Posts by bombastic bob

'No regrets' says chap who felled JavaScript's Jenga tower – as devs ask: Have we forgotten how to code?

Re: Writing your own is NUTS

"Forced between writing your own version, or including an already written, tested, edge-case considered and debugged version that someone else wrote, the latter is surely the lesser of two evils."

only when you LACK self-confidence in your own abilities. "other people" aren't (by default) BETTER than you. well, when I say 'you' I really mean 'me'. And for trivial things, I'm sure most competent programmers can do this without creating problems [and by doing so, improve overall reliability].

Re: left-pad

"I was quite surprised a while back when I needed a left-pad -like operation and found JavaScript did not include it in the language or built-in libraries."

there are a few ways to make this happen. some are more efficient than others. typically you'd use 'trim()' to get rid of space on the right, then substr() to extract a string 'm-n' chars long from a whitespace string (" " or whatever) then concatenate them. pretty trivial. 3 or 4 lines. big whoop.

but yeah, a built-in "right-justify string" function might've been useful.

Re: Mayhem

(regarding 'eggs in one basket' storage of NPM code on their repository, or git, or anywhere else)

"So any DDOS on this site would be somewhat disruptive then."

pretty much, yeah. 'the cloud' is highly overrated.

Re: "Brenna" and "Sarah"

(regarding 'political correctness' in use of "ethnic" names)

"but the actual effect can be rather patronising."

EXACTLY! But this is straying off topic, so I'll stop now.

Re: Maybe the lazy in us expects...

"> And when a vulnerability is found in one of them, you update all the local copies on all the machines you have ever used it on? within a couple of seconds?"

"And if a vulnerability is introduced you wish it to spread out in a couple of seconds?"

You'd need to scrutinize before including "your own copy", it seems. More work up front, more reliability as a result. So I think I'd rather make the copy, rely on my own ability to spot "code smells", and keep my eyes open for security patches.

And for trivial things that pad the left side of a string, I can write my own.

Re: Are these dynamic dependencies really a good idea?

"I don't work in an NPM & JavaScript world, so this may be way off base, but if the system a developer is working on won't even build without this external code being available at what is, essentially, compile time, does that mean that if someone changes the hosted JavaScript, your compiled code now uses that changed JavaScript?"

"If so, how on earth do you test a system today, and know that it still works tomorrow when you rebuild it, knowing that you haven't changed any of your code?"

WELCOME to JAVA-SCRIPT's version of DLL HELL!!!

This is why _I_ always:

a) statically link

b) write "my own" for trivial functionality

c) avoid shared packages unless they make sense

d) host my own versions of said packages to avoid "that"

It's the same in the BINARY world as it is in the JAVASCRIPT world, apparently. You don't want "some stupid change" [one YOU did not sanction] to break YOUR code, and cause YOU to get "the midnight phone call" from angry customers/bosses.

We wrap our claws around latest pre-Build Windows 10 preview

Re: These Microsoft engineer's comments

"Would they be along the lines of 'La, la, la, la ,la, I can't hear you'?"

more like "We really understand what you're saying here... BUT" followed by dogmatic adherence to stated policy from on high within the halls of Redmond.

From what I've gleaned, from discussing certain key issues with MS engineers online [and in one case, in person], *THEY* don't necessarily like the adware/spyware, nor necessarily the 2D FLUGLY, or barely usable "start thing". But they want to keep their jobs, so it's "nod vertically" when the new direction is announced, and apologetically pass that along, k-thx.

change directions again and you go in a circle

"At Build this week, Microsoft will be re-presenting its Windows story to developers, as well as emphasizing that it is now a cross-platform company with a strong cloud presence."

WOW, yet ANOTHER major direction change! Has Microsoft *forgotten* that development cycles often go for YEARS, depending on the type of applications involved? Or hardware drivers, for that matter...

It reminds me of a few OTHER direction changes, following "Developers developers developers developers"... back in Dec of 1993 as I recall...

1. The ".Net" initiative, in the early noughties, coinciding with the "dot com" bubble. Fail.

2. C-pound and all that bass-ackwards object-oriented "for the sake of object-oriented". NO LONGER do you have 'math.h' functions, it's now Math.whatever() and it just gets worse. In other words, SENIOR PROGRAMMERS MUST RE-LEARN and be JUNIOR PROGRAMMERS again. Yeah, NOT gonna happen...

3. The ".Net" packages and the CLR. EVERYTHING about it. It's monolothic-ness, it's attempt to fix DLL hell and create NEW dependency and setup issues, blah blah blah. And not to forget, the SLOWNESS injected into the UI because of it.

3. Windows Vista, forcing everyone to purchase THE MORE EXPENSIVE HARDWARE to be "compatible" with it [FYI this is TRULY why it failed].

4. Silverlight.

5. Half-a-dozen other "new technology W00T bandwagon na-naaah-nananaaah-nananaaaaaaaah" and then it's "no longer supported"

6. Windows "Ape". Then "Ape point 1". Then Win-10-nic. Spinning like tires in the mud. Not to mention WinRT, XAML and "the Store", and those "the METRO" 'apps(sic)'. Again, senior C-pound developers having to "re-learn" the "Universal App(sic)" method. They're now Junior Devs ONCE AGAIN!

Come on, Microsoft, PICK A PROPER DIRECTION and STICK WITH IT. Then, we can RELY on things being STABLE enough, for once, in order to make PLANS, long enough to get a stable product life cycle, at any rate...

either that or we leave all of your "new, shiny" behind and just use C or C++/MFC or Java and target XP and 7, because together, that's MORE THAN HALF of the windows users...

