"Bad Vista" site launched by the FSF

[iago]

http://badvista.fsf.org/

As much as I don't like harassing competition, I think that site says what has to be said. 

"Vista's features are a trojan horse to smuggle in a more restrictive OS".  I like that.  I've been saying that since the beginning of Vista -- anybody who upgrades is losing their right to their own computer.  That's a bad thing.

Among other harms, BadVista.org will focus on the danger posed by Treacherous Computing in Vista. Commonly called Trusted Computing in the industry, it is an attempt to turn computers from machines controlled by their user into machines that monitor their user and refuse to operate in ways that manufacturers don't authorize.

[Ergot]

I agree with that little quote there :|

[Ersan]

Oh my god they force you to PAY for their SOFTWARE?  What an evil enterprise.

[Newby]

And that TC requires a compatible chip on the BIOS, and it only matters if you plan to do BitLocker. Those evil COCKSUCKERS!

[Ersan]

You can use a thumbdrive for bitlocker keys too (IIRC).

Does FSF do anything anymore but bitch about other operating systems and how most people forget the GNU in GNU/Linux?

[Newby]

You can use a thumbdrive for bitlocker keys too (IIRC).

Does FSF do anything anymore but bitch about other operating systems and how most people forget the GNU in GNU/Linux?

Sure they do. They make up nasty rumors about operating systems, and say "its only a matter of time until microsoft controls yoU!!!!"

[iago]

Did you guys actually read the article?  It's actually quite good.

I look forward to the day when all software is required to buy a trusted-computing license and all mp3's require DRM for any of it to work on Vista.  Then I can laugh at the general populace!

Does FSF do anything anymore but bitch about other operating systems and how most people forget the GNU in GNU/Linux?

Yes, it does very little bitching.  This is more of a warning than a bitching. 

[Newby]

The article on the main page? All it did was say "WE ARE HERE TO BITCH ABOUT VISTA"

I decided to read one of the articles on the side. I picked the one on battery. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9006220&pageNumber=2

A Gateway Inc. representative agreed that Microsoft's power conservation steps can make a difference in compensating for the extra hardware.

"We've done extensive testing, and we haven't seen [shortened battery life]," said Gateway spokeswoman Kelly Odle. "While it is true that Vista has higher system requirements than XP, it also has more sophisticated mechanisms to allow for power savings."

Still, users who need to preserve battery life will face a trade-off in giving up some of the most impressive new features, said Richard Shim, an analyst at IDC, a Framingham, Mass.-based research firm.

@ bold: Yeah, it's a battery killer. It could kill your battery! It could also give you herpes. Key word: could.

@ red: As opposed to, oh say, installing Linux, and giving up not only those impressive features, but having shitty power management (every distro I have ever tried has failed to hibernate. Don't give me this driver compatibility shit.) along with lack of compatibility for all your favorite software.

Vista could sap laptop PC battery life
But turning off its flashy Aero interface could save juice

Wait, you mean Aero uses more battery? SAY IT AIN'T SO!

[Ersan]

Yes, I read the article, ALL it is is bitching and overhyped accusations with little factual basis.  It's no more than a marketing blitz to get more people to use their software, every time I read "the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants" it makes me giggle.

[iago]

@ bold: Yeah, it's a battery killer. It could kill your battery! It could also give you herpes. Key word: could.

How, exactly, could it give you herpes?

[Ersan]

Ask FSF, I'm sure they can come up with something.

[Newby]

The article about DRM:

It's important to note that OCMP compliant hardware is not required to run Windows Vista. Certified hardware and drivers will be required to play protected content only. For the foreseeable future, this will encompass HD DVD, video and possibly audio. Users that do not intend to access these media types on their home PC will be unaffected by Vista's DRM features.

So if I watch HD DVD (I don't plan to upgrade to it any time soon) or DRM'd video/audio files, I have to have special hardware.

God, I'm glad I don't have DRM on any of my pirated music!

@ bold: Yeah, it's a battery killer. It could kill your battery! It could also give you herpes. Key word: could.

How, exactly, could it give you herpes?

If you manage to get a strain of herpes virus on your computer keyboard and you kiss it, you could get herpes!

Just like if you run all the high-powered features that come with Vista (Aero for instance) and try playing a game like Neverwinter Nights at the same time, you'll find that it could lower your battery life.

...

Just use common sense and disable intensive features. If you ask, "how will the average user know what's an intensive feature" then Linux is not ready to replace Windows, so there's no real reason to compare the "Gnu operating system" to Windows. Just get over the fact that GNU/Linux will never penetrate the marketshare dominated by Windows any time soon.

[iago]

I don't even care about comparing Linux to Vista, I'm not about to tell people to get off Windows.  But there are a lot of reasons I'd rather see somebody on XP than Vista. 

