Anti-Microsoft group wants Microsoft to scrap Vista

[General Nuisance]

At some point almost everyone has cursed Microsoft for some perceived problem with their code. One organization is planning on doing more than just cursing. The Committee To Fight Microsoft, founded by Andy Martin, is demanding that Microsoft not release Windows Vista until Microsoft offers a "general and unconditional warranty to purchasers that the program does not include 'bad code.'"

The Committee goes on to say that Microsoft sells defective products and accuses them of "mass consumer fraud." Let me take a moment to compose myself; I'm laughing too hard to continue. While I'm doing that, let's examine this quote from Andy Martin himself, shall we?

"Windows 95 was a disaster; it took three years to correct the major deficiencies. But the 95 fix, Windows 98, only created new vulnerabilities, and required yet another round of fixes for Windows 98. On and on it goes. No other company in America gets away with selling defective products and then expecting its customers to wait years for proper product operability."

Windows 95 certainly had its share of problems, and Windows 98 even saw a Second Edition, but to call them flat out defective is going a tad far. While Windows 95 made the term "BSOD" commonplace, it achieved a number of milestones. It brought preemptive multitasking and protected memory to the mainstream market years before Apple, while maintaining backwards compatibility with 16-bit Windows applications, and even most DOS programs. Andy Martin appears to be a few cards short of a full deck. Either that, or he's looking for some limelight. I wonder if his gubernatorial bid for the State of Illinois has anything to do with that.

As to Martin's claim that Microsoft is unique in their problems, it would seem as though hyperbole is one of his strong points.

"It is unacceptable corporate behavior. Over four (4) years after Windows XP was released I still receive regular 'updates' and 'bug fixes,' which reflect a product that was originally scandalously defective."

Correct me if I am wrong Mr. Martin, but can't the same thing be said for Apple and Linux users? Or is just that Microsoft is an easier target? Microsoft certainly has seen more than its share of problems, and the company has been scrambling to close holes and wage a PR war against their image, but if there's a good ping to be made against Microsoft, monthly updates isn't it.

But wait, there's more! Not only do you get defective products and mass consumer fraud, we'll throw in an underpowered computer scam, absolutely free!

"Two other unacceptable scams that Microsoft has used over and over again are to encourage people to 'upgrade' unsuitable old computers, and to encourage manufacturers to sell underpowered computers. XP was authorized for 128 RAM, which was clearly inadequate. Who would buy an inadequate TV set? Or an inadequate stove, that didn't get warm enough? Or an inadequate refrigerator that didn't get cold enough? No one. Why should someone buy or 'upgrade' an inadequate computer on Bill Gates' say-so? The Committee to Fight Microsoft is launching a legal action effort to bar such practice, in advance, for Windows Vista. Bill Gates, you are on notice."

I ran Windows XP on 64 MB of RAM (which happens to be the minimum supported configuration) for two years and had no problems. The performance was less than stellar, and I wouldn't recommend it in 2005, but in general, most software applications perform much better above their "minimum requirements" than at them. Why would Windows XP be any different?

This author is launching a commonsense awareness campaign to bar frivolous legal action. Andy Martin, you are on notice.

soruce: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050809-5191.html
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Personally i think that the first part of this where they talking about win 98 being a patch for 95 is completely true. i mean look at it its identical nothing new just a few visual improvements. nothing to justify its price tag. and the same goes for xp.. xp was a sp5 for 2000 only with allot more added features... but still did not reflect its 400 price tag.. (now its reasonable.. 80 bucks) but im not sure about vista ill have to try it.. from the sounds of it they started from scratch and built there way up to what they think will replace xp... all of that remains to be seen..

Will Vista be a huge patch for xp? first impressions are no

Have there been patch's in the form of a OS? Yes in fact there have been 5 of them.

ah. but lets not forget the rest of the story....

Windows 95 started a new era in computing however it had many bugs... and then there was the windows NT... which is still used by many corporate offices.. and businesses.. so MS decided why the heck should we do all this patching for free?? So here comes windows 98 yet another disaster... well the same thing happened and here comes windows 98 2nd edition... and the 2 where identical visually..

oh but hold on there's more..

