In today's digest, we have:
* Anonymous Pro-OOXML Blog Emerges
* Linux in India Needs Government Backing
* Benchmarks of Latest NVIDIA Linux Drivers (Windows Parity)
* Microsoft Runs Away After 9 Weeks of Truth Leaks
* New Debian 3.1 Released
* New Linux User Takes Windows Out of the Equation
* Is Microsoft Gaming Analysts Because Vista is a Failure?
* Microsoft Software Distributes Malware to Its Users (Not
Deliberately)
* Microsoft Patents Phishing Site Identification
* Criticism of Windows Mobile, XBox Live Arcade
* Linux 'Market Share' Based on Web Browsers
* Milan Bank Uses GNU/Linux
* Novell/Microsoft 'Interoperability' - Nothing to See Here, Please
Move Along
* Open Source Impact in Networking
* New Version of Lunar-Linux Released
* New Version of Open Source Modeller (Blender 3D) Released, New Web
Site Debuts
* CIO: Open Source Increases Security
* Results of Linux and Open Source Polls in LinuxQuestions.org
* Vista Installation Far Harder Than Linux Installation
* Using a Desktop PC Monopoly to Shut Out Rivals
* Microsoft: Advertisement & Hype versus Sobering Reality
* Test Drive: 64-bit Windows Vista Still a Poor Choice
* Microsoft Blames Pirates for Its Failures, Will Hit Poor Nations
Harder
* Oracle Open Source Database is Unlikely
* Enterprise Resource Planning Goes Open Source
* More Problems with Windows Vista Firewall
* Open Source Disrupts Drug Patents Market
* Former Vista Users User Chooses XP Over Vista?
* Review of Yellow Dog Linux on the Playstation 3
* Another Company Migrating to Linux; Security Problems Revisited
* Review of Sabayon Linux, Fedora 7 Linux (Testing), and Windows Vista
* Clippy Successor Heads to US Patent Office?
* Russian Government Upset at Microsoft Over Forced Windows Installs
* Microsoft Could be Forced to Cough Up $4.56 Billion
* Red Hat Talks About Novell's Coupons
* Petition for Use of Linux in UK Education Ends Today
* Another Project Goes Novell-independent
* The Impact of the Ubuntu/Linspire Exchanges
* GNOME-KDE Flamewars Return
* Linux Does Grid Computing, Leaps 420 Years Ahead
* The Cost of Microsoft's Budget Drainer May Drop Further
* LinuxWorld
* Reports and Videos from LinuxWorld
* DSigner (Nintendo Wi-fi) Goes Open Source, Chooses GPL
* Europe's Perspective of Imminent Death of DRM
* What If Google Used Its Arm to Help Linux Take Over?
* Windows Spyware Leads to Bank Robbery
* Xandros Gets Distributer for Linux in South Africa
* $100 Linux Laptop Becomes 'Theft-proof'
* Dell Customers Request Linux Preinstalled, OpenOffice Prebundled
* Virtualisation Gives Linux an Edge Over Windows
* The Reason Why Linux is the Future of the WWW
* Open Source (GPL) Music Production is Doing Well
* New Zealand Inland Revenue Department Chooses Linux
* Why We Need to Advocate Linux
* Companies Move Towards Open Source Software, Linux

This is a digest of the previous 24 hours (GMT day) of [News] postings
in comp.os.linux.advocacy. If you have any comments, suggestions or
remarks, please reply to this message and I will take account of all
that I can. The digest is created from my leafnode news spool, which is
pre-filtered, so some poster's articles might not appear.

Try the faq at: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/
for more information about cola.

Just like other public, unmoderated discussion fora, cola has
its share of disruptive posters. This blog has been created by
a concerned cola netizen to assist newcomers in identifying them:
http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/

In order to find the last week's digests, try:
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&num=10&q=group%%3Acomp...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message-ID: <2187045.lYOupE4d0P@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Anonymous Pro-OOXML Blog Emerges
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 04:43:22 +0000

I suspect that's grassroot. It has reached Digg as well and it sometimes
appears like a coordinated effort.

http:// ooxmlhoaxes.blogspot. com/

Related:

Microsoft in hot water over [paid-for] Wikipedia edits [of OOXML information]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/01/24/microsoft.wikipedia.ap/index.html

"Microsoft's 'Open' Debate Is Nothing of the Kind"

,----[ Quote ]
| Cutting Through the FUD
|
| Behind Microsoft's rhetoric and FUD there is a clear effort to advocate
| proprietary interfaces that protect the monopoly.
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft's contention about "choice" is hallow. This is the same
| company that used marketing about choice to combat Apple's iPod
| and iTunes in 2004 and 2005. Strange, since kicking loose its
| PlaysForSure partners and releasing Zune and the Zune Marketplace,
| Microsoft is no longer talking about choice--even though its
| directional change limits the choice previously advocated about
| music services and devices. Microsoft's "choice" included
| a proprietary interface, Windows Media Audio, tied to its
| major monopoly product.
`----

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/business_applications/microsofts_open_deb...
http://tinyurl.com/2s3ahc

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1385906.4QbkcZmd6c@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux in India Needs Government Backing
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 04:50:21 +0000

'OSS needs Govt spur'

The Managing Director of Elcot on why he favours open source software.

,----[ Quote ]
| Commencing mildly with the Linux operating system in the early 90s, today
| OSS controls major systems in the world. This includes the day-to-day use
| open office software on the desktops to the operating system for the most
| powerful mainframe computers of the corporate world.
|
| [...]
|
| Which is better, OSS or the closed alternative? Why?
|
| OSS is always the best-suited choice for all class of users.
| Because the user/consumer has the freedom to view and modify the
| code to suit his/her convenience. As the source is open, one can
| be sure that there is no hijacking of the data by unknown elements.
|
| [...]
|
| Are security issues a cause for concern in OSS?
|
| Security issues are better addressed in OSS than in proprietary
| systems. I have personally tested the security systems in OSS. I
| was not able to intrude into the system as long as the default
| firewall was on. Once I brought down the Linux default firewall,
| the system allowed remote access.
|
| Over 75 per cent of the world's servers are on OSS today because
| of the robustness of security in Linux.
|
| [...]
|
| Is advertising a constraint for the popularity of OSS, as compared
| to the competition?
|
| No, it is not advertisement that decides the popularity of OSS or its
| spread. The lack of policy from Governments hampers the spread of
| OSS. When Governments start using OSS, the spread of OSS becomes
| faster and its acceptability among corporates becomes open.
| Currently, many business houses, including certain large ones
| use only OSS to cut down cost and improve the reliability of
| their systems. But they are hesitant to share their successes
| for fear of the unknown.
`----

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2007/02/19/stories/2007021900130400.htm

Related:

Indian Policy Makers Call For Greater Use Of Open Source

,----[ Quote ]
| A wide spectrum of policy makers called for the greater usage of open
| source to modernize India in the digital era and the re-evaluation of
| the laws pertaining to Intellectual Property. The event sought to examine
| the notion of intellectual "property," in the context of traditional
| knowledge, globalization and the growth of the open source movement
| worldwide.
`----

http://in.sys-con.com/read/281396_p.htm

Forum for Open Source Initiatives in India Formed

,----[ Quote ]
| Sandeep Menon, convener of FOSII and director of Linux business for
| Novell West Asia, said, "FOSII members belong to various facets
| of the Linux/OSS (Open Source Software) ecosystem, which includes
| the industry, academia, government and the community. Though the
| initial members are all from India, some foreign members too are
| expected to join this forum to share their global experience and
| aid the initiative."
`----

http://www.itnewsonline.com/showstory.php?storyid=7997&scatid=8&contid=1

India can live without Microsoft

,----[ Quote ]
| More than 6,500 Linux systems have already been packed off to
| villages and another 6,100 Acer desktop systems with Suse on
| their way.
|
| Umashankar said that more than 20,000 desktop systems will be
| installed in schools that will only run on Suse. All ELCOT
| servers will run on Redhat. ELCOT expects to train 30,000
| government officials in Linux and Open Office too.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36689

