[ale] Forbes trashes Micro$soft

Tim Watts tim at cliftonfarm.org
Sun Jan 6 08:31:15 EST 2013


In short: "Windows 8 My Freedom." :-)

On Fri, 2013-01-04 at 11:43 -0500, Jay Lozier wrote:
> One key difference between Unity and Metro is that I can replace Unity
> with something else on Ubuntu or use a Ubuntu based distro (my choice)
> while with Metro I am basically stuck because M$ has not see fit to
> allow users to chose a default setting they like. One of the reviewers
> on Distrowatch basically did what the video was trying to do with
> Metro and concluded Unity was a functional DE even if he personally
> disliked it. My take on Unity is similar; it is functional but not the
> DE I want to use (I prefer Cinnamon). So if I get a computer with
> Ubuntu installed I do not have to trash the OS to make better suited
> to me; I just install Cinnamon and move on.
> 
> On 01/04/2013 10:54 AM, Ron Frazier (ALE) wrote:
> 
> > Hi Jay, and all,
> > 
> > As you all know from my other posts, I'm a Windows user.  I have
> > been, forever, since it's been in existence.  It was what came with
> > your computer, or just about the only option to upgrade a DOS
> > machine, back in the day.  It was there, it ran the system,
> > generally did the job, generally worked, and generally stayed out of
> > my way.  If it can help me do what I need to do, so much the better.
> > The main things I want the OS to do is run the computer, stay out of
> > my way, and make the features of the system available and accessible
> > to me.  Even though I like Windows and use Windows OK, I am not a
> > fan in the sense of a fanatic screaming at a football game.  It's
> > there.  It does what I need most of the time.  It allows me to use
> > the PC to get NON TRIVIAL work done.  I routinely have 50 browser
> > tabs open and, sometimes, 6 or more windows open on the screen.  I
> > neither love it, nor hate it.
> > 
> > I've been a Ubuntu user since 10.04 (2010), I think.  So, for the
> > last couple of years, I could say the same things about Ubuntu.  I
> > try to keep my computers functionally identical or close to the same
> > no matter which OS they're booted into.  I can do 90% of all the
> > same stuff whether I'm running Windows or Ubuntu at any given time.
> > I can still have lots of Firefox tabs open.  I can still have 50
> > browser tabs open and 6 windows open.  Right now, I'm typing this on
> > my Vista machine.  Right next to me, the other machine is booted
> > into a Ubuntu live CD and yesterday that one was running 4 terminal
> > windows doing badblocks tests on 4 separate HDD's.  All the while, I
> > could browse the web, write email (if I enter the credentials while
> > the live CD is running), write documents, etc.  I like Ubuntu OK.  I
> > neither love it, nor hate it.
> > 
> > I will acknowledge and do appreciate the benefits of a free software
> > culture that you guys rave on about.  I will also acknowledge that I
> > don't like the cost of Windows.
> > 
> > So, I neither love nor hate Windows; and I neither love nor hate
> > Ubuntu.  They're tools.  I use them to get things done, and
> > sometimes have fun.
> > 
> > UNTIL ...
> > 
> > Unity!
> > 
> > and
> > 
> > Metro!
> > 
> > I can now comfortably say, having used Unity for less than a few
> > hours in the last year, that I hate it; and that I won't use it,
> > unless I'm forced to kicking and screaming from a live CD, etc.  In
> > fact, every time I use it, I find myself saying I hate this, I hate
> > this.  (Yes, I know I can change it.  At least that's an option.)
> > 
> > And, you wouldn't expect to hear ME saying this ...
> > 
> > I can now comfortably say, NEVER HAVING USED WINDOWS 8 AT ALL, BASED
> > SOLELY ON HEARSAY, that I hate Windows 8, and solemnly plan NEVER to
> > use it in its current form as long as I have a choice.
> > 
> > (I think it can support multiple windows in the Desktop "mode",
> > contrary to a quote in the video, but it's far from obvious.)
> > 
> > That video was amazing, and mind boggling, and it NAILS it!  I do
> > wish he'd avoid the foul language, but he NAILS it.
> > 
> >  This is the most incredible epic fail I've ever seen of a business
> > ticking off a very large percentage of it's core customers.  
> > 
> > It is also the most incredible epic fail I've ever seen of a
> > business throwing PRODUCTIVE COMPUTER USERS under the bus.  YES,
> > there are far more consumers out there than heavy producers of
> > content, but SOMEBODY has to produce it!  Somebody has to do video
> > editing, sound track mixing, simulations, server administration,
> > weather analysis, etc.  These systems say to the serious amateur
> > users, the professional users, and the extremely geeky users, like
> > people in forums like this - screw you.  We don't care if you're
> > productive any more.  Everyone can just be a simplistic, CONSUMER of
