Finally, Microsoft is starting to have some more personality ...

General Topics
1

Well, we all know Microsoft. It is the software giant, the behemoth, and (used to be) unchallenged in almost every field of software.

And, it was … How can I put this … Cold, emotionless, and … Maybe just robotic? Microsoft just operated on what they felt like, putting some priorities above others where their consumers may not agree.

But now, I finally am seeing some personality out of Microsoft. Perhaps all this intensified competition (from Macs, Firefox, the problems of security, etc. etc.) has finally gotten Microsoft the motivation to innovate and listen to consumers more. They understand that Vista was a big problem on their part and the consumers … Perhaps they never wish to repeat that again ?

I just saw this page, http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,97384/article.html , and I like how Microsoft is giving almost everything an overhaul. Their pages seem more personal, directed to the person reading it. Its like they care about whats going on, and that it actually matters.

They also seem to be trying to make Windows 7 as great as they can. Though it may not be a new kernel (http://weblog.infoworld.com/sentinel/archives/2008/06/the_myth_of_min.html), they certainly are working on it. Even Bill Gates said “7” will bring amazing things (http://news.softpedia.com/news/Bill-Gates-Windows-7-Amazing-Things-88978.shtml). I hope that covers system requirements too (http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=706).

And I can see Microsoft doing well in many other fields, too. The Office Ribbon interface, even though not everyone likes it, has a unique touch to it. The GUI of the OS is getting attention (http://www.istartedsomething.com/taskforce/ + http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080531/windows-ui-taskforce-your-help-wanted/ + http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080612/ux-taskforce-theyre-listening/). Someone is even around to tell a bit of “7,” who supposedly is part of the team. Check out http://shippingseven.blogspot.com/ .

So what do you guys think? Is Microsoft changing for the better? Do you think its the right time, or too late? Do you like what they’re doing and how they’re doing it?

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It’s like they care about the bottom line, now they realise that just being Microsoft isn’t enough.

I have been doing some interesting reading in MicroMart a UK weekly magazine ‘Is Windows Dying,’ with a secondary title How do you beta Microsoft. A very interesting article, Windows still has about 90% of the desktop OS market.

However, Vista simply isn’t making the inroads on XP that MS hoped for, at July 2007, XP is estimated as having about 83% of the market with Vista only 5%. At May 2008 this is XP about 72.5% and Vista only 15%, so it isn’t growing at anywhere near the pace they would like it.

They go on to say that If Vista isn’t taken up as quickly it could impact on its MS Office sales as these are the two core money earners it could mean lean times ahead (but lean in MS is huge by comparison to other companies). They talk of the alternatives to MS Office, like OpenOffice (my next office application, I haven’t upgraded since Office 97 ;D), but they also talk of the new on-line erosion from the likes of Google who are planning to have on-line office style applications that you don’t need on your system.

So perhaps they are starting to wake up to the fact that years of ignoring or taking their customers for granted are over, hopefully so and we the customer will get a better deal, who knows.

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From what Ive heard Windows 7 is Vista Warmed over with a few more features ripped from Apple ::slight_smile:

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2008/05/windows_7_does.html
http://d6.allthingsd.com/20080527/gates_ballmer/

Every version of windows version 1.0 to Vista to Windows 7 has ripped off the Mac OS or Linux. Thats the way Microsoft works. They don’t Innovate they imitate.

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Seems that we in our countless millions pay for the imitation … rather than buy Mr. Jobs’ lot … funny about that.

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I think it a bit rich when Apple are so fearful of competition that they won’t let people buy the OSX OS, so they can have those supposedly ripped off features (surely they would be suing MS if this were true), so what else are we to do imitate ;D

I have just ordered a new base system and paid £116 for Windows XP Pro to be installed on it, now if I were able to buy OS X I might just have tried it, but there is absolutely no way I would buy a Mac just to try the OS, sorry that is just backwards.

If I want to try Linux, all I have to do is download/get a copy and install on a new partition or HDD.

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So what do you guys think? Is Microsoft changing for the better? Do you think its the right time, or too late? Do you like what they're doing and how they're doing it?
I think, [b]Happy-Dude[/b], that you sound like a hired member of MS pr-team. And I see your post as a MS propaganda.
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I think, [b]Happy-Dude[/b], that you sound like a hired member of MS pr-team. And I see your post as a MS propaganda.
I think that George Yves is an Open Source fanboy: http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/fanboy.htm or maybe just http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/enfantprovocateur.htm

Microsoft is successful and as it is so popular that it is a favorite target for wannabe hackers and script kiddies so that they can impress their friends while their pimples go away.