Mud sticks: Microsoft, Windows 10 and reputational damage

Re: Windows 10 was not a "democratic design"

"The most requested feature for Windows 10 was Aero. Guess what was not put back in Windows 10?"

And I think 2nd and 3rd (before the adware and spyware were added) was to RESTORE the 3D skeumorphic look that made Windows 3.0 a success, and was in EVERY! OTHER! RELEASE! until Sinfosky's abortive attempt at a UI in "Ape" (8.x).

And, not to fail mentioning, something like 'classic shell' built-in. As OPTIONS of course, not forcing anyone to CHANGE [which is what Microsoft's direction is about - FORCING the end-user to do it MICROSOFT's way].

Guess which direction Microsoft picked? that's right, the *FAIL* direction of Sinofsky and Windows "Ape".

/me pointing out that with the Mate desktop on POSIX systems, you can pick 3D skeumorphic, or 2D flat ugly interface elements, YOUR choice. And other desktops have similar themes. I just happen to like Mate (and it's predecessor, gnome 2).

I'd also like to point out that I gave "Ape" a try, when it first released, with Classic Shell. I could *NOT* stand to look at the 2D FLAT UGLY. It's like, "bad feng shui". Win-10-nic has made this EVEN WORSE by taking away NEARLY ALL levels of user customization, and for what reason? Think of it as 'accessibility' to have a PLEASANT user interface to look at, not something that CONSTANTLY IRRITATES YOU. It's good for productivity NOT to be irritated.

Re: Where are the facts no one likes Win 10?

"I'm not seeing it, and where are the facts to back up the claims in the article?"

you can look at things like 'statcounter', see which OSs are most popular. 7 is hanging in there around 42%, where 10 has barely hit 15%, and most of its "gains" come from 8.x (which is declining nicely). Not all that 'popular' considering it's *FREE*.

And you can google around, see opinions posted in blogs and on USENET. And at ONE time you could see some VERY long threads on answers.microsoft.com in the 'insider' forum, with titles like "Why I hate windows 10". but they're probably deleted, now...

And then there's the past history regarding Windows "Ape" (8.x), how 7 machines would sell, and equivalent 8 machines would collect dust on the store shelves... until 7 Home was no longer pre-installable (as of a year ago last October). And I believe that after THIS October, 7 Pro won't be available either, so GET YOUR COPIES NOW, *WHILE* *YOU* *CAN*. The value of machines with 7 pre-loaded is likely to inflate, like any rare commodity that has any amount of demand.

Re: Exhibitionists vs. Mormons

<quote>

Wrong title.

In the case of ms:

Exhibitionists and Morons.

</quote>

To quote James Kirk in the 4th Star Trek movie: "he had a little too much LDS back in the 60's"

Re: USB to serial converters

"all I had to do to make my serial code work we tell it to open /dev/ttyUSB0 instead of /dev/ttyS0"

And the beauty of Linux is that if you have a bluetooth serial adaptor, you can use that as something similar to "/dev/rfcomm0" and the code STILL works [I've used 'avrdude' over bluetooth this way].

Try doing THAT on a Windows system, where every device type seems to require it's own "special API". whereas, on POSIX systems (Linux, BSD, even OSX) "everything is a file". makes it easier to support new types of devices from a 'user application' standpoint.

Serial I/O on windows is *PAINFUL* to code. I did that back in the late 90s for a customer project. Much easier in the POSIX world. And let's not get started on the 'no generic driver' problem in windows, where plugging in an inexpensive USB serial device "just works" in Linux (whenever it supports a standard protocol or uses a common chip set). FYI in some cases it might be something like '/dev/ttyACM0' rather than '/dev/ttyUSB0' but you just need to use the right command (like lsusb) to figure out what device was created, and you're good to go (assuming your application isn't already finding them for you).

Re: Don't blame users for the UI

"The incoherence in Windows 10's UI is a direct result of that wonderful in-house team not listening to what users wanted when designing and testing Windows 8"

etc.

NOT LISTENING is DEFINITELY the point. Over on the insider forums, MANY of us (myself, included) CONSTANTLY pointed out "the wrong", from 2D FLUGLY ['flat ugly', aka the Sinofsky look], to the inefficiency of the "the METRO" apps(sic) and the app store, and WORST OF ALL, the TRACKING and ADVERTISING.

NO WAY was Microsoft listening to *CUSTOMERS* when they did all that. NO WAY!

Now, listening to a select crowd of SYCOPHANTS... I could see THAT and COMPLAINED ABOUT IT _OFTEN_, on their insider forums.

But Microsoft's forum manager decided to SANCTION those who most loudly spoke out against their decided direction. Threads were heavily edited, prominent users were banned for only the *slightest* hints of alleged TOU violations, and *I* was even threatened with a ban over my WRITING STYLE. Yeah, who knew?

So I suggest that Microsoft was *ACTIVELY* *SILENCING* the opposition to what Windows 10 ended up being. Hardly "listening" at all.

Dodgy software will bork America's F-35 fighters until at least 2019

Re: WaitWhat? Affordability challenges?

"I guess they decided to go for the greatest common denominator, or was that the greatest common divisor?"

Why am I reminded of 'Universal [cr]Apps' for windows 10?

Re: Can someone please...

"So why not just retrofit some C-130s to have consoles where the pilots of drones sit to keep the latency relatively low."

