Wow! After yesterday's ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek blog (see Vista Sales Disaster?) the big guns have been piling into Microsoft.

First off, blogger Quentin Stafford-Fraser in a piece titled The Slow Death of Microsoft lists three key problems the company faces. First, operating systems are simply commodity items that you can now obtain from a number of sources. He likens them to phone company networks: "They provide a useful service, so you hand over the money. But all the interesting stuff... comes from whom you contact and what you say to them, not from who provides the wires. The wires ceased to be a novelty some time ago."

Second, "Microsoft Office is becoming less and less relevant. Almost everything I write now ends up in electronic, not paper, form. On the rare occasions when I want to write a letter, I use Apple’s Pages, not Word. If I wanted to write a book, I would almost certainly use OpenOffice. Both are arguably better suited to those tasks."

And finally, he concludes with a tale about a friend who developed a whizz-bang new feature for Outlook/Exchange back in 2004. It was due to be incorporated in this year's release, but "then it was deemed to be a little too aggressive to include it so quickly, so it was postponed until the following release, which will presumably be in 2009/10. Six years after he finished it! When he moved to Yahoo, he would implement a new feature and it was not unusual for someone to ask, 'Could this go live this afternoon?'”

Stafford-Fraser concludes with a suggestion that Microsoft's future may be in making games consoles because "that seems to be going well for them".

Or perhaps not...

Over at business mag Forbes, Roger Ehrenberg in an Advisor Soapbox column writes;
"After taking a step back and looking at some objective numbers (taken from Microsoft's own financial statements and comparative console sales figures extracted from VGChartz.com and Wikipedia.org), I have concluded that gaming has been a disastrous endeavour for Microsoft, particularly from an investment perspective."

After throwning $21 billion bucks at the Xbox and their Home and Entertainment (H&E) division over the last five years, all Microsoft has to show for it is "$5.4 billion of cumulative operating losses".

He concludes: "Microsoft needs to take a long, hard look at its gaming strategy -- and, in fact, its entire H&E strategy. At what point, regardless of its virtually endless financial resources, does it say 'enough is enough'? Would we have been better served by returning the extra cash to shareholders rather than investing it in a franchise that seems to have questionable prospects for turning around?"

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 7:24 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

The Chinese - who account for about one-fifth of the world’s total population - purchased just 244 copies of Vista within the first two weeks of its launch.

I can’t make much sense of the original site - even using the Babelfish and Google's translator - but according to Gearfuse Microsoft “only managed to sell 244 copies in the whole of China in the first 2 weeks. You heard that right, and that’s the number quoted from the headquarters of the Windows Vista chief distributor in Beijing.”

That overwhelming lack of interest might explain why Dell stepped out of line last week and started offering US customers a choice of either Windows XP or Vista after unprecendented customer demand for the older OS. And it almost certainly explains Bill Gates' announcement of a $3 Operating System + Office bundle for third-world countries.

There's an amusingly over-the-top review of the situation on The Inquirer. Microsoft admits Vista failure begins, "With two overlapping events, Microsoft admitted what we have been saying all along, Vista, aka Windows Me Two (Me II), is a joke that no one wants."

Another snippet;

Microsoft has lost its ability to twist arms, and now it is going to die. It can't compete on level ground, so is left with backpedalling and discounts of almost 100 times. What we are seeing is an unprecedented shift of power. It is also an unprecedented admission of failure. And the funniest part about the moves made? They are the wrong things to do. Microsoft is in deep trouble.

And even at $3 a disk, Windows is still way more expensive than Linux - and that's not counting the DRM and software formats lock-in.

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

The Inland Revenue Department has redefined computer security. Although they've lost 106 computers, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne said, "IRD runs a very secure operation."

Does anyone else find that a bizarre statement?

Imagine you run a shop and discover that more than 1% of your stock is missing. "Ah," you say to yourself, "this is a very secure operation."

Imagine you get home tonight and find someone's nicked your DVD player. No point calling the police because, asset-wise, it only represents 1% of your household goods. The cops would just say you're running a very secure household.

