Ballmer sees squeeze on Longhorn deadline

THE HAGUE, Netherlands--Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was in a lighthearted mood during a swing through the Netherlands, but did he give a serious clue about Longhorn?

During a keynote speech at the company's TechNet/MSDN Briefings here Tuesday, the chief executive talked about the Longhorn edition of Windows and new security features for the software company's products. He also joked about recent remarks in which he branded iPod users as thieves.

Longhorn will definitely be out in 2006, he said. With such a large gathering of software developers on hand, Ballmer quipped, he didn't have to point out that the target date meant sometime "around Dec. 31, 2006."

As for the iPod, Apple Computer's signature digital music player, Ballmer earlier in the week had ruffled some feathers when he implied that iPod users might be thieves. Speaking in London, Ballmer said, "We've had DRM (digital rights management) in Windows for years. The most common format of music on an iPod is stolen."

He did not repeat that phrasing on Tuesday, instead saying, "I don't know what I said exactly, but it was bad."

When asked which MP3 player his son used, he answered jokingly, "My son doesn't have an MP3 player. He has a Windows Media player." Everyone in his household knows that the protection of intellectual copyrights is important, he said. "It's what puts food on the table."

On the topic of security, Ballmer praised the statistical information that Microsoft is gathering from so-called "error reporting" functionality. This feedback, which mostly occurs when a program crashes, sends data back (on a voluntary basis) to Microsoft for analysis.

The statistical information helps Microsoft fine-tune future service packs and "allows us to fix those problems people really run into," Ballmer said.

Microsoft is planning to use the error-reporting technology not only to register bugs, but also to get feedback on the "user experience." Ballmer urged developers to incorporate the technology into their own software.

The company also has plans to create a technology that will automatically isolate machines with vulnerabilities. Ballmer said 120 million people now regularly visit the Windows Update Web site. "But hackers are smart. We can plan to do it better. We cannot plan to be perfect," he said.

One way the company plans to do things better is through research: Microsoft invests $6.2 billion in research and development. "Only the automotive industry spends equivalent amounts," Ballmer said.

Ballmer briefly talked about a recent migration by the Port of Rotterdam from a mixed platform of Linux, Unix and Oracle servers to an all-Windows network. "Now, that's the kind of migration I like," he added, drawing laughter from the room.

Lars Pasveer of ZDNet Netherlands reported from The Hague.

Longhorn named to be changed...

Not sure if this is legit, but someone released a secret Microsoft
plan which outlines changes for Longhorn, now scheduled to be
released in first half of 2005...

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.mac360.com/index.php/mac360/more/" target="_newWindow">http://www.mac360.com/index.php/mac360/more/</a>
microsofts_secret_plan_to_defeat_ipod_itms_os_x/

Microsoft also plans RIAA style legal attacks against Linux users.

It was a joke

A little early for April Fools pranks, but the article was written as
a joke. If you read the end of the article, it says, "Damn those
mushrooms. It all seemed so real."

Ballmer is laming out...

Wow... how can this guy be in charge of such a huge company?
How completely embarrassing.

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.tarmo.fi/arc/monkeydance.mpeg" target="_newWindow">http://www.tarmo.fi/arc/monkeydance.mpeg</a>
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.tarmo.fi/arc/developers.mpeg" target="_newWindow">http://www.tarmo.fi/arc/developers.mpeg</a>

Microsoft might have a chance if they got somebody new...

[Aphelion]

Automatic Isolation = NGSCB lockdown

Ballmer said: "The company also has plans to create a
technology that will automatically isolate machines with
vulnerabilities."

This of course refers to the Next Generation Secure Computing
Base (NGSCB). Formerly known as "Palladium" which will lock
down Longhorn and isolate it, and it's users, from "machines
with vulnerabilities" which of course will be ALL non Microsoft
Longhorn equipped computers. (even Windows XP).

Pressing the need for legislation to make this "lock-down" Law
of the Land and lining the pockets of the lawmakers who will
support this is the hidden agenda that will deliver all computer
users to Microsoft and thus achieve 100% ownership of the
computer using Public.

Initiatives like buying support for software patients in the EU and
the associated anti Linux FUD are part and parcel of the
overwhelming desire by Microsoft to "own it all".

Mr. Ballmer's comments about the iPod and "stolen" music are
just prelude to the effort to isolate Microsoft from any
competitors legislatively.

Resistance to this is futile, since your lawmakers are already paid
for.

Conspiracy theory

If you can even a bit of time to start reading this:
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html#mspath" target="_newWindow">http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html#mspath</a>
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html</a> &lt;-- for the full
background

...you might see a real conspiracy already in operation with
90%+ of the world's computer users. The article is long, but is
fully backed-up by hundreds of links to independant sources.

Of particular note are these sections (although it is helpful to
read earlier sections first, which is only a quick choice from
among many):
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html#palladium" target="_newWindow">http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html#palladium</a>
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html#owner" target="_newWindow">http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html#owner</a>
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html#home" target="_newWindow">http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html#home</a>

A related article from the same site:
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://aaxnet.com/editor/edit033.html" target="_newWindow">http://aaxnet.com/editor/edit033.html</a> &lt;-- MS 'security'

Love to hear what anyone else thinks after reading any of the
above.

[HuggerMugger]

MS to isolate machines with vulnerabilities?

That means 90% of Windows machines will drop off the Internet
within 20 minutes.

Microsoft, Longhorn, and accessibility.

If anyone from the offices in Redmond reads this site, I would like to say to them, as kindly and firmly as I can, in the process of developing longhorn, please...*PLEASE*...don't forget accessibility for the blind. In the past, Microsoft has rushed to make changes in the Windows OS that has turned Windows into an accessibility nightmare for the blind/visually impaired computer user. Microsoft even (unintentionally) made the blind/VI community angry with them for not consulting the blind on how to keep Windows accessible. So, please, to the longhorn development people, if you aren't already working with screen reader manufacturers like Freedom Scientific and GW Micro, you'd better start now. Why have to go back and fix it later.

Free screen reader in a better OS ...and sooner!

You don't have to depend on Microsoft 'possibly' meeting your
needs, when there is a free and better alternative just around the
corner in 2005:

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/voiceover.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/voiceover.html</a>

The current version of Mac OS X Panther, already "goes beyond
the requirements of the U.S. federal governments Section 508
Accessibility statute to provide smooth, elegant features to
those with difficulties using computers. Youll find technology
that aids seeing, hearing and using the keyboard and mouse."

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/universalaccess/" target="_newWindow">http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/universalaccess/</a>

If you ever need advice on the switching to Macs, or the massive
additional benefits, there are plenty of facts to debunk any anti-
Mac myths, plus hundreds of thousands of testimonies of people
who have stated that they will never go back to there problems
with Windows etc.

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.apple.com/switch" target="_newWindow">http://www.apple.com/switch</a>
(there are plenty of independant sources I can e-mail you if
you're interested as well - [e-mail]).

Planning vs. Doing

One way the company plans to do things better is through
research: Microsoft invests $6.2 billion in research and
development. "Only the automotive industry spends equivalent
amounts," Ballmer said.

Unlike the auto industry that produces new products annually,
Microsoft has delayed Longhorns release for 10 years.

It is comforting to Windows user to know that Microsoft only
plans to do better. I reckon that this must be the first step
before Microsoft actually does something better.