sometimes i have a sick feeling about microsoft. sometimes i get the feeling that they are doing something behind our backs... giving away personal information when we "register", monitoring our e-mail... why else would they be so aggressive as to form a monopoly? why would they purposefully make shitty software with swiss-cheese for security? there's a lot of stuff they could be doing to us....who knows what theyre planning...what ultimate goals they have... obviously their goals dont include running an honest business that respects, and doesnt take advantage of the ignorance of its customers...so what do they want then?! they may have serious control over the government (the economy is run by microsoft) does anyone else feel this way?

and will bill gates chryogenically freeze himself? (just kidding)

i feel like steve jobs, but its not ibm that needs to be overthrown now.

M$ IS GETTING REDICULUS. IM BOUT TO WAGE WAR!

:smash:

GOD. DAMNIT. MICROSOFT.

from:
http://i-want-a-website.com/about-li...piracies.shtml

"WinBoxes: The Latest Volley In The War Against Linux

Nicholas Petreley wrote an April Fool's article about "Winboards", cheap Windows-only motherboards that function like WinModems. While most of Petreley's readers laughed at the absurd concept and moved on, an engineer from Microsoft's R&D labs didn't. Microsoft will embrace and extend this concept to create entire Windows-only computers called "WinBoxes". What started out as an innocent April Fool's gag has turned into Microsoft's latest anti-Linux conspiracy.

Microsoft has inked a secret deal with Compaq to produce a line of WinBoxes. These computers will consist exclusively of specially designed Windows-only "hardware" built into the motherboard. The CPU will handle all of the processing that is usually reserved for external devices in real computers. The motherboard will contain a built-in WinSoundCard(tm), WinHardDriveController(tm), WinEthernetCard(tm), WinVideoCard(tm), and, of course, a WinModem(tm). (These boxes will not support traditional floppy drives, but they will support proprietary MSFloppies(tm) capable of holding 10MB apiece).

During the next few months Compaq will begin to mass-produce WinBoxes. These machines will NOT be advertised as Windows-only brain-dead boxes, instead they will be marketed as inexpensive entry-level machines for unsuspecting novice computer users. Such users probably don't realize that Windows alternatives exist, and even if they knew about alternatives, they would be content to use Windows. Indeed, these users will never have the opportunity to realize that the "Windows-enhanced" logo etched into the case is really a "Windows-only" warning label.

Within a few years, these WinBoxes could quietly spread through the low-end desktop market and, ultimately, go mainstream. Your average computer user won't care that his el cheapo US$199 computer can only run the latest version of Windows Two-Thousand-And-Whatever. Your average Linux hacker will care, but alas, he'll be stuck using an ancient AMD K7 system. "

HIE HITLER! this f*cking serious!

calm down please..this forum isn't really setup just to bash microsoft, its to help people using linux. we don't make ourselves look any better than the other guys if we talk like that.

compaq sucks imho anyways... so there isn't anything to worry about... at least i wouldn't worry, just don't buy compaq then.

no worries here. didn't you see my link though about HP and Mandrake, HP is setting up a deal with Mandrake to try and offer Linux Desktops possibly for businesses, which might be good start for linux on the desktop.

...that would be one overloaded processor.

I cant speak for everyone here, but I dont have to trust Microsoft as I choose not to use their products.

Its 100% Linux

Windows is for my games, nothing more.

Otherwise, Linux and QNX are my friends.

To answer the question, no. I don't trust anyone.

IBM/Linux will soon rule the world!

sorry for sounding so stupid. linux and other operating systems pose a threat to microsofts $$$ and when someone messes with microsofts $$$.....

I don't trust MS at all. It'll never happen. If either the home-machine or the office-machine are these WinBoxes, then if people want to 'work from home' and occasionally go back to the office (to catch up on gossip) then they'll have problems.

Personally I think that any company that is silly enough to limit their hardware to Windows and Windows only, deserves to lose customers hand-over-fist. So far I have only had problems with WinModems. Why would a fairly reputable company like Diamond MM decide to either not write Linux drivers for their USB modem, or not publish the hardware details so that others can write Linux drivers for them? Seems to me that they are limiting the number of potential customers. Certainly I will never buy another Diamond MM product (I am actually using one: Diamond 56K serial, but I didn't buy it - swapped my USB modem for my Mum's serial) and I will suggest to others that they do not.