It gets even more bizarre.

"Inland Revenue holds 8488 desktop and laptop computers. As at April 2006, 106 (1.2 per cent) of these computers could not be located, 32 of these were deemed to be obsolete. This number is expected to reduce in the future due to the implementation of additional tracking software."

Read that last sentence again. It appears they'll be to locate the missing machines by adding software to the non-missing ones. Wow!

If you listened to the Minister on Morning Report this morning you'll have heard that none of the computers contained any tax-payer information at all. Nothing. Not a single spreadsheet. Not a single letter. Not a single internal memo or email. Phew, that's a relief. But it raises another question: What the hell do the IRD use computers for?

The computers, Dunne said, simply provide access points to a much more secure system. Huh? If IRD only needs dumb terminals, why use fabulously expensive PCs in the first place? Why spend thousands of dollars per desktop when you could provide that same functionality - and great deal more security - for a few hundred?

I'm no tax specialist, but even I can see that something here doesn't add up.

If you have a GST bill due next week you might try they old "Sorry, I've lost my computer" routine. And if that doesn't work, try pointing out that your few measly grand is way less than 1% of the total tax take.

Frankly, I don't think you'll get very far.

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Today marks the official release of the very latest version of Ubuntu, the Linux that's taken the Linux world by storm.

Version 7.04 comes in five different flavours. There's Ubuntu server for high-end business use, while desktop users get a choice off regular Ubuntu (featuring the Gnome 2.18 desktop manager) and Kubuntu (built on KDE 3.5.6). Low-end PCs are catered for with Xubuntu (with the Xface desktop manager) and then there's Edubuntu, designed specifically for educational deloyment.

I switched to Kubuntu 6.10 late last year after Suse sold their soul to Microsoft and have been very impressed. Little wonder. It's been top of the download hit parade since its first release in October 2004.

7.04 promises some extra goodies. The Server Edition now supports virtualization, easy client upgrades and has a heap of performance improvements while the Desktops come with a Windows migration tool that recognises Internet Ecch-plorer and Firefox bookmarks, AOL and Yahoo IM contacts and even desktop wallpaper. All get imported during installation, making the move to the land of the free even easier.

If you don't have a high-speed connection and can't handle the download, you can even get the official discs for FREE, though delivery may take up to six weeks.

Incidentally, if you're confused about Ubuntu's version numbering, it's really very simple; they just use the year and month of release, so April 2007 equals 7.04. Since they have a six-month update cycle, the next release will be 7.10.

In addition they also use a catchy alphabetic codename. 6.04 was Dapper Drake, 6.10 was Edgy Eft, the latest is Feisty Fawn and the next version's Gormless Gates*.

If you're looking to upgrade from Edgy, you'll find the instructions here.



*Actually, that last bit might not be quite right.

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 )

There are lots of ways in which Linux applications can be tweaked to your personal taste. Here's one of my favourites...

Yes, Wikipedia's and the Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries are great online resources, but you you need to be on line to use them. If you're on the move or on the end of a dialup connection they're utterly inconvenient. But there's another free online resource called dict.org which fronts a number of equally free databases and dictionaries. The difference with dict is that you can take it with you.

Traditional access to dict is via their website or a dedicated dict client. There are heaps of these, written in a wide variety of languages for a vast array of operating systems. My favourite's Kdict;



Whatever client you use however still ties you to the internet - unless you choose to run your own dict server.

A quick aside here: many users think of servers as specialised high-speed platforms servicing thousands of users a minute. And the can be. But your humble PC can also be a server, serving just you.


Set Up Your Own Server
Download and install the following apps via you usual update method.

• dict - the dictionary client
• dictd - the dictionary server
• dict-wn - the WordNet dictionary. (There are tons of other dictionaries and databases you can download - see below - but this will get you going.)
  

Open a terminal window and start the server with the command dictd. (You'll need to be root so Ubuntu users should prefix that command with sudo.)

