Comments on: Gates taking a seat in your den

Microsoft's chairman chats with CNET News.com just before CES about his company's consumer push--and why he hasn't done a blog yet.

Nice Ad for Microsoft

Nice, wordy ad for Microsoft. Nothing like a little balanced
reporting with links only to Microsoft products and technologies
but no easy links for the uninformed reader to follow to
competitors' technologies mentioned in the interview.

[Al Johnsons]

Microsoft products and technologies

http://www.analogstereo.com/saturn_s_series_owners_manual.htm

nothings going to change!

Microsoft is Microsoft, known for the famous BSoD and other stuff and Opensource is Opensource, "personally I think this is all just a huge money making scheme" Most ppl use both to some extent and should appreciate the technology available. If you don't like it, tuff, don't say anything :)

"but IE is also on those systems"

"So when people say Firefox is being downloaded onto people's systems, that's true, but IE is also on those systems."

Yes Bill, that's because you're a monopolist. You use dominance in one market to obtain unfair, anticompetitive advantage in other markets. You support the adoption of software patents in countries like mine, in order to gain further unfair advantage over any potential competitor, wherever they might arise. Software patents - if they should exist at all - should be for 5 years max not 25. But they shouldn't exist, since clearly the software industry has flourished as none other in history with just copyright protection. For an example of the new law that Microsoft supports, now any time I am asked to write a mail merge as part of my job, I have to wonder, will my method be too similar to one with your name on it at the patent office? Regardless if the algorithm is the same - I thought of it just like you did and until now in my country I had just as much right to use the idea as you. But you got to the patent office first with many tens of thousands of dollars I don't have, and now you own the idea for commerical purposes.

That's disgustingly unfair, anticompetitive and ultimately, anti-innovation.

Time I went outside and shouted the obscenities I refrained from typing just now...

[Scott W]

Uninstalling

It is also nearly impossible for the average comuter user to uninstall ie anyway.

Libertarians are, of course, communists

I already commented on the communist bit, but an additional note warrants presentation: by Bill's apparent theory, libertarian philosophy is akin to communism. This is patently ludicurous, and puts the rhetoric in its rightful place.

Incidentally, I am not a libertarian, but I have respect for the position in this matter, and many, but not all, others. Note also that I don't count those self-proclaimed libertarians who seem to put property, not liberty, first (in the form of strong intellectual property limits on liberty). I tend to call them more appropriately "propertarians" instead. Even if we'd accept them under the title "libertarian", though, there is also a sizable flock of libertarians who'd fall under this neo-communism, and that is plainly ridiculous.

[Scott W]

underestimate

"Some percentage of users are going to try Firefox and IE side by side, and use the one that's best."

Yes, Bill, they will use Firefox

"In terms of our agility to do things on the browser, people who underestimated us there in the past lived to regret that."

No-one underestimated your Sofware Skills, just your Business Skills and ability to put companies out of business.

"And so with auto update and IE, you're getting the top security team and the quickest response team that there is anywhere."

And yet many problems go unsolved for years.

[rdean]

Response time

"And so with auto update and IE, you're getting the top security team and the quickest response team that there is anywhere."

To add to that, Microsoft only fixes what they admit is a security problem. If they don't acknowledge that, the bug lasts for months or years before it gets fixed (if it even gets fixed at all).

[DemiHampster]

Hey Billy

The world is waiting breathlessly for a television that we'll
have to reboot at the climax of any given story.

[Scott W]

true, true

and hi-fi's that switch off halfway through a song.
And mobile phones that bring up the BSOD halfway through a phone call.