AP to forge ties with MIT for open source software

,----[ Quote ]
| The Andhra Pradesh government is forging ties with the Massachusetts
| Institute of Technology (MIT), US, for collaboration in the areas of
| e-governance, data standards and service-oriented architecture.
| "MIT will provide funding and technological assistance for
| developing and promoting different software components
| including an open source platform," said state IT secretary
| K Ratnaprabha.
`----

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradesh

Tamil Nadu (India) Shutting the Door On Microsoft

,----[ Quote ]
| "The managing director of the IT procurement, consulting, and training
| agency for the Tamil Nadu government describes the reasons why he has
| chosen OSS, and also how he dealt with Microsoft executives."
`----

http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/03/0226229&from=rss

Kerala On Linux Express Highway

,----[ Quote ]
| The Linux slip-road that the state took is slowly becoming an
| express highway.
|
| [...]
|
| If we twist Napoleon's quote on China a bit, we can safely say, "Linux is a
| sleeping giant, let it sleep, because when Linux moves the world moves!"
`----

http://www.efytimes.com/efytimes/fullnews.asp?edid=16139&magid=11

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2258118.B95plbQ32U@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Benchmarks of Latest NVIDIA Linux Drivers (Windows Parity)
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 04:53:15 +0000

NVIDIA 1.0-9XXX / 2.0-XXXX Details

,----[ Quote ]
| Getting back on track in regards to the 1.0-9XXX performance, it's
| no surprise to us that there isn't much of a performance increase
| seeing as the Linux display driver has been on par with the Windows
| ForceWare performance for some time. We did spot some minor
| performance changes but nothing of real significance. With AMD
| seemingly working on rapidly improving the quality of the fglrx
| display driver, and the Nouveau driver starting to take shape,
| this will without a doubt be the toughest year yet for NVIDIA
| Corporation.
`----

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=648&num=1

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4365224.zMgAK6UfIm@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Microsoft Runs Away After 9 Weeks of Truth Leaks
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 04:58:19 +0000

Nine weeks after it started, this case is closed

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has settled dozens of similar antitrust cases in state
| courts in recent years. In only one other case, in Minnesota in
| 2004, was the settlement reached after trial had begun.
`----

http://www.businessrecord.com/Main.asp?SectionID=8&SubSectionID=9&ArticleID=3415

Related:

,----[ Quote ]
| "Most of those allegations had been out there... And those e-mails were
| old. We were very anxious to continue the trial so we could tell our
| story." (Rich Wallis, MS general counsel)
`----

http://www.computerpartner.nl/article.php?news=int&id=4756

,----[ Quote ]
| 'Even though there was a corporate policy in place that any *.pst was to be
| excluded from backup capture, the effort failed. Not only did the Backup
| Exec software fail to filter out those pst files, but some of the involved
| blue badges (Microsoft employees) intentionally disguised their mail files
| so that they would not be recognized and included in the nightly backups'
|
| 'Back about two years ago when the judge told MS to cough up the rest of
| the emails that was supposed to have floated around between MS execs that
| discussed the Burst relationship .. And then THE TAPES DISAPPEARED'
`----

http://www.technologyevangelist.com/2007/02/microsoft_dirty_tric_1.html

http://www.technologyevangelist.com/2007/02/microsoft_dirty_tric_4.html

,----[ Quote ]
| 'At Burst's request, Microsoft had provided all its internal e-mail
| messages .. when they put those messages in chronological order they
| noticed something odd: there were no messages from the 35 weeks period
| during which the two companies were in discussions'
`----

http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/columnists/gmsv/6682208....

Among those things that Microsoft tried to hide:

,----[ Quote ]
| From: Bill Gates
| Sent: Saturday, December 05, 1989 9:44 AM
| To: Bob Muglia (Exchange); Jon DeVaan; Steven Sinofsky
| Cc: Paul Mariz
| Subject: Office rendering
|
| One thing we have got to change is our strategy -- allowing Office
| documents to be rendered very well by OTHER PEOPLES BROWSERS is one of the
| most destructive things we could do to the company.
|
| We have to stop putting any effort into this and make sure that Office
| documents very well depends on PROPRIETARY IE capabilities.
|
| Anything else is suicide for our platform. This is a case where Office has
| to to destroy Windows.
`----

http://www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/2000/PX02991.pdf

Allchin's 'Buy a Mac' E-Mail Exposed

,----[ Quote ]
| "I must tell you everything in my soul tells me that we should do
| what I called plan (b) yesterday. We need a simple fast storage
| system. LH [Longhorn] is a pig and I don't see any solution to this
| problem. If we are to rise to the challenge of Linux and Apple, we
| need to start taking the lessons of 'scenario, simple, fast' to
| heart. Jim"
`----

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/operating_systems/allchins_buy_a_mac_email_exposed...
http://tinyurl.com/y5cuu6

,----[ Quotes with annotation ]
| "(Microsoft manager:) I don't like the fact that the report show us losing
| on TCO on webservers. I don't like the fact that the report show us losing
| on availability (windows was down more than linux). And I don't like the
| fact that the reports says nothing new is coming with windows .net server."
|
| [...]
|
| "I don't like it to be public on the doc that we sponsored it because I
| don't think the outcome is as favorable as we had hoped. I just don't like
| competitors using it as ammo against us. It is easier if it doesn't mention
| that we sponsored it."
`----

http://www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/9000/PX09695.pdf

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1215726.p1jCRnEMgS@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] New Debian 3.1 Released
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 04:59:35 +0000

Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 updated

,----[ Quote ]
| The Debian project is pleased to announce the fifth update of its
| stable distribution Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 (codename 'sarge').
`----

http://www.debian.org/News/2007/20070218

Related:

Debian release may slip to March

,----[ Quote ]
| The release of the upcoming version of Debian may slip to March,
| according to one of the two release managers for the Linux distribution.
`----

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39285819,00.htm?r=1

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1324086.de6dCjkOA2@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] New Linux User Takes Windows Out of the Equation
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:02:30 +0000

Experiments in Edgy

,----[ Quote ]
| I have been using Ubuntu Edgy for a little over three weeks straight now
| and I am still quite happy with it. I think this is the longest time I
| have gone yet without thinking "gee, I really need Windows to do X" or
| even "man, this would be a lot easier in Windows!" If other issues do
| arise that cause me to change my mind about it, there will undoubtedly
| be a rant posted here, but I am optimistic.
`----

http://fugitivethought.com/viewthoughts.php?refer=index&index=61

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4871357.fl8R1O0OjC@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Is Microsoft Gaming Analysts Because Vista is a Failure?
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:21:15 +0000

With Vista Set to Disappoint, Is Microsoft Still Gaming Analysts?

,----[ Quote ]
| While there was almost certainly an element of typical Microsoft-ian
| analyst gaming, this will still an unusual move, doubly so in the
| nervous circumstances, with an increasing number of people worried
| that Vista uptake is poor anyway. For Ballmer to add to those worries
| with highly specific concerns about that key product was testimony
| to how there is real problem here.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070218/27354_id.html?.v=1

Related:

Microsoft admits Vista screwed - report

,----[ Quote ]
| Vista SP1 is code named "Fiji", presumably after a pretty looking
| island which is paralysed by coups.
|
| In a statement regarding the service pack Microsoft admits that
| Vista has "high impact" problems.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37125

,----[ Quote ]
| "Up to 60%% of the code in the new consumer version of Microsoft new Vista
| operating system is set to be rewritten as the Company 'scrambles' to fix
| internal problems a Microsoft insider has confirmed to SHN... Microsoft has
| also admitted that it has major problems in it's Windows division and has
| has immediately initiated a total restructure of the division..."
`----

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Computing/Platforms?Article=/Computing/Platforms/R7...

