel against the system. Any system. If the same base of cultist windows users existed, I would be willing to bet, much like Apple OSX, it would be virus free. What about Right Clicking? For the longest time, Apple users couldn't right click. That was a Windows Only thing. Now you can Right-Click on a Mac. I didn't hear anyone complaining that Apple stole right clicking from Microsoft Windows, do you?

Some Fun Facts and Links about Apple:

Apple 'falsified' share documents
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/28/appel_share_fakes/

Apple takes $84 million charge
http://news.com.com/2100-1047_3-6146295.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-5&subj=news

Apple options review claims Anderson's scalp
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/04/apple_stock_options_review/

Apple may need to restate last 15 quarters
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/04/apple_results_restatement_likely/

Apple, CA investigate share option grants
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/30/ca_apple_option_trouble/

Unpatched bug bites Apple Mac OS X
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/22/mac_zero_day_bug/

Month of Apple bugs planned for January
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/20/month_of_apple_bugs/

Apple to delay quarterly results filing
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/11/apple_to_miss_sec_filing_date/

Apple's Extreme Arrogance:
http://news.com.com/2100-1047-6149285.html?tag=yt

Apple partnering with Microsoft in 97
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxOp5mBY9IY&mode=related&search

in 2006 Net Profit Margins:
Apple Computer: 10.34%
Exxon: 10.15%
ConocoPhillips: 8.10

So Apple has a higher profit margin then “Big Oil.” Where are the calls to look into price gouging? So, perhaps you should compare things like this. Compare who has chosen what OS. When you ask people to make the switch (like I have from Apple to Windows) you should ask them to weigh in more to their decision then how pretty it is... like how they can use it for their business, how it will make them more productive, how they can use it for entertainment (Mac isn't exactly known for their game selection either) or how it has helped the world. Apple us used for movies. Great. Go Arts. Windows is used to run the world economic system. But Apple fanboys will never admit to this. I would expect a "reporter" such as your self, Julio, to be more objective.

Thanks,
Pete

********** Update 1/30/07 4:15pm **********

From Wikipedia.

Apple has also copied certain innovations from other companies: tabbed dialogs on Macintosh appeared after IBM used them in OS/2. Since the original settlement of the lawsuit, many features of the Macintosh and Windows GUIs have been incorporated into the windowing environments of unrelated third-parties, such as OpenWindows, X11, and Solaris.

The Mac OS dock is derived from the NeXTSTEP dock (Mac OS X itself originating from NeXTSTEP). The dock as seen in Mac OS X and NEXTSTEP is very similar to the dock that is a major design feature of RISC OS, which already featured
its so-called iconbar as early as 1987.

Julio's blog can be viewed here. When it comes to a tech blog, it is far from what anyone would call "fair and balanced." I also enjoy how the Comments section of it is broken, thus not allowing users to post information to correct his swill that included a reasonable length. so instead I will e-mail him a link to this blog.

Let he who is without copyness of innovations cast the first raid card.

You Voted For This...

From the same people who brought you zingers like: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" and " I support the military" comes a new year for lies... This time, the lie is:

We will restore civility to our debate. As Speaker it will be my solemn duty to serve not just one party, but the whole House of Representatives. To that end, we will restore bipartisanship to the administration of the House, re-establish regular order for considering legislation, and ensure the rights of the minority – whichever party is in the minority. The voice of every American has a right to be heard, and that is what the American people expect and deserve. - Nancy Pelosi

This quote is directly from Nancy Pelosi's House Democratic Leader website, and it hasn't even been 2007 for 9 hours (where I live) before this is already shown to be a lie. To quote the Washington Post:

House Democrats intend to pass a raft of popular measures as part of their well-publicized plan for the first 100 hours. They include tightening ethics rules for lawmakers, raising the minimum wage, allowing more research on stem cells and cutting interest rates on student loans.

But instead of allowing Republicans to fully participate in deliberations, as promised after the Democratic victory in the Nov. 7 midterm elections, Democrats now say they will use House rules to prevent the opposition from offering alternative measures, assuring speedy passage of the bills and allowing their party to trumpet early victories.

Folks. I wish I could say I was completely by-partisan... well, not realy. In fact, I believe that most things that is done by the political left is just plain... Stupid. However, I know that without a right wing, and a left wing, our little air plane isn't gunna fly. We need freaks like Nancy Pelosi to use as examples of what liars you don't want your kids to grow up as. And No, I don't agree with President Bush on everything. But the best chance the democrats can use to claim he "lied" (WMDs) was him making a decision based on the intelligence from our own military, as well as the intelligence from MANY other countries and IRAQ Admitting to having WMDs.

Democrats and republicans both lie... they are people. You can find examples from both sides. But I don't know how people can keep voting for the dems. I expected such a move from them... for years they were the minority, and now that they are the majority, they say "now is the time for bipartinship." That line was BS to start with... but that’s how they work. as long as they are in control, its okay to be bipartisan. This is the same group that chastized Nixon but defended Clinton. The same group that believes that the 2000 and 2004 elections were rigged because they didn't win, and the same group that tries to sue-sue-sue when they don't get the election results they want. Amazing, the apparent "lack" of voter fraud in 06 as apposed to 2000 and 2004, isn't it?

But Nancy and her party shows their stripes, taking away the promise of working with "both sides" in a "restored sence of bipartisanship."

House Republicans have begun to complain that Democrats are backing away from their promise to work cooperatively. They are working on their own strategy for the first 100 hours, and part of it is built on the idea that they might be able to break the Democrats' slender majority by wooing away some conservative Democrats.

Which they should have seen a mile away.

But because the details of the Democratic proposals have not been released, some language could be new. Daly said Democrats are still committed to sharing power with the minority down the line. "The test is not the first 100 hours," he said. "The test is the first six months or the first year. We will do what we promised to do."

Yea Right.

********** Update 1/3/07 11:00am **********

Checking on MSNBC's website fore news, something I do often to anger myself, as they do not tend to be... um... "Fair and balanced." I came across this story:

Bush calls on Democrats to work with him.

Now, I have been quoted as pointing out the extension of the olive branch to 'work together':

1/20/06 - "Consider the partisan olive branch extended."

10/19/05 - "Extend the olive branch, only for a dem to hit you with it sort'a thing."

2/3/05 - "this is so aggravating. why can't the democrats just WORK with the republicans? why do they have to be babies about everything!? You don't have to answer this if it pisses you off. I wanted to draw it to everyone's attention that I think it is another pathetic display on how the republicans have that olive branch extended, but the democrats just can't stop hitting them with it."

2/1/05 - "Bush extended the olive branch, the left is beating him with it while hugging the tree."

However, looking at the rating for this story (of which MSNBC's ratings seam to track the leftist opinion of the stories, don't believe me? Try looking under the environMental section for starters) it would seam there are those who don't want the olive branch to be taken. I expressed my doubt that the democrats would hold to their promise of 'working together' yesterday... and the more I look into it, the more it seams Dems don't want to. Mark my words:

1/3/07 - "The only use a democrat has for the olive branch republicans hold out will only be to give them a concussion"

"To You, for the new year, are offered 1(one) Wheet Thin as a peace offering. Lets make this year a good one... Together. Please don't hurt me." - George W Bush Action Figure