Bwah-ha-ha-ha! For some reason that is the funniest thing I have ever seen!

Now boarding - express bus to Schadenfreudeville (where everyone drives an Edsel)....

Three Reasons Why Windows Vista Is Sinking Like A Rock

Lately it sure seems like a day does not go by where I don’t run across at least one or two news stories about how annoying Microsoft’s Windows Vista is. A recent article on CNN is a prime example of how bad the reception of Vista has been from folks who simply know better. Talk of limitations on virtualization and media playback combined with hardware and software compatibility problems are making Vista look very bad in comparison to even Windows XP. Of course some of these issues might be addressed over the next few months but I think I have three good reasons why Vista is making for the bottom faster than you might think.

1. DRM problems and lack of anything even remotely demonstrating an understanding of how users want to use digital media. Although there has already been a significant amount of bad press regarding DRM (Digital Rights Management) features and limitations under Windows Vista I think it is worth noting just how unrealistic Microsoft really is in thinking folks are going to go quietly when forced into such restrictions. Seriously, as people become more accustomed to using digital media they are going to expect greater freedoms not more restrictions. Windows Vista imposes (and has the capability to do much more) in some cases severe restrictions on how people can use media they already own. Most of the folks I know are going to dump Vista the second they get even the slightest indication that they can’t play something that used to work just fine under XP. Not that I advocate piracy but going to extremes to prevent a tiny number of users doing something wrong is almost as bad as the piracy itself. Of course you can expect that someone will write a work-around any day now for most of these restrictions anyway but just having them there to begin with is adding insult to injury.

2. Limits on how Vista can be used under Virtualization and activation requirements are chasing away users. Like the CNN article indicates, the lack of support for virtualization in the cheaper versions of Windows Vista is definitely a marketing tactic. In fact, after thinking about this issue a bit I am willing to even claim that this is really a defensive move by Microsoft. The intent here is to prevent folks from running Windows Vista under other operating systems (virtualized) since this would erode existing Microsoft partnerships with PC makers. I also suspect they don’t want this to happen for several other reasons, not the least of which might be how quickly users of Mac OSX (or Ubuntu) might discover just how bad Vista is and forget they ever installed it.

UPDATE!!! Looks like the NY Times is weighing in on the virtualization issue…

3. Lack of stable drivers for key features is scaring both gamers and power users away from Windows Vista....

Three Reasons Why Windows Vista Is Sinking Like A Rock

Wow.

Yeah, Vista sales have been a lot lower than MS expected. How much lower I don't know....

Also, here's the NYT article on virtualization my above link mentioned: [link]

Bowing to customer requests, Microsoft began more than a year ago to change its software licenses so its products could run in virtual machines like VMware offerings.

But in recent months, according to VMware, Microsoft has introduced new restrictions on how Microsoft products can be used in virtual machines in new ways, beyond simply dividing a single physical computer into several virtual ones.

I got all excited about the phone advice for Lori because my phone broke, so I was in the market too. Whereupon I remembered that my phone was fixed by mysterious phone pocket gnomes, and I don't actually need a new one. Drat.

In other news, I am on the SO's laptop because its wireless is stronger than my external card and we're pretty far from the hub here. And his keyboard and touchpad are just so much slickerier than my Vaio's. Weird. When we shared this one, I never thought about it, but now that I use a different one this feels completely alien.

Damn pocket gnomes! Don't they know we need new toys?

TiVo killed my joke.

I'm fairly concerned with Vista not playing old edutainment games for the kid's computers. Leif's computer is needing replacement at some point and my wife will not take to idea of getting a new computer for her and giving Leif's hers. At some point I think I'll just need to buy a refurbished one that still has XP before XP is no longer available at all.

Vista news has to be good for Apple.

Vista news has to be good for Apple.

If they don't blow it, it could be a huge boost.

Speaking of Apple, has anyone else seen the new iPhone ad? It's nothing but famous movie/TV clips of people answering the telephone. (We counted at work - there are 32 clips. The footage alone must have cost at least half a million, plus talent clearances.)

[eta: And if you haven't seen it on TV yet, it's on Apple's front page right now.]