No major events of announcements this week, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t have any interesting content the past 7 days. The steady stream of news about Windows 7 continues to flow, while the netbook stream dried up a bit. We also some very interesting releases this week, such as the latest ReactOS and a new JNode release. Linus Torvalds made headline news once again because of his comments about having multiple Linux distributions, and it became clear SGI is in trouble yet again. This week’s My Take is about working on a dream.
Week in Review
Let’s get all of the Windows 7 news out of the way first. Most prominent was the back and forth between the beta testing community and Microsoft about a flaw in UAC, which allowed malicious code and scripts to completely disable UAC without ever showing a dialog. Even though Microsoft initially disregarded this as “by design“, pressure from the community forced them to change their position this week, and to implement a relatively simple fix: changing UAC will always trigger UAC from the RC onwards. For now, Windows 7 users are advised to move the UAC slider all the way up just to be safe.
The other big Windows 7item this week was the unveiling of the various Windows 7 editions. Microsoft will focus on just two versions in the Western market: Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional. Ultimate will be for enthusiasts, while the Home Basic and Starter versions will not be available to us Westerners. Enterprise editions will only be available via the volume licensing program.
Jordan (‘weildish’) published an editorial on OSAlert about the “Release Windows 7 Now Campaign”, while Engadget was underwhelmed by touch on the Windows 7 beta.
Leaving Windows 7 behind, Linus Torvalds made some interesting remarks about there being so many Linux distributions. He reckons it’s good for competition and choice, and in a sort-of mini-editorial, I explained why I agreed with Torvalds on this one. This item produced some interesting discussion as well, so be sure to catch up on that if you have the time.
We also had some feel-good items this week. First, we asked you to show us your desktop, something we’ll do at the start of every year from now on. Lots of beautiful desktop shots, and also a few that made some us cringe. We also discussed naming our computers, and how that might assist us in working with them more easily. Funny stuff in there, for sure.
To wrap this review of the week up, both JNode and ReactOS released new versions of their operating systems, with the latter showing promise, but a lot of rough edges as well. Sadly enough, the week ended with a sad note about SGI being in trouble yet again.
My Take: Working on a Dream
Recently, the new Bruce Springsteen album, “Working on a Dream“, was released. It’s an E Street album, so fans will know what to expect. Instead of trying to capture the brilliance of The Boss in words, I figured I might as well just let the album speak for itself. The epic album opener, “Outlaw Pete”.
Music like this is rare these days. Bruce Springsteen simply is one of the best musicians of all time, and this album just proves my point.
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I wonder if the steady stream of Windows news is to drum up demand (and with it revenue) for this “savior” of Microsoft. First we hear about some niche group clamoring for Windows 7’s early release (yeah, like that’s going to happen) and then the plethora of news bites about how fast and stable Windows 7 beta is on netbooks. Since it’s common knowledge that the media is all about marketing and little to do with actual news (i.e., perception IS reality) it gives one pause as to the motives.
Edited 2009-02-08 22:06 UTC
So, you’re insinuating we’re being paid by Microsoft? That we are owned by them or something? What is it you’re getting at?
Look, I can’t help it that people want to hear about Windows 7. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another release, and I don’t understand it either why everyone is up in joy about it.
Still, Windows 7 is currently simply the thing in the software world, just like a while back Ubuntu was the shit and we were getting complaints from a vocal minority that we posted too much Ubuntu news. Back then, we already explained it was just a wave, and that it would pass – and it did. Now, there isn’t as much Ubuntu news anymore, just as we told everyone.
The same will happen with Windows 7. Sure, you can go black helicopter on our bums and insinuate what you want, but the fact of the matter is that one of these weeks, the Windows 7 wave will pass, and we’ll be welcomed by another wave of the next best thing.
And then people like you will complain once again. It’s a recurring cycle, and as the managing editor here, I see that cycle more clearly than anyone else.
I’ll end with what we always tell to people who crybaby over stories: there’s no obligation to read them, you know. There’s no man holding a gun to your face forcing you to read items that you clearly are not interested in.
We have a very strict policy on people complaining about editorial choices in the comments. We have an email address to send your complaints to. Comments to that effect in the comments’ section will be deleted, as per our forum rules.
Edited 2009-02-08 22:21 UTC
A little defensive are we Thom? I’m not getting at anything as far as OSAlert is concerned. You do a great job! You along with the rest of the technical community are simply parroting what articles and news bites you find on people’s blogs and the mainstream media in general, (which for all intents and purposes is a joke.) So, if the pulse of the community is buzzing over Windows 7, so will OSAlert and all the rest in trickle down fashion. It’s the guys at the top, where it all starts, who are suspect.
Sad truth is 99% of the time, the tech media have nothing to talk about, so they just harp on the last thing they talked about so they can justify receiving a paycheck.
It has nothing to do with black helicopters and conspiracy theories, all we heard about for the last while was about how netbooks are the jesus of computers. Before that,as Thom said, the rage was talking about how Linux has finally come into its own with Ubuntu. Before that it was how Vista was satan-spawn, and there is always the tried and true “Is this the year of the linux desktop?” that has been pulled out and dusted off for over a decade now.
Got that right – just check out news.zdnet.com for the last two days – the harping on and on and on about the UAC changes, good lord, you’d think it was the second coming. I guess for me I am depressed not because of all the Windows 7 information but the fact that so much of it is puerile crap.
I long for multipage articules that go really into depth as the the kernel changes, how it compares to Windows Vista and XP, and heck, throw a little cross platform contention by comparing it to Mac OS X and say a *NIX of some flavour.
I long to see big articles like they do on Arstechnica; I want to learn what Microsoft has changed – but so far, like I’ve said, the information has been puerile, pathetic and childish. Articles amounting to little more than girlie gossip over the latest information about the flavour of the moment.
Oh, it’ll rotate. GNOME 2.26 is just around the corner, KDE 4.3 isn’t too far off, there are going to be some big distribution releases over the next 6 months, including OpenSolaris. Lets not forget Snow Leopard and all the marketing that’ll be around that once a semi-finalised (aka 99% complete – right now it isn’t even close to that) development builds start appearing.
So quite frankly I say let Windows 7 have its time in the limelight, let the Microsoft boosters have their soap box because it goes in rotations – swings between Linux, Windows, MacOS X and other platforms.
I guess this ‘love & hate’ depends on whether you’re an operating system zealot or just a technology and operating system enthusiast. Those of us who are technology enthusiasts and get excited on new technology will welcome Windows 7, its too bad a few spoil sports have to complain all the time.
It’s interesting that you say that about Vista, as the buzz around 7 seems to be the exact opposite. For example, the guy who is head of IT where I work, and was anti-Vista from day one (and made no secret of it) told a couple of us the other day that he installed the Windows 7 beta and absolutely loves it. Says he can’t wait for the final to be released.
My point here is that I don’t think it’s just the media hyping it up. I haven’t personally tried it so don’t have an opinion yet, but I am hearing mostly good things about it, whereas with Vista, it was all about how bad it sucked.
Madonna is still better than Bruce Springsteen.
But not as good as Vista 7!
Vista 7, nope sorry, never heard of that one.
If you mean Windows &, then you are deluded.
Madonna is more sexy that Windows 7, I would do Madonna, I would not do Windows 7.
But, Windows 7 is WAY more sexy than Bruce Springsteen.
I used to see big cats, like Tigers or Leopards, so sexy…
“when did lip syncing become classified as a live performance”
Edited 2009-02-09 11:34 UTC
Afraid not…
Is it really that hard to just ignore news (or “news”) that doesn’t interest you?
If your house was knee-deep in slurry, would you find it easy to ignore?
There comes a limit, when pretty much all news is crap, that it can^aEURTMt be ignored.