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1431027.QnQEoEY1Dn@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Microsoft Software Distributes Malware to Its Users (Not Deliberately)
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:24:57 +0000

WARNING: Winfixer and Errorsafe being distributed via MSN Messenger banner
advertisements

,----[ Quote ]
| The malware commonly known as Winfixer aka Errorsafe is being distributed
| via MSN Messenger banner advertisements. This has been reported
| to secure@microsoft.com and they and the MSN ads team are
| investigating.
`----

http://msmvps.com/blogs/spywaresucks/archive/2007/02/18/591493.aspx

This is also confirmed by:

http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=38176

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4349090.IpFiUCGF9N@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Microsoft Patents Phishing Site Identification
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:32:13 +0000

Microsoft Applies For Patent Telling You If A Website Is On A List Of
Phishing Sites

,----[ Quotebb ]
| It seems that every few days when new patents are announced there are
| a few gems from Microsoft. Take, for example, Microsoft's latest
| patent application on Phishing Detection, Prevention, and Notification...
| Update: Clarifying that this is simply a patent application, not a
| granted patent -- but the fact that Microsoft even thinks it's
| worth applying for such a patent highlights the way the system
| works these days.
`----

http://techdirt.com/articles/20070216/013012.shtml

Related:

Patenting Life

,----[ Quote ]
| You, or someone you love, may die because of a gene patent that should
| never have been granted in the first place. Sound far-fetched?
| Unfortunately, it's only too real.
`----

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/13/opinion/13crichton.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Features: Open-Source Software: Who Needs Intellectual Property?

,----[ Quote ]
| The market for open-source software--uncopyrighted, freely
| reproducible computer programs--is not well understood by economists.
| A central source of surprise is that innovation can thrive in a
| market without traditional intellectual property (IP). But as we
| argued in a 2005 unpublished paper, "Perfectly Competitive Innovation,"
| as a matter of theory there is no reason to believe that monopoly
| power through IP is needed for innovation. The market for
| open-source software is the poster child for this perspective.
|
| First, understand that the market for open-source software is a
| classic example of a competitive market. It is characterized by
| the voluntary renunciation of copyright and patent. Buyers are
| entitled to make their own copies, modified or not, and sell them.
`----

http://www.fee.org/publications/the-freeman/article.asp?aid=6608

No trust in intellectual property

,----[ Quote ]
| This is why I've argued before that open source is hugely amenable to
| trust. You can see the code. You know exactly what I have before
| you try to engage with me as a partner, customer, or competitor.
| And just because you can see what I have doesn't mean you
| necessarily have the right (or, at least, the right as you would
| prefer to have it) to use that software. Absolute transparency
| while still retaining the ability to profit.
`----

http://weblog.infoworld.com/openresource/archives/2007/02/no_trust_in_int.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2195173.6RrmzOb5qH@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Criticism of Windows Mobile, XBox Live Arcade
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:36:46 +0000

Windows Mobile Device Center a mess

,----[ Quote ]
| Don't know how the rest of you feel that are running Windows Vista
| with WMDC, but what a mess. If you ask me, the product should have
| never left beta, and quite honestly, I believe it was pushed out
| before it was ready because Vista launched without it.
`----

http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jgormly/archive/2007/02/18/windows-mobile-device-center...

Xbox Live Arcade - A Success, No It's A Failure

,----[ Quote ]
| Another week, another editorial. This week I examine Xbox Live
| Arcade and realize the harsh reality of it.
`----

http://dpcough.wordpress.com/2007/02/18/xbox-live-arcade-a-success-no-its-a-fail.../

Recent:

XBLA main man jumps ship

,----[ Quote ]
| In somewhat surprising news, Greg Canessa, the big guy behind
| Xbox Live Arcade, has left the Microsoft compound for PopCap Games.
`----

http://www.destructoid.com/xbla-main-man-jumps-ship-29716.phtml

------------------------------

Message-ID: <26642053.W0UkFGByIY@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux 'Market Share' Based on Web Browsers
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 06:11:44 +0000

Google analytics makes pretty graphs

,----[ Quote ]
| Slightly more surprising here. Even though PostgreSQL is very
| Unix-centric, we still have almost three quarters of our visitors
| using Windows. Unlike many other sites, though, we have a lot more
| Linux users than Mac - but that comes with the usage pattern.
`----

http://people.planetpostgresql.org/mha/index.php?/archives/136-Google-analytics-makes...

Linux gauged at 20%%.

In one of my sites, Linux has the same market share as Windows. Such sites
are not being included in 'market share' surveys. There are many other
reasons why such 'studies' discriminate against Linux (some notes in
http://tinyurl.com/ypwr2h ).

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1803446.lF5NWzusnk@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Milan Bank Uses GNU/Linux
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 06:19:36 +0000

Banca Popolare di Milano improves the client experience with an integrated
multichannel solution

,----[ Quote ]
| Toward this end, the plan called for the consolidation of BPM's
| branch-based servers onto a pair of redundant IBM eServer zSeries
| mainframes running Linux on ?virtual servers? within the z/VM
| operating system. Another example of strong standards support was
| the use of a J2EE-based architecture, which enabled faster and
| more efficient application deployment through the reuse of core
| application elements. Using Linux at the client level allows the
| bank to reuse existing hardware and makes it easier to manage its
| portfolio of IT skills.
`----

http://www-306.ibm.com/software/success/cssdb.nsf/CS/JSTS-67NQKL?OpenDocument&Site...
http://tinyurl.com/2bcfkc

------------------------------

Message-ID: <50959311.m6DHqrgtHx@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Novell/Microsoft 'Interoperability' - Nothing to See Here, Please Move Along
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 06:22:45 +0000

Virtually Speaking: The Ultimate Virtual Alliance

,----[ Quote ]
| Under terms of the agreement, enterprises will be able to host
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 from as a virtualized guest on an
| upcoming service pack of Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2
| service pack 1.
|
| This really isn't news, as Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 has
| supported Linux guest operating systems since its release.
`----

http://www.serverwatch.com/trends/article.php/3660361

Also from Novell:

Desktop Effects Updates

,----[ Quote ]
| A couple notables: the community just approved a new logo for the
| project, shown at right. They also have a gallery of plugins with
| really nice screenshots.
`----

http://reverendted.wordpress.com/2007/02/18/desktop-effects-updates/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1434487.xCuKE8kgmO@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Open Source Impact in Networking
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 06:27:38 +0000

Getting Over the Love-Hate Dynamic With Open Standards

,----[ Quote ]
| While the number of companies installing all-SIP or all-open source
| networks continues to grow, it's clear that the overall market
| has not gotten over this love-hate relationship with open standards.
`----

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/55830.html

Still looking for the lockin while peers and customers prefer openness.

Open Source Network Configuration Management

,----[ Quote ]
| Open source projects have had a significant impact in areas such
| as operating systems (Linux), databases (MySQL), web applications
| (Apache), and development tools (Eclipse). However, they have been
| slower in reaching other areas where open standards and community
| involvement can make an equally positive impact. Given the new
| focus on automation for enterprise network infrastructures, network
| inventory and configuration management is one such area ripe for
| hosting a vibrant open source community
`----.

http://opensource.sys-con.com/read/336882_p.htm

It's a bit of a ZipTie commercial.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <3415437.eN0VnyDmcY@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] New Version of Lunar-Linux Released
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 06:29:37 +0000

Lunar 1.6.1 installer iso "Moose Drool" released for i686 and x86_64

,----[ Quote ]
| This ISO is partially a refreshed installer for i686, but it is also
| our first stable ISO for x86_64. The x86_64 installer ISO thus marks
| the true final entry for Lunar Linux as a multi-arch distro. This
| ISO comes with gcc-3.4.6, glibc-2.3.6, linux-2.6.20, perl-5.8.8,
| and other rock solid base components.
`----

http://www.lunar-linux.org/

The codename "Moose Drool" beats the hell out of "Longhorn", doesn't it?

