I won’t bother regurgitating any of the links to prior art.  You can find hundreds of them over at the Groklaw site.  I just wanted to post for the people who don’t understand why it’s becoming increasingly hard to take Microsoft seriously as a software “developer”.

They came into existence riding on the coattails of other people’s work.  Over the years, you would have thought they could have hired enough competent developers to come up with something of their own to stand on.  It seems though that they are still trying their damnedest to keep and gain users by simply absorbing intellectual property they can buy and shutting down those they can’t through lawsuits.

I guess we’re supposed to be surprised.

Microsoft bought out Danger, the maker of the Sidekick phone.  One of the phone’s main selling features was that your data was stored on remote servers.  I know, how fucking handy is that, right?

Well, Danger wants everyone to know that they shouldn’t turn off their phone.  You see, if they turn off their phone, they’ll lose all of their data.  Why?  Well, it seems that there was a teensy weensy catastrophic failure with the data servers and all of the data is gone.

Microsoft could learn something about data storage from Google.  Those guys know how to write a letter of apology.

Microsoft partnered with BestBuy to create a tutorial/exam designed to show the techs why Microsoft Windows 7 was a superior choice to linux.

I shit you not when I say that it’s a fantastic read.  The original post lost it’s images, but I’ve linked to a mirror, so hopefully you will get to witness exam in all it’s bullshit.

Well, he’s still at it. For some reason, known only to God, Micrsoft feels he’s best suited to deal with public relations.

During the interview, he ridiculed Google for having two operating systems to market:

“I don’t know if Google can’t make up their mind or what the problem is over there…The last time I checked, you don’t need two client operating systems.”

Umm.  Yeah.

Because Microsoft never…

Umm.

Brainlessdipshitsaywhat?

I get it though.  He’s poking fun at Google because they’re coming in behind the curve, a little late to the game.  They’re not the innovators.  They can’t stand on their own two feet.

Not like Microsoft, that innovate and come up with fresh and hip new ideas.

The implications are huge!

Well, if it weren’t really about Office becoming web based, allowing anything with a popular browser to use it, it would be big news.  When you know what’s actually happening here, it seems they might have stretched the artistic license a little too thin.

“You’re going to live…. sort of”
“It’s a boy…. sort of”

Microsoft is adding the following:

“We won’t sue open source developers that use C#…. sort of”

Not nearly as funny as Demetri’s, but to be honest, Microsoft provides the world with a lot of humor.  They can’t be on all the time.

If you follow the open OS news at all then you’re well aware of the recent renewal of nerdebate concerning the use of mono in linux.  Those with a modicum of common sense see the risks and say it’s not worth it.  Mr. Stallman, head whacko in charge of the zealots piped up to say that the community was playing with fire, which is good because the other 300 people stating the obvious just didn’t have any horsepower behind them.

The debate is old and tired.  The only reason I posted this is because the first article posted was a very interesting read.  It’s the first time I can remember ever reading a linux article that took Microsoft’s statements at face value and didn’t seem to ponder the obvious loopholes at all, instead inferring that everything is safe now.  Go to town.  You’re in the clear.

I’m sure they’re right.

Which is kind of funny, because I was saying the same thing three years ago when other browser vendors started crying like little bitches about the unfair advantage.

Ho, caught you off guard, huh? You were sure I was ready to pounce upon the Evil Empire for their underhanded tactics? No, ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to call the EU what it is. An easily manipulated bunch of whiny pantywaists that have had a hard-on for the company for quite some time now.

Is the browser bound with the operating system? Yes it is. It is because it’s made by the same company. Kia doesn’t offer me a choice of other brands of radios. Sam’s Club doesn’t offer me Costco brand peanuts. The theater doesn’t allow me to bring my own popcorn. Companies that build a product that fits inside of another product that they also build should be expected to be packaged. They’re a commercial enterprise. Their job is to sell their products.

It’s stated that Microsoft has made it impossible to use another browser in their operating system, locking users into IE. I’ve got three computers in the room that I’m typing this in that prove otherwise. I installed Windows on all three and immediately plugged a USB stick into it that contained Clamwin, Firefox 3, AdAware, HijackThis!, Spybot S&D as well as some other apps immediately after install. Two of those computers have been up for over a year and have never had IE opened on them.

My point is simply this. You don’t have to use IE and it’s basic economic principle that Microsoft is going to want you to use a Microsoft product inside another Microsoft product. They’re not bad guys for doing that.

The other shit they do, well that makes them bad guys.

The nerds are currently deciding via /.’s commenting system if it was intentional or not.  They’ll let you know what they decide.

As time passes, I grow as weary of Google’s tactics as I am of Microsoft.  I use both daily, so I can hardly say that I feel strongly enough to be rid of them, but I sometimes hate to think of my role in this as an enabler.

Just not quite enough to go without my OS and Google Maps.

The guys in Redmond released the information on their latest web dev app: the Expression Web SuperPreview.  Before I go any further, I want to say that they should fire the 4 year old that names their applications.  I don’t care if they have to create a compensation package including “Wet Ones” and a transition day-care package, there has to be limits to how uninspired a name can be.

It’s truly comical that the company whose name web developers the world over curse while coding HTML is the very entity to help you view how poorly their browsers render code alongside browsers that render it correctly.

The next thing you know, they’ll be unveiling an open source code repository.

Let’s move on though.  They have been assuring consumers that they needn’t worry about the hardware requirements for 7.  If your computer can run Vista, then you can run 7.

Umm, yeah.  About that.

Now, we’re dealing with beta software, so of course we’ll have some issues that get ironed out long before the consumer sees them.  Also keep in mind however, that we’re dealing with Microsoft, the maker of Vista.  Many foibles will be present for your enjoyment, I can promise you.

Think about it.  You know the driver issues with each new MS os release?  Remember how it got worse when MS began holding it’s source closer to it’s vest, ensuring that product vendors couldn’t build proper drivers?  Now throw this fact into the mix.  You’ll have three active operating systems to build products and drivers for.

So, not only are they asking everyone to buy a license for an OS that they’ve already targeted for obsoletion, they’ve managed to throw yet one more wrench into the works in regards to hardware and drivers.

Now, I know you heard Ballmer say that Vista was the pinnacle of security and performance.  If you’re wondering why you would need to replace said pinnacle, then you’re not playing the game the way they intended you to.

4 hail marys and 3 license purchases should just about cover it, I think.