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Hm … I hope Microsoft doesn’t imitate a bunch of OSX features. (At least the search thing came out nice.) I can see that with IE8, they are trying to get web developers something they can play around with. What were they called, WebSlices? Of course, they are trying to get something similar to Mac’s “select-a-part-of-the-screen-and-have-it-on-a-widget-thing.”

Besides, with Microsoft’s track record lately (5-year gap, with small releases over time), what can they do about features other than imitate. After Firefox + Opera came out with the tab feature, of course Microsoft had to do something like that. Same thing with the search function, I guess they would’ve eventually got it, but someone else got it before they did.

Off topic:
George Yves, I can tell you that I am not hired or endorsed by Microsoft in anyway …

I’m just wondering about the future of the monolithic OS that’s become a sorta-standard. Yeah, I kinda feel bad for Microsoft, but that’s what they get for falling behind many things over the years ::slight_smile: .

Why in the world would you think that my post is Microsoft propaganda … ? ??? I’m just trying to get your opinion on what the heck Microsoft is and should do …

9

Interesting read

Microsoft addresses XSS in Internet Explorer

By Dennis Fisher, Executive Editor
02 Jul 2008 | SearchSecurity.com

Microsoft is planning to add a series of new security features to the next version of its Internet Explorer browser, including protection against cross-site scripting attacks.

http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid14_gci1319861,00.html

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Interesting read Quote Microsoft addresses XSS in Internet Explorer

By Dennis Fisher, Executive Editor
02 Jul 2008 | SearchSecurity.com

Microsoft is planning to add a series of new security features to the next version of its Internet Explorer browser, including protection against cross-site scripting attacks.
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid14_gci1319861,00.html

More on that with the IEBlog. Seems that Microsoft is trying hard to maintain IE security (there are more security posts after that): http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2008/07/02/ie8-security-part-iv-the-xss-filter.aspx

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Because it looks like a well-prepared essay. All its “positive-image-making” wording with carefully selected and posted links make your post sound (underlining is mine - GY) like a piece of propaganda.

So, Happy-Dude, you asked and I answered. Is propaganda a good thing or a bad one? Nobody knows for sure. But I ask now not to answer to my post - I don’t want to start a “holy war”. Everything said in my posts is my personal opinion.

And I want to ask YoKenny to avoid personal labeling. Forums are places to express IMHOs and not to find dissidents and enemies.

12

Wow, I didn’t realize that my post was that well written. Thanks for the compliment. Maybe Microsoft should be hiring me to do some of their marketing :wink: .

Erm … On second that, maybe not. Microsoft’ marketing hasn’t been the greatest since the 90s. (Just look at how the Mac ads are slaughtering Windows !!) But, I actually liked the WOW campaign, even if it was short lived. ::slight_smile:

But … Things might be looking up: http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080622/halo-3-takes-away-two-grand-prix-cannes-lions/ . ← Now that’s what I want Microsoft to market like :slight_smile: .

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Apple Has sued Microsoft over ripped off features, the most famous being over MS copying Apple’s GUI, In fact did so on a regular basis until the company nearly went bankrupt. Microsoft agreed to help the company out of bankruptcy in exchange for a cross-licensing agreement of which the terms were never fully publicized. It is that agreement that has been Apple’s Achilles heel lately in court against Microsoft.

As for not allowing others to license the OS, Thats because they did that already in the Mid 90s and the result was other computer Makers like Motorola and UMAX Making Mac Clones that were taking Hardware sales from Apple, that in turn lead to decreased revenue and the company nearly went out of existence. Thats why Steve Jobs ended the Mac OS licensing program as soon as he rejoined the Company. And also why the Mac OS is tied to Apple Hardware and most likely always will be.

As I have posted before Macworld has an excellent article all on Apple’s troubles with its Licensing program of the OS from the 90s:
http://www.macworld.com/article/133598/2008/05/macclones.html

Something that People like Me have been Trying to change since the day we were born, its why we live. If We can get Apple back even a fraction of the sales it should have if not for Microsoft’s mischievous actions we know we have done our part. :slight_smile:

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On the --who copied who, Microsoft or Mac-- topic, I remember reading a bunch and hearing lots of comments on it.

From what I get out of it, Mac’s came out with the nice-windows-GUI thing before Windows.