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1191592.vZbnI78vXj@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] New Version of Open Source Modeller (Blender 3D) Released, New Web Site Debuts
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 09:11:08 +0000

Blender 2.43 released - New Website

,----[ Quote ]
| All on the same day, a new Blender release and the migration to
| new servers and a brand new design for blender.org
`----

http://www.blender.org/news/article/blender-243-released-new-website/

Also check out GPU-boosted mobiles (probably a mockup/emulation):

Shiny at 3GSM: NVIDIA next-generation mobile phone interface

,----[ Quote ]
| At 3GSM this year, NVIDIA was showing off some demos of its GoForce
| 5500 processor. This video shows a demo mobile phone UI, using 3D,
| video and Flash 2D. It mighty purdy.
`----

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kLFPfaxQ6U&eurl=

NVIDIA Launches GoForce 5500
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=766

Related:

Here's the film produced using Ubuntu Linux with Blender (and other Free/Open
Source software):

http://orange.blender.org/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1415100.aVkDINnYFJ@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] CIO: Open Source Increases Security
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 09:21:05 +0000

"Open source has a healthy effect on security"

,----[ Quote ]
| What are your views between open source and proprietary
| [software], especially where security is concerned?
| Rayner: Open source actually has a healthy effect on security,
| because it allows a vast community to expose fallacies or
| defects in products. So, we certainly are not part of the
| security run by obscurity camp, and if it's truly secure,
| it ought to be intrinsically so, not because you've hidden
| it. As a matter of principal, the more open you are about
| the nature of your solution, the more secure it will be.
`----

http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/security/soa/SurfControl_Max_Rayner_CIO/0,139023764...

Earlier today:

,----[ Quote ]
| Are security issues a cause for concern in OSS?
|
| Security issues are better addressed in OSS than in proprietary
| systems. I have personally tested the security systems in OSS. I
| was not able to intrude into the system as long as the default
| firewall was on. Once I brought down the Linux default firewall,
| the system allowed remote access.
|
| Over 75 per cent of the world's servers are on OSS today because
| of the robustness of security in Linux.
`----

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2007/02/19/stories/2007021900130400.htm

------------------------------

Message-ID: <8096904.iVNucRIVLO@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Results of Linux and Open Source Polls in LinuxQuestions.org
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 09:24:32 +0000

2006 LinuxQuestions.org Members Choice Award Winners Announced

,----[ Quote ]
| Distribution of the Year - Ubuntu (26.44%%)
| Live Distribution of the Year - Knoppix (26.22%%)
| Browser of the Year - Firefox (74.61%%)
| Database of the Year - MySQL (61.68%%)
| Office Suite of the Year - OpenOffice.org (89.79%%)
| Desktop Environment of the Year - KDE (56.58%%)
| Video Media Player Application of the Year - mplayer (41.93%%)
| Video Authoring Application of the Year - Kino (27.81%%)
| Audio Media Player Application of the Year - amaroK (57.07%%)
|
| [...]
`----

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?t=530202

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1302786.EsDLC9JVB1@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Vista Installation Far Harder Than Linux Installation
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:15:02 +0000

The Vista Experience

,----[ Quote ]
| So close, but no cigar yet. After four re-installs I was confident
| that everything was going to go well...
`----

http://rockhopping.net/taxonomy/term/115

Installing Vista -> go back

,----[ Quote ]
| If it wouldn't have started after all this, I think I would have run
| down to the store and bought a mac laptop. I was almost sad when it
| fired up again and completed the last bit of the install in just under
| 30 minutes.
`----

http://www.duanestorey.com/archives/276

Wow.

Linux installation is a straight-forward 15-30 minutes of changing CDs.
What's more, a lot of essential software gets installed as well.

Related:

Microsoft admits Vista screwed - report

,----[ Quote ]
| Vista SP1 is code named "Fiji", presumably after a pretty looking
| island which is paralysed by coups.
|
| In a statement regarding the service pack Microsoft admits that
| Vista has "high impact" problems.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37125

Ballmer delivers sobering message at Microsoft event

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer tempered the
| expectations of analysts at an event Thursday, telling them
| their predictions for sales of the company's new operating
| system are too high, while those for its operating expenses
| may be too low.
`----

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/ballmer-delivers-sobering-message-microsoft/story...
http://tinyurl.com/2juebs

------------------------------

Message-ID: <13035839.LMuclpErkh@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Using a Desktop PC Monopoly to Shut Out Rivals
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:18:07 +0000

Microsoft winning PC search customers from Google: analyst

,----[ Quote ]
| He found that many Vista owners that once used Google's desktop
| search feature have switched to Microsoft's. "Consumers we spoke
| with like Vista's search," Chowdhry wrote in a note to clients.
| "A strategic loss to Vista desktop search may indicate
| selective vulnerability of Google against Microsoft."
`----

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%%7b2FCA7177-016B-4779-A2D6...
http://tinyurl.com/2alxrc

Related:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssX4RL24HT4

French consumer group attacks PC software bundling

,----[ Quote ]
| UFC-Que Choisir legal officer Sandra Wouhling said current
| practice effectively forced ordinary consumers to buy computers
| using Microsoft operating systems whereas companies and
| administrations were offered a real choice.
`----

http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20061214...
http://tinyurl.com/yf7kfu

Microsoft Shuts Down Linux 10 Years Ago Says Iowa Attorne

,----[ Quote ]
| Going back now to as early as 1998, Microsoft starts to realize that
| Linux might pose a possible threat, and Vinod Valloppillil, who is
| a program manager at Microsoft, is asked by Mr. Allchin, Jim Allchin,
| to analyze potential strategies for combatting open-source software,
| and specifically Linux.
| His memos are leaked to the press in April -- I beg your pardon --
| in October of 1998 and become known as the Halloween documents.
| And the evidence will be that Microsoft uses its influence in the
| OEM channel, the computer manufacture channel, to make sure that
| end users have a difficult time buying PCs with Linux preinstalled.
`----

http://www.linuxelectrons.com/News/RoundUp/Microsoft_Shuts_Down_Linux_10_Years_A...

Microsoft's Dirty OEM-Secret

,----[ Quote ]
| They are, in short the secret to Microsoft's success. And the word
| secret is to be taken quite literally: No OEM may talk about the
| contents of his contract, or he will lose his license, and (assumption)
| likely be sued for breach of contract as well.
`----

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2001/10/23/13219/110

Dell's secret Linux fling

,----[ Quote ]
| Dell's love affair with Linux is a clandestine affair these days,
| conducted in secret, away from disapproving eyes. But now the pair
| have been spotted in China.
|
| When Michael Dell first saw the web-footed beauty, he fell head over
| heels. Six years ago Dell pledged a series of strategic investments
| in Linux companies, including Eazel and Red Hat. The romance
| attracted the disapproval of Microsoft however, and barely lasted
| weeks. Very quietly, Dell dumped the bird.
|
| It later emerged that Microsoft's OEM enforcer Joachim Kempin had
| promised Steve Ballmer that he'd be putting the screws on PCb
| uilders, or "hitting the OEMs harder" in his words.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/09/dell_linux_china/

