Software Pirate Could Have Used Johnnie Cochran
A software pirate who blatantly sold the illegal wares through his Web site
is
paying for
his greed and stupidity with up to seven years in the pokey. This was a
massive case of theft and fraud, so I'm not exactly sobbing over the sentence
just handed down to Nathan Peterson. I just kind of wish the folks who commit
murder, rape and manslaughter were treated as roughly!
Looking for Vista? Show Redmond Your Resume!
Vista is out in a form of beta that is very close to release. Want to give it
a whirl? If you suffered through the bug-fest that was this spring's beta, you
should be qualified. We have all the deets
here.
Vista Takes Slow Road Across the Pond
The latest beta of Vista (Microsoft has another name for it, but I'm old-school
and sticking with beta) is looking solid, so there seems to be a decent chance
that corporate copies could be out before the big ball drops in Times Square.
But those pesky European government agencies are just as busy as Redmond coders,
except that they're erecting
barriers to Vista, like asking that not too many things get bundled. This
could push delivery back as Microsoft struggles to meet these demands.
I'm torn on the bundling issue. Some things should be part of the OS. For instance,
it should be secure when it ships. But when added elements take direct aim at
third parties, I'm far less ecstatic. Read my thoughts here.
By the way, here's a lesson on how the Internet works. I often get a lot of
feedback on things I write, but I got flooded with mail this time around, and
there are terrific comments posted at the end of my column -- check 'em out
at the link above.
But this was above and beyond, thanks to a friend of Redmond magazine and a
superstar when it comes to e-mail newsletters. Sunbelt Software chief Stu Sjouwerman
has had a sensational newsletter for years (check it out here),
where he recently made a brief mention of my column. Sjouwerman fans came out
of the woodwork. From one newsletter writer to another, thanks Stu!
It Better Not Be Secure
The European Union may or may not care that Vista is secure, but it is not
happy at the prospect of Redmond making millions selling security add-ons
like anti-virus. I tend to agree. Either make the OS secure, or leave the security
add-ons to the companies that invented them.
Get Your Patches Here!
It's Patch Tuesday, so better check your trusted sources and start the monthly
download-and-fix cycle. You know the hackers are only a day or two away from
dissecting the patches and crafting an exploit. Get
to steppin'!
The good news? Only three patches are due today. That's fewer than my old 10-speed
has. Not bad.
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.