> > content, and so what if nobody can produce.  Not only that, these
> > systems make it harder for even the simple users to do anything but
> > the most basic and obvious tasks.
> > 
> > This is an epic example of the new pups not knowing or caring about
> > the knowledge that the old farts have accumulated for 20 - 30 years,
> > reinventing the wheel, and coming up with a square tire.  Whether it
> > will be a financial success is unknown, but I stand by may
> > statement.
> > 
> > Stupid, stupid, stupid.
> > 
> > I can't imagine the billions of dollars of lost productivity and /
> > or training costs to work AROUND the Windows 8 UI that businesses
> > will suffer ... IF they even allow this thing to be deployed.
> > 
> > Don't get me wrong, good change is good, but bad change it bad.
> > 
> > OK.  End of rant.
> > 
> > Thanks for posting the video link.
> > 
> > Sincerely,
> > 
> > Ron
> > 
> > 
> > On 1/3/2013 10:44 PM, Jay Lozier wrote: 
> > > On 01/03/2013 07:15 PM, Bob Toxen wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Forbes Magazine article calls Micro$oft:
> > > > 
> > > >   "A failing giant that only survives by charging prices that 'bleed
> > > >   customers dry'"
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > >   http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-called-failing-giant-only-survives-charging-prices-151012820.html
> > > Running down the original article
> > > 
> > > http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerkay/2013/01/02/microsoft-is-fast-turning-into-a-sideshow/ 
> > > 
> > > he references a very scathing You-Tube video about Windows 8 by
> > > Brian Boyko (its about 24 minutes)
> > > 
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTYet-qf1jo 
> > > 
> > > The video's main theme is that M$ broke the 4 basic rules for a
> > > good UI design without any valid reason. This gives a very poor
> > > user overall experience because it frustrates users. He actually
> > > stated that as UI a command line was superior because it obeys 2
> > > of the rules.  
> > > 
> > > Back to the article, apparently M$ has many serious internal
> > > problems and once people start migrating away from M$ they could
> > > be in very serious financial trouble. Apparently many of their
> > > products try to force a vendor lock and once people find other
> > > solutions they lose the vendor lock in. The article appears to
> > > reference Linux in that he referred to alternates to Windows that
> > > were cheaper.
> > > > NOTE: if you have my "bob at cavu.com" email address it now is
> > > > "bob at cavu.info" as I sold cavu.com on 12/31/2012.
> > > > 
> > > > Bob Toxen
> > > > bob at verysecurelinux.com               [Please use for email to me]
> > > > http://www.verysecurelinux.com        [Network&Linux security consulting]
> > > > http://www.realworldlinuxsecurity.com [My book:"Real World Linux Security 2/e"]
> > > > Quality Linux & UNIX security and SysAdmin & software consulting since 1990.
> > > > Quality spam and virus filters.
> > > > 
> > > > "One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring
> > > > them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond where
> > > > the shadows lie...and the Eye is everwatching"
> > > > -- The Silicon Valley Tarot Henrique Holschuh with ... Bob
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Ale mailing list
> > > > Ale at ale.org
> > > > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > > > See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > > > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
> > > > 
> > > >     
> > > 
> > > 
> > > -- 
> > > Jay Lozier
> > > jslozier at gmail.com
> > > 
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Ale mailing list
> > > Ale at ale.org
> > > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > > See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
> > >   
> > 
> > -- 
> > 
> > (To whom it may concern.  My email address has changed.  Replying to former
> > messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the wrong
> > address.  Please send all personal correspondence to the new address.)
> > 
> > (PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
> > call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
> > mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)
> > 
> > Ron Frazier
> > 770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
> > linuxdude AT techstarship.com 
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ale mailing list
> > Ale at ale.org
> > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jay Lozier
> jslozier at gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 490 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part
URL: <http://mail.ale.org/pipermail/ale/attachments/20130106/5b08c689/attachment-0001.sig>


More information about the Ale mailing list