US Department of Transportation bans Vista

[Dowly]

Haha, good advertisement for M$. :rotfl:

http://government.zdnet.com/?p=2971

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has banned its users from installing Microsoft’s new Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Internet Explorer 7 software packages, saying there was no business or technical justification for the upgrades.

“Based on our initial analysis (from internal recommendations and analysis performed by Gartner Group), there appears to be no compelling technical or business case for upgrading to these new Microsoft software products,” the department’s chief information officer Daniel Mintz wrote in a memorandum dated 19 January, 2007.The CIO added there were specific reasons not to upgrade to the new software. These included the cost of the move (including hardware/software costs and labour), as well as compatibility concerns between Office 2007 and previous versions, primarily revolving around Microsoft Word.


Also, Mintz noted available funding was limited, and IT staff had already committed their time to the pending move of DOT’s headquarters to a new building.Mintz will issue a follow-up memorandum within 180 days from 19 January that would articulate his department’s strategic desktop and laptop technology roadmap.
DOT is a large department within the US government responsible for the country’s transportation network, including railway, aviation, road and maritime transport. It has around 55,000 staff.

[Skybird]

More of this. If vista becomes a very hurting failure for MS, certain questionable practices and idiotic design philosophies may get thought over for the next Windows generation. I hope Vista does as much damage as possible to MS. It would also strengthen the stand of alternative OS, which probably would be used by more of us if it would be easier and knowledge spreads how to make existing software compatible with these. The market-ruling monopole-like position of MS is not good for the customers.

[Dowly]

The market-ruling monopole-like position of MS is not good for the customers.

Agreed. Any sort of monopoly is bad for the customers. The boardgame is kinda fun, tho. :hmm::yep:

[kiwi_2005]

Why is MS holding Directx10, every directx was freely available for DL, now DX10 will only come with Vista? I think we all know why. Gamers will need DX10 later on when games require you have it. So either we will have to buy vista or hope MS make DX10 available for DL for winxp users

Sry going of topic here.

[bradclark1]

MS will just find a way to force the change. They have changed the EULA before to force an issue.

[Skybird]

I am glad to report that my interest in new sims and games more and more dies out. It will be no big sacrifice for me to switch to another OS one day, or maybe even ban PCs completely from my house. A laptop for word proecessing and chess, and my dozen chess board computers is all I really would not miss anymore. I become more and more aware of the many negative consequences and dependencies global connectivity and the spreading of PCs in private life creates. It has benefits, yes. but as always before in history, progress also is gained at a cost, aprice that has to be payed. amongst others, growing vulnerability, dependency, a change from quality to quantity in the widest contexts. It gives comfortability to some actions we might wish to do via computer, but it also limits our perception, and the way of mental problem solving. It creates blueprints and shemes our brains must follow in order to make best use of these new gimmicks. It chnages the way we see our world, life, ourselves. It even changes our understanding of values, sense and meaning, worthless vs worthy. For some people, reality was what was to be seen on TV in the past. Today, reality is what is on the web. And if it is not on the web, it is not real.

Neil Postman: Amusing ourselves to death. An older book, but a classic. Thoughts that are more needed than ever.

[leeclose]

Well i have heard nothing but bad news about vista a very good friend of mines has recently forked out the 200gbp for it and wow did he have probs with it in the end he switched back to XP pro. Also he sent vista back and got his money back which he invested in a really good pair of TFT monitors so i'm afraid i aint going vista for a long time:yep:

[Neptunus Rex]

I am glad to report that my interest in new sims and games more and more dies out. It will be no big sacrifice for me to switch to another OS one day, or maybe even ban PCs completely from my house. A laptop for word proecessing and chess, and my dozen chess board computers is all I really would not miss anymore. I become more and more aware of the many negative consequences and dependencies global connectivity and the spreading of PCs in private life creates. It has benefits, yes. but as always before in history, progress also is gained at a cost, aprice that has to be payed. amongst others, growing vulnerability, dependency, a change from quality to quantity in the widest contexts. It gives comfortability to some actions we might wish to do via computer, but it also limits our perception, and the way of mental problem solving. It creates blueprints and shemes our brains must follow in order to make best use of these new gimmicks. It chnages the way we see our world, life, ourselves. It even changes our understanding of values, sense and meaning, worthless vs worthy. For some people, reality was what was to be seen on TV in the past. Today, reality is what is on the web. And if it is not on the web, it is not real.