"Because then I can just retrofit some Bears with big directional transmitters and jam your transmissions to the drones, or use HARM-type missiles against your C130s"

very true. and then more sophisticated means are used to counter the jamming (some kind of adaptive spread-spectrum or multi-aircraft mesh or something) but the HARM-type missile issue remains, as you're transmitting and therefore aren't very 'stealthy'.

I guess we'll need sentient robot stealth planes. Hello, Skynet!

Re: Expected?

"In today's climate we have:" (etc.)

Don't forget gummint contracted software being written in a language (ADA) that's difficult to use (compared to something well-used, well-tested, and sensible, like maybe 'C'?), and supposedly "easy to manage", but a language that was designed by a COMMITTEE, and it shows.

I expect the design of these planes was intended to have things "fixed in software" while the hardware platform remains more or less the same. OK I can see that coming. not necessarily bad. in theory. Until you build it and find all of the problems you didn't imagine up front. I mean, *I* do a lot of microcontroller *kinds* of things, and I get impossible requests a lot, and I have to be the guy that says 'no'. "No, it won't fit, there's only XX bytes of memory remaining". "No, that's not possible with the currrent hardware". "No, you would have to make a major hardware change, and it would be very expensive development over a years' time". etc.

Re: A question

"Did the F-35 programme start at about the same time as Vista?"

more like windows 'Ape' - but you draw a good parallel. "that kind of thinking". Arthur C. Clarke's "Superiority" (I posted on that already)

Arthur C. Clarke's "Superiority"

anybody read Arthur C. Clarke's "Superiority"? See any similarities?

This is the *KIND* of thing that happens when "the next generation" gets to do things THEIR way, ignoring the lessons learned in the past, re-inventing instead of evolving technology, like a bunch of "whiz kids" that just graduated from college and think they know 'schtuff' from shinola.

Now, I don't know if THIS case fits the "whiz kid" paradigm, but it sure *smells* like it. You see it a LOT, in Microsoft's current direction, in various government administrations, and so on. And the cluster-blank that follows is *PREDICTABLE* when you are a student of human nature.

When I went to a U.S. Navy advanced electronics school back in the 80's, the first slide they showed on the overhead projector showed a large hole and the backside of a donkey, with a caption similar to "the difference". (They wanted to make sure we understood, before proceeding). A similar ploy may be needed in dealing with the (mis)management of government contracts.

or it could just be another example of optimistic underbidding catching up with reality.

Microsoft introduces yet another Skype for Windows 10

Re: Single version?

"The WHOLE idea of Windows 10 Universal is STUPID."

along with how the intent of 'Universal' seems to dumb EVERYTHING *DOWN* to the 4" phone screen.

This calls for an open source alternative, maybe from Mozilla, or Google? Maybe we can start with a LINUX version, then go from there...

Universal [cr]apps ONLY run on 10, which is barely 15% of computers, so why bother? *NATIVE* appLICATIONS run FASTER, load FASTER (unless they use '.Not'), and [unless you deliberately break it] run on OLDER platforms, including XP.

why not just have separate mobile and desktop versions? Oh, that's right, windows on mobile is a PATHETIC percentage of the market. [yet Microsoft tailors EVERYTHING TO IT]

How one developer just broke Node, Babel and thousands of projects in 11 lines of JavaScript

lazy J.S. code authors created this problem

this problem was created by lazy J.S. code authors.

Think about it: how hard _IS_ it to write your OWN 'left script' function? Well, if you KNOW how to CODE, it's trivial.

But you see all of these javascript 'things' out there depending on other 'things', which depend on other 'things', apparently TRIVIAL things, because nobody knows how to CODE any more [except for a handful of 'thing' authors].

Everyone ELSE is just chaining up a bunch of 3rd party schtuff into an "app" and calling THAT 'coding'.

This has grown into a kind of 'DLL Hell' for Javascript. Personally, I'm *GLAD* to see this happen, because I'm *SICK* and *TIRED* of the *ABUSE* of scripting on the web.

For safety, I surf with the NoScript plugin BLOCKING it, unless I see some compelling reason to ENABLE scripting, and on a site by site basis. Example, I have to enable SOME of the scripting [and temporarily unblock cookies] to post HERE.

As a result, my pathetic-bandwidth connection isn't hauling gigabytes of CRUFT behind every web site I visit, with that CRUFT being MOSTLY due to embedded TRACKING and ADS anyway. (who wants THAT downloaded, especially if it causes 'overages' in your bandwidth cap)

CDN's are equally *EVIL*, like enablers of script addicts. It's hard to say WHAT gets enabled if you unblock one of them.

Often it makes a *LOT* more sense to host the script YOURSELF, on YOUR web server, and maintain it YOURSELF, and trim out everything you DO NOT NEED, instead of relying on CDNs to refresh that MONOLITHIC MONSTROSITY library every time someone adds a comment or changes spelling in some text thing, forcing *THE* *WORLD* to waste MORE bandwidth re-downloading the "package" because it's not smart enough to only refresh 'small changes'. Or whatever.

[OK some of this is exaggerated to make a point]

But, if it's possible that "3rd party thing" can BREAK YOUR WEB SITE, you should WAKE UP NOW and FIX this problem (host script on YOUR server), instead of waking up at 0-dark-30 in the middle of a hangover when your cell phone won't stop ringing, and it's work calling, and YOU have to fix it (and it's not YOUR fault - except that you used "that library").

Microsoft will rest its jackboot on Windows 7, 8.1's throat on new Intel CPUs in 2018 – not 2017

Re: "One solution is to boot a Linux USB stick ..."

with enough demand, hardware vendors might provide the "3rd party driver" solution needed to make this work.

Telling your wife why you were fired is the only punishment

linux VM on a windows server

At the time, I was doing linux kernel development (drivers, specialized firmware, etc.). As the linux kernel has case-sensitive files in it, some of which have name clashes with other files [if case-sensitivity is NOT in your source code repository], we had to install the source code repository software onto a Linux machine. Well, we were using a few VMs by then, being (often) cheaper than actual hardware, but for some odd reason we were told to CREATE THE LINUX VM for the repository on a WINDOWS SERVER COMPUTER, because, *ahem*, it was MORE RELIABLE that way. [it was previously hosted on the SAME windows box, which wasn't hosting ANY OTHER VMs at the moment, or anything important at all, as I recall]. Turning that windows server machine OFF and then replacing with a Linux server would PROBABLY have cost less, too. But NOooo... we had to put Linux in a VM to host the source repository, then host it on a WINDOWS SERVER computer.

Yeah. "More reliable." Well, my supervisor was a fan of C-pound, ".Net" and Windows Vista, too...

Reddit's ousted Ellen Pao abandons Silicon Valley sexism sueball

Re: last para..

I don't believe there's ANY systemic sexism, racism, or otherwise, ANYWHERE in countries where such things are punishable by LAW.

This is probably just some activist trying to make an extra buck using the legal system, sorta like "patent trolling" except THIS time, it's "-ism trolling". This isn't an episode of 'Mad Men', there are plenty of "fill in the blank" people if you MUST point out THOSE differences [they have NOTHING to do with how well you do your job, and THAT is the whole point!] in similar positions within "the industry", and hasn't 'The Register' even done articles on why it is that many women don't get into tech? It has NOTHING to do with sexism, and has EVERYTHING to do with what 'women in general' might want for a career...

She should've just sought employment elsewhere. Or, since she was FIRED 5 months later, maybe it was her INCOMPETENCE surfacing, and they just needed enough evidence to CAN her to avoid feeding the lawsuit with more fuel.

ayayayayayayay...

(being a business owner THESE days is REALLY difficult)

Microsoft's equality and diversity: Skimpy schoolgirls dancing for nerds at an Xbox party

crowning moment of awesome

Microsoft should hire "fetish fueling station" dancers more often. I think they actually got it *RIGHT* this time!

I mean, who are MOST of the game developers... eh?

One in five PCs will be a tablet with detachable keyboard by 2020

Re: One in five PCs will be a tablet with detachable keyboard

"cause we gotta move this [profanity], man, for the sake of humanity..."

<lyrics>

We gotta move these, refrigerators, we gotta move these color TVs...

</lyrics>

money for nothing, and chicks for free!

it's happened before, yeah!

Re: IDC and Microsoft

"These are the same group of individuals that said PC's are dead, tablets are the future. A few months later, tablet sales started to drop. These paid analysts always assume that past trends = future trends. They do not account for things like a horrible version of Windows followed by a horrible horrible version of Windows, market saturation, and fads."

one of their failures is to recognize that the PC market is like a 'derivative', and NOT 'current total ownership'. They fail to see WHY people aren't buying a lot of PCs [it's obvious, "new" machines aren't perceived as "better" enough, mostly because of "Ape" and Win-10-nic and Moore's law not making machines 30% perceptibly faster every year any more]. So people don't buy AS MANY PCs because the OLD ones are either 'good enough', 'better', or 'do not require re-learning'.

slabs _WERE_ "new/shiny" and not so much any more. Analysis on slabs should exclude other devices. they stand alone.

Microsoft still can't force 43% of the user base [currently using 7] to switch to Win-10-nic despite it being free. Latest statcounter proves it. Look how flat 7 usage has become, and any growth in 10 is being absorbed from "Ape" (8.x) and "other".

Those are generally people who keep their OLD machines as-is, or explicitly purchase a new or re-conditioned machine [I did] with 7 on it.

Maybe MS should hire *ME* as an expert. At least they'd get the TRUTH.

Re: Do people really want an OS which works in tablet and desktop mode?

"Yes, but it isn't W10."

exactly. That's MOSTLY because Win-10-nic isn't a DESKTOP OS. It's a HYBRID CLUSTER-BLANK of "Ape" (8.x) and Microsoft's attempt to leverage a "new" desktop paradigm.

Q: If it's so GREAT, why is Win-10-nic ONLY adopted by about 14% of users (according to statcounter) after "that many" months of being a *FREE* upgrade and GWX shoving it up/down/into every orifice MS can find? And 7 remains ~43%?

A: Win-10-nic is NOT great (in fact, it's probably WORSE than "Ape" in too many ways). It's highly overrated, and anyone saying it IS great is suspected (by me) of being a shill, fanboi, or dedicated Microsoft employee. And the general public does NOT want it.

As for slabs - the slab market was mis-interpreted, too. I expect similar, here, with 'slab convertibles'.

How Microsoft copied malware techniques to make Get Windows 10 the world's PC pest

how long before GWX's inventor is fired?

So, how long do you think it will be before the public UPROAR and ANGER forces Microsoft to *FIRE* the individual(s) responsible for GWX?

This doesn't mean GWX would stop. Instead, scapegoat.

