Windows 8 - Deeper Impressions

[JorgeA]

Just a thought I had while replying to another thread.

I think that a very large part of all of our distaste for the direction Microsoft is heading with Windows 8 and beyond, is a loss of control. So, ponder the following thoughts:

1.) The computer is OUR hardware.

2.) Any OS or Software is a GUEST on our hardware.

3.) We really don't like guests telling us what to do and will almost always show that guest the door.

Am I correct in my summary?

bpalone

Sounds good to me.

In one sense this has been going on since Windows 98 (95?). I remember when I first started using Win98FE and saw this mysterious "My Documents" directory. What do they call that, a virtual directory or something? I never did get a good handle on exactly where the documents ACTUALLY lived on the computer, which for someone like me who grew up on DOS was always a problem when I had to do some troubleshooting.

And then when Vista came along they buried the location of the Temporary Internet Files. Well, you know, sometimes you want to go back and retrieve an image you saw without having to go back and reload the web page. This would have been more of an issue had I not made the switch from dial-up at the same time I changed to Vista from 98.

Then they came up with these "Favorite Links" (Vista) or "Libraries" (Win7) in Windows Explorer. More abstraction away from where the files actually are.

Waht I'm getting at is that for a long time they've been making the computer harder to use in some ways, in the name of making it easier or safer to use. But Win8 jumps way off the deep end.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

There's also this trend where OS makers (at least MS and Apple) think people want to see the same things on all their devices. Both of these companies have mentioned this in commercials, where your "apps" or layout or whatever will be the same on your PC as your tablet or phone. I don't really need this uniformity, as I use different hardware devices for different functions. I do not need, nor want, them to be the same. Where did that idea come from?

My guess is that someone in a decision-making role decided that it would be "cool" to do this, without giving much thought to the real-life scenarios where actual people would actually want to do this.

I'll do my own syncing, thank you very much. People have (for example) lost thousands of MP3's "thanks" to iTunes' insistence on "syncing" all your devices.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

[...]Just because the processors that run the various hardware could all be made to be able to accomplish the same various tasks doesn't mean they should. The hardware should match the task required and the interface should fit that "hardware + task". It just has to make sense.

Truer words have not been spoken (or written).

You mentioned security. The security aspects of having all devices synced up with each other hasn't been paid enouigh attention IMHO. You lose one, or one of them gets hacked, suddenly all of your devices are in jeopardy. I'm for strict separation of functions and accounts between devices, to minimize the potential damage.

--JorgeA

[bpalone]

@JorgeA

I came to the GUI kicking and screaming. We were finally getting enough horsepower to do some serious computing and Microsoft wanted to slow the thing down by putting this SLUG interface on it. At the time I equated it to going out and buying the Triple Crown Winner and bringing him/her home and hooking it up to the plow. But, I conceded and some of the niceties, such as being able to cut and paste between programs won me over. Then 98se came along and actually won me over to the GUI, then 2K cemented me firmly. THEN, along comes XP and shatters the concrete.

One of my all time complaints about the Windows (Microsoft) GUI, was that it isolated you from the nitty gritty of the system. If MS failed to implement something quite the way wanted or needed, you were basically S.O.L. Unless, of course, you were willing to learn the API and even then some times you were unable to get done what you wanted to do. In the old DOS days, you had unfettered access to the hardware and could get things done. Now, that did open some security issues, but we were not as connected in those days as we are now.

I also attribute the SLOPPY CODING we see today to the rise of the GUI and this is not just a Microsoft problem. All code today is bloated, the programmer no longer has to take into account the hardware and memory available, unless they are developing for embedded systems. In the old days, you had to write tight code and manage memory well or you were DOA. Today, the programmer has multiple gigabytes of system memory and often time several terabytes of storage available. as well as having a CPU so fast that even the worst possible code runs at an acceptable speed. So... everyone figures that there is no need to be good at optimizing code for performance.

Of course, this is a two edged sword. Personally, here a few years ago I was writing a little application for myself. It was going to have to access a data set, of a fair size but not huge, many times during the execution of the program. I did not want to subject my hard drive to the abuse of many read accesses and spent a few days mulling the problem over. Then the DUH moment finally hit me. Gee, I've got two plus gigabytes of memory in there and at any given moment I am only using what, maybe at most 30-35% of it. Then I decided I could just allocate some memory, move the data to memory and access the beegeezers out of it there, plus I gained a very significant speed increase. So, you see, you can become so set in your thinking, that the obvious becomes a bit translucent.

Sorry for getting off on the rant here, but most of the young folks truly don't grasp how important it is to be short and concise. I say that after this long winded rant.

Back closer to the subject, the first words I uttered after seeing the news about UEFI was, they are heading down the road to a system that will only allow you to load and run THEIR OPERATING SYSTEM AND ONLY, and I repeat, ONLY SOFTWARE THEY HAVE EITHER SOLD YOU OR HAVE APPROVED. From where I sit today viewing everything unfold, it appears that I had it pretty well nailed.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

bpalone

[TELVM]

... In one sense this has been going on since Windows 98 (95?). I remember when I first started using Win98FE and saw this mysterious "My Documents" directory. What do they call that, a virtual directory or something? I never did get a good handle on exactly where the documents ACTUALLY lived on the computer, which for someone like me who grew up on DOS was always a problem when I had to do some troubleshooting.

And then when Vista came along they buried the location of the Temporary Internet Files. Well, you know, sometimes you want to go back and retrieve an image you saw without having to go back and reload the web page. This would have been more of an issue had I not made the switch from dial-up at the same time I changed to Vista from 98.