Microsoft 'killed Dell Linux' - States

,----[ Quote ]
| The States' remedy hearing opened in DC yesterday, and States attorney
| Steven Kuney produced a devastating memo from Kempin, then in charge of
| Microsoft's OEM business, written after Judge Jackson had ordered his
| break-up of the company. Kempin raises the possibility of threatening
| Dell and other PC builders which promote Linux.
|
| "I'm thinking of hitting the OEMs harder than in the past with anti-Linux.
| ... they should do a delicate dance," Kempin wrote to Ballmer, in what is
| sure to be a memorable addition to the phrases ("knife the baby", "cut off
| the air supply") with which Microsoft enriched the English language in the
| first trial. Unlike those two, this is not contested.
|
| [...]
|
| Earlier memos described that it was "untenable" that a key Microsoft
| partner was promoting Linux. Kuney revealed that Dell disbanded its Linux
| business unit in early 2001. Dell quietly pulled Linux from its desktop PCs
| in the summer of 2001, IDG's Ashlee Vance discovered subsequently, six
| months after we heard Michael Dell declare his love of Linux on the desktop
| the previous winter.
|
| Compaq was also mentioned in other memos, with Microsoft taking the line
| that OEMs should "meet demand but not help create demand" for Linux.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/03/19/microsoft_killed_dell_linux_states/

Jury Hears Microsoft Competition Suit

,----[ Quote ]
| A judge on Friday told jurors they must accept as fact that a
| federal court found in 1999 that Microsoft holds a monopoly over
| computer operating systems and that it restricted computer
| manufacturers' ability to use competing systems.
|
| [...]
|
| She said she'll show that the company used its monopoly power
| to exclude competition and control prices and that it conspired with
| other companies to restrain trade, maintaining what she called a
| chokehold on software competitors and computer manufacturers.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061201/microsoft_trial.html?.v=1

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1890011.d0tehAb4Ju@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Microsoft: Advertisement & Hype versus Sobering Reality
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:23:46 +0000

Then and now: Assessing Ballmer's Vista comments

,----[ Quote ]
| Consider the contrasting tone of Ballmer's comments on stage at the
| Windows Vista launch event three weeks ago:
|
| "We think in the next three months we'll probably sell five times
| as many copies of Windows Vista as we ever did [Windows 95] in the
| equivalent period of time"
|
| [...]
|
| Now compare the comments above with those he made to analysts
| this past week, as excerpted below...
`----

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/111773.asp?source=rss

Ballmer's nine areas of guaranteed growth

,----[ Quote ]
| With a few exceptions, Ballmer's list is basically a rundown of the
| areas where Microsoft has already been making money. The only really
| interesting part of the list is what is not on it. As Mary Jo Foley
| highlighted, the list omits Windows Live, an area that Microsoft has
| been heavily promoting over the last year. In October, Ballmer was
| even quoted as saying, "The most important thing is the Live
| platform." And if you're wondering where the Zune and IPTV are,
| they were included in another list provided by Ballmer. He said
| that both the Zune and IPTV would be areas of high growth, but
| that neither were immediate money makers.
`----

http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2007/2/18/7112

------------------------------

Message-ID: <13965898.fdmQprzUr5@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Test Drive: 64-bit Windows Vista Still a Poor Choice
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:31:23 +0000

Vista 64 VS Vista 32

,----[ Quote ]
| Vista 64 has a slight advantage over the 32 Bit version speed
| wise, unfortunately due to the stringent drivers requirements
| for the 64 Bit versions, at this point
| my recommendations are to stick with the 32 Bit version of
| Vista until most of hardware manufacturers and software
| manufactures (including Microsoft) decide to actually take
| advantage of the 64 Bit architecture!
| Even better: get serious and do some progress in this
| industry, I am sick and tired to just see marketing
| numbers and not actually progress here.
`----

http://vistaincompatible.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1171842357

Related:

Microsoft Windows Vista: MISLEADING!

,----[ Quote ]
| Do you have a 64-bit processor? Did you think you were going to get a
| 64-bit OS when you purchased your copy of Windows Vista?
`----

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxDd9iDcZWY

Next Release of OneCare Won't Support Vista x64

,----[ Quote ]
| When Microsoft announced that it was ready to roll out Windows Live
| OneCare version 1.5 to coincide with the general release of Windows
| Vista, it omitted one important fact: the product will not support
| Vista x64 or XP x64.
`----

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/security/next_release_of_onecare_still_wontsupport_vista_x64...
http://tinyurl.com/26ndme

Microsoft Vista 64 bit is no go in 2007

,----[ Quote ]
| Without an exception, they all think it's too early and the drivers
| won't be that polished for 64 bit either. AMD and Intel have CPUs which
| can support 64 operating systems but the drivers are still lame,
| unpolished and slow compared with 32 bit.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36938

Windows XP 64 is crap and things break and printers dont work and
quickbooks doesnt work the list goes on

,----[ Quote ]
| Morale (sic) of the story is - if you are using Microsoft products, stay
| away from the cutting edge - it sucks pretty bad.
`----

http://www.pintmaster.com/20061212/windows-xp-64-is-crap-and-things-break-and-printers.../
http://tinyurl.com/yguyum

Support for Microsoft Windows XP x64 Not Worth Anything

,----[ Quote ]
| Almost no one is supporting Microsoft Windows XP x64, the 64-bit
| version of Windows XP.
|
| There are no Antivirus programs that work with x64 and most
| applications won't work with x64 (unless they run the crippled
| 32-bit equivalent).
|
| Programs won't install printer drivers because, apparently, no one
| can figure out how to write a 64-bit printer driver.
|
| If Windows XP x64 has this much trouble with basic elements such
| as printer drivers, how can anyone expect the much maligned Windows
| Vista to be of any value?
|
| Frankly, my high opinion of Microsoft is quickly fading away, and
| my shop used to be a staunch Microsoft shop.
|
| Open Source alternatives are looking better and better every
| day.
`----

http://roacm.blogspot.com/

Why There is Better Driver Support in 64-bit
Linux Than 64-bit Windows XP

,----[ Quote ]
| In the free world of Linux I have a working, usable, fast
| and stable 64-bit operating system. In the secret world of
| Microsoft I will have to return to using the 32-bit version.
| But the question is will I? I think I will stick with Linux.
| It looks like I need to go back on my hands and knees and beg
| forgiveness from my SUSE 10.1 system for every doubting it
| and for my unfaithful fling with Microsoft.
`----

http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2006-10-17-031-26-RV-HE-MS

Sigrity Supports 64-bit Linux Computing Platforms

,----[ Quote ]
| Sigrity, Inc., the market leader in signal and power integrity
| software solutions, today announced its full support for 64-bit
| Linux computing platforms by porting all of its signal and power
| integrity software products to systems running the 64-bit Linux
| operating system.
`----

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070115/20070115005002.html?.v=1

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1286025.X3x6NsIOlt@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Microsoft Blames Pirates for Its Failures, Will Hit Poor Nations Harder
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:34:22 +0000

It's a bit repetitive, but here are some more nuggets of information I didn't
mention the last time.

