Is Microsoft dying?

[Roger Merchberger]

Rumor has it that Computer Collector Newsletter may have mentioned these words:
>The difference between 98 and XP!?  That's like saying "I just upgraded from a
>1974 Chevy to a 2004 Chevy, and except for some nicer body parts and interior
>styling, it looks the same to me."  LOL... look under the hood.  :)

Playing devil's advocate -- how do you 'look under the hood' of '98 or XP? 
For those who don't give a rip about Winders in general, all you're going 
to see is the "interior styling."

Taking it one step further, my wife only prefers Linux because 'it works.' 
Double-clicking on Netscape is hardly much different if done on Winders, 
Linux, or Tru64 Unix (her previous OS, before Linux). AAMAF, she didn't 
care *at all* until the first time she received an email-spread virus. She 
asked me why "double-clicking on that thingy didn't do anything." I told 
her it was a virus, so she freaked out. I told her she didn't have to worry 
-- she couldn't get viruses.[1] After that, she's gotten many of them, and 
she knows they can't hurt her, so she's happy.

>RE: A/V -- why should they build anything?

They shouldn't. They should use one or both of the A/V systems they've 
already purchased.

>What I don't get is why they bought such a small player in the A/V arena.

Because the small players 1) usually don't suck nearly so badly, and 2) 
aren't the primary targets for virus writers, so they're less apt to be 
targeted for bugs/exploits that may exist in their products.

>In light of Symantec buying Veritas, I'm surprised Microsoft didn't go for 
>Mcafee.

Maybe M$ is wising up -- McAfee is *the worst* A/V "product" available. 
Almost every computer professional I know considers it a virus in and of 
itself. 40% of the computers that come into my shop have that dren as it's 
"protection." Almost 30% have Snortin' (erm... Norton) -- I'm not talking 
3-year-old copies -- I'm talking latest program & virus updates available, 
and yet they get infected.

RAV (Reliable AntiVirus) was one of the best products available. M$ bought 
'em over a year ago. Where'd the technology go? Why wasn't that part of 
XP's SP2???

Too much tea / not enough beer today -- Got too wired up. ;-)

Laterz,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger

[1] Yes, I do know there's a couple of viruses available for linux. Just 
because I'm dumb enough to do everything as root all the time, doesn't mean 
I was lax in setting up *her* security... the worst she could do is lose 
some email -- that reminds me, I should set up a cron job to tar her home 
directory every so often just in case... ;-)

--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger   | "Bugs of a feather flock together."
sysadmin, Iceberg Computers |           Russell Nelson
zmerch at 30below.com          |