How Secure Is Vista, Really?

• By Doug Barney
• 03/06/2007

Now that Vista is out, Symantec has a new document, "Security Implications of Microsoft Windows Vista."

The last missive, talking about pre-release software, was pretty scathing. Even though Microsoft is going after a security market Symantec pioneered, the new Symantec document is pretty dang balanced.

I walked away believing that Vista, while not perfect, is far more secure than XP. And with more and more attacks going after applications and Web 2.0-style technologies, it is harder and harder to argue that Linux and the Mac are intrinsically safer.

We are doing a special report, "The True State of Vista Security." Let me know, in detail, your thoughts and experiences in this matter. Also, let me know if I can quote you and how! You know the address: [email protected].

The EU Just Won't Let Go
While Microsoft antitrust issues in the U.S. are mostly an annoyance, in Europe they are an unrelenting migraine. The European Union has been trying to get Microsoft to fully open its communications protocols and make them available to third parties and competitors. Now, the beef seems to be over how much these protocols are worth. The EU wants them to be free, while Microsoft argues that it charges far below what other companies charge for similar technology.

Fines of up to $4 million a day are possible. A few months of that could add up to real money!

MSN Still Can't Keep Up with Google
Despite massive investments and the new "Live" search moniker, Google is still kicking search butt and taking names. Google searches grew 40 percent in 2006, and account for nearly half of all searches. MSN is responsible for roughly a tenth.

Doug's Mailbag: FoxPro Feels the Love
Last week, I mentioned Microsoft's efforts to make Visual FoxPro interoperable with Visual Studio 2005, .NET Framework 2.0 and SQL Server 2005 -- after a history of trying to replace it in favor of Access and SQL Server. FoxPro die-hards approve:

Bravo! With so many "Fox is dead" rumors circulating with increasingly perceived validity for the past decade, it is nice to see someone with a Big Microphone finally come forward and say, "Hold on a bit folks, this is good stuff here. And it ain't gonna just roll over and die."

For me, the latest challenge is a matter of not being able to find enough entry-level programmers interested in learning what they feel is a "dead language." Sedna provides a much-needed shot of oxygen and credibility into the VFP arena. I just may be able to continue offering viable VFP/Sedna-based solutions to the market for some time yet, as I am betting many coders will really like (and appreciate) the Foxy side of Sedna. I can hardly wait to take it out for a spin.
-Gil

Doug, good to see that you get it! "Microsoft tried to kill off FoxPro in favor of both Access and SQL Server, but users never let 'em."

But Microsoft still tries. From this Redmond Developer News article: "For many years, Microsoft had two database engines, the Jet engine used by Access and Visual Basic, and SQL Server."
-Bill

What a pleasure to find someone in the media who stands up for Visual FoxPro. It's an amazingly good, solid product that I have been using since version 1. More coverage, please.
-Gord

I have read your article "FoxPro Lives!" I like it very much. At last somebody was enough brave to tell MS the truth. Please, don't stop with it; repeat it again and again. Don't let Microsoft stop with VFP.

Best wishes from Russia.
-Vladimir

Thumbs up on the positive press for a great tool! The best! It's an excellent product that I have used since 2.6, and before that dBase in CPM.
-Chester

As one of the "hardcore" Fox heads (for over 16 years) I would like to thank you for the mention. I was in the computer business since the vacuum tube days -- the mid '60s. I am so grateful that I found FoxPro then Visual FoxPro to fill out the last years of my career. Lucky, lucky me to be able to have used the BEST data-centric application development platform ever!
-Chet

Feel free to chime in! Leave a comment below or contact me directly at [email protected].