Hey Bill !!! Pocket PC!!

the pocket pc is tops... I plan on using compact flash drives in my pda to boot desktops and access my personal data on the run.. (I wish CF USB 2.0 host adapters were out) plus, I dont feel comfortable leaving my data anywhere nowadays... I plan to purchase the dell x50v in a couple of days... been using the t-mobile xda for about 2 years but the ip service is too slow.. but I was streaming music in my car for quite some time... plan to go with a ms smartphone with edge and bluetooth connectivity... hurry up the 64-bit stuff... I am waiting for the new version of vmware to set up windows servers and xp clients within suse64... I loved my little acer tablet pc but it got stolen... I have been thinking about getting another tablet when the new tablet os comes out... but it must be minimalist with long battery life... get sony to use the tablet os with there portable tv things.... maybe windows CE.net..

[dejo]

Over my dead body

"LAS VEGAS--Bill Gates is coming to your living room, whether
you like it or not."

I find this sub-headline start to the article quite insulting, as if I
have no choice in the matter. I do. And if Bill Gates plans on
coming to my living room, whether I like it or not, I will choice to
meet him at the door with my shotgun.

[201293546946733175101343322673]

Fix Your Grammer

"I will choice to meet him"? Give me a break.

[Llib Setag]

M-S-C-E-S?

When did the Consumers Electronic Show become the Microsoft
Electronics & Software For The Consuming Masses Show?

Goodbye Comdex, Hello MSCES!
(We Love Msces to pieces!)

Just start a MicrosoftWorld Expo already...
(It's a MSWorld after all...)

Neo-Communist Jefferson and the Constitution

What do you know, Thomas Jefferson is a neo-commie too:

?If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of everyone, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it. Its peculiar character, too, is that no one possesses the less, because every other possess the whole of it. He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lites his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. That ideas should freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man, and improvement of his condition, seems to have been peculiarly and benevolently designed by nature, when she made them, like fire, expansible over all space, without lessening their density at any point, and like the air in which we breathe, move, and have our physical being, incapable of confinement, or exclusive appropriation. Inventions then cannot, in-nature, be a subject of property. ? - Thomas Jefferson, 1813

Also, let me quote the US Constitution: "The Congress shall have power ... to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries"

To promote progress, not to protect something inherently considered as property. For a limited time. As a compromise, so that creators have incentive to create.

Now, as to how much especially software patents promote progress, I'll just quote Bill Gates from 1991:

"If people had understood how patents would be granted when most of today's ideas were invented, and had taken out patents, the industry would be at a complete standstill today."

are u for or against?

I am completely in favor of protecting intellectual property not just to create an incentive to creators but to actually appreciate the act.

Most ppl who rally against protection are not creators themselves, so they cannot appreciate the pain it takes to produce something that has never been in existence.

But if an individual develops an idea totally independent of a another one, even if they are completely similar, i do not think the latter developer owes the former an loyalty or royalty.

Hmmm.

Well even though espn way post an update, you lost your crecability with me, seeing as it is a sports network. As for microsoft, if they did things right, the software released should be a lot more polished than they are currently letting it go. Microsoft has to large a user dependency for there sloppy software releases to have a large effect on them, but looking back windows ME was trash and XP has had an abundance of flaws, and a large lack of proficiency. I run windows XP and i find it rather cumbersome to be constantly update to stay ahead of the flaws. I do think open source is a good idea, but it might have a large negative effect on the market in its current and future conditions. Microsoft has a some slack to pick up in their program R/D section but they are going to be a lasting companying and most likely the one in the lead for a long time to come.

Hmmm...

Well, MS must do better, but if you move to Linux, be sure to patch the 7-8 vulns, including the latest kernel patch (which requires a reboot) every month...

www.secunia.com if you don't believe me...

Bill, you need one of these!

http://www.cafepress.com/commonist

[LilBambi]

Gates talking about connectivity

When there are areas in the US where folks are still limited to dialup, it really gets to me when these companies talk about getting connectivity to third world countries, especially broadband. Why can't they help get Verizon, Cox, Charter, etc. expanding their coverage area instead of upping the ante on bandwidth and features for those that already have their services. Verizon, Cox and Charter are all around our area (less than one mile, 3 miles and 6 miles respecively) and NONE of them have any plans at all of coming into our area in Virginia. Sigh....

