Microsoft and Freedom of Choice
How a subtle note blossomed into a full Blog entry
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
So...
I sit here about to write my first article. At the top of the page:
"HTML Markup - It is recommended that you use an editor, such as MS-FrontPage when creating your content. This will help to decrease errors, such as spelling and grammar and ensure reliable code creation when copying to the body field."
Tsk. Subtle Microsoft ad.
I know that there are both Pro-Microsoft and Anti-Microsoft zealots, locked into a war for dominance. I felt I had to say something.
On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being a full-on Microsoft Junkie, and 10 being a full-on Anti-Micro$oft detractor, I'd have to say I'm a 7, somewhat anti-Microsoft-leaning. I currently have two computers. One is a custom-built dual-boot system ( Windows XP and Windows 98 Second Edition) with a top-of-the-line set of hardware (Pentium 4, 512 DDR RAM, 160GB hard drive, nVidia graphics card), used for just about everything. The other is a horribly-out of date HP Vectra with a Pentium 75, 32 MB of ram, and a total of 4 GB of space. The slower box runs Slackware, a version of Linux. (Let me just say, I chose this particular version for two reasons. 1]It was free, requiring only a series of BitTorrent downloads and 2]It was well documented. If you'd like to send me a free copy of SuSE or Red Hat, be my guest.)
On the windows box, I try to run no other windows programs if I can avoid it.
Microsoft Office? No thanks. I'll take OpenOffice.org. It's free, It's just as powerful, and has only what I need (word processing/spreadsheet/presentation).
OutLook? Nah. Currently I use Netscape Messenger, and I might be switching to Mozilla Thunderbird.
Internet Explorer? Hell No, Too Buggy. Give me the stable, open-source Mozilla Firefox, or if that's not available, Netscape. And I resent any website that is labeled "Best Viewed with IE" because it probably contains Microsoft's inaptly-named "Smart Quotes." For a more full explanation of why, visit http://www.anybrowser.org/campaign/index.html.
and finally I come to Frontpage. Same reason I don't use Word and IE. Smart quotes. I'll write my HTML by hand, with Notepad, thank you. (Or in some cases, I'll write a Java app to do it for me.) Builds a greater understanding of how HTML works anyway.
There's one more reason: Majority.
Here's the situation: 95% of users use IE. 5% use something else.
Thus, it would be easier to write Viruses specific to IE. Hits more people. Gets a primetime news story, gets publicity, and onwards.
Meanwhile, my browser is safe. Same thing goes for Word macros and Outlook viruses that send themselves to everyone in your Outlook address book.
This of course makes not just Linux systems, but Unix systems in general as well, safe from these program-specific viruses, because those programs are not compatible.
But if there's one place where Windows has Linux beat, it's GAMES. I am a rabid gamer and I never get rid of a game when I'm done with it because I might play it again. (Usually I do. ) And Windows has Unix and Macs beat for selection.
I do have a vintage DOS game collection, and when it comes to older DOS-based games, neither side wins. SourceForge has a program called DosBox with versions for both windows and x86 Linux (and solaris) systems. For Recent games, all versions of Quake and UT2004 are available for both as well. So are DOOM and Civilization. But not some of my old favorites. Which is why I have a dual-boot system: For those games too new for DOS but too old for XP.
Okay, there's my story. Tell me yours.
I sit here about to write my first article. At the top of the page:
"HTML Markup - It is recommended that you use an editor, such as MS-FrontPage when creating your content. This will help to decrease errors, such as spelling and grammar and ensure reliable code creation when copying to the body field."
Tsk. Subtle Microsoft ad.
I know that there are both Pro-Microsoft and Anti-Microsoft zealots, locked into a war for dominance. I felt I had to say something.
On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being a full-on Microsoft Junkie, and 10 being a full-on Anti-Micro$oft detractor, I'd have to say I'm a 7, somewhat anti-Microsoft-leaning. I currently have two computers. One is a custom-built dual-boot system ( Windows XP and Windows 98 Second Edition) with a top-of-the-line set of hardware (Pentium 4, 512 DDR RAM, 160GB hard drive, nVidia graphics card), used for just about everything. The other is a horribly-out of date HP Vectra with a Pentium 75, 32 MB of ram, and a total of 4 GB of space. The slower box runs Slackware, a version of Linux. (Let me just say, I chose this particular version for two reasons. 1]It was free, requiring only a series of BitTorrent downloads and 2]It was well documented. If you'd like to send me a free copy of SuSE or Red Hat, be my guest.)
On the windows box, I try to run no other windows programs if I can avoid it.
Microsoft Office? No thanks. I'll take OpenOffice.org. It's free, It's just as powerful, and has only what I need (word processing/spreadsheet/presentation).
OutLook? Nah. Currently I use Netscape Messenger, and I might be switching to Mozilla Thunderbird.
Internet Explorer? Hell No, Too Buggy. Give me the stable, open-source Mozilla Firefox, or if that's not available, Netscape. And I resent any website that is labeled "Best Viewed with IE" because it probably contains Microsoft's inaptly-named "Smart Quotes." For a more full explanation of why, visit http://www.anybrowser.org/campaign/index.html.
and finally I come to Frontpage. Same reason I don't use Word and IE. Smart quotes. I'll write my HTML by hand, with Notepad, thank you. (Or in some cases, I'll write a Java app to do it for me.) Builds a greater understanding of how HTML works anyway.
There's one more reason: Majority.
Here's the situation: 95% of users use IE. 5% use something else.
Thus, it would be easier to write Viruses specific to IE. Hits more people. Gets a primetime news story, gets publicity, and onwards.
Meanwhile, my browser is safe. Same thing goes for Word macros and Outlook viruses that send themselves to everyone in your Outlook address book.
This of course makes not just Linux systems, but Unix systems in general as well, safe from these program-specific viruses, because those programs are not compatible.
But if there's one place where Windows has Linux beat, it's GAMES. I am a rabid gamer and I never get rid of a game when I'm done with it because I might play it again. (Usually I do. ) And Windows has Unix and Macs beat for selection.
I do have a vintage DOS game collection, and when it comes to older DOS-based games, neither side wins. SourceForge has a program called DosBox with versions for both windows and x86 Linux (and solaris) systems. For Recent games, all versions of Quake and UT2004 are available for both as well. So are DOOM and Civilization. But not some of my old favorites. Which is why I have a dual-boot system: For those games too new for DOS but too old for XP.
Okay, there's my story. Tell me yours.
