Showing headlines posted by azerthoth

State-by-state skirmishes over open-source document formats represent the latest showdown in a long-running, and so far unsuccessful, campaign to topple Microsoft's sheer dominance of the desktop software application market. Outside of Florida, four other states since January have seen language similar to Homan's included in proposed bills.

The trouble with most comparisons between desktop Linux distros and Windows is that they are written from the perspective of someone who is comfortable enough with a PC that they can undertake a feature-for-feature comparison in the first place.

SCO gets its Nasdaq delisting notification.

The U.S. Supreme Court made it easier to challenge patents for failing to introduce genuine innovations, siding with Intel Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. and dealing a setback to the drug and biotechnology industries.

The idea that Linux is primarily a community-based project based on the work of thousands of independent, idealist hackers died a quiet death at home on March 27.

Nat Torkington stirred up some controversy when he asked, "Is 'Open Source' Now Completely Meaningless?" He has a good point, however. With so many companies claiming to be "open source" -- despite seemingly disparate business models and licensing schemes -- it's getting hard to tell what is legitimate open source and what isn't. The mere fact that so many voices have begun to weigh in on the issue is proof of how murky these waters have become.

It's maddening. For someone who is trying make a daily use of what is to be considered a beginner friendly distribution for the first time, most options leave a lot to be desired for the uninitiated. More often than not, new Linux users find that everything works great at first only to discover that setting up something as common as a dual-head monitor configuration requires editing your xorg.conf file. If you are coming from a non-Linux environment, this can be a fairly frightening proposition.

Microsoft has defended the digital rights management systems integrated into its new Vista operating system.

(A partial response to Peter Gutmanns' article -Azerthoth)

Matthew Aslett of Computer Business Review brings to my attention that a recent article by the Salt Lake Tribune's Bob Mims, "Novell underscores support for free software development", includes an inaccuracy. Because the article has been widely quoted and it is currently linked to on Novell's web site, it seems important to correct it.

The Linux community is heading for a clash between three disparate groups with very different goals and agendas. We've already seen some light skirmishes between them already. Sometimes these groups will align for the purposes of advancing their own views, but for the most part, these three groups will either destroy Linux as we know it or have to learn how to get along.

SONY has been convicted of misleading the French public and told to pay damages to a consumer watchdog for selling downloadable songs that only run on its own music players.

If Microsoft is willing to make a legal deal with Novell on Linux, why shouldn't it do the same with the global 2000 customers it sells to? Novell might be gone in a few years, but General Electric will still be around. So will Russia, China, Brazil, India and Massachusetts.

As FLOSS has become more prominent in the computer industry, many speakers have tried to differentiate FLOSS from software released under other license terms. That’s fine, but some people have unfortunately been trying to use the term “commercial” as something distinct from FLOSS.

Every year or so I like to see how Microsoft is doing in its attempt to make a desktop operating system as usable as Linux. Microsoft Windows XP, Home Edition, with Service Pack 2, is a tremendous improvement over previous Windows versions when it comes to stability and appearance, but it still has many glitches ...

As VHS tapes and VCRs head the way of Betamax and phonographs, commentator Bill Hammack warns that the right to fair use is in danger of disappearing right along with them.