Sinofsky "stepped down" over "Ape" (8) and yet THAT INFLUENCE is still there in Win-10-nic [the 2D flat/ugly, "the METRO", "the STORE", etc.]. He was sacrificed in an attempt to restore consumer confidence in Microsoft. All that, of course, *FLUSHED* with the release of 10, which is only at 14% despite being FREE and AGGRESSIVELY SHOVED IN/UP/DOWN OUR ORIFICES.

We may never know about any such firings, if they haven't already happened...

Re: Another way?

"You could always upgrade to W10 - that would stop the nagging :) :)"

you forgot the <facetious> tag

Remix OS: China's take on an Android operating system – but for PCs

disappointing "flat look"

unfortunately, it has that disappointing "flat look" like "Ape" and Win-10-nic . What MENSA CANDIDATE decided *THAT* was the right choice? Obviously NOT looking at user preferences and the market, which favor 3D skeumorphic over 2D "FLUGLY" (flat/ugly) by (often more than) 2:1 in just about every survey I've seen, INCLUDING the comparison of pre-"Ape" and post-"Ape" windows version popularity via statcounter.

Now, if they'd given me a desktop that has the 3D skeumorphic look of Mate [or at LEAST the choice of one, which Mate gives you], then I'd be a LOT more interested.

Also I wouldn't want to pay for a Win-10-nic license. They should offer "unencumbered" versions for those of us who won't want Win-10-nic.

Microsoft's done a terrible job with its Windows 10 nagware

Re: Microsoft's Windows 10 crimes & conspiracy.

"They have ILLEGALLY HACKED into millions of PCs and they are part of a worldwide CONSPIRACY that includes computer manufacturers and even governments."

I see things like this on USENET all the time. and your posts won't be deleted there.

As much as I despise the direction Windows 10 has gone, and where Microsoft appears to be SHOVING US (via GWX), it's only bad decisions made by top-level execs, and NOT an actual "conspiracy". I think they've been pretty obvious. And computer makers are being HURT by this, so I doubt THEY are conspiring WITH Microsoft [if they are, it's to their own doom].

How to fight this:

a) start your own hardware company

b) release your own OS to run on your computers

c) successfully market it

we still have THAT freedom.

Re: Its the way to go

"Stop fighting it embrace it accept inevitability Its the way to go because there is one thing for sure its here to stay, you can save yourself busting blood vessels"

sorry, the pea isn't under the shell, like you'd want me to believe. I'm not throwing my money at an obvious scam just because you make me "feel confident" about it.

'stop fighting it' - I bet certain kinds of violent criminals say that to their victims

Re: The Terrible...

"The PC market is dead-ish because of Windows 8/8.1, and 10 is demonstrably not the thing to revive it."

exactly!

Microsoft _COMPLETELY_ mis-read the market, thinking that people were 'moving to slabs'. not even close. Now, people are HANGING ONTO WHAT THEY HAVE, because "new" doesn't not APPEAR to be "better".

Moore's law no longer makes next year's model 30% to 50% 'better/faster', so Microsoft can't use the speed/power growth to prop up their more-inefficient code (like "the METRO" sewage) in the "new windows" (yeah like 'new coke'). "Ape" and Win-10-nic are OBVIOUSLY SLOWER than the native code of 7, especially when you try to PLAY A GAME written for "the METRO". Solitaire comes to mind [you know, the thing that SOLD MORE COPIES OF WINDOWS 3.0 THAN ANYTHING ELSE, back in the day..].

Nobody wants their NEW CAR to be SLUGGISH compared to the OLD car. That happened in the 70's, and nearly KILLED certain car companies. So why does Microsoft *FEEL* (not think) that people want SLUGGISH COMPUTERS running INEFFICIENT "the Metro" apps(sic)?

People don't want this, especially if the appearance is FLUGLY (flat-ugly), like "Ape" (8) and Win-10-nic.

New computer makers should be getting together to BREAK THE MICROSOFT OS NEAR-MONOPOLY, and do things like shipping a wide range of computers with pre-installed Mint Linux (for example), discounted by the cost of putting OEM Windows on it. Intel should be investing in "other operating systems" *LIKE* Linux, so they can sell more chips. And if not Linux, then SOMETHING. Chip and computer vendors need to stop relying on Microsoft and hitching their wagon to Microsoft's success, or THEY TOO will fail.

Re: Indeed

and NOW, "security update" must ALSO be properly vetted, before it ends up on my 7 boxen. I'm a software developer, and I typically need a "stable platform" that does *NOT* accidentally download ~6Gb of UNWANTED EXCREMENT by stealing my bandwidth in the background, nor CHANGE ITSELF without my permission.

For accounting (which I can't use MSDN license keys for) I recently purchased a reconditioned box (for cheap) with 7 Pro on it. Turbo Tax won't support XP any more. I *DELIBERATELY* didn't get one with "Ape" (8) on it, and *ESPECIALLY NOT* 10. I don't *EVAR* use I.E. [it's like the intarweb equivalent of unsafe sex], so I don't need "that" security update [it remains UNINSTALLED]. Its predecessor is a cheap XP box from 2007, which is malware free because I don't surf the intarweb with it (especially NOT with IE).

On the 'new' 7 box, after 2 days of updating, I had to re-hide KB3035583 at least once. yeah, it came back, like a turd that won't flush, after I hid it the first time. Haven't seen it since, though.

I figure that by the time Microsoft *LOSES* their OS near-monopoly to Linux or "something else", Turbo Tax and other accounting software will be installable on THAT OS. I've bought some time.

Hey Windows 10, weren't you supposed to help PC sales?