Ballmer hints at tougher Vista antipiracy crackdown

,----[ Quote ]
| According to the Business Software Alliance, an antipiracy watchdog
| group for the software industry, counterfeits accounted for 86
| percent of the software sold in China, 72 percent in India, 64
| percent in Brazil and 83 percent in Russia. The figures are 2005
| estimates, the last year for which data is available.
|
| [...]
|
| It appears that Ballmer doesn't agree, for he hinted that Vista's
| antipiracy features might be tightened even more. "We [will]
| really ferret through how far we can dial it up, and what that
| means for customer experience and customer satisfaction," he said.
`----

http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;7680622;fp;16;fpid;1

This will give one heck of a boost to Linux.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1371348.lEzgR0g6XN@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Oracle Open Source Database is Unlikely
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:41:56 +0000

An "Unbreakable MySQL" is unlikely to materialise

,----[ Quote ]
| Like all proprietary software vendors, Oracle is under increasing
| pressure from shareholders to prove that its business is strong enough
| to sustain growth in the face of increasing interest in open source
| among its core enterprise customers. This particular round of
| sabre-rattling may come at a sensitive time for MySQL, which,
| according to Mickos, is close to announcing an IPO.
`----

http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/tech/BA1DFC4CEC901488CC257283007840C2

------------------------------

Message-ID: <5440356.JU5Up7urNs@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Enterprise Resource Planning Goes Open Source
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:56:40 +0000

Is Open Source the Answer to ERP

,----[ Quote ]
| A growing number of mid-market CIOs say yes. In the wake of recent ERP
| vendor consolidation, open source promises flexibility for the future.
| Plus it fits the need to customize--affordably.
`----

http://www.cio.com/archive/021507/tec_opensource.html

Related:

ERP vendor, eight, seeks partners

,----[ Quote ]
| Hosted ERP provider NetSuite has announced an open source
| developer platform to attract new partners and increase its
| uptake in vertical sectors.
|
| [...]
|
| SuiteFlex features Suitelets and SuiteScript UI objects -
| open source, JavaScript environments that allow developers
| to customize their interface and workflows. Developers can
| wrap existing application interfaces in HTML. Overall, the
| goal is for dynamic interaction between different modules
| in NetSuite running the business.
`----

http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2006/10/26/netsuite_partners/

Next Gen, Mission-Critical Apps To Be Deployed on Linux Says Report

,----[ Quote ]
| By now it should be obvious to even the most casual industry observers
| that Linux operating systems - and open source-based software in general -
| have reached critical marketplace mass. Recent Linux deals and
| announcements by Oracle and Microsoft have only reinforced the "open
| source is enterprise-grade" message that IBM, Unisys and other "Master
| Brand" hardware, software and services vendors have been preaching for
| years. In short, open source, especially Linux, is becoming "legitimized"
| by the major vendors for enterprise environments, and user executives
| are more than happy to believe them.
`----

http://www.linuxelectrons.com/News/RoundUp/Next_Gen_MissionCritical_Apps_To_Be_D...

CIO study finds Linux ready for prime-time

,----[ Quote ]
| The company predicts a steep rise: only 18 percent of businesses
| will be using Linux in business-critical roles by the end of 2007.
|
| "Linux operating systems - and open source-based software in general
| - have reached critical marketplace mass," said the study's authors,
| Bruce Guptill and Bill McNee of Saugatuck Research.
`----

http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=7681

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1261686.AoPS4Gg0M1@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] More Problems with Windows Vista Firewall
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:05:52 +0000

Windows Vista's Firewall offers false sense of security

,----[ Quote ]
| Knowing that Windows Vista's firewall is capable of outbound
| blocking, but that it wrongfully defaults to let all programs
| access the Internet when it should let none, we were looking
| for an intuitive way to correct the problem. After going into
| Windows Vista's Control Panel, the link that said "Allow a
| program through Windows Firewall" made the most sense to us.
| As a side note, we were logged in with administrator
| privileges during this test.
`----

http://content.zdnet.com/2346-10741_22-53425-1.html

Dear Windows Vista Firewall...

,----[ Quote ]
| When I ask you (repeatedly, and on multiple occasions) to turn off,
| why do you insist on re-activating yourself at random? Please go away.
`----

http://neosmart.net/blog/2007/dear-windows-vista-firewall/

Related:

Installing A PS/2 Mouse Turns Off Firewall, Huh!

,----[ Quote ]
| I plugged in the PS/2 mouse, rebooted the PC and on restart XP found the
| PS/2 mouse and suggested rebooting again, which I did. When it restarted
| the Microsoft Firewall had been switched off. How do I know, because it
| told me I had no firewall.
`----

http://crunchysoftware.wordpress.com/2006/12/09/ps2-mouse-turns-off-firewall/

There is also a lot of criticism of Vista's built-in firewall, which if I
recall correctly, permits all outgoing traffic by default. It's about not
trying to break enterprise applications, I imagine, but security is clearly
compromised here.

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1490924.hd8HSB1avZ@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Open Source Disrupts Drug Patents Market
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:11:23 +0000

Open Source Pharmaceuticals - New Business Model

,----[ Quote ]
| "Open source" as applied to culture defines a culture in which
| intellectual property is made generally available. Participants
| in such a culture are able to improve and modify those products
| and redistribute them back into the community.
`----

http://www.farmavita.net/content/view/336/51/

Thailand fed up with high drug prices - minister

,----[ Quote ]
| "We have thought about this for more than five years. It's long enough,"
| said Mongkol na Songkhla, who is leading one of the biggest challenges to
| Big Pharma's patent rights in years.
`----

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/2/19/worldupdates/2007-02-19T014311Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_...

Science Has a "Serious Marketing Problem," Says Google Founder Larry Page

,----[ Quote ]
| Scientists and engineers can change the world, but first they need to get
| over their "serious marketing problem," according to Larry Page, the
| founding CEO of the Internet giant Google.
`----

http://news.aaas.org/index.php/news/am_page_plenary/id=127

Related:

Biology Goes Open Source

,----[ Quote ]
| Some of the world's biggest drug companies are finding that
| their genetic research is worth more to them if they give it away.
`----

http://www.forbes.com/business/2007/02/12/novartis-genes-diabetes-research-biz-cz_mh_0212novartis...
http://tinyurl.com/2vqssl

------------------------------

Message-ID: <585952247.eWv2l7Ech3@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Former Vista Users User Chooses XP Over Vista?
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:15:53 +0000

Hey, I Just Bought a Windows XP PC!

,----[ Quote ]
| I've been running Vista, in one form or another, on my work desktop
| since August of 2005. But that machine, which is a few years old,
| is a tolerable Vista machine at best. This HP has more than enough
| horsepower for Vista...and if it serves me as long and as well as
| the Compaq it's replacing, I'll be very happy.
`----

http://blogs.pcworld.com/techlog/archives/003752.html

'Go Beyond Vista'

,----[ Quote ]
| Apple has started the rumored Vista countermarketing campaign in
| its company stores.
`----

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/vista/go_beyond_vista.html?kc=MWRSS02129T...

If only Linux had marketing...

------------------------------

Message-ID: <7160588.aoY0gfMKWm@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Review of Yellow Dog Linux on the Playstation 3
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:17:29 +0000

Software Review: Yellow Dog Linux 5 for PlayStation 3

,----[ Quote ]
| Setup and install went as smooth as I have ever seen a Linux install
| go. I have Yellow Dog Linux 4 on my PowerBook, and even that was a
| chore in comparison to v. 5 on the PS3.
`----

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/02/18/164648.php

Related:

Sony to slash PS3 price by 25%%

,----[ Quote ]
| According to Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter,
| cited by GamesIndustry.biz, the price cut will come within 12
| months of the PS3's 23 March European launch, he believes.
`----

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/29/sony_price_cut_forecast/

Strategy Analytics: The Pressure is on Microsoft

,----[ Quote ]
| Research firm Strategy Analytics claims that with the PS3 now
| launching the pressure is actually on Microsoft to convince
| consumers and loyal PlayStation gamers to "switch camps."
| Ultimately, the firm sees Sony trouncing the competition with
| over 120 million units sold by 2012.
`----

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=14480

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1735826.BlLhCM3Dzk@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Another Company Migrating to Linux; Security Problems Revisited
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:27:07 +0000

Open-source advice abounds

,----[ Quote ]
| inux was also moved into the company's data center, with some 47
| percent of the servers now running the operating system, she said.
`----

http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;568491734;fp;2;fpid;1

Speakers talk security, regulatory compliance

,----[ Quote ]
| "Being on the Internet is like sharing your toothbrush with 1 billion
| of your closest neighbors," he said. "There are people on the Internet
| who are smarter than you. .... There are people who are less ethical
| than us."
`----

http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php?id=655201658&rid=-50

Of course, there are also people who control more PCs than us...