Neil Postman: Amusing ourselves to death. An older book, but a classic. Thoughts that are more needed than ever.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that someone (many someone's) said the same thing about type printed books in Europe about 300 or so years ago.

[leeclose]

I'm glad that i liek to read proper paper books i seee many friends reading of there laptops bugger that glad my kid is a avid reader as well so much for the tech age:ping:

[Iceman]

Why is MS holding Directx10, every directx was freely available for DL, now DX10 will only come with Vista? I think we all know why. Gamers will need DX10 later on when games require you have it. So either we will have to buy vista or hope MS make DX10 available for DL for winxp users

Sry going of topic here.

Not off topic great observation..I am getting asked by customers about this OS and I don't know what to tell them but most already are leary and say like most new stuff they will wait a while the until the bugs rear they're heads.

[The Avon Lady]

I believe Vista is the foundation for maximizing audio and visual possibilities over the next several years.

Hints: DX10, 64 bit support.

It is naive to think that MS wasted all this time just for a prettier face. Stay tuned.
The market-ruling monopole-like position of MS is not good for the customers.
The fact of the matter is that no one has yet come up with a better mousetrap. Is Linux the answer? Not yet and I have my doubts if it ever will be. So that leaves us with who else exactly? :hmm: There's the possibility of Web apps but they have major minuses for heavy duty business customers. There are limits.

Too much whining. WinXP has been a big improvement for myself personally and for the office, over prior Windows versions.

Like everyone is saying, they need to get the kinks out of Vista. This should coincide with a slew of new hardware and software products that will wow us just as prior generations of these products did in their time.

But if you're satisfied with playing Space Invaders, no problemo.

[Skybird]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that someone (many someone's) said the same thing about type printed books in Europe about 300 or so years ago.
Pah. You are exaggerating. I wonder why.

I'm glad that i liek to read proper paper books i seee many friends reading of there laptops bugger that glad my kid is a avid reader as well so much for the tech age:ping:
:up:
No laptop and now hitech gadget displaying a novel on it's screen can rival to read that novel ink-on-paper in your relaxation chair. Going technical on every detail, at all costs, is no real progress, but headless hectic. It may help office work, okay: I wouldn't like to change a word processing software for an old mechanical typewriter, too. But keep the trend to where it belongs.

[Linton]

Vista is rubbish and not worth the money.I was expecting a gold plated version of XP pro amd I got a quirky gimmick.I could rant for hours about how I feel about it if I had the time,I think that it will be a flop.

[leeclose]

seems to be the general feelin glinton for some reason ive yet to here a real good word about it:nope:

[bookworm_020]

I'll be sticking to XP for awhile. It will take a year for enough software and support services to get up to speed.

Back on Topic, So the U.S. department of transportation isn't going to Vista, City Rail in Sydney is still on Windows NT!!!:roll:

[kiwi_2005]

I'll be sticking to XP for awhile. It will take a year for enough software and support services to get up to speed.

Back on Topic, So the U.S. department of transportation isn't going to Vista, City Rail in Sydney is still on Windows NT!!!:roll:

Alot of bussiness where i live still use windows2000 with spk4, & Linux Redhat 8. - they never bothered to upgrade to xp probably wont bother with vista either. If it aint broken... no need to fix it.

[Dowly]

I'll be sticking to XP for awhile. It will take a year for enough software and support services to get up to speed.

Back on Topic, So the U.S. department of transportation isn't going to Vista, City Rail in Sydney is still on Windows NT!!!:roll:
Alot of bussiness where i live still use windows2000 with spk4, & Linux Redhat 8. - they never bothered to upgrade to xp probably wont bother with vista either. If it aint broken... no need to fix it.

Yeh, alot of offices that I know here use mostly Win98 or 2000.

[kiwi_2005]

Another company refuses to take the crooked path

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/10276/1023/


US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

A report in Information Week that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may shun the idea of upgrading to Windows Vista and Microsoft Office in favor of Linux and Google Apps.

[bradclark1]

For businesses I would think it's more a matter of security then getting the latest and greatest. As long as you can keep it secure why bother upgrading.
As far as Vista goes I'll wait until at least sp1 comes out and longer as long as programs support XP. The gaming industry however? I have a 2.2 ghz and am starting to discover older games.

[GSpector]

Funny, I actually saw the use of the word Monopoly in reference to M$.:rotfl:

I have seen M$ grow and grow since it 1st came out and they always had 1 excuse after another on how they acquired applications and features legally so they could beat lawsuits to include things that they did not steal the code, it's just the same idea.