Were gonna come out with another one! Windows 2000.. Despite its 4 SP's it was the stablest windows to date in my opinion and ran on hardly nothing. but then they couldn't wait to mess up something so they came out with Windows ME.. This was a complete disaster... it was nothing more than windows 2000 only with added bugs and a new logo... And now we are up to there current mess Windows XP which is somewhat stable but still quite buggy and started a new era in visual impressiveness.. windows 95 - 2000 where quite plain.. and with the original price tag of 400 bucks i wouldn't bother upgrading IF you had 2000 but now with its $80 price tag i feel that is fair... we have to pay them for the development time on all these patches...

im not not saying that i wouldn't use any of these because i have used/use all of them and can make every one spin like a top and i am very efficient if fixing them... but couldn't MS actually do something right for a change?

[General Nuisance]

btw.. regarding there saying that windows xp can run on 64 mb of ram... yes it can if you turn off every new feature and reduce it back to windows 2000.. currently i have one of my pc's running 256mb of ram (upgrading asap) and it is not any good... i ran one with 64 mb and it was horrible ...

[Scott]

Why do people hate MS so much? There a company, selling a product. You do not have to buy it if you don't want to. They were simply the first to get all the market share and no one else tried to compete at the time. Why does anyone have the right to blame them for what they did/do? Buggy or not, MS advanced alot of stuff with computers. What would there be without MS? I know you'll say Linux, but what if MS wasen't there to start it, maybe we'd all be blaiming linux, it has BUGS also, and with almost every 'major' update with Linux you have to completly re-write most software for it. Redhat 9 was pretty buggy, releasing TONS of patches all the time. RHEL came out and almost everything had to be switched over. Almost nothing from RH9 worked with RHEL in my case.

I wasen't a big fan of windows 98SE, liked ME, and never owned 2000. But never have I had any major problems with any of there os's. XP is stable as a rock and not buggy at all for me. Maybe it's the general lack of computing knowledge that get people in trouble there. If it don't work blame MS right? I say blame yourself, cause I'm up and running A+ with my same copy of windows, and have had it installed on 4 other computers that I have built and everything works flawless.

Updates come with every software you own. Even my firewall which is supposed to be 'secure' is patched every few months because of new flaws found in the software.

Why your calling any MS product a disaster is beyond me. Every OS MS made has advanced computers in some way, making new technologys work better with the OS. Think of things you could do on windows 95, now think about 98, and then ME, and then XP. Every OS offered something diffrent. Every OS was faster then the previous. Every OS had new bugs. EVERY SOFTWARE HAS BUGS. Even my damn car which I paid $22,000 for has a few BUGS. Get over it...

There price tags might be a little high. But it's no diffrent there your cable company jacking up prices because they own the market in your area. If they had to 'share' cable lines we'd all have 10mb cable for $15/mo. It's the competition that's lacking there. Don't blame company A for having a better product, blame company B for not creating the competition.

BTW I installed windows XP on a Dell PII 400 Mhz with 32MB of ram and it ran fine. Slow, but it still ran, even with the XP theme.

[Hellfighter]

Panther

think this guy like to be heard and seen in news area, and besides maybe write a book or two. think he like to be known to the world he alive. ***Money***

[JonM]

i've never tried linux, however i don't think one is better than the other, because they were built for different reasons. and as p stated MS is just a buisness that has proven to be successful, thus must be bashed

[atholon]

Like that is going to happen

[BADDOG]

Originally posted by Panther
Why do people hate MS so much? There a company, selling a product. You do not have to buy it if you don't want to. They were simply the first to get all the market share and no one else tried to compete at the time. Why does anyone have the right to blame them for what they did/do? Buggy or not, MS advanced alot of stuff with computers. What would there be without MS? I know you'll say Linux, but what if MS wasen't there to start it, maybe we'd all be blaiming linux, it has BUGS also, and with almost every 'major' update with Linux you have to completly re-write most software for it. Redhat 9 was pretty buggy, releasing TONS of patches all the time. RHEL came out and almost everything had to be switched over. Almost nothing from RH9 worked with RHEL in my case.

I wasen't a big fan of windows 98SE, liked ME, and never owned 2000. But never have I had any major problems with any of there os's. XP is stable as a rock and not buggy at all for me. Maybe it's the general lack of computing knowledge that get people in trouble there. If it don't work blame MS right? I say blame yourself, cause I'm up and running A+ with my same copy of windows, and have had it installed on 4 other computers that I have built and everything works flawless.

Updates come with every software you own. Even my firewall which is supposed to be 'secure' is patched every few months because of new flaws found in the software.

Why your calling any MS product a disaster is beyond me. Every OS MS made has advanced computers in some way, making new technologys work better with the OS. Think of things you could do on windows 95, now think about 98, and then ME, and then XP. Every OS offered something diffrent. Every OS was faster then the previous. Every OS had new bugs. EVERY SOFTWARE HAS BUGS. Even my damn car which I paid $22,000 for has a few BUGS. Get over it...

There price tags might be a little high. But it's no diffrent there your cable company jacking up prices because they own the market in your area. If they had to 'share' cable lines we'd all have 10mb cable for $15/mo. It's the competition that's lacking there. Don't blame company A for having a better product, blame company B for not creating the competition.

BTW I installed windows XP on a Dell PII 400 Mhz with 32MB of ram and it ran fine. Slow, but it still ran, even with the XP theme.

I totally agree with you on this Panther as Microsoft has made using computers much easier for everyone and does it's level best to release new security patches for it's software as soon as it can.

Warm Regards and well said bro!!!!

[atholon]

People just don't like how they are getting away with being a monopoly....

EA is more of a monopoly, they own UBi and Nova now....

[Dr. Bullet]

Technically speaking, they don't have a monopoly. If people don't like the OS, they can always go Mac or Linux.

That said, I think their problems are their own fault. Because Windows is so indispensible to most people, M$ can charge what they like. They have every right to do this. HOWEVER, due to this ability, they are charging way too much for their product, which has spurred people to pirate it, creating a huge legal and financial fight. The issue here then isn't so much a monopoly in the sense of cornering an entire market (which they haven't), it is that they have created a market which they, of course, own.

[atholon]

That is why Microsoft was sued and forced to break into smaller companies....

[Dr. Bullet]

I think that in Microsoft's case, they should be more or less left to their own devices, within the law. No one is getting hurt or losing business on account of M$, except for M$. Their biggest problem is that of piracy. In my opinion, it is their own self-made problem. If they would drop the price on their software, they wouldn't have as much of a problem.

About the monopoly, a loose definition of it is that one company controls a market and that no other entity is allowed to compete in that market.. Clearly, M$ does NOT have a monopoly in the operating system market. Apple is gaining popularity with their Macs, and there are too many versions of Linux to shake a stick at. And of course, no one is stopping anyone from coming out with another OS. If the other OS's in the market were really that great, M$ wouldn't be on top would they? Of course not.

[Hellfighter]

will why is this hate group going after other companies other then Microsoft funny, if they gone after other companys besides Microsoft they have a better track record.

think that they are all full of it.

many software have their bug and with lame hackers....hacking software its no wonder they have to patch it all the time. wish people keep their hands out of softwares.

thanks god AOL & Microsoft joinup and got two hackers busted for hacking Windows Xp pro with helping hands of the law enforcements

[Lakie]

mirosoft is part of an oilgopoly

what wll be fun is when NewsCorp takes over EA...

[Hellfighter]

Originally posted by Dr. Bullet
Technically speaking, they don't have a monopoly. If people don't like the OS, they can always go Mac or Linux.

That said, I think their problems are their own fault. Because Windows is so indispensible to most people, M$ can charge what they like. They have every right to do this. HOWEVER, due to this ability, they are charging way too much for their product, which has spurred people to pirate it, creating a huge legal and financial fight. The issue here then isn't so much a monopoly in the sense of cornering an entire market (which they haven't), it is that they have created a market which they, of course, own.

maybe you did not see the news last month or two Bill Gate stated that Windows going to be a lot cheaper to buy they will be lowering the price on it. was on the news.

but still if any one don't like their software they can buy other company's OS there are many on the market to buy.

i think Microsoft been doing great.
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i hate to say it though Windows ME did burn me or it was gateway mfg who did? system use to crash weekly on me. not till i got Windows Xp pro, (for other reason) i got Windows Xp Home after. both are doing great for me. only trouble i had with Windows Xp is the drivers some made badly for hardware, but that not Microsoft fault at all. running great.
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each year there a newer system or hardware made all the time. really think this guy is a fool.

sample there was Movie recorder
1.) VHS
then later on
2.) DVD came out updated DVD-double layer for movies
now there is talk about
3.) Blue Cd's

like all things made better you have to buy the newer system or Hardware Tobe up to the times. they have the right to sale it and wrap it in a new package deal.

gee you think all these updates patch's are free they cost money and when they get a great ID after a time they going to make some thing in a new way. sorry i am for Microsoft.

i am shock they waited for a long time to come out with a new windows system, use tobe after at lease 2-years they release a new OS system to the public been like 4-5 years now.

person i think i going to stay with Xp for a long time doing great for me, but we know hackers after a time they stop doing the updates and hackers have free run on it. then i get the newer OS then.