[wplug] Re: My distro beat up your distro (yet again, sigh) -- WAS: OS X on Linux?

[Bryan J. Smith]

On Mon, 2007-07-23 at 17:15 -0400, Mackenzie Morgan wrote:
> I know a business in Millvale where they got "the biggest baddest
> computer in the store" and said they'd only buy it on the condition
> that it didn't have Vista.  The store they got it from had a sign
> saying they'd install any OS on a computer you bought there if you
> supplied the install disk for $129.  He gave them his unopened copy of
> XP Pro, and 22 hours later they took down the sign because it couldn't
> be done properly.  His motherboard is Vista-only and since it's one of
> those computers where everything is stuffed in the back of the screen
> (like an iMac, but I think it's a Sony) and everything's integrated, a
> lot of stuff isn't right.

What I find particular humorous are the systems with some XP-only
components and other Vista-only components.

I recently and most purposely bought a Toshiba 12.1" Satellite Pro for
my wife that was almost a year-old design, i945G chipset.  Why?  Because
XP drivers were available for it.

> They forced a few drivers for some of the parts, but he has no sound
> and it pops up driver errors when he boots.  The software they need
> for engraving isn't Vista-compatible though, so he's hoping some
> random hacker will manage to get a driver for XP.  He tried to get his
> nephew to do it, but h said he didn't know Vista well enough to figure
> out how its drivers work to even attempt.

Reverse engineering is the most tedious, least fruitful endeavor --
especially when the vendor changes specifications -- quite incompatible
with itself -- every few years.  It is to be avoided at all costs.

As I've repeatedly stated, it's an insult to "proprietary" software to
call Microsoft software "proprietary."  The entire term "proprietary"
means the company assigns some long-term value to it, and ensures its
consumers value for their dollar.  Microsoft does not, so it is not
"proprietary" software.

It is what I call "intentional Hostageware."

  http://www.samag.com/documents/sam0501h/0501h_f1.htm  
  http://www.samag.com/documents/sam0502g/0502g_f1.htm  

>From ...
  http://www.samag.com/documents/sam0501h/  
  http://www.samag.com/documents/sam0502g/  

-- 
Bryan J. Smith         Professional, Technical Annoyance
mailto:b.j.smith at ieee.org   http://thebs413.blogspot.com
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        Fission Power:  An Inconvenient Solution