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Windows 7 bait and switch

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A few years ago there was a declaration that due to continuing delays with Vista, that Microsoft would ‘totally rewrite’ the code to complete the task and finalize it’s release. We now know that these ‘rewrites’ never made it into the Vista we see today, and are now part of the Windows 7 kit. We know this by common sense, we know that Microsoft could never have reached a Windows 7 beta in under a year when in fact it’s taken about 4 years to develop this beta.

Now all the paid Windows Pundits are raving about the Windows 7 beta and how much better, secure and fast this is, to any other Windows release. Almost the exact same song and dance that was paraded out for Vista. Does anyone ever learn that marketing does not make software better? I’m sure that Microsoft is aware that if they get this wrong again, corporate 500 companies, same ones that are skipping the Vista release, the ones that keep them in business, will be seeking more alternative desktop operating systems. They have already been tripped up by the emergence of the netbook running Linux, or worse, Windows XP. They are literally being hamstrung by their own base. This could be the end of Microsoft dominance in the office workspace.

A sheep in Wolfs (Windows) dressings

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If I were managing Microsoft, I’d announce a new Operating System (OS) and prepare copies to hand out of Windows 7 “pre-betas” at PDC, WinHEC which consists of a slightly re-skinned Vista OS which no one wanted when it was called Vista.

And you know, no one will notice, or care that 99.9% of of the new OS is just the same as the old OS and relabeling it will make all the difference in the world!

Apple’s iPhone is closing the door on the future

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After hearing about how the iPhone can phone home and kill apps? I knew that my choice to purchase a Palm T/X was the correct one. But this is even more a vindication of my choice of the Nokia 6300 to act as the modem for both my MacBook and Palm T/X when Apple pulls posted iPhone modem app Apple won’t even allow you to use all the abilities of something You Own! just because they made it. DRM be dammed, being slaved to Apple is even worse. And just when Apple was beginning to increase marketshare, Job’s paranoia is making Apple into another Microsoft.

iPhone/iPod Touch Monopoly

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I have been in the market for an upgrade to my iPod and the question of a replacement has been this, should I upgrade my old Palm Vx to a Palm T/X or my first generation iPod (5GB). The candidates have been the Nokia N770 / N800 / N810 series, the iPod Touch and the Palm T/X. I have by this time determined that the Nokia systems, while the most versatile are not completely integrated systems, more hacker devices than finished products. So the choices are down to the Palm T/X, which is getting very long in the tooth, running an aging operating system, or the iPod touch with a revolutionary OS/GUI but no third party applications.

The requirements are relatively simple, WiFi, bluetooth, applications like email, browsing communicating. MultiMedia. And any other things would be optional like eBooks. I have a medium sized iTunes collection, and plenty of Palm apps.

Currently if the rumor that Apple will approve and distribute apps and limit access to iPod/iPhone internals is true, this will be a deal breaker. No iPod Touch!

I have no intention of buying a totally locked in device. If for no other reason than it’s bad monopolistic practice. It will limit what the developers will be able to develop, and turn away some of the most innovative designs. This would be the most stupid thing Apple could do. A proverbial shooting one’s own foot off. It would cripple any development that might be applied, it would make the Palm the only choice.

I’ll wait until Apple announces on Thursday, but this rumor smells too true, so I’ll start pricing Palm T/X’s.

UPDATE: I looks like Apple has screwed it’s self Here! So my Decision to but an unlocked Obsolete Palm T/X is vindicated yet again!

Please Vote for me because…

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Please Vote for us because …

Because I did not take bribes (don’t you believe him?)

Because I don’t burn cars, sell drugs, or support crime (don’t you feel safer?)

Because I don’t keep patients waiting on gurneys (just don’t get sick!)

Because I’m not continuing with stealth taxes (I can feel that extra change in my pocket)

Because I won’t shoot my foot off (I’m from stab city)

and

we won’t continue to give away public land to private Hospital developers as the next step in privatizing health-care

we won’t give away more public services like Eircom, and Aerlingus.

we won’t build and give away more public roads and bridges to NTR

we won’t continue to support monopolistic private businesses like VHI,
Eircom ( want to buy some shares?), NTR, etc

And above all, We will restore the Freedom of Information act, and become truly transparent!

Does anyone want to buy a bridge?

The switch from BT to Eircom

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This Friday we were informed we were paying for Eircom Broadband, no modem had arrived, and there was no disruption in service from BT. I was expecting a cutoff of service as Eircom ‘switched’ our service. It was expected as I was expecting them to transfer our ‘port’ from BT to Eircom before they started to charge us for it.

So on a lark, I reset my router to use the Eircom username password, and as easy as you please, the ip address of the router switched, and bingo, we were on Eircom. A quick change of DNS addresses and all was back to normal. Except that the domain was Eircom.

A check of the VPN connection, the primary reason for making the switch, and sure enough, a stable connection. Utilizing the same routers, wires and having made no changes to the router setting, I had a stable and useful VPN connection where BT had claimed it was my equipment.

BT, over the last few weeks, had become increasingly unstable with frequent dropouts, and performance issues. Some of this may not have been their fault, but their inability to repair and maintain, were their fault, and the response of their techies’ was unacceptable.

So now I’m Broadbanding from bigbrotherland, and strangely happy about it.

Windpower and Solar face uphill battle in energy land

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In this age when oil and gas, nuclear and coal and turf are being pushed as the ‘Only realistic’ source of energy for the future. The real issue is not that solar and wind power can’t supply the current and future energy requirements. It’s that it can’t supply the energy needs in the same way as is currently provided! A centralized, controlled, and profited by, a central authority or business.

Solar and wind are distributed power sources. Shoe horning solar and wind into the monopoly energy scheme is impractical. This is an example in miniature of what wind energy represents, independence; Handheld windmills. Now I’m not claiming that we need to carry iPods with little windmills attached. What this presents is that this device is independent of the power-grid, the tit we are all used to nurse from.

It is not impossible to supply a few hundred houses from wind, wave or solar power. You just can’t do this by pumping this energy into a national grid. If each community were wired into a local wind, solar or wave system, a community could become independent from the energy monopolist.

And that is also why these resources are never developed, monopolies do not see the profit for themselves, and resist competition from any other alternative.

Centralization is control.

Time for us to seek energy independance. Think Solar wind and wave.