Posts by dogged

Developers get to touch Microsoft's SmartGlass

Re: All mobiles, or just WP7 / 8?

All mobiles.

Motorola demands 'excessive' Xbox royalties

$0.50/copy of Windows OS?

Okay, they're just taking the piss now.

Campaign to reduce RIM jobs gets underway

title

You bast5ards, I liked that keyboard.

Microsoft's uncloaks Phone 8 developer preview

Re: problem?

bored?

Gotta be a reason you're posting about a thing you don't care about and which is already dead, according to you.

Right?

Re: Yay

I It was liked the black bar. It kept your thumb off the tiles when scrolling. It gave a clear view of where to find the App List. It was tidy. Clean.

The WP8 homescreen looks like a cluttered mess.

Sure, the features are good (especially MicroSD support) and I don't much give a damn about not being able to upgrade my November 2010 phone to an OS that makes it runs like a three-legged dog but really, despite all the retarded comments about wasted space we got from fandroid trolls, it was clean. It was simple. It was minimal.

This is just a mess.

Microsoft set to 'do a Nexus' with its Surface tablet

They didn't. Technically. They said "we're launching a new thing, show up and find out" and then they let the internet do all the hyping.

I didn't see any MS ads anywhere for Surface before the event.

Microsoft takes on tablets with keyboard-equipped Surface

Re: HP and Dell?

No pulling of anything - these are Win7 licenses for a company-wide upgrade.

Re: HP and Dell?

but from what I always heard

Really? From a bloke in the pub? From somebody on the Internet?

I can't tell you exactly what HP pay for each Win7 copy because that's not openly available information. HP negotiate their price and regard it as a closely-guarded trade secret. So do the other OEMs.

I can tell you that the company I work for has more than 50,000 PCs worldwide and we pay just under $10/u on volume licensing. I can also tell you that the more licenses you buy, the lower the cost drops. $5 is a very conservative estimate when you're talking about millions of units.

Re: HP and Dell?

The rumor is that MS will be charging full price ($85) to OEMs for WinRT.

Oh for fuck's sake, not this FUD again.

HP don't pay $85 for a Windows 7 license. They pay bulk discount rate and the final figure is normally $5/license. Dell are the same. Asus and Lenovo and all the other OEMs? Oh yeah, those too.

Dave's Computer Building Services of 19 Nadger Street, Choad might well pay $85. No actual player does.

Re: BAU for MS then?

"The reason for buying Windows is to run Windows programs."

What's the justification for buying Android? A deep and abiding love of FOSS*? Around here, possibly. Everywhere else in the Universe, probably not. A pants-tightening slavish love of Google? No, or there'd be a market for Chromebooks.

It's cheap and doesn't crash as much as the last version? Yeah. Now we're getting somewhere.

If MS deliver an experience that's price-comparable and doesn't crash at all (you can hate on WP7 all you like but it's rock-solid stable, as a controlled hardware/software platform should be) then the criteria change.

At that point, it's not about "is it cheaper" but about "does it work with my other stuff".

Your other stuff may be 100% Android/linux but you have to admit that's an edge case. And Android tablets and phones do not integrate all that well.

That sort of leaves the field there for the taking, barring only Apple Cultists who will always buy Apple anyway.

*For highly flexible values of FOSS

Retina Display detachment

Re: I don't get the fuss

768GB SSD?

Well yes, although it will cost you the Netherland's entire Armed Forces budget if you do.

And I don't carry an ethernet cable and have never been unable to find one on a client site. They pay you to work, not knock one out over how shiny you laptop is and therefore, they find you a bloody cable.

Microsoft plots entry into tablet trade

Re: The last time Microsoft decided to go it alone with hardware...

Barry is still butthurt that Microsoft make money on the 360 now and haven't had their multiplayer network pwned.

Poor Barry. Not much resale value on a PS3 these days, huh?

Re: Curious...

I agree.

On the other hand, they did make noises about an ebook reader and they've climbed into bed with Barnes and Noble, so something in that vein might not be an unreasonable expectation.

Foundering Nokia pushes 10,000 bods, 3 veeps overboard

Re: They're making the wrong one redundant

An ability to recognize a species does not mean one considers oneself a member of a different species.

Consider it merely a reminder.

What we think and what we type here is pretty much bullshit.

Joe Public doesn't give a shit if his phone is Android or WP or even Symbian as long as it's a "good phone". He probably wants an iPhone because it has an (in my opinion unjustified) good reputation but sees it as an unreasonable expense.

Beyond "iPhone, Blackberry, HTC, Samsung, Nokia" it's all just nerds talking bullshit. The public don't care about OS.

Re: They're making the wrong one redundant

Oh Barry, I knew you'd show up.

It was the "XBox division is still losing lots of money" lie that gave you away.

You pro-Sony FUD-spreading shill.

Re: @dogged

@Paul Shirley - I imagine they think they can sell devices, and as mentioned, Nokia Maps is actually making money already, based purely on Microsoft's licensing of it.

They may be wrong. If so, that's how it goes but really, I see so much hate for attempting to make a good decision. Just because it didn't support your (not specific your, just generic your) favourite mobile OS doesn't make it the enemy.

And it doesn't make Elop a trojan horse, either. I've tried to show here how the decision looks when you don't have a vested interest and aren't either a) consumed with hatred toward a particular company* or b) a fanatical cheerleader for some technology you feel a need to define yourself by.

*DISCLAIMER - alright, I'll freely admit to a hatred of the Cult of Apple but that's not relevant to this discussion so it doesn't invalidate anything here.

@DrXym

Couple of fatal errors in your argument.

Nokia have MS people on site coding their device drivers - no expense.

Bing Maps are (even right now!) entirely powered by Nokia Maps and Microsoft pay Nokia to use them.

Nokia Music (formerly Ovi) appears on every Lumia handset on the main home screen and is (apparently, I do not own a Nokia handset or work for Nokia or MS) extremely popular, displacing Zune/XBox Music/WhateverTheHellItIsThisWeek for many users.

Every Nokia service is fully exploited and making money. Would it, against free Google Maps/Play/TitleOfTheWeek? Unlikely. Very, very unlikely.

Had they gone with Android, all those skins would need to be rewritten with every Android release - or they could just not bother with updating their phones, like most Android manufacturers - and their low-end handsets would (WIldfire-class, etc etc) run like a one-legged tortoise because Android really doesn't support low-end hardware very well.

You have to remember how important the low-end market is to Nokia. Far more so than to HTC, Motorola or Samsung (and Apple don't even admit that it exists).

That leverage that led to the Tango release could never have happened with Google, even assuming that the garbage collection under Dalvik wasn't a horrific bag of crap.

Re: They're making the wrong one redundant

@AC - Sure. Would you like to compare them to the Lumia 900?

What new direction?

What new direction?

Are you suggesting that they could have licensed Bada?

I don't really see that one flying, do you?

Come on, since we're playing Armchair CEO here and given the breakdown I posted above, what new direction are you thinking of? Because frankly, Android would have meant a profit write-off on every single one of Nokia's service offerings which would make the current restructuring losses look like dropping a 20p piece down the back of the sofa.

Re: They're making the wrong one redundant

Oh, grow up.

Maemo/Meego would have been a 1-horse platform meaning it would have entirely reliant on Nokia to spend money on enticing devs to code for it. Let it die. Face it, it's not as if anyone's using it or coding for it. All it did was delay grabbing an OS not restricted to Espoo and cost a metric fuckton of money for no return on investment.

Nerds whining about Meego is possibly the most ridiculous whinge on the Internet, barring only nerds claiming that an OS that runs well on low specs is a bad thing (wtf?) which also happens all the damn time.

So what were Nokia's choices? Stick to S40/S60 and featurephones? Possible but low margin/low return. Probably a (slowly) dying market.

Android? Feasible, but requiring Nokia to do all the device drivers, no cosy-cosy relationship with Google for features, competing with Google on maps and services leading to likely marginalization of those services, and the likelihood of sinking beneath a sea of Samsung and HTC handsets and Apple lawsuits.

Or WP, which doesn't look like money now but throws in a big cash injection from Microsoft and "most favoured nation" status on builds, software, services and mapping. MS are a fair bet, given XBox history. They're not about to let their pet platform die just because Internet retards want them to.

Frankly, given that HP had already bought Palm at the time Nokia were forced to make their decision, I can't see that they had any option.

Like it or don't like it, that's your call. Just stop being a dick about it.

Supreme Court dismisses Assange bid to reopen extradition case

Re: Is he still news?

I do wonder why the Reg has dropped the Assange™ thing. They don't usually let go of a joke that soon.

GiffGaff in data spaff, goodybag gaffe: ICO says its 'avin a laff

The whole article carries that tone. Odd, really. It's not like they're worse than any other telco.

Cameron: A nod's not as good as a wink to a Murdoch blind bat

Re: Vote Up

Given that the PM is a politician, that's like asking if you think a Mondeo is a car.

Windows is the OS of the cloud, says Microsoft

Re: Microsoft in full desperate mode trying to mimic Apple and failing completely at it...

@boltar - which is why so many server farms are running OSX?

Yeah. Interesting planet you live on.

Re: Microsoft in full desperate mode trying to mimic Apple and failing completely at it...

Still interested in hearing how exactly an article about virtualization, Server OS and system management software leads to a comment about mimicking Apple, of all people.

Apple sell consumer devices.

This is like comparing IBM to Nintendo.

Pet a jagWAH for me, will you?

Re: Microsoft in full desperate mode trying to mimic Apple and failing completely at it...

Virtualization? Server OS? Management tools?

"trying to mimic Apple"?

Which planet do you live on? One where they have jagWAHs roaming free?

W3C: 'Do not track' by default? A thousand times: NO!

Re: W3C - The finest standards that Google can buy.

I noticed MS are also on the membership list.

But they don't sell adverts and web-stalking, they sell software.

