Topics on businesses, good and bad.
I really dislike telemarketing. I try not to be rude to anyone, even telemarketers; I just wait until they say what they’re selling and tell them I’m not interested. Most of them quickly thank me and move on to their next target. But there are times when my patience is sorely tested.
Color me shocked. After my post on the recent Office 2003 debacle, I expected Microsoft to do what they’ve always done (and what they continue to do with Windows Vista): ignore the complaints and forge on. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. But apparently they heard enough complaints that they’ve backed off on this one. …
Continue reading ‘“Microsoft admits Office 2003 ‘mistake’”’ »
After all the government kerfuffle over the last couple years about moving to an open format for office documents (because proprietary formats could be discontinued by the vendor at any time, rendering documents stored in them unreadable), I’m shocked to read that after the latest Office 2003 update, Office can no longer access older format …
Continue reading ‘“Office 2003 update blocks older file formats”’ »
He-LLO, Steve! Security through obscurity doesn’t work! How many times do we have to be burned by your software before you learn that?
Oh, the irony!
“Cyber Monday” is apparently the new name for the Monday after Thanksgiving, when workers return to the office and start Christmas shoping online from their work computers. It’s apparently growing in importance, as the traditional “Black Friday” (when stores supposedly “climb into the black,” or start making a profit for their fiscal year) loses ground. …
Continue reading ‘Forget “Black Friday,” start watching “Cyber Monday”’ »
“Freelance technology journalist” Don Reisinger has an interesting article here: As music downloading (and dare I say illegal downloading) continues to rise, these music companies bury their heads in the sand and blow policy out the other end. Instead of understanding customers and realizing that what we want is readily available music without DRM, Warner …
Continue reading ‘“Who else is laughing at the music industry?”’ »
Everyone has been waiting for Vista SP1 to come out, thinking that surely it will fix all of the problems that Vista has (like running many programs at half the speed on the same hardware). Well, it doesn’t seem to make a lick of difference: Bottom Line: If you’ve been disappointed with the performance of …
DRM troubles are driving people — including formerly-loyal Microsoft ex-employees — to Linux. A major European think-tank is recommending “naked PCs” (PCs sold without an operating system) to foster competition and bring down prices. Microsoft has been forced by consumer pressure to keep selling Windows XP for an extra half-year. And even a CNET technology …
…oh good heavens. And I thought numerology went the way of phrenology within the last couple hundred years. If this is the kind of thing that anyone with money has to put up with, I’m tempted to abandon Project X now, before it can make any.