Win 97 turns computer into a $3,000.00 TV set?
Ches...@ix.netcom.com
Everywhere I turn, I have been reading about Microsoft's new
"push" technology that will be included in the over-hyped Windows
97. From what I have read, the basic idea is that Microsoft will
combine the operating system (windows) with its web browser; and
this will enable Microsoft to "push" news items, as well as loads
of advertisements on to my computer. Windows 97 will also
include an improved version of fat32.
The improved fat32 sounds fine; but will I be able to rid myself
of Microsoft's greedy attempt to force feed me advertisements? I
always thought that one of the biggest reasons PCs have become so
popular is that end users like having full control; as opposed to
the "big iron" of yesteryear. Now Microsoft wants to take over
and turn my expensive, productive PC into a over-priced "boob
tube". No doubt, this will make Microsoft scads of money; but
somehow, I just don't find the idea of such blatant commercialism
very appealing.
Will Microsoft provide the switch to turn off this VERY
irritating feature? I suspect there will MILLIONS of people who
will want to use the internet to take them where they want to go;
not where Microsoft will "push" them. Has anyone heard? Has
Microsoft remembered the off switch??
space cowboy
On Fri, 28 Mar 1997 03:04:20 GMT, Ches...@ix.netcom.com wrote:
>Everywhere I turn, I have been reading about Microsoft's new
>"push" technology that will be included in the over-hyped Windows
Push is not an MS technology and it is not new. NSC will offer a
similar desktop (in keeping with their theme "yesterday's technology -
tomorrow!" it will show up six months late and buggy as hell).
>97. From what I have read, the basic idea is that Microsoft will
>combine the operating system (windows) with its web browser; and
>this will enable Microsoft to "push" news items, as well as loads
>of advertisements on to my computer. Windows 97 will also
>include an improved version of fat32.
>
>The improved fat32 sounds fine; but will I be able to rid myself
>of Microsoft's greedy attempt to force feed me advertisements? I
>always thought that one of the biggest reasons PCs have become so
>popular is that end users like having full control; as opposed to
>the "big iron" of yesteryear. Now Microsoft wants to take over
>and turn my expensive, productive PC into a over-priced "boob
>tube". No doubt, this will make Microsoft scads of money; but
>somehow, I just don't find the idea of such blatant commercialism
>very appealing.
Yes you can turn the active desktop features off. FAT32 was introduced
in OEMSR2 and any OEM with half a clue has shipped with that version
installed for about six months now. Memphis is only different in that
regard in that it includes an in-place FAT16 to 32 converter.
If you really want complete control - learn how to use what you have
before you go crying about the 'big, bad microsoft'.
>
>Will Microsoft provide the switch to turn off this VERY
>irritating feature? I suspect there will MILLIONS of people who
>will want to use the internet to take them where they want to go;
>not where Microsoft will "push" them. Has anyone heard? Has
>Microsoft remembered the off switch??
>
Btw, how do you know this 'feature' is irritating if you haven't yet
tried it? And yes, Memphis supports multiple monitors (up to nine in
this version and more later), in addition to system scripting with
javascript and vbscript..
According to the Wall Street Journal, Memphis will be offerred as a
FREE upgrade to current win95 users. Look for the final release around
the first of next year (about the same time as Cairo).
"Let us hear no more of trust in government,
let us bind them with the chains of Constitution!"
Thomas Jefferson
Ches...@ix.netcom.com
>Push is not an MS technology and it is not new. NSC will offer a
>similar desktop (in keeping with their theme "yesterday's technology -
>tomorrow!" it will show up six months late and buggy as hell).
I disagree that Netscape pushes "yesterday's technology
tomorrow"; and I know that the "push" technology is not a
Microsoft design. However; unlike Netscape, Microsoft plans on
combining the operating system with this technology. Netscape
will build the "push" technology into their browser. The
difference is like night and day. Microsoft is talking about
turing your desktop into a web page. Its a lot easier to change
browsers than it is to change operating systems.