Through these many years they have found 1 way or another to control what other companies could do in regards to creating apps for there OS.

I had a friend that actually tried to create a program to be used in Windows a few years back but he had to sign a contact stating he would not create any other program for any other OS while under contract with M$. He refused to sign and created what he wanted for who he wanted. Yet, at the same time, M$ tells the courts that there are no contracts of that type with M$.

My problem with M$ is not so much the Software that they release as so much as the control they take. They take it little by little and by the time the average citizen finds out, it's to late to care or do anything about it.

You want to know why M$ is holding DX10. from what I've seen published, it allows them the position to dictate the directions of the new video cards. In the past, the video card Mfgr's worked to create new and better features that worked with the OS so there were many different types of cards each with different features to choose from, now M$ can control what features will be developed so all cards will basically be the same. Price & design will now be what you can choose from, not features.

The large Graphic Card companies can't really say any about this. They either accept it or spend Millions to support another OS. I really doubt M$ would allow them to design for another OS at the same time due to contracts so it's not something these companies can just switch to over night or slowly migrate to.

Sound Blaster Audigy drivers were deliberately excluded from VI$TA because they did not come to M$ when M$ wanted them to. In the past, if Drivers were missing, you just installed them from a disk. Not possible now. VI$TA has to accept the drivers.

This may also be part of the problem with why so may here are having problems getting SH3 to works with the MOD. VI$TA looks for digital signatures like WinXP did for hardware but I'm sure it looks harder now and for software based digital signatures now. Seems to be the case from the complaints I've read from people (not just here) that try to upgrade.

M$ has just grown to large and has grabbed to much control that they really could not be stopped without a real major hit. And when that day comes, we will all lose and that in itself could prevent the big hit from happening.

The US Government is taking a risk by not upgrading because the OS versions they decided to stick with will not have support after much longer and as long as their systems are on a network, M$ could expire support and the OS. So the offices that use it will have no legal leg to stand on since they are aware of the new OS and that the licences will expire as well as support and still decided to ignore and/or refuse to upgrade for what ever reason.

Far fetched for sure, but does anyone really think that it could not happen. After all, all remains fine as long as M$ is happy.

Now, it's possible that M$ may be kind enough to offer free upgrades to critical system business's that have not made the upgrade. Business's like IRS, DOT, DOE and any local city Government office that is considered a critical business. That may be fine but deep down, that still scares me.

[nikimcbee]

I'll be sticking to XP for awhile. It will take a year for enough software and support services to get up to speed.

Back on Topic, So the U.S. department of transportation isn't going to Vista, City Rail in Sydney is still on Windows NT!!!:roll:
Alot of bussiness where i live still use windows2000 with spk4, & Linux Redhat 8. - they never bothered to upgrade to xp probably wont bother with vista either. If it aint broken... no need to fix it.

Yeh, alot of offices that I know here use mostly Win98 or 2000.

Yeah, up-grading from windows 3.1 to vista will be pretty tough for our gov't. Better form a committee.

[tycho102]

I believe Vista is the foundation for maximizing audio and visual possibilities over the next several years.

Maximizing digital rights management by incorporating "Fritz" chips and other hardware-encrypted tunneling methods to secure audio and visual possibilites over the next several years.

Yes. I agree with that. Palladium ("Next Generation Secure Computing Base") is the goal, and Vista is a necessary control part. AMD is about to bail out of the running, leaving Intel and IBM to decide. Intel will go with Microsoft, Universal Studios, Sony-BMG, Disney, Time-Warner, and all the other RIAA/MPAA corporations.

I don't know which direction IBM is going to go. Their "cell" processors have a tremendous potential, especially in consideration to some of the new optical bridging designs.



All bets are off (for me) when the first production pure-inferometer computer is announced. That's going to happen within about 10 years, barring a major oil disaster.

[Wim Libaers]

No laptop and now hitech gadget displaying a novel on it's screen can rival to read that novel ink-on-paper in your relaxation chair. Going technical on every detail, at all costs, is no real progress, but headless hectic. It may help office work, okay: I wouldn't like to change a word processing software for an old mechanical typewriter, too. But keep the trend to where it belongs.

However, some work is being done to produce paper-like computer screens (which means not using backlighting, but using ambient light to read the screen, and low power consumption).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper

It would obviously not reach the quality of a good printed book at first, but might be a good way to read, for example, those pdf manuals that are often provided instead of paper manuals.