Re: Predictions of future PC sales

"PCs sold with Vista or later are perfectly adequate for today for 95% of PC users."

etc.

yes, since Moore's Law is no longer making next year's model 30% to 50% "better" than this year's model [with respect to user perception, not multi-core, RAM, or storage].

user perception is key here. yeah, made this point already, but putting into context with what you've said may make it clearer.

People are NOT buying new; they're 'upgrading old' (or just plain fixing it). If the OS cannot make the computer "appear faster" to end-users, they stick with what they have, PARTICULARLY if built-in features or the appearance of the "new" OS *IRRITATES* them. Like "Ape" and Win-10-nic.

Microsoft *FORGOT* what sold windows 3.0 back in the 90's. It was the *EYE* *CANDY*. 3.0 had a 3D skeumorphic appearance. 2.x did NOT [it looked more like "Ape" and Win-10-nic, actually].

So WHAT makes Microsoft think that going BACK to 2.x's appearance is *MODERN* ???

Really, they're just angering the customer base, and making people want to KEEP their 7 and even Vista machines.

So then, what YOU said happens:

"If they want more speed, a SSD and more RAM will make it work better than most new ones you'd buy today"

And Microsoft should pay VERY CLOSE ATTENTION as to *WHY*. Or DIE. Their choice.

Re: Maybe if ...

"Need I go on?"

sure, keep going. you've *NAILED IT* pretty well, so far.

can I give you multiple up-arrows?

give WHAT a rest?

"it's a subject that I've been getting heartily sick of. We all know where we stand as far as W10 is concerned and articles like this seem a little too much like gloating over Microsoft's failings just as other articles pushing the increasing numbers of installs seem a little too much like Microsoft and its shills either trumpeting their success, trying to keep the naysayers at bay or, at the very least, attempting damage control."

"Now can't we just give it a rest?"

only when Microsoft and others *FINALLY* grow a brain, get a clue, and release an OS that reverses this ridiculous trend. Until then, it'll get the *NEGATIVE* attention it deserves. And MS will continue to try to save their own backsides, naturally. and you can't just let them get away with it. But I don't see MS releasing a 'Windows 11' that un-does the damage. And here we are...

Re: Improve PC Specs

well, the effect of Moore's Law *broke* a while back, then in response, Microsoft release windows 8. the rest has been a *BAD* *JOKE* about how nobody perceives NEW machines as being "that much faster", _ESPECIALLY_ if a *GARBAGE* OS that consumes MORE resources and RUNS SLOWER [because of "the METRO", and all of those 'background things' MS decided to add, even MORE in Win-10-nic than in 'Ape' (8)], the "faster CPU" isn't helping enough to counter Microsoft's new levels of INEFFICIENCY embedded in the OS.

So the new computers don't SEEM to run 'faster' to most people, and an APE or Win-10-nic interface is CERTAINLY not BETTER [nor "modern"].

result: NO SALE

getting it slightly wrong

"Why would Windows 10 invigorate PC sales when all your Windows 7/8 machines are being made to upgrade to Windows 10 for free and the system requirements are pretty much identical?"

in many ways, *THIS* proves a point, but not that windows 10 'up'grades are causing the problem...

"If anything Windows 10 should have stopped PC sales dead in the water, because your old clunker is still able to be upgraded to Windows 10 without you having to do anything."

But the 'old clunker', particularly if it's running Windows 7, is still a "good machine". *THEN*, you look at an 'Ape' (8) machine, or a Win-10-nic machine, and you say *errrgh* and stick your tongue out and DO! NOT! BUY! A! NEW! COMPUTER! because the *OLD CLUNKER* is *STILL* *BETTER* than either of those two systems, and it's getting HARDER to find a 7 machine with "new features" on it.

so why bother buying a new one? *EXACTLY*!

THAT is the reason Win-10-nic is *KILLING* PC sales, same as "Ape" did it. The *NEW* machines are *NOT* perceived as *BETTER*.

Linux fans may be in for disappointment with SQL Server 2016 port

Re: Err...

"MS suggest using non-portable ZeroMemory api function rather than memset as Visual C++ may decide to remove the portable code but surprisingly the ZeroMemory function is never removed."

#ifdef WIN32

#define my_zero_memory(X,Y) ZeroMemory(X,Y)

#else // the rest of the universe

#define my_zero_memory(X,Y) bzero(X,Y) /* or memset(X,0,Y) */

#endif // win32 bzero workaround

or similar, especially if I made a mistake [I just pounded it out of my head].

I do that sort of "but if it's WIN32" thing a lot. but good point anyway. it just means "us devs" need to be aware and put "but if it's WIN32" ifdef blocks around a few things, wrap with macros, use the macro in our code.

actually I do this frequently enough for portable code involving microcontrollers. sometimes the 'memset' is smaller/faster, sometimes bzero not available, etc. etc. but one way or another the need to zero a block of memory is handled SOMEHOW.

Re: converting VBA code

"It takes a long time to convert all the VBA code to LISP."

(title added by me)

I think it might be FASTER to actually IMPLEMENT VBA for Linux [then they can release this as part of their mono/'.Not Core' thing]

Microsoft needs to evolve or they'll die. windows 10, and also 8.x, is proof of that. They ported stuff to OSX, even made a runtime system you could run windows applications with (on OSX) a decade or so ago.

so yeah. they're trying to branch out, see what works. I'll sit back and watch for a while...

popcorn, get your popcorn!

Re: Perfectly understandable

"As Linux lacks so many enterprise-scale features compared to Windows Server"

what 'enterprise-scale features' are you referring to?

Oh, perhaps it's windows-specific features. I get it, like maybe 'Active Directory' and things like that. There are _other_ ways to make that *kind* of thing work, you know, NOT just "Microsoft's Way". Some older things like kerberos and LDAP come to mind, if you even need them. Cloud-based authentication for shared resources is rather popular these days, and guess what OS runs the cloud? Pretty much, Linux.

But yeah, this is the kind of FUD you'd expect regarding Linux vs Windows.

On a related note, microsoft is PROBABLY trying to do what they did back when they built Mac versions of MS Office. This is a HUGE market potential for them. I expect *better* performance from Linux with EXT4, or even ZFS, than comparable Windows Server with NTFS.

if having an A/D controller running on Linux was THAT important, there would be an application available that does it, licensed to use Microsoft's protocol. But I expect it's NOT worth it, regardless of what the sales-droids are telling you.

Solus: A welcome ground-up break from the Linux herd

Re: Flat is bad

ACK - my hatred of Unity, Windows "Ape" (8.x), and Win-10-nic, is based *MOSTLY* on "the flat look" tiles, and other allegedly "modern" things.

It is *NOT* __*MODERN*__ . That's just a market-manipulation word used by ELITISTS to justify their Windows 1.0 1985 look.

CLEARLY "the masses" *PREFER* 3D skeumorphic over 2D *FLUGLY* [flat-ugly], at least 2:1. That's the approximate ratio of people still using Windows 7 (and earlier) and refusing to DOWNgrade to 10 (or even "Ape").

As for Linux, Mint has OPTIONS for "flat look" vs "3D Skeumorphic" with glassy effects [aka "the eye candy"].

But saying a FLAT LOOK is a GOOD THING? Yeah, maybe for the choir you're preaching to, but that's about it. MOST PEOPLE *WILL* *NOT* *WANT* *THAT*.

'Minimalist' *CAN* include a 3D skeumorphic appearance. You know, like fluxbox maybe? [I started up a fluxbox desktop just to make sure, and yep, it's minimalist _and_ 3D skeumorphic!]

I *REALLY* hate the auto-pejorative term "modern" describing 2D FLUGLY.

Microsoft joins Eclipse Foundation. Odd thing for a competitor to do

Re: Oh. Woo. Yay.

well, it's not the FIRST 'foot in the door' Microsoft has done...

they invested in Apple after being sued by them.

they effectively bought STAC after being sued. end of controversy.

many OTHER technologies have ALSO been "assimilated" by the Borg.

Why does this surprise anyone?

It's step 1 in TAKING OVER CONTROL OF THE PROJECT. Then it's "Microsoft Eclipse", no longer free, no longer java-centric, and as one person already suggested, includes the same kind of ad/spy-ware as windows 10 by "offering" you ".Not"-based solutions.

but first... MONO as a run-time dependency! You just wait, it's coming! [this may make gnome's stupid decision to go with 'gnome 3' and the resulting Mate desktop based on 'gnome 2' a "drop in the bucket" controversy].

Time to fork Eclipse. but what to call it... ?

Microsoft wants to lock everyone into its store via universal Windows apps, says game kingpin

Re: Whoa there

"I find that 30% is nothing less than usury for the "benefit" of using the UWP ecosystem. MS is really pushing it just for maintaining the Store. The big labels are not going to accept losing almost a third of their revenue just to be able to sell their wares."

right, looking back at the early noughties and the beginnings of this (".Not" initiative) you can see Amazon telling Microsoft "blank OFF" to their 'Passport" login scheme.

that's ONE of MANY examples. As I recall, MS also had something brewing about a 'store' back then, or maybe it was some canned thing with IIS. I just remember 'something', no details.

In any case, look what happened THEN. What makes *NOW* any different? "The New Generation" is trying it? Anybody ELSE remember the term 'Whiz Kids' ???

yeah them younguns think they're so SMART, being brainwashed in college and come out thinking they know everything, and now it's THEIR turn to do it THEIR way, just like it was described in Arthur C. Clarke's "Superiority".

Re: All about margin

"Third party developers would be wise to avoid participating in their war, playing in their rigged game."

I came to that conclusion with the ".Not" initiative back in the early noughties... that MS was trying to corner the market and provide "one login for the internet" and generate a kind of "toll booth". That eventually turned into a bloated, monolithic set of libraries, and an inefficient layer between the appLICATION and the operating system.

Well, that "one login" came BACK like a zombie, as the new "Microsoft Logon" complete with a privacy violating EULA. That ties directly in with "the Store" and potentially tracks EVERYTHING you do (read the EULA, it's in there).

The trend is obvious, the goal is obvious, and Ballmer's infamous "Developers Developers Developers Developers" ape dance [I saw this, live] means NOTHING any more. It's not about 3rd party developers making Windows successful. It's about rounding them up and FORCING them into this "new model".

NOT participating is the only way to go. I continue using Windows 7 dev tools, target XP, and *REFUSE* to use ".Net". [in fact, an MFC application can be ported to Linux and even Mac using wxWidgets, which is similar enough to make the overall process REASONABLE].

Re: Deja Vu

[OT] open source can include "signed code" features that would allow modified versions to be detectable, but still work if 'unsigned'. Yeah that's the opposite of Microsoft's method of signing code to prevent using it at all and scrape revenue from the required signature, but still... [apple does that, too]. Point is that 'gaming OS' could include this without it becoming a tollbooth for developers and end-users.

back on topic, ANY reasonable solution would have to ALLOW un-signed 3rd party code to work, though perhaps a game server might alter your avatar somehow to indicate you're using un-signed or modified code, which is of course a COMPLETE contrast to Microsoft's "we shall scrape revenue from every transaction" aka "The Store" model.

besides, how could a "the METRO" game (or 'Universal App(sic)') have the kinds of PERFORMANCE that native code gives you? It's self-contradictory for Microsoft to think that their additional layers of "the METRO" are HELPING anyone but themSELVES.

Re: Retarded

"UWP is only for the lowest common denominator."

ack on that. Microsoft is dumbing down the user interface so that the "4 inch" crowd can use their smartphones as computers, while simultaneously restricting THE REST OF US to a 4"-er's phone interface on the desktop, PARTICULARLY those "universal apps(sic)" instead of NATIVE versions that RAN BETTER, LOADED FASTER, and LOOKED MORE PROFESSIONAL.

And don't EVEN get me started on the flat 2D appearance since "Ape" (8.x)...

Converged PC and smartphone is the future, says Canonical's Mark Shuttleworth

Another one 'swallows the coolaid'

Yet another corporate CEO going over the Lemming cliff along with microsoft, looks like.

Funny how Apple isn't trying to converge THEIR stuff like that. I think the recognized the market a long time ago - there's PHONES, and there's PC/Desktop/Laptop, with slabs being an interesting fad and more like phones than PCs.

But only MICROSOFT has really really really tried to "converge" them. At their own peril. Sinofsky's Cluster-Blank known as "Windows 8" totally *BLEW* it, primarily by turning desktops into glorified phone OS platforms.

Meanwhile, Microsoft (believing their own hype) has forged ahead into phone-land merge with Continuum. Joy. Now Canonical wants on board, too.

Thing is, Canonical might actually SUCCEED whereas, of course, Windows phone will be FAIL after FAIL after Win-10-nic FAIL.

Intel's recent experiment is also interesting. I think Intel wants to sell CPUs. Perhaps they should back DESKTOP LINUX a bit more, seeing as Win-10-nic is *KILLING* new computer sales.

Integrating phones with PCs always makes sense. but NOBODY is going to carry their phone around and expect to GET WORK DONE ON IT while waiting in a line, or on a bus or a train or an aircraft. That's what *NETBOOKS* are good for. Tiny, portable, DESKTOP computers with a small footprint. Most of them run a version of Linux from what I can tell.

Then, there are the SLABS. It's a compromise for the 4" screen, but you're more likely to see a "convergence" with THESE than with a 4" phone. But we've already seen the slab trend. They're good for CONTENT CONSUMPTION, but not CONTENT CREATION. So they're oversized phones, with phone OSs on them. Good for those who want them.

The problem with the PC market is that people don't view it as a DERIVATIVE. They view it as an INTEGRAL. New PC sales are a DIFFERENTIAL in the PC market. Some are replacements, many are new purchases. That's the point.

So when you look at desktop GROWTH, people are still buying desktop computers. They're often replacing old ones, but also buying new ones. But, of course, with Microsoft releasing a *GARBAGE* CLUSTER-BLANK of an OS to replace Windows 7 (or even XP), can you BLAME people for *NOT* buying a new computer with "Ape" (8) or Win-10-nic on it?

At least you can get 7 Pro until September or so, from what I read from the last 'The Register' article that mentioned it.

Bill Gates can’t give it away... Still crazy rich after all these years

Re: Humanitarian!!

well, I wouldn't say Gates earned his money through ILLEGAL means, but doubting the motivation for "humanitarian" give-away of his wealth is another thing entirely.

It's been my opinion for a while that political lefties and liberals "give away" their money to "charities" which aren't, so they're actually BUYING SOMETHING and getting a tax break for it.

A good example of this is George Soros, the man who broke the Bank of England [anyone LOSE money because of this?]. He regularly "gives" to organizations like "Media Matters", perhaps not directly, but through shell "charities", which according to U.S. Law are ILLEGAL charities because they engage in POLITICAL activities [those are different kinds of charities].

(it makes me wonder if there are a sufficient number of politicians on his 'payroll' to keep the justice department from investigating him more thoroughly...)

So Bill Gates in his "philanthropy" might decide to give money to some leftist cause, which engages in some level of political activism, or "philanthro-capitalism", which helps to shape things in favor of him making more money down the road [example, influencing patent enforcement in 3rd world countries, related to 'world health organization' donations and the influence it has on honoring the alleged influence for patents by 'big pharma' interests].

None of this, of course, is proved. It's just POSSIBLE. But if _I_ had "that much money" I would certainly NOT spend or give it away without getting SOMETHING I WANT in the process. A truly BLIND approach to charity is actually a BAD idea [it's more like what GUMMINTS would do with "your money", so they can finance scammers and 'the lazy' at public expense and thus buy votes].

So you can't BLAME him for being 'selective', or even asking for a little "palm-grease" in return. Giving to higher education means [possibly] that they purchase WINDOWS COMPUTERS, and then TRAIN PEOPLE to become future Microsoft employees, competitive in the world, making Bill Gates even richer than before. Can you blame him? I don't. But it's a good example, isn't it?

If more people were to approach the subject of super-rich people giving their money away with THIS perspective, then maybe there would be a little *LESS* corruption in the world, particularly that which is funded by "charities". After all, a tax break for charitable contributions puts MORE money into the hands of those you give charity to, whether it's REAL CHARITY or "charity".