Then they came up with these "Favorite Links" (Vista) or "Libraries" (Win7) in Windows Explorer. More abstraction away from where the files actually are ...

Same here, I just can't stand most of this special folders stuff. The 'Libraries' in particular have a special place in my heart .

This is of course due to us being surviving fossils from the PleisDOScene epoch, stubborn resistant to change creatures anachronistically bent on something as démodé as directly controlling where our stuff is really located .

[jaclaz]

The security aspects of having all devices synced up with each other hasn't been paid enouigh attention IMHO.

And besides "security" there are possible "social" issues.

Recent example:

http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread.php/159825-Skype-permanently-online

I ran into the same problem with skype, some of my friends were asking me why I was not replying to thier queries on skype as I was showing to be online when I wasn't, turns out it was my Panasonic Smart TV. If you login to Skype on the TV, it keeps you online 24/7. Had to unlog from the TV skype. Couldn't find a way to uninstall it from the TV.

I see you are online but you are not answering my calls!

I would call a "smart" TV one that allows me to zap faster, not one that takes ten to fifteen x the time my old CRT one takes to change channel....

Now OT, a previous (dinosaurish) take on the matter of "Smart appliances":

http://reboot.pro/topic/9915-the-good-thing-is-that-engineers-never-stop-to-surprise-me/

jaclaz

[JorgeA]

Here is a case that suggests government cybersnooping has gone beyond its original "national security" charter (DHS = Department of Homeland Security):

DHS uses email intercepts to question US citizen about her sex life

At first blush, a lawsuit filed last week by the ACLU on behalf of a sociology professor at Indiana University wrongly detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection seems to be about whether CBP is exceeding the limitations on its police powers, and detaining US citizens for purposes unrelated to customs and borders.

That’s bad, but unsurprising in light of the history of abuse of limited administrative search powers as a pretext for unrelated police purposes by CBP and other DHS components, notably the TSA.

What’s more unusual, however, is the complaint that the DHS is using email messages, presumably obtained from the NSA (unless the DHS has some email interception program of its own) as the basis for detention and interrogation of US citizens who aren’t trying to travel or ship any goods across US borders.

[...]

,,,unless this incident has exposed some previously unsuspected DHS email interception program, it seems likely that CBP obtained copies of email between Dr. Dr. Von Der Haar and Mr. Papatheodoropoulos from the NSA. We know that the NSA is copying and archiving as much email as it can get its hands on. But was this email traffic flagged by the NSA as being of interest, and brought to the attention of the DHS? Or did the DHS ask the NSA to retrieve these email messages from the NSA archives, and provide them to the CBP? When, how, and on what basis, does the NSA “share” its email intercepts with the DHS?

More on this story here. Full text of the lawsuit here (scroll down to about the middle of the web page). Key excerpt:

31. Given that Mr. Papatheodoropoulos had retained his hard drive that contained the emails, the only way that the Customs and Border Protection Agents could have reviewed the emails is for someone to have surreptitiously monitored the communications between Dr. Von Der Haar and Mr. Papatheodoropoulos and reported those communications to the agents questioning her.

32. Defendant Lieba admitted that employees of the United States had read email communications between Dr. Von Der Haar and Mr. Papatheodoropoulos.

So, either cybersnooping has extended beyond the NSA, or the NSA is sharing the loot. Either way, it's chilling. Give them one finger and they'll grab the whole arm.

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

... In one sense this has been going on since Windows 98 (95?). I remember when I first started using Win98FE and saw this mysterious "My Documents" directory. What do they call that, a virtual directory or something? I never did get a good handle on exactly where the documents ACTUALLY lived on the computer, which for someone like me who grew up on DOS was always a problem when I had to do some troubleshooting.

And then when Vista came along they buried the location of the Temporary Internet Files. Well, you know, sometimes you want to go back and retrieve an image you saw without having to go back and reload the web page. This would have been more of an issue had I not made the switch from dial-up at the same time I changed to Vista from 98.

Then they came up with these "Favorite Links" (Vista) or "Libraries" (Win7) in Windows Explorer. More abstraction away from where the files actually are ...

Same here, I just can't stand most of this special folders stuff. The 'Libraries' in particular have a special place in my heart .

This is of course due to us being surviving fossils from the PleisDOScene epoch, stubborn resistant to change creatures anachronistically bent on something as démodé as directly controlling where our stuff is really located .

Yeah, imagine that -- users who actually want to understand how their computers work and how their info is being managed. People who don't want to be putty at the hands of developers and UI designers.

Love that "PleisDOScene epoch" line!

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

@JorgeA

I came to the GUI kicking and screaming. We were finally getting enough horsepower to do some serious computing and Microsoft wanted to slow the thing down by putting this SLUG interface on it. At the time I equated it to going out and buying the Triple Crown Winner and bringing him/her home and hooking it up to the plow. But, I conceded and some of the niceties, such as being able to cut and paste between programs won me over. Then 98se came along and actually won me over to the GUI, then 2K cemented me firmly. THEN, along comes XP and shatters the concrete.

One of my all time complaints about the Windows (Microsoft) GUI, was that it isolated you from the nitty gritty of the system. If MS failed to implement something quite the way wanted or needed, you were basically S.O.L. Unless, of course, you were willing to learn the API and even then some times you were unable to get done what you wanted to do. In the old DOS days, you had unfettered access to the hardware and could get things done. Now, that did open some security issues, but we were not as connected in those days as we are now.