Now test the server's working by issuing the command like dict computer (to look up the word "computer" in the dictionary.) You should get a response like this...



(Press spacebar to scroll or "q" to quit.)

If you now change Kdict to use your local server instead of the net, you have an always-on dictionary! To do so;

• Choose Settings / Configure Dictionary.
• Change the Hostname setting from dict.org to localhost and click OK.

You need to make one more change to ensure that dictd starts every time you boot;

• Open the KDE Control Centre (or just type kcontrol in your terminal window).
• Select System Administration / System Services and click Administrator Mode.
• Scroll down and select the dictd service.
• X the Start During Boot check box then click OK.

Create a Shortcut
While you're in the KDE Control Centre, add a keyboard shortcut to kick off kdict. Then you only need to select a word, hit the shortcut key, and kdict will pop-up with a definition.

• Select Regional & Accessibility / Input Actions.
• Click New Group and name it whatever you like.
• Select your new group and click New Action.
• Again, give a name then click the Action Type drop-down and choose Keyboard Shortcut -> Command/URL (simple)
• Click the Keyboard Shortcut tab and assign a key combination by clicking the button below Select keyboard shortcut. A new window will open. Choose whatever key combination you like (I use Win + K).
• Click the Command/URL Settings tab, enter the command kdict --clipboard then click the Apply button.

Try it. The shortcut (and Kdict) will work in any application at all - even a terminal window!


Add Some More Databases
WordNet (dict-wn) isn't the only database around - or even the only dictionary. In fact dozens are available, including around 60 foreign language dictionaries. (English-Welsh or Africaans-German anyone?) Amongst the more common (and more useful) are;

• dict-elements - contains physical and chemical data about the elements
• dict-foldoc - the Free OnLine Dictionary of Computing
• dict-gcide - a comprehensive English dictionary (more detailed that dict-wn)
• dict-moby-thesaurus - a huge, comprehensive thesaurus

Just download 'em, restart dictd and you'll have 'em on-hand and instantly available for ever.

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Posted by Geoff Palmer at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 )

OminNerd have released a interesting operating system comparison. Titled the 2006 Operating System Vulnerability Summary, it examines "the weaknesses inherent in the operating systems themselves by focusing merely on the remotely exploitable attack vectors. Removing the user actions from the equation reveal which operating systems are the most susceptible to attacks."

They look in detail at;

• Windows XP
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows Vista Ultimate
• Apple Mac OS Classic
• Apple OS X 10.4 Server
• Apple OS X 10.4 Tiger
• FreeBSD 6.2
• Solaris 10
• Fedora Core 6
• Slackware 11.0
• Suse Enterprise 10
• Ubuntu 6.10 Desktop/Server

The individual system details are fascinating.  Here are just the closing remarks. (The italics are mine.)

While there are an enormous variety of operating systems to choose from, only four "core" lineages exist in the mainstream - Windows, OS X, Linux and UNIX. Each system carries its own baggage of vulnerabilities ranging from local exploits and user introduced weaknesses to remotely available attack vectors.      As far as "straight-out-of-box" conditions go, both Microsoft's Windows and Apple's OS X are ripe with remotely accessible vulnerabilities. Even before enabling the servers, Windows based machines contain numerous exploitable holes allowing attackers to not only access the system but also execute arbitrary code. Both OS X and Windows were susceptible to additional vulnerabilities after enabling the built-in services. Once patched, however, both companies support a product that is secure, at least from the outside. The UNIX and Linux variants present a much more robust exterior to the outside. Even when the pre-configured server binaries are enabled, each system generally maintained its integrity against remote attacks. Compared with the Microsoft and Apple products, however, UNIX and Linux systems tend to have a higher learning curve for acceptance as desktop platforms.      When it comes to business, most systems have the benefit of trained administrators and IT departments to properly patch and configure the operating systems and their corresponding services. Things are different with home computers. The esoteric nature of the UNIX and Linux systems tend to result in home users with an increased understanding of security concerns. An already "hardened" operating system therefore has the benefit of a knowledgeable user base. The more consumer oriented operating systems made by Microsoft and Apple are each hardened in their own right. As soon as users begin to arbitrarily enable remote services or fiddle with the default configurations, the systems quickly become open to intrusion. Without a diligence for applying the appropriate patches or enabling automatic updates, owners of Windows and OS X systems are the most susceptible to quick and thorough remote violations by hackers.

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 )

In Web 2.0 terms a "mashup" is a website that combines content from a variety of sources in order to give users an integrated experience. You can achieve something similar using the vast variety of hidden utilities in Linux - and you don't even need to be a programmer!

A number of popular Linux applications are essentially mashups of simple command-line tools. Look behind the scenes at a program like QDVDauthor and you'll find that's it's built on a bedrock of basic but powerful command-line applications.


      A few of QDVDauthor's behind-the-GUI tools


It's this "standing on the shoulders of giants" attitude that's one of strengths of Linux. Let's try a simple example.

Ingredients
Install the following components using your distributions' usual installation method;

• fortune
• gmessage

Preparation
Test the components are installed and working by opening a console window and typing the component name. Entering fortune should return a random quote such as;




Test gmessage by typing gmessage hello and you should get back something like this;




Method
Simply "mash" the two programs together with this command (it should all be on one line);

fortune | gmessage -font "georgia 10"  -file -  -wrap  -center  -geometry 520x180 -title "Fortune Cookie"  -buttons Close  -default Close

When you hit <Enter> you'll get a GUI-based fortune, like this;




Advanced Mashup
To avoid having to type the command every time, save it in a text file then make the file executable with the command;

chmod +x filename

Now simply typing ./filename will execute the program.


Even More Advanced Mashup
If you use KDE, add the new program to the

/home/<your_user_name>/.kde/Autostart

folder and every time you start Linux you'll be greeted with a random addage!


Behind the Scenes
To learn more about the two commands we used, either precede them with the keyword man (for "manual") in the console window (arrow keys scroll, "q" quits), or type man:/ <program name> in Konqueror's Location bar for a nicely formatted GUI-based manual page.


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Posted by Geoff Palmer at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 )

Indian security experts at a recent Black Hat Conference in Amsterdam have demonstrated a CD-based boot loader that gets around Vista's code signing mechanisms. Named Vbootkit, it "managed to run with kernel privileges and issue system rights to a CMD [command] shell when running on Vista... even without a Microsoft signature."

"...at no time are Vista's new security mechanisms, which were intended to prevent unsigned code from being executed with kernel privileges, set off", the report continues.

That could be still more bad news for Microsoft's time-wasting, resource wasting, ludicrously restrictive Digital Rights Management system. "For example, it might also be possible to get access to HD video content protected by DRM on the path between the data carrier and the video card."

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

Yet another way to dress up your desktop is to let others do it for you. KDE comes with a modest collection of themes to start you off, and there are heaps more available on the web.

Themes are accessed via KDE's Systems Settings. Some distros tinker with them - I don't know why - but I prefer to use the generic controls. To find these, hit <Alt+F2> or choose Run Command from the K Menu, type kcontrol on the command line, press Run and you'll kick off the KDE Control Centre.

Click the + beside Appearances & Themes and choose Theme Manager.


[Click on images for a better view]


There's a variety of themes available. From the boring Windows-lookalike Redmond...




The the natty Plastik...




To a variety of High Contrast ones...




Individual parts of each theme are customisable so you can set things just so...




...and then save it by clicking the Create New Theme button...




Not only can you save themes for your own use but you can publish and distribute them for others on sites like kde-look. Of course lots of people have been down that path so there's already a vast repository available for download. Here's just a handful of samples...


Acqua...


[Click images for a full-screen view]


Aeris...





Baghira...





KDE3 XP...





Linux Vista...




And those are just the beginning! You can add desktop widgets with the likes of SuperKaramba (or even write your own) and add fancy toolbars with kxdocker. With Linux it's easy to banish boring desktops!

<< Back to Part II

<< Back to Part I

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )