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XP or Vista user — take the poll!
zridling:
Yet another article to throw on the heap, this one from ComputerWorld:
Businesses having second thoughts about Vista — Fewer now believe it's more secure than XP, says new survey.
Carol, if you're right, then you can only imagine the future where governments control their citizenry via access.... Oh wait, some Arab nations and the Chinese government already do this, with help from corporations like Google, et al. What grinds my gears is that MS Office and Windows is sold at premium prices in Europe and the US/Canada, but sold in China bundled together for $3. Why can't I have that price!
Grorgy:
I would hazard a guess that apart from Microsoft's desire to lock in a market the price partially reflects the income of the average Chinese, around US$1500, a year not a month, so its either sell it cheap or not sell it at all. (of course PhD and Masters degree holders make about double that.)
Carol Haynes:
Fewer now believe it's more secure than XP, says new survey.-zridling (August 01, 2007, 01:13 AM)
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What a surprise ... has no one in the real world realised that the only truly secure version of any operating system is one that doesn't connect to the outside world (even via removable discs). Of course you can't install anything but what the heck it makes a nice paperweight.
The main thrust of MS these days seems to be to make money and to placate the music and video industries (ie. make it harder to actually use products you have purchased). The rest of Windows development seems more aimed at eyecandy and anti piracy - non of which really helps or encourage the legitimate user.
Actually that isn't really true - a pretty secure operating system is possible if it boots from ROM rather than the disc and doesn't all items to automatically startup with the OS. If you do get attacked all you need to do is reboot and the problem is pretty much dealt with. Trouble is most end users can't easily upgrade ROM sets. Acorn Computers took this route with the RiscOS system but they went the way of most non-MS vendors - had their ideas nicked and went out of business (except for their ARM subsidiary which has done remarkably well in the consumer device chip business).
f0dder:
Trouble is most end users can't easily upgrade ROM sets.
-Carol Haynes
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Flash ROM, baby :)
And no, wouldn't be too hard securing it against malicious "updates".
Carol Haynes:
[previous post edited]
Flash ROM, baby
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True - but it isn't really as secure as true ROM based systems. Actually it could be a very simple user upgrade - all you need is the new OS supplied on a set of ROMs mounted on an insertable card - a bit like a PCMIA socket on laptops. Then to upgrade all you do is pop out the old card and pop in a new one and reboot. No hours of reinstalling everything, no need for activation, piracy becomes a lot more difficult because you would need large fabrication plants .... what are the disadvantages?
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