I also attribute the SLOPPY CODING we see today to the rise of the GUI and this is not just a Microsoft problem. All code today is bloated, the programmer no longer has to take into account the hardware and memory available, unless they are developing for embedded systems. In the old days, you had to write tight code and manage memory well or you were DOA. Today, the programmer has multiple gigabytes of system memory and often time several terabytes of storage available. as well as having a CPU so fast that even the worst possible code runs at an acceptable speed. So... everyone figures that there is no need to be good at optimizing code for performance.

Of course, this is a two edged sword. Personally, here a few years ago I was writing a little application for myself. It was going to have to access a data set, of a fair size but not huge, many times during the execution of the program. I did not want to subject my hard drive to the abuse of many read accesses and spent a few days mulling the problem over. Then the DUH moment finally hit me. Gee, I've got two plus gigabytes of memory in there and at any given moment I am only using what, maybe at most 30-35% of it. Then I decided I could just allocate some memory, move the data to memory and access the beegeezers out of it there, plus I gained a very significant speed increase. So, you see, you can become so set in your thinking, that the obvious becomes a bit translucent.

Sorry for getting off on the rant here, but most of the young folks truly don't grasp how important it is to be short and concise. I say that after this long winded rant.

Back closer to the subject, the first words I uttered after seeing the news about UEFI was, they are heading down the road to a system that will only allow you to load and run THEIR OPERATING SYSTEM AND ONLY, and I repeat, ONLY SOFTWARE THEY HAVE EITHER SOLD YOU OR HAVE APPROVED. From where I sit today viewing everything unfold, it appears that I had it pretty well nailed.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

bpalone

Great "rant"!

For all the improvements in usability, blah blah blah, since the introduction of Windows, there are still some mysterious, frustrating limitations. When I was on Win98, more than once I had a need to print out the contents (filenames) of a directory. I couldn't believe it when I discovered that there is no built-in way to do this! I actually had to go out and find a third-party utility to do it. :angrym: I don't know if this is still the case in more recent versions of Windows, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with Windows 9. Suppose that they fix the UI -- you get Aero Glass back, Metro can be sent into permanent exile if you wish, and so forth -- but they nail down the thing further to make it even harder to install Linux, and this time you really are required to open a Microsoft Account. Would that be worth it?

--JorgeA

EDIT: typo

Edited March 14, 2014 by JorgeA

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Once again, apologies in advance to anyone who already posted any of these, and for yet another massive comment dump. Almost two straight weeks of work and other committments. Scanning through the thread I see several of these have already been hit by Jorge, TELVM, bpalone, Agorima, LostInSpace2012 Good work guys. : I don't have time to add credit inline so I thought I'd mention it here. This should be a record for me with at least 20 posts in a row saved from just a little over two weeks. I blame Microsoft ;-)

Welcome back, Charlotte. I was getting worried that something untoward might have happened during one of those endless snow shoveling sessions. (From sometimes scary experience, I know that it's very heavy work.)

Sounds like you really got hammered. We got about 6 inches on top of everything that was already on the ground, but that's like nothing compared to what fell on you.

No problem here with inflicting the masssive data dump on us, it'll keep us busy for a while.

--JorgeA

As JorgeA mentioned earlier ... Welcome back! ... never realize how much you miss posts from various members until it actually happens. I figured it has to be the weather as you said as much earlier but the thought did cross my mind that maybe the "spooks" were nearby surrounding the property and all communication was cut off.

I guess when most of us think of spooks we picture them dressed in black, or at least I do ... easily seen in the snow but maybe they also dress in white every so often to blend in with the snow pack !

...

Thanks guys! Sure has been one helluva winter. After those four days where it went above freezing it went right back to zero F every night. It's friggin cold and the almost two feet of snow still on the ground is so frozen it will probably make it right through April. It's like white granite. And that's just the snow that fell, not the piles which are substantial and going nowhere fast. Just on the normal suburb streets are 6, 8, 10 foot snowbanks. Around the malls and stores are even more epic sized mountains. For the past bunch of years it has normally been the first few days of April when we break out the lawnmowers to pick up all the brush and leaves, cut and bag them for the first bi-monthly dropoff around April 15. Unless something changes radically by then ( and the long term forecast shows no such thing ), I expect the snow to be around until maybe May. At least this latest storm seems to be staying South of us, not even a flake thus far. Awesome :

I understand we have over 60 inches this season, an alleged record though I seriously doubt that since I can remember many other worse years. But it is hard to quantify this since they are being so secretive with the data sources. Doing some research tells me that they seem to be referring to records starting only 20 to 30 years ago. WTF! They have managed to hide or destroy over a hundred years of records in an effort to promote their climate agenda which begins after the cold and snowey 1960's and 1970's ended.

@anyone ... if you know any tricks or magic to grab the historical records for specific locations ( CSV format usually ) out of the bureaucratic scoundrels at NWS ( National Weather Service, which is part of NOAA ) then PLEASE LET ME KNOW. We own this d@mn data, we taxpayers paid for it. Yet all the stupid google hits wind up at some 3rd party site charging money.

UPDATE: most of my reply above was written almost two weeks ago, end of February. It is now March 14. We have had several days of melting finally, maybe 3 or 4, but there is still almost a foot of snow on the ground and the big piles have barely been dented. Last night another inch of snow and ice but at least we didn't get the expected four inches they predicted. It's cold again though, real cold. Ah winter.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

On other news, The Guardian just jumped over the fence.

I had some doubts that they were completely nuts after the physical grinding down of laptop chips, but they just published a story which besides being very tall, makes them undoubtedly conspiracy theory members, if you are missing some FUD, here it is:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/feb/20/edward-snowden-files-nsa-gchq-luke-harding

Interesting article. Much of it actually is very believeable, especially the part where the 'clumsy' American spook is checking him out. The question really is whether or not the author ever figured out that the clumsy spook was keeping him occupied while others did black bag jobs on him. Probably not, judging by his own demeanor which I would describe as rank amateur. The part about the computer leaves out several details like what operating system he is using, though he mentions Open Office. Had he said Windows, particulalry something recent, I would tend to believe the part about deleting the text because it likely had remote assistance enabled, or some spook designed variation planted on there because that sounds exactly like someone 'assisting' him.

Here's what immediately jumped out to me in that article ...

Our conversation took place not in Alan's office but in an anonymous sideroom at the Guardian's King's Cross HQ. Was Rusbridger's office bugged? Nobody knew.

[...]

I was part of a small team that examined Snowden's documents in a secure fourth-floor room overlooking Regent's Canal. Security was tight.

[...]

In July I flew to Rio de Janeiro to interview Glenn Greenwald, the then Guardian columnist to whom Snowden entrusted his files. The trip was pleasant. My hotel overlooked Copacabana beach; from the rooftop I could watch the surf and Rio's rich walking their dogs. Greenwald suggested we meet along the coast in the Royal Tulip hotel. We sat in the lobby. To our left a man with his back to us played with his iPhone; another individual lurked nearby. We shifted locations, twice. Eventually we hid in the business centre.

Jeez. I love how he almost pinpoints the room inside the four walls of the building ( I doubt he is smart enough to be offering disinformation there ). Whatever the spooks didn't know before is now known to them. Locating the blueprints is a simple matter and even moreso than our own spooks, their British pets will have no problem and no icky Constitutional roadblocks stopping them from doing whatever they want in there. Maybe they should check out Patriot Games for a glimpse of how easy it is to bug a room, and then perhaps realize the massive improvements expected in the 20+ years since.

Then he describes un-necessarily the South American base of Greenwald ( again, this author does not sound like he is intentionally trying to throw them off ). Far too many details. Hasn't he seen those World War II posters about 'Loose Lips, Sink Ships' and similar?

Unless he is being extremely clever in his article, Greenwald would do well to tighten his operation drastically and stay away from authors like this one. He should not be dealing with amateurs treating such a trip to Rio so cavalierly, almost like a vacation. They should know now better than anyone on Earth that these people mean business. It sure does not sound like the author yet understands that IMHO.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Foxconn is working with Google to replace workforce with robots ( TechSpot 2014-02-11 )

Adding robots into the equation would no doubt speed along the process and help save a lot of money on the employee front.

True enough, Foxconn currently has over a million workers and they have been under pressure lately over rising labor costs and workplace disputes. For these reasons, the company could serve as the perfect testing ground for Googles new robotics technology.

( Image: TechSpot )

So, first the companies in 'rich' places outsource jobs to 'poor' places since it was much cheaper to build things there. Then when those places become 'rich' and they run out of 'poor' places to exploit they outsource the jobs to robots. And very soon products will be produced and sold for great profit, however no people anywhere will be working so they won't be able to afford them. Sounds like a great plan.

Food for thought:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0874777798/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1QDK789NE79DXKKCPZCA&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

The "future" is that most work is being done automatically through robots and computers, humans get pocket money from the governments to spend on toys manufactured by bots.

I remember in the late 1950's and all through the 1960's ( and there are similar examples from the 1920's on ) how we became enamored of automation, waiting impatiently for some future time when we all had automated homes and robot slaves. This arrived with the World's Fair and the first wave of Science Fiction movies before the depression era tamped down expectations, and then revived as the people became prosperous again post-WWII. What I can't remember though is any talk or consideration of what we people would do in this utopia with all our free time besides sitting on the beach or having cocktail parties. Either people have got to work in some manner in order to finance all the steps of this journey and build the automation and the robots ( who eventually can build themselves? ), or else they must have envisioned a magic future where some crazy form of Communism sucks everyone down to a leveled common denominator. I think the same thought process is at work here again today, because they are going to run out of slaves at some point. China and India will have serious problems when their population is pulled up to and equals Western standards ( they will have our same problems ), but that problem really is this ... all that will be left relatively untouched and ripe for exploitation ( again ) is Africa! We can easily predict a time very soon where the Americas, Europe and Asia descend upon the continent and make slaves of them again to build our phones and tablets. For a real mind-bender, try to imagine what happens when they are all rich enough to afford the phones they are making. Who will be next in line to build our toys after that? There were some people warning of these things back when NAFTA and global free trade were all the rage and rushed through various governments. I guess it's safe to say that no-one has thought beyond their own little wants and needs.

Related Stories...

IBM says goodbye to x86 forever, sells server lines to Lenovo ( Ars Technica 2014-01-23 )

IBM's layoffs may include up to 25 percent of its hardware group ( Engadget 2014-03-01 )

RadioShack is Closing Down 1,100 "Underperforming" Retail Locations in the U.S. ( Maximum PC 2014-03-04 )

Staples Plans to Close 225 U.S. Stores by 2015 ( Maximum PC 2014-03-11 )

No surprise that Wall Street cheers and the news is greeted by lots of sheeple saying "great idea" for IBM and "good riddance" to Radio Shack, less so for Staples, and that is just fine as a personal opinion and all, but it leaves something unsaid. When the exodus to the third world and beyond is complete, and the step after that to robots is likewise, who will have any jobs to buy all this sh!t. We are truly seeing the birth of a Brave New World in our lifetimes, and it only is possible with a healthy dose of "Gimme Now" tunnel vision. And it was already predicted right down to the letter back in the 1990's free trade arguments.

Lenovo Comments on Strike at IBM Server Factory in China ( Maximum PC 2014-03-11 )

As far as Lenovo is concerned, it's up to IBM to deal with the matter.

"This acquisition still requires the approval of relevant government and regulatory authorities. Lenovo and IBM are two independent companies. Any integration between Lenovo and IBMs x86 server department will not be conducted until the deal is closed. The strike at the IBM server factory in Shenzhen is an internal matter for IBM," Lenovo said in a statement on its website.

At the same time, Lenovo is putting pressure on IBM to resolve the manner due to the fact that it views those workers as a "great asset and key" to the company's long term success. To help ease concerns on the part of striking workers, Lenovo vowed not to reduce their wages or benefits.

That last one there is getting into ironic territory now. IBM has been playing games here in the USA for many years. They have continually hired overseas and fired in America all the while denying outsourcing ( and there are people that buy it ). They also operate under sweetheart tax abatement deals they negotiated. Thank Wall Street for this since all they care about is revenue, growth and dividends ( and they apply this suicidal formula to all listed companies ). So now IBM has to face the 3rd world employees who want to be paid like those in the west ( well, the ones that are still being paid ). Well there's always Africa. Full circle.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Windows XP FUD Apocalypse ...

Windows XP use keeps going up, Windows 8.1 stalls in February's OS data ( NeoWin 2014-03-01 )

Windows XP market share GROWS AGAIN, outstrips Win 8.1 surge. Death wow OS reclaims title as Redmond's fastest-growing ( UK Register 2014-03-05 )

It's becoming clear that Microsoft's attempts and pleas to get people and businesses to stop using XP won't be enough to reduce its worldwide percentage substantially by the support deadline of April 8th.

At the same time, Net Application's data shows yet another OS problem for Microsoft; lots of folks are simply not updating their Windows 8 PCs to the new, and free, Windows 8.1, despite its improvements and new features. The firm's February data shows that Windows 8.1 now has just 4.30 percent of the OS market share, compared to 3.92 percent in January. That's a very tiny rise for a update that is completely free for Windows 8 users.

Yeah but that's not all "that's becoming clear". It has now been 17 months since general release of Microsoft Tiles, and 19 months since RTM and early availability. Two entire waves of new hardware have come and gone, and the excuses still remain blaming the OEMs for not somehow putting enough lipstick on this pig to sell it. Microsoft has systematically removed all the competition for this dog, including competition from its very own Windows 7 and all other options. The sales channels are flooded with crap machines running Windows 8, which explains all those licenses they brag about, yet no-one really wants them. The Playskool operating system is hovering at just above 10% if the numbers are to be believed. That is truly pathetic for a monopolized operating system that has been forcefully pushed into the OEM channels. Meanwhile, the real constant is that Windows 7 is sticking around at just below 50% of total usage, and all classic Windows versions still holding 80+ %.

That little bugaboo in their methodology is again showing itself. Recall that they made a suspicious adjustment ( at the red line in the above image ) to shave almost 4% from Windows XP. At the same time it also affected "Windows NT" which if you follow along its marketshare data it is bouncing up and down. This month they have it gaining .11 % which makes no sense that I can understand, and added another .30 % to Windows XP which probably can be explained by people firing up their computers to grab the last round of official Windows Updates.

Naturally this data angers the fanboys, with one even offering the opinion: "... but what makes me angry is that their PCs will be used to attack ours. Morons." Talk about morons? If you believe that you must also believe your more secure Playskool operating system ain't all that secure after all, right? But the real truth is that when their Microsoft Tiles toy OS gets attacked, it will be primarily by Windows 7 computers, and eventually Windows 8 if it ever achieves any marketshare. That's the truth. The bad guys will be using ... wait for it ... whatever is used by the majority at the time. Currently that is Windows 7 as the endless parade of infected computers I see verifies. It's simple really, as more computers wind up in the hands of sheeple ( like these NeoKids ) who think they are safe as long as they use MSIE for all browsing, stay connected to Windows Update, and swallow all that propaganda and FUD, then there will always be lots of computers available to host zombie botnet code and carry out those evil deeds. The kids continue plugging along with MSIE and secured modern Windows yet still point their crooked little fingers at us veterans and experts who are the ones actually cleaning up the kids' messes. With all the sh!t flying around it's like changing diapers again.

Another obnoxious little bedwetter says: Maybe they can hire people to physically push the install DVD down Windows XP users' throat.. That's funny, I was just fantasizing how awesome it would be to visit a NeoWin picnic ( probably at the lunchroom at the nearest K-6 elemtary school ) and physically insert my foot up their assets.

Expect quite a few more of these Mensa level discussions at NeoWin. They are capitalizing on the love for classic Windows and hatred of Microsoft Tiles by running FUD article after FUD article. Here's more ...

Microsoft to start nagging Windows XP users about upgrading on March 8th ( NeoWin 2014-03-03 )

Microsoft Sending Pop-Up Notifications to Windows XP Users ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-04 )

The notification is a direct push to those consumers who are still using the platform stating that it is time to abandon the decade old operating system. By utilizing Windows Update, any users who have this feature turned on will receive a desktop notification that the platform is about to become woefully unsecure (our words, not Microsofts).

By making the notification appear directly on the desktop, it will be quite hard for the consumer to plead ignorance that they were not aware that Windows XP would no longer be supported after April 8th. This direct push by Microsoft is a warning shot across the desktop for any user who is still relaying on an operating system that was designed for the technology of more than a decade ago.