Botnet 'pandemic' threatens to strangle the net

,----[ Quote ]
| Cerf estimated that between 100 million and 150 million of the
| 600 million PCs on the internet are under the control of hackers,
| the BBC reports.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/26/botnet_threat/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1366655.I2Ki4VO49S@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Review of Sabayon Linux, Fedora 7 Linux (Testing), and Windows Vista
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:31:57 +0000

Sabayon Linux

,----[ Quote ]
| Who's it best for?
|
| The full Gentoo experience is included in Sabayon, so this might be
| a nice option for those who like Gentoo but want a quicker way to
| get a working installation.
|
| If you have no internet connection, I'd recommend not even trying
| to use Gentoo or any derivative, because it is a heavily
| broadband-centric distro.
|
| The DVD versions of Sabayon include a full portage tree and lots
| more software, so you may be able to get a reasonably useful
| distribution out of one of those without an internet connection.
|
| As for me? Well, I'm once again left relegating this distribution
| to join its brethren in the great vertical storage cylinder
| under my desk.
`----

http://www.techiemoe.com/tech/sabayon32.htm

Fedora 7 Test 1 Preview

,----[ Quote ]
| It was nice to see that Fedora will also be adopting the 3D desktop,
| although it might not be a selling point, I would assume why would
| you not include it if everyone else was. It is as simple to setup
| by going to the Control Center and enabling it which also is a plus.
| Some other distributions do not have it setup that easy or make it
| as noticeable to point out.
|
| As with any testing release, it is not suggested to run this on a
| production system as there are bugs still being worked on.
`----

http://gnuman.com/distros/fedora_7_test_1_preview.html

First Experiences with Windows Vista

,----[ Quote ]
| So my verdict about Vista in the first day is, that its not a
| definite improvement over previous Windows versions, most notable
| Windows XP, and surely not against other Operating Systems. Upto
| now I have not seen anything that is a geniune innovation.
| Microsoft trumpeted a lot about translucent windows and security
| in their add campaign, sure security is better now, but they can
| not claim it to be the 'most secure system ever', and translucent
| windows have been in MacOSX for years.
`----

http://irfanhabib.wordpress.com/2007/02/18/first-experiences-with-windows-vista/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <5088061.351vOPShMs@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Clippy Successor Heads to US Patent Office?
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:34:12 +0000

Has Microsoft Patented A Successor To Clippy?

,----[ Quote ]
| Remember Microsoft's Clippy, the annoying animated assistant featured
| in Office, until it was retired in 2004? Like most people, I found
| Clippy variously unnerving, obnoxious, and superfluous.
`----

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/02/has_microsoft_p.html

Its removal can be perceived as admission of mistake.

Rekated:

Windows, IE Animations Run Amok

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's "cute" animations, like the infamous Office Clippy, have
| aroused more ire than grateful praise, but they didn't actually do
| any harm--until now. The part of Windows behind the animated yellow
| dog helper in Windows search, called Microsoft Agent, gives malicious
| hackers a route into your PC for spyware or viruses transmitted via
| a drive-by download.
`----

http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20061220/tc_pcworld/128144

http://vigor.sourceforge.net/

http://pix.mybll.de/vim.gif

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1336178.M7dUSiGRnW@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Russian Government Upset at Microsoft Over Forced Windows Installs
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:58:27 +0000

Russia hits out at Microsoft licensing

,----[ Quote ]
| The Russian government has hit out at Microsoft, claiming the
| software giant's overly strict and costly licensing regime is
| to blame for the high rates of consumer piracy in the country.
|
| [...]
|
| In particular he singled out Microsoft for its policy of not allowing
| partners to sell computers without copies of Windows pre-installed in
| Russia.
|
| "If you want to install Linux you have to erase Microsoft, and that
| increases the cost of each computer by $50. (With) one that already has
| Windows installed on it, and you want to use open source, you have to
| install the operating system," he said.
`----

http://news.com.com/Russia+hits+out+at+Microsoft+licensing/2100-7348_3-6160083.h...

Related:

Russian Government Will Migrate to OpenSource

,----[ Quote ]
| Russia decided to follow after EU countries, where opensource
| solutions are more spread then in Russia. Currently, some Russian
| companies can offer their own Desktop Linux OS (the major companies
| are ASPLinux, ALTLinux, Linux-Online and LinuxCenter).
`----

http://danays.blogspot.com/2006/12/russian-government-will-migrate-to.html

Russian schools abandon Windows after piracy scare

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft says that the incident has nothing to do with them, but it
| appears that Russian schools in the area are so scared about being shipped
| off to a Siberian Gulag, that they are buying Linux gear instead.
|
| [..]
|
| According to Karpushin, schools would start using freely distributed
| software like the Linux OS, Russky office and Open office desktop apps,
| Ekho Moskvi reports.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37460

Microsoft snubs Gorbachev over piracy plea

,----[ Quote ]
| However Microsoft has said it did not bring the case against Ponosov,
| this was done by the public prosecutor's office in Russia.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37449

Linux and Windows in Russian schools

,----[ Quote ]
| I just noticed this blog entry (in Russian) from an advanced Linux
| user, where he offers free help to every teacher (or their boss)
| who'd like to start teaching Linux, and gives a few links to
| other such projects, such as "The winter Linux school for teachers"
| (in Russian) organized by ALTLinux together with a few other
| institutions. A few other projects do exist. Hopefully, such
| projects, together with the "antipiracy" campaign will lead to
| more Linux and open source in Russian schools.
`----

http://blog.linuxtoday.com/blog/archives/070130-080943.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1563083.lOrXUSG8ky@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Microsoft Could be Forced to Cough Up $4.56 Billion
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 17:45:45 +0000

Jury weighs Microsoft vs. Alcatel-Lucent MP3 patent dispute

,----[ Quote ]
| Alcatel-Lucent's claim that Microsoft Corp. owes as much as $4.56
| billion for infringing two patents covering the MP3 digital-audio
| standard is set to be decided by a federal jury in San Diego.
`----

http://www.eagletribune.com/pubiz/local_story_050094603?keyword=secondarystory+page...
http://tinyurl.com/2y5pdq

Maybe Windows should have gone for Automatix (or even EasyUbuntu). This shows
the lousy nature of software patents and justifies the use of open formats
like Ogg Vorbis.

Related:

Alcatel-Lucent uses Linux.

Alcatel-Lucent prepares small-business push in US

,----[ Quote ]
| The offering will be built on the OmniPCX Office telephony server
| and the Eye-Box, an e-mail and groupware server that also hosts
| Web-based services for remote workers. Both are aimed at small
| and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and are based on the Linux
| operating system.
`----

http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2007/021607-alcatel-lucent-prepares-small-business...
http://tinyurl.com/2d7t7e

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2551570.R63d8xZIqb@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Red Hat Talks About Novell's Coupons
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 17:56:19 +0000

Take Microsoft's Linux Money, Says Red Hat

,----[ Quote ]
| "I think that there has been a strong amount of external
| communication by Microsoft and Novell on this topic," he said.
| "We certainly expect that there will be those cases where customers
| will consume those coupons. We're certainly encouraging one or two
| customers to consume all of them, let's get this over with."
`----

http://www.computerwire.com/industries/research/?pid=E956FD4A%%2D3269%%2D4EFF%%2...
http://tinyurl.com/2hdf9g

Related:

Our Interview with Jeremy Allison

,----[ Quote ]
| My guess is that the negotiations for the useful parts of the
| agreement (the virtualization part and the federated directory
| interoperability part) had, as Ron says, been going on for months
| and just before Novell wanted to seal the deal Microsoft turned up
| with "there's just this one more thing we want you to sign..." and
| in desperation to get the other parts of the deal done they rushed
| it through.
`----

http://boycottnovell.com/2006/12/31/jeremy-allison-interview/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <11283036.X2bSRf1Kpc@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Petition for Use of Linux in UK Education Ends Today
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 18:31:07 +0000

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to use the free operating
system LINUX in all publicly funded offices, schools..."