[MyndFyre]

You know iago, the only operating system that *REQUIRES* a TPM is....

I'll give you a hint: it's a BSD derivative.

That's right, Mac OS X Tiger, while running on Intel hardware.

Even my brand-new SLI motherboard didn't have a TPM, which kind of disappointed me because I wanted to enable BitLocker.

And, this is the kind of shit that gets the FSF laughed at:

Obviously MS Windows is already proprietary and very restrictive, and well worth rejecting. But the new 'features' in Vista are a Trojan Horse to smuggle in even more restrictions.

Obviously.  That's why Windows has massive marketshare.

FSF is a bunch of old and bitter guys.

[iago]

You know iago, the only operating system that *REQUIRES* a TPM is....

I'll give you a hint: it's a BSD derivative.

That's right, Mac OS X Tiger, while running on Intel hardware.

Mmhmmm.. what's that have to do with anything?  I'm not a Mac fan either, for the record.

And, this is the kind of shit that gets the FSF laughed at:

Obviously MS Windows is already proprietary and very restrictive, and well worth rejecting. But the new 'features' in Vista are a Trojan Horse to smuggle in even more restrictions.

Obviously.  That's why Windows has massive marketshare.

Yeah, because the average windows user understands that.  Whether or not Vista (NOT Windows!) is evil, people would use it anyway for all the pretty features.

FSF is a bunch of old and bitter guys.

Microsoft is a bunch of Satan-worshippers.  That's about as relevant

[Ersan]

So people shouldn't use Vista because they have to pay for it?

[Warrior]

I'd rather have someone on Vista as opposed to someone on XP any day.

All the FSF does is bitch about stupid stuff that no one will ever care about.

My grandmother isn't going to care about DRM
My mom isn't going to care about DRM

In fact, the only people even crying over DRM are the computer savvy people.

FSF are like hippies. Jesus christ.

[Joe]

FSF are like hippies. Jesus christ.

I agree (wait.. WHAT?!) with Warrior.

@Newby: You might want to change your password. You dad apparently has access to your account.

[Warrior]

Lets forget:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_Vista

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_and_safety_features_new_to_Windows_Vista

because some dumb fsf people start a site.

[iago]

My grandmother isn't going to care about DRM
My mom isn't going to care about DRM

I think my least-favorite "improvement" for parents is the lack of the word "start" on the "start menu" -- that's going to cause a lot of headaches

[Newby]

@Newby: You might want to change your password. You dad apparently has access to your account.

lol. My eyes have been opened!

[Warrior]

My grandmother isn't going to care about DRM
My mom isn't going to care about DRM

I think my least-favorite "improvement" for parents is the lack of the word "start" on the "start menu" -- that's going to cause a lot of headaches

My mom didnt have too much trouble, she's a semi power user and uses the Windows Key.
My grandmother hasn't complained about it. Maybe she figured that one out on her own

[Chavo]

My grandmother isn't going to care about DRM
My mom isn't going to care about DRM

I think my least-favorite "improvement" for parents is the lack of the word "start" on the "start menu" -- that's going to cause a lot of headaches

Because its so hard/confusing to say "Windows Button" instead of "Start Button" ?

come on man, don't be such a zealot that you make stupid arguments like this!

[iago]

Because its so hard/confusing to say "Windows Button" instead of "Start Button" ?

come on man, don't be such a zealot that you make stupid arguments like this!

I'm not a zealot, unless you mean I'm a Windows XP zealot.  Which I most definitely am not.

I know that my grandpa isn't going to be able to find the "Windows logo button", tech support guys are going to have to walk them through clicking "on the circle in the corner at the bottom of the screen" -- I know enough tech guys who deal with enough idiots.  3/4 of my friends work for Comcast.

[Newby]

I know that my grandpa isn't going to be able to find the "Windows logo button", tech support guys are going to have to walk them through clicking "on the circle in the corner at the bottom of the screen" -- I know enough tech guys who deal with enough idiots.  3/4 of my friends work for Comcast.

Oh no. Another ten seconds extra on the phone. Sure, it adds up, but it isn't that big a deal. It's not taking two-three minutes each time!

[Ersan]

Dumbasses shouldn't be allowed to use computers.

[MyndFyre]

Dumbasses shouldn't be allowed to use computers.

Good call.  Lead the charge and then we won't have to see you on the forums!

[Warrior]

Dumbasses shouldn't be allowed to use computers.

Good call.  Lead the charge and then we won't have to see you on the forums!

HAHA!

It's called the Windows Orb and it will become more common as Vista takes more and more home computers.
It's not that radical a change, and it's refreshing at best

[Ersan]

Learn how to spell statutory and then you can talk.

[Newby]

Learn how to spell statutory and then you can talk.

That wasn't MyndFyre.

[Ersan]

Yes, it was.