Hard to tell what is crazier, that the MetroTards believe all the garbage they are spewing or that Microsoft actually believes Windows XP users are uninformed and require prompting.

Anyway, that message box would be much more truthful if it looked like this ...

Microsoft's free Windows XP transfer tool leaves you no excuses for not upgrading ( NeoWin 2014-03-03 )

Microsoft to remind Windows XP users of pending end-of-support date, offers free data migration tool ( TechSpot 2014-03-03 )

Microsoft Offers Windows XP Users Free Access to Data Migration Tool ( Maximum PC 2014-03-03 )

Microsoft's AmIRunningXP.com states the obvious, educates the consumer ( NeoWin 2014-03-03 )

Microsoft has partnered with Laplink to offer Windows XP users free access to the latter's PCmover Express, a data migration tool.

PCmover Express for Windows XP copies files, music, videos, email, and user profiles and settings from old PCs to a new one running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1. It's not an all-or-nothing affair, as users can customize exactly what they want to bring over to their new device, Microsoft says.

According to LeBlanc, the company has partnered with Laplink to create PCmover Express for Windows XP, a free data migration tool. This software will copy files and settings from a Windows XP PC to a new device running Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

"This tool will copy your files, music, videos, email and user profiles and settings from your old PC to your new device, transferring across your home or work network, and even enables Windows XP users to customize exactly what they want to bring over to their new device," LeBlanc writes.

Boy have I got a bridge for sale. A user-settings migration tool that Microsoft has NEVER been able to get right, now co-developed by the company that made overpriced transfer software only slightly more useful than DOS Interlnk. Yeah, that's not gonna work. Anyone can transfer files and no doubt this thing will just find the easy stuff on the current desktop in Documents and Settings ( hope there ain't more accounts ). But user settings? That's code for just grabbing obvious HKCU entries in NTUSER, anyone can do that too. And installed programs? Fuget about it. The meat and potatoes is littered all throughout HKLM especially their secret keys and values. And this is the main reason Microsoft could never get this right, and probably the reason they are using Laplink so they have someone else to blame ( actually Microsoft's interest always ends as soon as you plunk down the cash for the next OS, if you lose programs and stuff why on Earth would they ever care? ).

With this tool being released later this week, and for free no less, there are no excuses left to still be running Windows XP after April 8th. When the tool is released, you'll be able to find it at at Windowsxp.com

Besides all the obvious benefits of upgrading to Windows 7 or 8 like IE11, modern file structures and performance enhancements, the biggest is the improvements to security.

That's Brad Sams naturally, making sh!t up as he goes along and serving Microsoft paid or unpaid at the same time. So what, pray tell, is modern file structures? And please, MSIE! How does anyone say that being able to use newer Internet Explorer versions is a reason to give Microsoft more money? What is that, pay for torture, like a dominatrix or something? It's funny because that "reason" to upgrade literally is based upon the premise of spending cash to use a newer MSIE, not to mention losing many other things in the process. And what about "improvements to security". Name one. Completely removeable MSIE? Nope. More manageable ACL's? Nope. OCX still in use? Yup. In fact, far more components are now phoning home than ever before. There is less resemblance now to a workstation than to a network client. The bright line between online and offline has been erased by design, and that magnifies the exposure to problems, i.e., less secure. There are innumerable points of entry now, I defy anyone to really count up all the autoruns, tasks and services. This "better security" is an indefensible position to support and those that parrot it are pure propagandists or ignorant fools. The only so-called security improvements come in the form of patches of theoretical exploits, buffer overflows, and the like. Is that worth paying Microsoft for? Nope. So Try again Brad, no-one with any intelligence is buying it, just your stable of NeoKids.

Xpocalypse Not: China May Get Windows XP Support Indefinitely ( Tom's Hardware 2014-03-03 )

UPDATE: In a statement to Computerworld, a Microsoft spokesperson clarified that while Microsoft would be working with Chinese anti-virus software makers to provide continued support to users of Windows XP, it would not be issuing security patches for Windows XP after April 8.

Another Microsoft 11th hour scramble, just like with the Laplink story. Something really lit a fire under their butts. I'm starting to think that they are worried about the older EULA's in effect for Win2k and WinXP that do not prohibit class action lawsuits. That may be the real motivation to getting everyone on "modern" operating systems. The corrupt new EULAs protects them, not the customer like they try to say. This makes it yet another self-serving charade, and a real nasty one at that. Lying to everybody to generate fear about computer security just to get you to agree to a new improved EULA. Only sheeple could fall for this trap.

This really is some kinda FUD parade going on here in all the Windows XP articles. It makes the media coverage of Y2K look tame by comparison. The question is, will they again turn on a dime later and say: "oops sorry, we overplayed this thing didn't we?"

Edited March 14, 2014 by CharlotteTheHarlot

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Windows XP FUDpocalypse ( continued ) ...

Microsoft: We Had "a Great Run" with Windows XP. Now upgrade, you skinflints ( Thurrott 2014-02-26 )

"A decade later, times and technology have evolved," Microsoft Marketing Director Jay Paulus writes in the firm's Fire Hose blog. "Windows XP and Office 2003 weren't designed for the world we live in today, where technology is increasingly mobile and we have services such as OneDrive, which give us access to our files wherever we are, not to mention the new generation of devices and the always-on Microsoft Office 365."

It's more like 'Windows XP wasn't designed for a world like today where spooks demand and expect unfettered access to any computer whenever they want. Please upgrade to an operating system that is more amenable to penetration from our benevolent government protectors. Thank you very much'. That would be honest.