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Use-LINUX/

Related:

OSC joins criticism of UK education's attitude to open source

,----[ Quote ]
| Open Source Consortium president, Mark Taylor, has been in contact to
| voice its opinion on the controversy surrounding Becta's purchasing
| frameworks and the adoption of open source adoption in UK schools.
|
| In short, it doesn't make happy reading for Becta. "The essence of
| our concern is that they're saying one thing and actually pursuing
| policies that are exclusive," he said. "Becta's own research shows there
| are major benefits [with open source], however the reality of the
| framework is that it excludes both products and services."
`----

http://www.businessreviewonline.com/os/archives/2006/11/osc_joins_criti.html

UK Government criticised for stifling open source in schools

,----[ Quote ]
| MP Pugh reckons shcools should support independent or open source
| software firms. He says, "In my experience a school is a key part
| of the community and as such has a role to play in the economy of
| that community. By supporting SMEs the local high-technology
| industry will be encouraged which will benefit everyone."
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36464

Becta under fire for procurement framework

,----[ Quote ]
| Nineteen MPs have accused a government agency of restricting the
| procurement of software in schools.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/29/becta_procurement_criticised/

MPs criticise government roadblocks to Open Source adoption in schools

,----[ Quote ]
| The UK Government's own studies have shown savings of up to 60%% can be
| made by schools and colleges using Open Source software. Despite this
| clear advantage, some MPs believe the software procurement frameworks
| from Becta and official advice from DfES effectively locks out the us
| of free, Open Source software.
`----

http://opensourceblog.itproportal.com/?p=220

Becta's schools software scheme reported to EC

,----[ Quote ]
| An advisor to Becta, the education technology quango, has complained
| to the European Commission about its procurement process for firms
| to provide online learning platforms and content to British schools.
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/08/becta_ec_complaint/

------------------------------

Message-ID: <8695563.ncpDY9zlfg@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Another Project Goes Novell-independent
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:22:23 +0000

Bongo M1 (0.1.0) Release notes

,----[ Quote ]
| Bongo is a project to create fun and simple mail & calendaring
| software. As well as providing a well-featured but extensible set
| of server software, it also comes with a user-friendly web interface.
`----

http://www.bongo-project.org/Releases/0.1.0

Novell dropped Hula a few months ago, probably because it competed with
Microsoft's Outlook/Exchange quite directly.

Another project that went Novell-independent:

[compiz] update on xdevconf07 and beryl situation

,----[ Quote ]
| I had the chance to talk to Quinn Storm from the beryl project during
| xdevconf. I would have hoped that the current situation with beryl could
| be improved but it seems like Quinn at least isn't interested in that.
| However, after talking to Quinn it's very clear to me that the fork was
| partially motivated by assumptions that were wrong.
|
| One assumption is that compiz is some kind of Novell controlled project
| that Novell will move in whatever direction it wants. This is completely
| wrong. I started the project and no one at Novell has ever told me in
| which direction it should go.
|
| [...]
|
| Beryl includes temporary solutions and workarounds that paper over
| issues in the overall infrastructure. I've been very unwilling to
| include such things in compiz as I believe that it hurts the open source
| desktop as it hides the real issues and I don't want to do that for my
| own projects benefit. Helping other projects by fixing issues where they
| should be fixed is how we make the open source desktop unbeatable.
| Temporary solutions can be maintained outside the official tree or in
| branches for those who need them.
`----

http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/compiz/2007-February/001413.html

------------------------------

Message-ID: <4628752.nLnUL6kWHa@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] The Impact of the Ubuntu/Linspire Exchanges
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:26:54 +0000

What does the Ubuntu/Linspire deal mean?

,----[ Quote ]
| So, the sky is not falling?
|
| Of course not. First of all, you are not being forced to use CNR. You
| can still install your applications the same way you normally do
| such as Synaptic, apt-get, or aptitude. Secondly, I believe that
| the benefits I listed above will have an overall positive affect
| on Ubuntu and the entire open source movement.
|
| That said, will there any possible problems? It is possible. For
| example, I am not certain how much confusion and additional support
| will be created by having CNR's application repository. I assume
| that CNR will use standard Ubuntu packages when available, but
| also offer the commercial software from their repository.
`----

http://useopensource.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-does-ubuntulinspire-deal-mean.htm...

------------------------------

Message-ID: <2014824.PZhmbzAk4D@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] GNOME-KDE Flamewars Return
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:28:44 +0000

Gnome vs KDE

,----[ Quote ]
| It appears this old argument is flaring up again. On Linux.com there
| was an article discussing some recent posts on the Linux Foundation's
| Desktop Architects mailing list: Christian Schaller suggested Linus
| Torvalds should try using Gnome for a month and then report back
| on his experiences at the forthcoming GAUDEC conference in the UK.
`----

http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/blogs/trying_kde

------------------------------

Message-ID: <8568954.4rKGhUzvPP@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux Does Grid Computing, Leaps 420 Years Ahead
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:38:56 +0000

Grid does 420 years of PC work in four months

,----[ Quote ]
| The computers in the grid ran open source grid software, gLite, which
| allowed them to access central grid storage elements which were
| installed on Linux machines located in several countries worldwide.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37706

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1287422.g8GmtC4Ey3@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] The Cost of Microsoft's Budget Drainer May Drop Further
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:42:00 +0000

Signs of an Xbox 360 price-drop spotted

,----[ Quote ]
| Gamesindustry.biz is reporting that the Playstation 3 is the most
| pre-ordered console yet.
|
| Online retailer Play.com is taking six times more pre-orders than it
| received for PlayStation 3 than Xbox 360 - and 15 times more than
| the Nintendo Wii.
`----

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37711

Playstation 3's run Linux.

Related:

MS cuts 360 estimates, Xbox division posts $289m loss

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division has posted a US $289 million
| (EUR 223.6m) loss for the second quarter - and cut fiscal year estimates
| for Xbox 360 hardware.
`----

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=22385

------------------------------

Message-ID: <90159204.XJJiLMvuTt@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] LinuxWorld
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:44:10 +0000

LinuxWorld OpenSolutions Wrap Up--Is Open Source Really Superior?

------------------------------

Message-ID: <6750012.ECh5e1hcBV@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Reports and Videos from LinuxWorld
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:47:47 +0000

LinuxWorld OpenSolutions Wrap Up--Is Open Source Really Superior?

,----[ Quote ]
| "It seems to me that a lot of the software people think of as
| 'open source' isn't truly open source," said Kenneth Dombrowski,
| a Web site developer attending the show.
|
| Dombrowski was referring to a movement among some vendors to
| provide not just free open source software, but commercial "hybrid"p
| roducts mixing open source with proprietary components.
`----

http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reviews/6358/1/

LinuxWorld New York: a longer name for a smaller show (videos)

,----[ Quote ]
| This was a business-to-business show. The presentations were aimed
| almost purely at companies either using open source (and Linux)
| already and thinking of expanding their open source (and Linux)
| use or at companies considering at least a little use of open
| source (and Linux) in the future.
`----

http://community.linux.com/community/07/02/19/1435218.shtml?tid=53&tid=3&tid=23

[Sorry about that last accidental post. I'm hitting the wrong keys.]

------------------------------

Message-ID: <1253796.eoagHnRDvV@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] DSigner (Nintendo Wi-fi) Goes Open Source, Chooses GPL
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:53:14 +0000

The source code for DSigner has been released under the General Public
License

,----[ Quote ]
| The source code for DSigner has been released under the General
| Public License
|
| I recommend you visit http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html to find
| out just what this means.
`----

http://www.friendcodes.com/forums/dsigner-1-x/3291