The Myth of Upgrade Inevitability Is Dead 597
Several readers pointed out a ComputerWorld UK blog piece on the expanding ripples of the Vista fiasco. Glyn Moody quotes an earlier Inquirer piece about Vista, which he notes "has been memorably described as DRM masquerading as an operating system": "Studies carried out by both Gartner and IDC have found that because older software is often incompatible with Vista, many consumers are opting for used computers with XP installed as a default, rather than buying an expensive new PC with Vista and downgrading. Big business, which typically thinks nothing about splashing out for newer, more up-to-date PCs, is also having trouble with Vista, with even firms like Intel noting XP would remain the dominant OS within the company for the foreseeable future." Moody continues: "What's really important about this is not so much that Vista is manifestly such a dog, but that the myth of upgrade inevitability has been destroyed. Companies have realized that they do have a choice — that they can simply say 'no.' From there, it's but a small step to realizing that they can also walk away from Windows completely, provided the alternatives offer sufficient data compatibility to make that move realistic."
Re:Most people don't know its an upgrade (Score:5, Funny)
I generally ask for payment based on the OS that I'm asked to install or fix:
Install/Fix Ubuntu: A beer
Install/Fix XP: A six pack of beer
Install/Fix Vista: A keg of beer, blow and hookers
Re:Upgrading must be for a reason (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Most people don't know its an upgrade (Score:5, Funny)
I generally ask for payment [...] Install/Fix Vista: A keg of beer, blow and hookers
In fact, forget about Vista and the beer.
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! (Score:5, Funny)
Making a logical comment - HERE, on Slashdot?!
Don't you know by now that when someone mentions Windows or Microsoft you should put on your best "hate-face" and go "GRRRRR"!?
Likewise, as soon as someone mentions Linux you should put on your best "smart-face" and go "A-Ha"!?
And should someone mention anything about Apple you should just smile like hell cause you just had a multiple orgasm.
Don't you know that Windows are made from stolen fetuses of prospective Linux programmers?
When the mother is asleep during her last trimester, Bill Gates swoops in through the window (hence the name of the OS) on his leathery wings, holding a coathanger and snatches that fetus right out of her womb.
Fetuses are then thrown into a giant blender, and later boiled below a huge board covered with cat excrement.
The power of Linux is so strong in those unborn programmers that their life juices condense and wash out the excrement off the board in the form of code, which Bill then steals for the next version of his unholy OS.
Something is lost in transcription, naturally, plus while all geniuses those babies do lack the experience, ergo - Windows sucks.
Didn't they teach you anything in school?
Re:Most people don't know its an upgrade (Score:5, Funny)
If I ever get laid off, can I come work with you?
Re:last sentence (Score:2, Funny)
Is that because Wine will suck less by then, or because Vista will suck more than it does now?
Re:Upgrading must be for a reason (Score:5, Funny)
They aint that clever. The justification is to keep the policy people happy. Companies upgrade because the head of IT is bored, and they don't let them play with Lego in the office.
Re:Depends of your point of view (Score:2, Funny)
That depends on whether the Soma desktop 'theme' is doing it's work properly or not.
(it's very been very thoroughly tested on the Microsoft campus)
Re:last sentence (Score:1, Funny)
Wine Is Not an Emulator!
You Fail
Re:last sentence (Score:5, Funny)
Or, the next Windows OS (9, right?) will fix the compatibility issues, toss is a bunch of shiny features, and big business will instantly jump all over it. The "myth of upgrade inevitability" isn't busted in any way. Admittedly I wouldn't call it that. I would call it the "business likes to have the biggest E-Wang", or possibly "business is dumb and vendors are scum", or anything nicely jaded will do.
Re:last sentence (Score:1, Funny)
I believe you have my stapler?
Re:Upgrading must be for a reason (Score:4, Funny)
Let me illustrate why this is all completely bogus:
Imagine a that a computer user is actually a hungry person, and that the job this person has to do is eat a bowl of soup to survive.
Imagine that this hungry person has only three ways to eat the bowl of soup:
With a spoon (Windows)
With a fork (Mac)
With a knife (Linux)
Imagine further a Free Software proponent named Richard trying to help the poor hungry person.
Richard: "You have a choice! Use the knife! It's free! It gives you freedom! You can use it to eat any soup you want!"
Hungry person: "But it doesn't actually help me eat the soup."
Richard: "The oppressor has taken away your choices! If the soup were a slice of cheese then you would be able to use this knife!"
Hungry person: "But, I'm hungry and if I don't eat this soup, I'm going to starve and the KNIFE DOESN'T HELP"
Richard: "If you don't make this choice now, when the cheese comes along, the oppressor will take the cheese away! And besides, once you choose the knife, you'll be able to make it into a spoon and eat the soup with it! You'll own the knife and will be allowed to do anything you WANT to it! Imagine that! This knife CAN help you eat the soup!"
Hungry person: "By golly, that's great! This knife can be changed into a spoon? I can do whatever I want with it?? I'll take the knife!"
Richard: "YOU ARE NOW FREE!"
Hungry person: "THANK YOU..."
Hungry person tries to use knife to eat soup.
Hungry person: "Err, this isn't working for me. Can you tell me how to make this knife into a spoon so I can eat now?"
Richard: "Submit a patch Noob."
Luddite (Score:3, Funny)
Re:last sentence (Score:5, Funny)
Almost every developer I know these days uses a Mac laptop
We still develop in Vim, we just buy Macs so we can look down on the Windows users.
Re:last sentence (Score:1, Funny)
But with MS there are more users than fanbois. There is a much higher percentage of fonbois with apple and Linux. Therefore slashdot is annoying, and everyone here still doesn't know what a vagina looks like in real life.
Re:last sentence (Score:3, Funny)
I'm a gay man, you insensitive clod!
Re:Depends of your point of view (Score:3, Funny)
You had me right up until you said 'ActiveX'.
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)