Funny thing is that, from what I understand, the Windows OS didn’t even come out yet. Microsoft (Bill Gates and crew) were still developing their first mainstream OS, Windows 1.0.

And from what I’ve read, there have been cases that during Windows development, Microsoft INVITED a bunch of software companies to come in and look at what Microsoft had to offer. These meetings were made for the possibility of a partnership between companies.

And, that’s it. Or at least, the version that I heard.

I don’t really care who copied who, or what belongs to what. As long as it is implemented well and it works like a charm, great, keep it, and fight the crap out to keep it, or share it, and make the entire world a better place :slight_smile: .

This blog post from ShippingSeven, http://shippingseven.blogspot.com/2008/01/who-copied-who.html , tells us a bit of this issue. I like this blogger, Soma. Really gets a point out. I like his -who the **** cares about it, really?- attitude. Its like sticking it to peoples faces and saying -let us make an OS for the people and leave us alone- .

Yeah, check out the post, and you’ll realize that … People come up with the same ideas. If its great and it’ll work, put it into it. Same thing with Microsoft OSs. Windows would’ve EVENTUALLY come out with a bunch of nice features. but the timing and working environment wasn’t right. (Like Vista search, obviously compared to Mac search, but developers couldn’t get it in immediately due to SP2 work, mostly.)

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Apple released their Mac OS with the Macintosh in 1984 in development long before then (late 1970s), windows 1.0 came in November 1985. obviously its inspiration was the Macintosh.
What Apple was upset over originally was not that Microsoft had a GUI, they well knew Windows was coming. They were upset over the fact that the GUI elements were almost identical. Things like the close boxes for the windows, in Windows 1-3.x they were on the left like the classic Mac OS. The Windows themselves so similar to the mac’s. The dialog boxes even had the rounded “ok” button Just like the Classic Mac OS. The scroll bars also eerily similar, Its like they layered the Mac OS GUI over DOS, which is essentially what they did.

Anyway, With Windows 95 Microsoft created their own GUI that we have come to know as the classic Windows interface, something truly created by Microsoft and its worked well to this day.

Lately the quibbles have been over things like Windows Search, obviously Apple’s Spotlight was its inspiration.

But these things are in the past, the future is Microsoft will have to do some innovation of its own to keep up for the next 20 years, especially with Linux on the court now. :slight_smile:

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On Microsoft’s innovation thing …

I have never really took a look at Microsoft’s Live line of services. Recently, however, I was able to grab downloads that were made available for me through Microsoft’s Live Skydrive (http://skydrive.live.com/).

Then it hit me: holy cr*p, this is pretty useful !!

Today, I looked up the Live line on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Live). As it turns out, all these services aren’t truly that bad. They just haven’t ever gotten the attention that Microsoft usually gets. I see that many products (like OneCare, though I will never use it) is getting slightly better as time goes by.

So … Microsoft is really trying to go the --cloud computing-- era (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing for those who don’t know the term). So why not give them a little chance? Me, I think I’m going for the Skydrive services soon.

Course, using other webware products (like Google Docs) will push Microsoft to try even harder. So, going both ways produces the same result :wink: !!

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Oh, .:Mac:., what I meant was that there was possibility that Mac’s may have taken some ideas off of Microsoft’s during their little invite.

Course, that doesn’t mean Apple wasn’t doing something of that sorts.

Unless we lived in that time period and were actually there, we may never know, will we?

Besides, imitation isn’t always bad. Course, it destroy originality, but sometimes products can make the imitation better :slight_smile: (not saying Microsoft’s UI is as good as Mac’s UI, I think Mac’s have a easier curve anyway) !!

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Well Microsoft was developing Excel and most likely had pre-release version of the Mac OS to test their code on. (Excel was originally for the Mac then later came to windows.) Thats most likely how they pulled it off.

Apple has not always been peachy, example, the mouse, Apple claimed to be the first when the really took the idea from Xerox.

Every company copies, but its hard to find one that does it as often and blatantly as Microsoft

19

I agree.

A Passport ID is required which is also needed for Hotmail.

I use Skydrive to share my pics with my daughter and my niece and nephew who are quite a distance away from me.

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I agree.

A Passport ID is required which is also needed for Hotmail.

I use Skydrive to share my pics with my daughter and my niece and nephew who are quite a distance away from me.


For sharing pictures, I prefer Picasa Web Albums . Here are some examples:
http://picasaweb.google.com/bob3160