It's hard to tell which interest is more vested but it's easy to tell which one has the highest motivation to provide desirable software feature (like DNT by default).

Re: W3C - The finest standards that Google can buy.

fixed that one for you.

That new 'Microsoft GCSE': We reveal what's in it

@JDX - Whole lotta hatin' going on

Your comment looks remarkably accurate to me.

But you said linux advocacy was being partial and you failed criticize Microsoft for everything, including the Black Plague and the destruction of Atlantis.

Therefore, the commentards will downvote you anyway. Accuracy isn't popular around here anymore.

Sainsbury's pays £1 entrance, heads into ebook club

Re: really.......

I really hope not. It's nice to have shops that sell things and aren't Poundstretcher or Lidl or Phones4U (who appear to have the goal of opening an outlet in every single horrific 60's concrete shopping centre in the UK).

Granted HMV are expensive and I don't shop there much but having the option is still a good thing.

Facebook stock plunge leaves tax-dodge Saverin WORSE off. Haa ha

Re: Harvard

what benefits?

The free healthcare?

LucasArts unveils Star Wars game for grown-ups

Re: Yawn

Caution: contains brown. And only brown.

You only want me for my BYOD

Re: BYOD is complex and stupid

But then they call you Hitler and accuse you of empire-building.

Re: BYOD - for the lucky few

Do your job. Nobody said IT support would be easy.

For the record, I'm currently officially a Technical Architect. But let's go over your case.

1. The harder you make tech support, the more it costs.

2. The more non-standard items you support, the harder it is.

These factors contribute directly to the business case or lack of it. And by the way, making a business case for bringing your own device is down to YOU. The IT department heads then decide if you made a decent case or not.

By your complaints here, I'm guess that was a "not".

Re: BYOD - for the lucky few

AC - your device is a security risk. Your device is also a licensing cost if you require software you do not currently have. Your device could left on a train just as all civil servants who have access to confidential information appear to delight in doing.

Your device could be compromised when outside our networks (especially if you have no AV meaning you're probably a Mac user who thinks he can't get malware) and then spread its infections to our machines. Your device may require us to support protocols and software we have no interest in or business case for supporting, such as the filth that is iTunes or Bonjour or that proprietary, resource hungry Quicktime crap.

Your device may not support LDAP or Active Directory security.

Or it might. But finding this out requires investigation and a risk assessment.

You might not like that.

Tough shit, sunshine.

Re: BYOD - for the lucky few

What AC@12:41 said.

And the other two ACs, thank you. You've helped me to understand the rapidly dropping intelligence of commenters on the Reg - you're in HR, right?

Microsoft and Nokia dub Google troll moan 'desperate', 'frivolous'

Re: Actually.....

Er....

Could you explain that? Are MS or Nokia suing Google anywhere?

If so, I missed it.

(Note - Motorola Mobility case was launched before Google bought Moto so that one doesn't count).

Re: Desperate?

You failed to read the article Barry.

Android market share is precisely the reason MS gave for calling this action "desperate".

Fail troll has failed.

Windows 8: We kick the tyres on Redmond's new tablet wheels

Re: flash baked in? so adverts unavoidable?

Yes.

Firefox.

Windows 8 Release Preview open for download

Re: It's the standard Windows cycle

Win2K. You fail.

Back to the Old Jokes Home with you.

Re: Here we go!!!!

Productivity? As someone that needs multiple windows open, copy pasting between applications, etc. Metro apps are biggest nail in the coffin of productivity the world has ever seen.

I don't know where you got the idea that you can't do exactly this just as you can on Win7 (and rather better if you use multiple monitors) on Win8.

Have you been accepting the word of trolls on the Register as fact or something?

Because you can easily do that. Ignore the Metro launcher. It's just a launcher.

Re: What has happened to Microsoft?

I don't want pictures randomly moving about, showing me news clippets while I'm trying to work

If you're looking at the launcher then by definition you aren't doing any work. You're just looking at the launcher.

I don't believe you tried it at all. Installed, maybe. Looked at, possibly. Read the comments of a million retards on the Register, definitely. Used it? No.

Sharp to show OLED 'retina' display for laptops

Sorry Tony, but you and I both know that even if they make it and sell it everywhere, the reztards will still complain on every laptop review.

82 London Underground stations to get free Wi-Fi for the Olympics

Clarification please

If you have Virgin Broadband is that enough or do you have to use their shonky mobile phone service to get free WiFi?

Microsoft hands out tools to sneak Skype onto new PCs

Re: When is someone going to sue them for calling it a VOIP client

Skype is definitely VOIP. It's just not SIP.

You appear to have a nomenclature issue.

I need to multitask, but Windows 8's Metro won't let me

Re: @dogged

Windows key + power button.

It's CTRL+ALT+DEL's new flavour.

Re: @dogged

Why do you think you're stuck in Metro?

You haven't used it, have you? You've just listened to commentards. You're never "stuck in metro".

Jesus, don't pay attention to these people. They're morons.

Re: @dogger

@ShelLuser - you can still mouse over an application in the task bar to get its status, progress etc.

Calm down.