The Sasser Worm!

It is probably very well documented - it is in Microsoft's best interest that people upgrade to 2003 Server and XP Pro. However many do not see what benefits they offer over what they already have (i.e. Windows 2000). NT4 to XP or Server 2003 is a lot more appealing than upgrading from 2000.

I know updating computer systems is needed, but the price and time/manpower can be prohibitive (money spent on upgrading PII's to P4's just to run XP could be spent somewhere else, especially when all those PII's do is a bit of Word Processing). Also a lot of the viruses are targeted at 2000/XP now, so Windows 98 is actually safer from infection (still insecure though).

It may take yearsjust to upgrade people to XP - and once that happens, Microsoft will want people to upgrade to Longhorn (and people may be forced to eventually when 2000/XP are no longer supported).

I receive Spam and contaminate attachments from Zombie computers like yours all the time.

Who are you referring to? I have never had a virus (and I've been using Windows since 3.1 (plus used DOS 5) and was on the internet in 1993) and do scans for spyware all the time - blocking with Spyware Blaster and removing others with Ad-Aware. Plus, I also use Firefox (which is immune to ActiveX based installations and attacks).

eagle wrote:

What if the NHS was held responsible for disease?

They MUST upgrade their computing systems, it's a matter of life and death.

Firstly diseases are not man made, the NHS is not going around conjuring up cancers for people to die from.

Secondly they can't afford to upgrade, they either upgrade or people die as there isn't enough money for treatment.

Many diseases have been generated by the miss-deeds of humans, specifically the English and their spread of Small Pox (a disease they got from intimate contact with cows) among the Native American population.  Many believe AIDS came from British dealings with monkeys in Africa.

The British have plenty of money for waging war in Ireland and elsewhere, but they don’t give a toss about the welfare of their own people who have to rely on the antiquated computing systems of the NHS.  

Firstly I am sorry my post was not meant to be politcal, in hindsight it did have political undertones.

Smallpox has been eradicated from the world, and if what the americans did to native americans was terrible.

No one knows how or where aids started but it almost certainly started from monkeys in africa.

Waging war in ireland, if you are talking about Northen Ireland then in recent years most of the weaponary and money have come from Irish imigrants in america. The training brittish troops gets in Ireland may have saved lots of lives in Iraq though.

The NHS does rely on anticuated computer systems, it is rumered they could save 3 billion if they switched to linux, and this is being looked at but there is no money.

Don't feed the troll.

lars wrote:

Don't feed the troll.

Your right i'm sorry

The British desire for skullduggery will never be satisfied. 

It would be a good idea for microsoft to change Its windows source code, as in dump the old one and get a new one.... ofcourse would have to write it... but no one would know about it..
  Also, as far as security, when Microsoft revealed the Windows' source code to Its MVP's, that was a HUGE mistake....

Charles wrote:

I would argue that a dissenting View should not be so quickly cast to Troll. SBC makes some very good points.

SBC isn't the one trolling in this thread.

/Lars.

Charles wrote:

lars wrote: SBC isn't the one trolling in this thread.

Sorry SBC. I'm no Troll expert...

Charles

No problem. Microsoft have got a hard task on their hands, especially because the competion seems to undercut the software in terms of price (thanks to no licence costs and lack of viruses). The products generally are getting a lot more secure and stable. I'm sure a lot more testing is being done on Longhorn than previous versions - plus, you seem to be opening up a lot more and asking for suggestions for product improvements.

We will soon see if XP2 is as good as it should be - hopefully this time next year there will be less vulnerabilities and viruses causing problems.

Linux based systems and Open Source are tough things to compete against. As anyone has access to the code, any company can support and extend it (not via API's like Windows, but access to everything) - for example AFAIK Novell supports RedHat Linux and SuSE, even though they don't make RedHat Linux. The point of Open Source is that you have the choice to have commercial support or not (you could hire someone to support it for you rather than outsourcing). The fact of the matter is - it is here to stay and is not going away as it has gained so much momentum.

Even Microsoft can develop a Linux distribution and support it.

sbc wrote:

Even Microsoft can develop a Linux distribution and support it.

Very true. And quite often overlooked. Some zealots think that the more successful Linux is, the less successful Microsoft is. They could be in for a surprise. Microsoft have shown time and again that it can switch direction very quickly and with a minimum of vanity. They go where there is good business. And that makes them successful.

/Lars.

Steve411 wrote:

It would be a good idea for microsoft to change Its windows source code, as in dump the old one and get a new one.... ofcourse would have to write it... but no one would know about it..
  Also, as far as security, when Microsoft revealed the Windows' source code to Its MVP's, that was a HUGE mistake....