[Skybird]

It would obviously not reach the quality of a good printed book at first, but might be a good way to read, for example, those pdf manuals that are often provided instead of paper manuals.

But does it look as sexy on your bookshelf as this?

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/4466/img0949sp9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

:D

[The Avon Lady]

But does it look as sexy on your bookshelf as this?
The days where IBM's mainframe computer manuals were only available on paper are long gone now. They introduced their library CDs in the mid-80's.

But back then, there were literally cataloged book rooms to shelve at least one copy of each book, besides the duplicate copies staffer kept on their necessary bookshelves around their work areas.

I have very few 3 ring binders left anywhere near me in this day and age. Talk about hugging trees!

[kiwi_2005]

But does it look as sexy on your bookshelf as this?
The days where IBM's mainframe computer manuals were only available on paper are long gone now. They introduced their library CDs in the mid-80's.

But back then, there were literally cataloged book rooms to shelve at least one copy of each book, besides the duplicate copies staffer kept on their necessary bookshelves around their work areas.

I have very few 3 ring binders left anywhere near me in this day and age. Talk about hugging trees!

PDF Lover! :lol:

I prefer manuals over cds anyday. Data storage is one thing but back up should also be on paper. Down to the treehuggers!

[kiwi_2005]

Funny, I actually saw the use of the word Monopoly in reference to M$.:rotfl:

I have seen M$ grow and grow since it 1st came out and they always had 1 excuse after another on how they acquired applications and features legally so they could beat lawsuits to include things that they did not steal the code, it's just the same idea.

Through these many years they have found 1 way or another to control what other companies could do in regards to creating apps for there OS.

I had a friend that actually tried to create a program to be used in Windows a few years back but he had to sign a contact stating he would not create any other program for any other OS while under contract with M$. He refused to sign and created what he wanted for who he wanted. Yet, at the same time, M$ tells the courts that there are no contracts of that type with M$.

My problem with M$ is not so much the Software that they release as so much as the control they take. They take it little by little and by the time the average citizen finds out, it's to late to care or do anything about it.

You want to know why M$ is holding DX10. from what I've seen published, it allows them the position to dictate the directions of the new video cards. In the past, the video card Mfgr's worked to create new and better features that worked with the OS so there were many different types of cards each with different features to choose from, now M$ can control what features will be developed so all cards will basically be the same. Price & design will now be what you can choose from, not features.

The large Graphic Card companies can't really say any about this. They either accept it or spend Millions to support another OS. I really doubt M$ would allow them to design for another OS at the same time due to contracts so it's not something these companies can just switch to over night or slowly migrate to.

Sound Blaster Audigy drivers were deliberately excluded from VI$TA because they did not come to M$ when M$ wanted them to. In the past, if Drivers were missing, you just installed them from a disk. Not possible now. VI$TA has to accept the drivers.

This may also be part of the problem with why so may here are having problems getting SH3 to works with the MOD. VI$TA looks for digital signatures like WinXP did for hardware but I'm sure it looks harder now and for software based digital signatures now. Seems to be the case from the complaints I've read from people (not just here) that try to upgrade.

M$ has just grown to large and has grabbed to much control that they really could not be stopped without a real major hit. And when that day comes, we will all lose and that in itself could prevent the big hit from happening.

The US Government is taking a risk by not upgrading because the OS versions they decided to stick with will not have support after much longer and as long as their systems are on a network, M$ could expire support and the OS. So the offices that use it will have no legal leg to stand on since they are aware of the new OS and that the licences will expire as well as support and still decided to ignore and/or refuse to upgrade for what ever reason.

Far fetched for sure, but does anyone really think that it could not happen. After all, all remains fine as long as M$ is happy.

Now, it's possible that M$ may be kind enough to offer free upgrades to critical system business's that have not made the upgrade. Business's like IRS, DOT, DOE and any local city Government office that is considered a critical business. That may be fine but deep down, that still scares me.

Yeah ive heard they're holding onto DX10 for no other reason but greed.

Future predictions
Linux noob friendly operating systems will finally be recognised by all, Linux will finally be gamer friendly leaving windows users to dumb the OS, cause ppl will want security, stability, open source, and free OSes!.
Microsoft windows will cave in and die by 2012 end up like Apple, MS will move away from operating systems & take up home entertainment with a fancy box that will do it all. MS will introduce the "Lustbox69er"
Linux will take over the operating systems.
Subsim website will be intregrated into All Linux OS :cool: