__/ [ The Ghost In The Machine ] on Thursday 25 May 2006 03:38 \__
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20060524/tc_pcworld/125871
>
> BitLocker - drive encryptor. Available already in Linux,
> though I'd have to look up the details.
Also makes data inaccessible to Linux. Because /all/ our customer's want
that, right?
> Certified for Windows Vista - Sticker on device.
> Third best of the four.
>
> FlexGo - pay-as-you-go PC rental program, targeting
> developing countries/markets who can't afford to buy the
> whole thing.
They should get Linux. Starter edition only permits 3 processes to run at any
one time. Crippleware.
> OpenCable Undirectional Receiver (OCUR) - devices that
> can leverage Windows Vista's HDTV features.
>
> ReadyBoost - a method to use USB flash memory to augment
> virtual memory. Available in Linux by using filesystem
> swap on the stick, if I read this correctly.
Samsung, I believe, are working on something as such. According to some
standard figures, latency in USB access makes this less than exciting. RAM
is not expensive nowadays and Linux does not require much RAM either.
> ReadyFetch - technology that monitors one's PC and
> supposedly optimizes system performance. Too vague
> to call.
Maybe it works along the lines of defrag, which is an unnecessary maintenance
task which, among a lot of utterly unnecessary action upon clutter, also
puts commonly-used programs in the middle sectors. I have never ever felt
its impact. Sales pitch probably...
> System Performance Rating (SPR) - a benchmark number
> from 1 to 5. The Vista Control Panel can also identify
> bottlenecks. I'm not aware of similar technology on Linux
> though the Gnome System Monitor or gkrellm might give a
> hint as to what's being pounded on.
>
> Windows Connect Now - WiFi connection technology/protocol,
> based on the WiFi Alliance's Simple Config. I don't know
> WiFi so can't say whether Linux has this or not.
I hear that people's on-board Wi-Fi fails to work with the beta of Vista.
Looks grim on the face of it. Allchin said that the device manager needed _a
lot_ of work. This was a few months ago. It is among the many reasons for
the delays.
> Windows Rally - a family of technologies designed to
> simplify setup, security, and management of networked
> devices. Includes Windows Connect Now, Plug and Play
> Extensions, and Link Layer Topology Discovery. Does not
> include race car driver.
See the latest 'test drives' by Pirillo. Quite discouraging.
> Windows SideShow - techonology to allow access from
> hibernating PCs, using auxiliary displays.
Wake-on-LAN, SSH, and another specific Linux solution whose name I forgot. X
is built as a server, so it's a piece of cake that is probably more
versatile in Linux.
> Windows Vista Capable - Sticker on device. Second best of the four.
>
> Windows Vista Premium Ready - Sticker on device. Best of the four.
>
> Works With Windows Vista - Sticker on device. Worst of the four.
*LOL* Talking about space fillers...
> XML Paper Specification (XPS) - XML-based document format
> compatible with Office 2007 file formats and offers some
> of the benefits of PDF.
So suddenly Microsoft perceives XML as a selling point? Strange.
> * * *
>
> http://www.MYFINGERmicrosoft.com/windowsvista/features/default.mspx
(pull my finger to view)
> Other items:
>
> Aero - Vista's GUI which provides among other things beautifully
> rendered glass-like interface elements which are hard to find on the
> screen.
Provided you have the necessary hardware. Even then, the gain is minimal or
non-existent. It's like that screensaver hype in the Office, dating back to
the days of Windows 3.1 (of course it predates it). Everyone began boatsing
it before it lost its appeal.
> Instant Search - type-in widget to "quickly find the information you
> need".
Web browser toolbar incorporate this capability already. No innovation here.
> Explorers - Powerful yet easy-to-use tools for working with files
> consistently across Windows Vista. Explorers give you more information
> and control while simplifying how you work with your files. The
> experience is easy and consistent. (Hopefully.)
Very vague description. Nothing to see here.
> Live taskbar thumbnails - Resting the mouse pointer over a taskbar item
> displays a live thumbnail of the window. It doesn't matter if the
> window is iconified or not. Neat hack; dunno if any Linux window
> manager/panel system has it (or needs it).
KasBar. I've used it for many years. Comes with KDE as standard.
> Windows Flip/Windows Flip 3D - Live thumbnail instead of icon while
> using Alt+Tab; the mouse scrollwheel can shuffle through the windows
> like a card deck/stack. Linux XGL might have this; I don't have XGL.
XGL boasts something /more/ pragmatic. It makes the windows smaller in a nice
animated fashion. See the XGL videos.
> IE7 Tabbed Browsing - Woo.
Thanks for the privilege.
> IE7 live previews - Woo, again.
>
> Sidebar gadgets - include such things as the trashcan (which makes some
> sense), RSS feed, clock, and weather updates.
I'm sure this will make my day. Linux has had this for _at least_ 5 years and
Web browsers like Opera and Firefox offer widgets and extensions,
respectively.
> Volume Shadow Copy - allows retrieval of point-in-time file copies to
> retrieve prior versions of a document that was deleted or edited. Looks
> like a bastardized version of WinFS made it in after all. Linux has no
> analogue although one can explicitly use SVG or Subversion in a pinch.
rsync and scp do the trick for me. I have a whole dated stack of my files.
This would be easy to implement in any O/S. The concept is very simple and
the tools are there. Cost: performance (CPU/RAM), volume (disk space),
privacy.
> Speech Recognition - now you can talk to your 'puter, and it might even
> be listening.
I have heard bad things about it (in a Longhorn conference demonstration).
It's as useful as Clippy. I remember playing with this in Mac OS 9. What an
utter waste of time. I felt embarrassed enough just sitting in the office by
myself talking to an iMac. This loveaffair just lasted a few minutes. Then I
said "hasta la vista, see you in Vista".
> Windows Update - now in its very own panel.
Because nobody dares to take the space of the most crucial feature of Vista,
where updates might not require a reboot (kernel being an exception?). This
indicates that Microsoft forecast _a large_ flow of much-needed patches.
This says something, doesn't it?
> Excited yet? Let me know when they get NFS.... :-)
*LOL*
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz | "Did anyone see my lost carrier?"
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU/Linux ¦ PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
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