IE's Flash made Windows 8 most vulnerable Windows OS, research says ( TechSpot 2014-02-28 )

Windows 8 is the most vulnerable Windows OS, you can thank Flash for that ( NeoWin 2014-02-28 )

Thank Flash? No, sorry. You can thank MSIE for that. But indeed, let's all blame Flash instead, as if it doesn't exist on every other version of Windows and MSIE and alternate OS platform. Dumb@sses. Hey everybody, look at this chart posted at NeoWin ...

Got it? now look at this sentence from NeoWin ...

When you compare the vulnerabilities across the Windows OS versions, you can see that XP, Vista and 7 are all at about the same point but Windows 8 nudges ahead by about 54 vulnerabilities. While you cant directly say that the 54 additional vulnerabilities are related to Flash, we suspect that many of the additional areas of weakness are related to the Adobe software.

Ha! So where is the NeoWin headline stating Windows XP is most secure? Dumb@sses. Look, we all know what the problem is, MSIE and ActiveX. They are the geniuses that gave us such Internet Options in MSIE as 'Allow ActiveX to do anything it wants without telling you'. I have never even seen an exploit myself for Flash on alternate browsers using the plugin model ( the DLL ) but huge amounts of computers using the OCX and of course MSIE is the browser. Apparently the best kept secret in the history of computer security is the suggestion of DO NOT USE MSIE unless absolutely necessary. Please keep it to yourselves lest the bad guys over hear it and stop attacking Windows n00bs using MSIE on the latest, greatest, most secure version of Windows in the known universe!

Anyway, that sound you now hear ( pop! pop! pop! ) is the sound of bubbles of false security bursting in the narrow minds of the NeoKids who just had a chorus of epiphanies. All that 'most secure' nonsense and that entanglement of buzz words like 'sandbox' blew up in their faces. The comments are a marvel of simultaneous scapegoating of Adobe and exoneration of Microsoft ( wut? ) thanks to this article. Yeah, whatever.

Microsoft Security Essentials 4.5 may also nag Windows XP users ( NeoWin 2014-03-05 )

While Microsoft plans to keep supporting its free Security Essentials program with new signatures for Windows XP users until July 2015, the company may be planning to inform XP owners that support for the OS itself is ending soon.

Blah, blah, blah. I wonder if they realize they have been pushing out that lame message for years already on Knowledge Base pages. It's paternalistic and plain stupid. Only the most ignorant of companies would design a webpage that does not allow the possibility that the computer used to request the page at that moment in time is the same computer that the person is researching. It leads to the craziest situations where a KB article describing fixes for resuscitating a bricked system still assumes the reader is somehow using that very same stone cold dead system and feels obliged to tell them the page is designed for someone else and suggests they upgrade their OS while they're at it. Oh, the NeoKid comments? As usual a gathering of the dumbest SOBs anywhere to be found.

Microsoft to offer final fix for IE10 exploit Tuesday, along with four more security patches ( NeoWin 2014-03-06 )

Microsoft will permenantly plug an exploit found a few weeks ago in Internet Explorer 10 on Tuesday, March 10 as part of its regular monthly "Patch Tuesday" event, along with four more security updates that will fix problems in Windows, IE and Silverlight.

[...]

March's update will be the penultimate one for Windows XP. The final patches for the 12-year old operating system will be released on the next "Patch Tuesday" which happens on April 8th.

Translation, they still haven't fixed that latest bug in MSIE, an exploit that *is* actually being exploited. And yes, the author managed to work in some more Windows XP FUD, but neglected to consider that these versions of MSIE are in use on all versions of Windows. This is almost unbearable stupidity now. That magic common denominator that makes Windows a target is MSIE, the very thing that NeoNitwits evangelize about.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

Chaos in the MicroVerse ...

Julie Larson-Green Exits Microsoft's Devices Business. The last of the Sinofsky era moves along. ( Thurrott 2014-02-25 )

Microsoft Devices and Studios leader Julie Larson-Green moving to new role in company ( NeoWin 2014-02-25 )

Larson-Green follows at least one other Sinofsky acolyte, former Windows user experience lead Jensen Harris, to Microsoft's Applications and Services Group (ASG), itself a mysterious amalgamation of parts of the firm that were scattered during the recent reorganization. Depending on whom you ask at the company, ASG is either Microsoft's version of Siberia or a startup-like organization within the firm that will drive future cross-product innovations.

[...]

Almost immediately after the disastrous release of Windows 8, Sinofsky surprised everyone - including Larson-Green, as it turns outand suddenly left Microsoft. In the wake of his exit, virtually every member of his core leadership team has either left Microsoft as well or moved on to other parts of the company.

Yeah, and he sure surprised you too Paul, you and all your alleged inside sources are still very quiet about this. Anyway, the purge is pretty much complete now. Very little wiggle room for the fanboys to tell us it's all coincidence and not due to the Windows 8 debacle. It's starting to look like a vengeful God at passover wiping out the first born team responsible for the mess. Paul's got a few other articles up too ...


Microsoft's Larson-Green on Windows 8: There are 'things I would think about doing differently' ( NeoWin 2014-02-26 )

She worked closely with Steven Sinofsky on the OS and briefly lead the Windows division when he departed just after Windows 8 shipped in 2012. In today's interview, Larson-Green seems to realize that the massive shift from the desktop-oriented Windows 7 to the touchscreen-based Windows 8 could have been handled better. She states:

"Change is super hard. Theres definitely things I would think about doing differently to ease that transition. I think change was needed. I dont know that building just another Windows 7 would have been helpful."