Have you ever noticed that with each new release, Microsoft
manages to slow the operating system down while tripling the
amount of disk space required? Speaking of bugs, Netscape has
not had nearly as many security problems with their browser as
Microsoft has.
>
>Yes you can turn the active desktop features off. FAT32 was introduced
>in OEMSR2 and any OEM with half a clue has shipped with that version
>installed for about six months now. Memphis is only different in that
>regard in that it includes an in-place FAT16 to 32 converter.
>
>If you really want complete control - learn how to use what you have
>before you go crying about the 'big, bad microsoft'.
>>>>
>Btw, how do you know this 'feature' is irritating if you haven't yet
>tried it?
First of all I do not have FAT32, it is only available from OEMs;
and therefore, I can not use what I do not have. Microsoft has
made darn sure that I don't have it; so that I will be "properly
motivated" to migrate to Win 97. Secondly, the converter you
speak of is already available in the latest versions of Norton
Utilities and Partion Magic; who have managed to figure out how
to convert the fat tables while Microsoft "fiddles". Third,
Microsoft is a big company, I'm sure they can manage to take a
little constructive advice.
>
>And yes, Memphis supports multiple monitors (up to nine in
>this version and more later), in addition to system scripting with
>javascript and vbscript..
Gee, you mean I can change channels! Wow! I can hardly wait for
my new "web page desktop" to continually dial up the internet on
its own, to update the 9 channels of crap (more channels to come
later) from which I will be able to choose from! Wait, there's
more!! Just think what it will do for my phone bill!
Come to think of it, I have tried something similar.... I think
people refer to it as the "boob tube".
>
>According to the Wall Street Journal, Memphis will be offerred as a
>FREE upgrade to current win95 users. Look for the final release around
>the first of next year (about the same time as Cairo).
>
Free?? I'll believe it when I open my mailbox and find it there
(no disrespect intended to the Wall Street Journal, an excellent
publication. Keep in mind that even the Wall Street Journal can
only report what Microsoft tells them). As to the release date,
Microsoft is very experienced in making promises.
Scott Andrew
In article <333bda46...@nntp.ix.netcom.com>, Ches...@ix.netcom.com
says...
> On Fri, 28 Mar 1997 09:11:36 GMT, lu...@theforce.com (space
> cowboy) wrote:
>
>
> >Push is not an MS technology and it is not new. NSC will offer a
> >similar desktop (in keeping with their theme "yesterday's technology -
> >tomorrow!" it will show up six months late and buggy as hell).
>
> I disagree that Netscape pushes "yesterday's technology
> tomorrow"; and I know that the "push" technology is not a
> Microsoft design. However; unlike Netscape, Microsoft plans on
> combining the operating system with this technology. Netscape
> will build the "push" technology into their browser. The
> difference is like night and day. Microsoft is talking about
> turing your desktop into a web page. Its a lot easier to change
> browsers than it is to change operating systems.
>
> Have you ever noticed that with each new release, Microsoft
> manages to slow the operating system down while tripling the
> amount of disk space required?
On the contrary. MEMPHIS is faster than windows 95. They are also
supposed to have a universal driver model between NT 5.0 and Windows 97.
Windows 97 is the progressivly next step. I use it daily and have no
problems.
space cowboy
On Fri, 28 Mar 1997 15:44:52 GMT, Ches...@ix.netcom.com wrote:
>On Fri, 28 Mar 1997 09:11:36 GMT, lu...@theforce.com (space
>cowboy) wrote:
>
>
>I disagree that Netscape pushes "yesterday's technology
>tomorrow"; and I know that the "push" technology is not a
>Microsoft design. However; unlike Netscape, Microsoft plans on
>combining the operating system with this technology. Netscape
>will build the "push" technology into their browser. The
Almost, but not quite. Constellation will not be a 'browser' but a
desktop suite. It will integrate into your OS and will also push
channels - no word yet on whether you can turn this behavior off.
Netscape has announced it's intention to developer partners (yes I am
one) to orphin the browser except as a component of their suite. For
all their talk of standards they are notorious for snubbing the W3C
and implementing proprietary code (ex: developers/W3C say "CSS1", so
NSC comes out with proprietary "layering").
>difference is like night and day. Microsoft is talking about
>turing your desktop into a web page. Its a lot easier to change
>browsers than it is to change operating systems.
Netscape intends to do precisely the same thing. As I stated before
you can turn this off in Memphis, since NSC is targetting their
desktop suite for intranet use (developers conference last month),
they are not sure they will be allowing individual users this ability
(sysadmin only).
>Have you ever noticed that with each new release, Microsoft
>manages to slow the operating system down while tripling the
>amount of disk space required?
Right about size, dead wrong about speed.
> Speaking of bugs, Netscape has
>not had nearly as many security problems with their browser as
>Microsoft has.
Security is funny this way - build it and someone will find a way to
break it. I am in no way saying that the MS browser doesn't have
problems. Netscape's 4 has at least four fatal system bugs and they
have managed to reinvent their early incompatibility with a good chunk
of Cirrus Logic cards (ala NS 1) - it is however a beta, or more
correctly alpha code.
>First of all I do not have FAT32, it is only available from OEMs;
>and therefore, I can not use what I do not have. Microsoft has
>made darn sure that I don't have it; so that I will be "properly
>motivated" to migrate to Win 97.
No. The first releases of win95 had to run on a large variety of
legacy hardware. MS was not sure how this would impact legacy users so
they provided OEMSR2 to OEMs. Because OEMs do batch install on same
hardware and that hardware is generally current generation, problems
are controllable. Think about 1% of four million users trying to call
a support desk and you begin to see the scope of the problem.
As for 'motivation' - MS wants to motivate businesses to migrate to
win95 NOW and Intel wants you to buy a new machine. This is a major
reason for the "free" upgrade.
>>And yes, Memphis supports multiple monitors (up to nine in
>>this version and more later), in addition to system scripting with
>>javascript and vbscript..
>Gee, you mean I can change channels! Wow! I can hardly wait for
>my new "web page desktop" to continually dial up the internet on
>its own, to update the 9 channels of crap (more channels to come
>later) from which I will be able to choose from!
Not what I said. Talk to a MAC user about multiple monitors (they've
had the ability for years) - the PC is finally reaching parity with
MAC hardware.
Wait, there's
>more!! Just think what it will do for my phone bill!
Shouldn't cost you more than a local phone call (ie, nothing - unless
netcom doesn't have a local route for you) if you decide to use this
'feature'. If you subscribe to a pay channel this is your choice and
again you can always turn the channel behavior off altogether. Couch
sitting is your choice, your responsibility, as it has always been.
>Free?? I'll believe it when I open my mailbox and find it there
>(no disrespect intended to the Wall Street Journal, an excellent
>publication. Keep in mind that even the Wall Street Journal can
>only report what Microsoft tells them). As to the release date,
>Microsoft is very experienced in making promises.
Actually it was intended for release in June/July, but the business
community has repeatedly asked MS to turn the software development
cycle down several notches (a large majority are still running
win3.11, again according to the Journal).
Fun discourse this! If you would like to take this private let me know
here (don't want to clog the usenet) and I will reply direct with a
useable address.
Johnny Vogels
Ed Ellers
lu...@theforce.com (space cowboy) wrote:
> According to the Wall Street Journal, Memphis will be offerred as a FREE upgrade to > current win95 users. Look for the final release around the first of next year (about > the same time as Cairo).
Hmmm...Microsoft's PR materials keep referring to Memphis as being "the
next version of Windows 95." That (and the 4.1 version number some have
mentioned) would seem to imply that this is not going to be a major
version change with a new name, as was the massive Windows 95 launch,
but will instead be a straightforward upgrade.
FWIW, Microsoft started offering free Step-Ups when they went to MS-DOS
6.2, and still offers the Step-Up to let any DOS 6 user upgrade to
6.22. This is a free download.