Linux?

Why no mention of Microsoft's losses to and morally devoid tactics against the Linux movement?

I switched about 9 months ago to Linspire. Truly the best move I have made. Much cheaper.

No blue screen of death. No incessant violations of my personal boundaries. No lock ups. No virus problems and no high maintenance marathons. No spyware promlems. Effortless installations. And best of all - NO wife MS tirades or complaints! etc etc etc.

Why does anybody put up with this guy's junnk? I don't know. I have only one program I can't get an equal or better replacement for - voice recognition. I am confident it will be forthcoming.

Similarly, from what I read, even Mac is as virus vulnerable as Microsoft.

[t8]

IE is insecure because

IE is built into the OS (kernel) which creates a vulnerability right into the heart of their OS. Firefox is an application that sits on the OS.

MS will have to spend more on security forever because of this decision. Of course this is one major reason why IE killed NS, but now this strategy may kill IE as it will be vulnerable forever.

Ahem...

IExplorer and Explorer.exe are user mode processes, not kernel mode.

The integration you speak of was tying it into the Win32 development environment, which also runs in User Mode.

Any elevation of priv that comes from IE is thru this, not an attack on the kernel...

King of communists

Microsoft has 90 % of the PC. almost totality. And then it will be
joint Microsoft for everyone.

Still a small effort to lead to this model of paying "Communism"

[Al Johnsons]

90 % of the PC

http://www.analogstereo.com/saturn_ion_owners_manual.htm

[201293546946733175101343322673]

The Fact Is

FireFox still has secirity risks, just like MSIE, so stop complaining and say MSIE is a dangerous product for consumers. My IE is stable too, maybe you "carelessly" install some spywares to make it unstable?

Google Desktop has serious security risks too, and you are STILL using it?

Adn, nobody wants you to wait for Longhorn, use something else now and then :)

Firefox is built on security: IE is built on ActiveX

Firefox is more secure despite not having security attacks as reddily as IE.

Firefox allows users to block scripts, images, and cookies. I.E. does not.
IE uses the notorious ActiveX, which was used as a trojan horse for viri writers. Firefox does not speak ActiveX.

Furthermore Microsoft have tried numerous times to bully companies into modifications for "Their" benefit- Sun into adding Microsoft-specific additions to the Java enguine. When Sun didn't buy it, Microsoft did not install Java virtual machine on windows machines as standard and invented "ActiveX", and have added non-CSS approved styles to stylesheets that only work in IE.

Firefox takes the web for what it is according to web authorities and protects the user it is serving. Microsoft's dusty-old I.E. is interested only in flashy "microsoft" add-ins and couldn't care less about the safety of the person(s) who are driving it- like a sportscar with dodgy breaks.

Whatever Loghorn is it cannot be more than a slip in the right direction, never-mind forward thinking of the perrils netusers will face in the future, because Microsoft only really care if you get the box home and take it out of its plastic so you have a very hard time returning it.

Computer industry advances

This is a bit off-topic, but I am very surprised that Bill Gates has the courage to tout the "computer industry advances" while 92% of the computers are slowed to a crawl by spyware, and e-mail cannot be relied upon because if you send an important e-mail it might end up labeled as junk and in a black hole. Not to mention that I don't trust the hibernate feature on my laptop, because I have to clear the Windows memory so often.
These are advancements? Thank God the auto industry didn't advance like this.
Another thing: Microsoft software is driven by what customers want...Hmmm... So, customers didn't really want a pop-up blocker before XP SP2...Funny.

[ElectricRanch]

Bill gates - Programmer

I was the software manager for a company, Compucolor, in the 1970's which bought the source for Microsoft Basic. I read the code written by Paul Allen and Bill Gates. They were both excellent programmers.

[Al Johnsons]

Paul Allen and Bill Gates

http://www.analogstereo.com/saab_9-3_owners_manual.htm

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