Did she really say "Super Hard" Note, I did mean in the Microsoft lingo "Super" sense, pioneered by Gates, Ballmer, and Sinofsky in countless speeches. There really is a hardcore mindset at work there, a true bubble. Anyway, the ribbon girl is stuck on stupid, as is anyone who could still say: "I dont know that building just another Windows 7 would have been helpful." If that is the mindset of the entire team then Microsoft is screwed. This would be like Charmin no longer making toilet paper, or maybe making NuToilet Paper from plastic or sandpaper. Who dismisses and tosses away their world famous cash cow like that? What a complete bunch of clowns this team is. It boggles the mind.

The comments are once again plumbing the depths of crazyland. The kids are also stuck on stupid. Dot MetroTard: "You guys can argue all you want, but change was needed. Microsoft was in a bind with Windows whether you want to admit it or not." Yes, change from sitting on top of the world, at the pinnacle of the computer universe. Well you got your change. Like I said, Charmin Sandpaper. Tagline: "You'll get used to it once you use it a few times". Good call! Dot MetroTard even adds: "Metro has been on Windows since 2004, and no one complained, so why do you have issues with it now?" and later clarifies: "The design language that has become Metro was introduced in Windows Media Center." This shows that he is perfectly qualified to work at NuMicrosoft. MCE is a prime example of the correct implementation, a modular add-on that exists as an icon and runs in a Window without screwing up the entire operating system in the process. That *is* what they should have done, we have stated this for years here. The entire comment thread is littered with comments like this that are two inches away from the truth yet it still escapes them. Disrupting the classic interface was suicide, period. Not even offering the classic interface as a theme was salt in the wounds. Removing the Start Menu and Aero was further insult. These facts make liars out of the lot of them. All these machinations was not about adding a Media Center like extension, it was about hijacking the customers in the OEM channel into a walled garden. The company should be broken up for this crime.

This would be a fine thread for someone to post that comment from the Softie describing the Playskool interface as being for retards. All the kids seem to have already forgotten it from two weeks ago.


Microsoft Shakeup: Tony Bates and Tami Reller to leave the company ( NeoWin 2014-03-02 )

Microsoft confirms Tony Bates and Tami Reller are leaving the company, Penn gets a new title ( NeoWin 2014-03-03 )

Microsoft's "Scroogled" creator Mark Penn may become its chief strategy officer ( NeoWin 2014-03-03 )

Top Microsoft execs Bates and Reller are leaving the company after CEO change ( TechSpot 2014-03-04 )

The departure of Bates is somewhat unexpected as he was a leading contender for the CEO role after Ballmer announced his retirement. According to many reports, Bates was in the running for CEO but obviously did not get the spot and this could be the reason for his exit. Reller, on the other hand, was expected to potentially depart after growing tensions at the top of her org chart.

Bates is reported to be leaving immediately and Eric Rudder will take on his responsibilities and Mark Penn will take over Reller's duties. It was Mark Penn who reportedly perturbed Reller and that may have lead to her leaving the company.

And the bloodbath continues. Everyone connected with Sinofsky and Windows 8 is getting the Godfather treatment ( the only question is if there is a Tom Hagen character asking Michael if he "wants to kill everybody" ). It looks like they are promoting their Luca Brasi wannabe, the schmuck called Mark Penn who has no business being involved with any company listed on the NYSE since he ill serves their shareholders just by breathing. But I guess giving politicians a sweetheart job to buy influence is considered standard operating procedure these days and they all do it to some degree. Good, it gives us even more reason to detest you all. When these so-called tech companies wonder why they receive so much vitriol they can blame themselves for wasting time and money playing these stupid games and employing dirtbags.

But wait, there's so much more! Over at NeoWin the self-proclaimed 'unprofessional journalism' continues with two simultaneous controversies starting in the first article ( Brad Sams naturally ). It seems he got something wrong and stealth edited it again ( and moderated some referencing comments ) leaving everyone wondering what occurred. That's typical over there, altered stories without any explanation or footnote ( just how they managed to do that with IPB is unknown since to my knowledge it logs all changes ) ... Then, there is a second controversy from moderators banning and removing comments linking this latest article about the bloodbath to the larger Windows 8 fiasco. That's right, they actually are steering the commentary through censorship, yanking comments, and though it's hard to tell it appears Dot MetroTard is involved in some fashion, perhaps by reporting comments that point out the obvious which he/she is too thick to understand. What the heck is going on Steven? After all these years you still haven't grown any integrity or any self-respect?


Nadella Confirms Microsoft Leadership Changes, Hints at Reasons. Honestly, Reller just got Scroogled ( Thurrott 2014-03-04 )

"Mark [Penn] brings a blend of data analysis and creativity that has led to new ways of working and strong market outcomes such as the 'Honestly' campaign and the Super Bowl ad, both of which were widely cited as examples of high-impact advertising across the industry," he explains in the memo. "His focus on using data to quickly evaluate and evolve our campaigns has driven new insights and understanding ... I am looking forward to applying Mark's unique skill set across a broader set of challenges facing the company, from new product ideas to helping shape the overall areas of strategic investment. He will be a member of and an advisor to the [senior Leadership Team] and will continue to report to me."

Translation: Penn is in, Reller is out. After assisting in the transition, Reller "will then take time off and pursue other interests outside the company," Nadella explains. "I look forward to seeing what she does next." It just won't be at Microsoft.

That is one bad egg there. great job billg! You're really hitting them out of the park. And by making him war time consigliere ( but not a Sicilian ) he reports right to the top leaving the CEO and board with no-one else to point fingers at when he detonates and causes a catastrophe.

Edited March 15, 2014 by CharlotteTheHarlot