Print - WinInfo Short Takes: Week of October 11

An often irreverent look at some of the week's other news...

Windows XP Reloaded, Take 2: Microsoft to Launch New Media Center Products
On Tuesday, Microsoft will launch Windows XP Media Center Edition (XP MCE) 2005, Media Center Extenders, and other "second-wave" XP Reloaded products at a gala event in Los Angeles. XP MCE 2005 is the third version of Microsoft Media Center software, and although I can't divulge any details right now, check the SuperSite for Windows on Tuesday for my standard in-depth review. The short version of the story is that this is the best Media Center ever. I think you're going to be impressed.

Rumor Alert: No, XP MCE 2005 Won't Be a Retail Product
And speaking of XP MCE 2005, I can dispense with one rumor right now. Contrary to a report on the Ars Technica Web site, XP MCE 2005 won't be available in the retail channel. Although you can technically purchase the OEM version of XP MCE 2005--which is what PC makers and system builders use to build Media Center PCs--the product isn't complete and doesn't include key features such as a DVD decoder, DVD movie creation software, and a remote control. More to the point, you won't ever be able to walk into Best Buy, CompUSA, or a similar store and buy a retail boxed copy of XP MCE 2005. Ars Technica's continued insistence on referring to "retail shrink-wrapped" versions of XP MCE 2005, despite corrections from both official sources at Microsoft and from me, speaks volumes about the site's credibility. That said, enthusiasts who are willing to put up with a lot of missing features (and willing to lie about their status as system builders, ahem) can, in fact, purchase the OEM version (not a supported retail version) of XP MCE 2005 from online resellers such as Directron for about $125. Just be sure you know what you're getting into.

Rumor Alert: Microsoft Isn't Killing Windows Powered Smartphones
Another strange rumor making the rounds is that Microsoft is getting ready to kill its Windows Powered Smartphone business and meld it into a single mobile platform based on Pocket PC software. That rumor would be hilarious if it were true, but all the evidence points to the contrary. Indeed, instead of consolidating its mobile products into one platform, Microsoft is clearly bifurcating the product line to handle specific markets, just as the company is now doing with virtually all its product lines. Indeed, Microsoft speaks of Windows CE .NET--the ultimate base of all this mobile work--as the platform from which different groups create market-specific products such as the Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based Smartphones. Although having the same group create the Smartphone and Pocket PC might make sense because the devices have the same underlying technologies, shipping Pocket PC software to Smartphones or shipping Smartphone software to Pocket PCs will never make sense. I have a Dell Axim with a 624MHz processor. That device is closer to a PC than a cell phone.

Netscape Owner AOL Is Making a Web Browser ... Based on IE
This story is so full of irony that I don't know where to begin. How about an obvious jab? You know that Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) has one foot in the grave when AOL--which basically ushered Netscape to an early, undeserved grave--is developing a Web browser product based on--yep, you guessed it--IE. That's right, folks. Just as the planet is finally starting to move to more constantly updated Web browser products such as Firefox, Mozilla, and Opera, AOL is getting off its technology-averse patootie and making its own browser ... that's based on IE. Why not just create a new PC based on the Commodore Amiga? Or a car based on the Packard? These ideas were good in their time, but as you know, the world has moved on. Even Microsoft doesn't seem to be concerned about making IE any better than it was in 1998. Why anyone else would bother, either, is unclear.

Security Firm Announces Office Flaw Without First Alerting Microsoft
Security experts at Secunia issued a warning this week about a newly discovered highly critical software flaw in Microsoft Office 2000. But the company failed to warn Microsoft about the flaw first, causing representatives from the software giant to have an apoplectic fit. "Microsoft is concerned that this new report of a vulnerability in Word was not disclosed responsibly, potentially putting computer users at risk," a Microsoft representative told CNET.com. "We believe the commonly accepted practice of reporting vulnerabilities directly to a vendor serves everyone's best interests by helping to ensure that customers receive comprehensive, high-quality updates for security vulnerabilities with no exposure to malicious attackers while the patch is being developed." You can find out more information about the flaw at the Secunia Web site.

Microsoft, HP Hit the Road for Small Businesses
What do you do when you want to drum up interest in your small-business wares? You hit the road, of course. This week, Microsoft and partners such as HP are starting a 9-month Microsoft Across America tour during which the companies hope to reach more than 1 million users in 250 stops. The tour started at the TECHXNY trade show this week in New York City and involves a large RV-like vehicle that's brimming with the latest technologies, including Microsoft software; HP printers, servers, storage, and PCs; and Cisco Systems networking and IP-based telephony equipment. If you're interested in checking out the rolling show, head over to the Microsoft Across America Web site for details.

Sun, Microsoft Team Up to Fight Red Hat, IBM
In the unlikely alliance department, we present Sun Microsystems and Microsoft, who are now allegedly waging war against Linux backers such as IBM and Red Hat. Speaking at Northwestern University this week, Sun CEO Scott McNealy aimed his acerbic tongue at Linux makers rather than his customary rival, Microsoft. "What's happened now is that the world is down to three operating systems," he said. "That is Windows, Red Hat, and Solaris. Red Hat is kind of the ... pretender there. When we look at Red Hat, we are $400 versus their $2000 (for the OS) on a four-way server. We have software indemnification versus SCO and Microsoft; they don't. We have all kinds of features they don't have." During a question-and-answer session after his talk, McNealy said his company's coalition with Microsoft came about because Microsoft realized it would have to embrace one of its enemies. "Sun and Microsoft aren't that competitive [with each other]," he said. "We don't do MSN, we don't do Xbox, [and] we don't do applications. They don't do computers, storage, or infrastructure. They weren't going to do it with [Oracle]. They weren't going to do it with IBM. They can't stand IBM. They at least respect us."

FTC Files First Case Against Spyware Maker
This week, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed the first-ever US lawsuit against a spyware maker. The case is particularly interesting because the company the FTC is going after, Seismic Entertainment Productions (which also does business as Smartbot.Net and Sanford Wallace) is accused of spreading spyware, then contacting victims and offering to sell them a software solution to remove the spyware. Nice!

Sun Settles with Kodak for $92 Million
Just days after a federal jury awarded Kodak a victory in its patent-infringement lawsuit against Sun, the two companies have settled the case, with Sun paying Kodak $92 million. Under terms of the agreement, Sun doesn't have to admit any wrongdoing and can continue to use the contested technology in its Java platform products. The agreement also prevents Kodak from pursuing Sun customers. "[This settlement] assures customers worldwide that Sun will stand behind its products and intellectual property and eliminates any uncertainty that could result from a protracted lawsuit and appeal," a Sun statement said.

Honeywell Launches Massive Number of Patent-Infringement Lawsuits
Weren't we just talking about patent infringement? This week, Honeywell launched lawsuits against more than 30 PC and consumer electronics companies, claiming violations of its LCD-related patents. Honeywell's victims include companies such as Apple Computer, Dell, Kodak, Sanyo, and Sony. Honeywell charges that these companies used its patented technology for brightening images and reducing interference on the LCDs used in notebook computers, cell phones, and other products. The company is seeking monetary damages (naturally) and injunctions to halt the sale of the offending products. This patent-infringement stuff is proving so lucrative that some companies apparently are starting to use it as their sole revenue source. Is it time for patent reform?

Tip of the Week: Download the ClearType Tuner PowerToy
This week, Microsoft issued the ClearType Tuner, a new PowerToy for Windows XP that creates a new Control Panel applet for (obviously) setting up optimal ClearType settings, depending on your display and eyesight. Cool! You can download the new PowerToy, along with many others, from the XP PowerToys site. I'll post a review shortly.

Do you know if there will be an updater for the current version of MCE to MCE 2005?

What's with the jab against Ars Technica? Here's the article here: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20041006-4276.html Looks correct to me. The OEM version is shrink-wrapped, and it is available in retail... unlike previous Media Center versions, which was the point of the article. Just because you can't buy it a stores for newcomers like Best Buy doesn't mean it's not available at retail - you're not going to find boxed processors or cheap DVD-R media at those stores either. Rather than demanding Ars retract anything, I think you need to retract your comment on Ars' credibility.

From http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bifurcating%20 bi·fur·cate: v. bi·fur·cat·ed, bi·fur·cat·ing, bi·fur·cates v. tr. To divide into two parts or branches. v. intr. To separate into two parts or branches; fork. adj. (-kt, -kt) Forked or divided into two parts or branches, as the Y-shaped styles of certain flowers. [Medieval Latin bifurcre, bifurct-, to divide, from Latin bifurcus, two-pronged] How about using simple english words like split, fork, clone, target, or diversify? I guess Frank Stallone made you do it ;)

The update to the Ars Technica is a good read. Looks like Paul should offer up an appology... but we all know that won't happen. As for 'bifurcate' - I love that word. I used twice last week. Two more favorites: 'churlish', and 'brusque'.

After reading this "Short Take," one can quickly conclude that Paul thinks of himself as: A) a Microsoft employee, or B) an official Microsoft media representative, neither of which Paul can honestly claim to be. Wake up from your fantasy world, Paul. The Ars editing team is comprised of some of the smartest engineers and scholars to grace this wonderful technical community. For a person like you to wage war on Ars' knowledge and credibility is foolish when it is very obvious that your own know-how doesn't begin to compare.

"...and willing to lie about their status as system builders, ahem" What? For someone who writes for a computer website I'm surprised Paul's so clueless. I'd guess that if enthusiasts buying OEM software was "illegal" (or so it's implied), then Microsoft just might have already cracked down on the MAJOR websites that sell the software. And to get theoretical, if you yourself build a computer...aren't you a system builder? Also, Paul complains about the lack of features and remote? But, he then links to Directron, who tells you on their MCE 2005 webpage that they sell the remote. Sloppy "journalism".

Wow, I didn't know I've been lying about my status as a system builder this whole time. @_@

In attempting to criticize Ars Technica's credibility, I know now to scrutinize any fact from this letter since it is no longer as credible a source of information.

Since when anything written by him ever utterly credible? :) (to be fair, most sources should be scrutinized, both because of the actual bias in content, and the choice of content) In any case, Paul's duplicity and bias have been obvious from the beginning, although I'm not sure what he's trying to achieve in this case. Maybe his "sources" at Microsoft are playing him like a puppet because they would prefer MCE to be bought with an entire system? (That would be strange; they probably make more money per copy this way, and they can compete with other "media center" applications) Anyhow, look at: http://blog.raena.net/entries/2004/07/05/troll/ "Paul Thurrott is a gutless troll?!

Oh yeah, here's another goodie. Paul blasted the "retail shrink-wrapped" reference about the OEM software, yet HIS Directron link (RETAIL link) states "The certificate for the OEM package is on the SHRINK WRAP for this product." Capitals added for emphasis, of course.

Guys, he was just saying the OEM package available online is not the same as what you would receive on a new PC. Yes, it has shrink wrap on it. Whatever.

This guy is a moron.. It's an obvious flame to get attention. Paul, try looking somewhere else for your sources instead of Xbox magazine. ~bittercrank

Sorry Paul, but you have it wrong. The "retail channel" is any established business that allows the end user to purchase an individual product. This includes Newegg.com, etc. If it hasn't already become apparent, there are hundreds of retail outlets like Newegg that sell OEM products which come with a basic warranty and no support. Your suggestion that this entire segment of the market operates as a fraud is laughable. It's obvious that you have conflated "OEM box" and "retail box", and further assumed that the like of Best Buy and CompUSA define the "retail channel." Both actions were wrong. Futhermore, individuals building systems or purchasing upgrade parts do not have to certify, state, or misrepresent that they are "system builders" to purchase OEM products. Newegg.com is a perfect example of this. I guarantee that in the real world, that portion of the Ars article will be shown to have been correct. "Self-builders" and people buying upgrade parts do not have to lie and pretend that they are system builders to purchase these parts.

While I agree "Retail OEM shrink-wrapped" is a confusing statement, there's an old adage about throwing stones when living in a glass house without sin. Please, can't we all just get along?

What's with attacking Ars Technica? Did you fail to read the article before commenting on it? Nowhere does it mention retail software, rather OEM software which the enthusiast community has been buying for years from places like Fry's Electronics. WindowsITpro my ars.

I'm actually disappointed. I once thought that WindowsITPro was a reliable and responsible information source. It is very clear to the entire IT community that Paul's comments have tarnished the [formerly] good reputation of this site. Shame on you WindowsITPro for allowing this baboon to spit this biased garbage on your website.

I just hope people stupid enough to believe this guy are smart enough to read the public's comments on his views. I would hate to see a great site like Ars lose credibility for windowsitpro's lack of quality "journalism"

Update: Previous versions of this story carried an update with the phrase "retail shrink-wrapped OEM editions." We meant this phrase to essentially refer to OEM editions, available in shrink wrap, that are available through consumer channels that anyone can use. The editions are, in fact, OEM editions. This is correct. They are shrink-wrapped. This, too, is correct. They are also available to anyone who wants to buy them. This too is correct. What's the hubbub? Over the weekend Paul Thurrott decided to denigrate Ars because he believes that we are reporting that this will be available in the likes of Best Buy and Circuit City. He believes that he can attack our credibility because he believes that the word "retail," which never appeared in the original report, excludes the likes of the thousands of hardware and software sites that do, in fact, sell OEM materials to anyone. We apologize that our writing led Mr. Thurrott to this conclusion, but we cannot accept the charges that he makes against us. Mr. Thurrott is likely unaware of the fact that our audience is well accustomed to the practice of buying OEM hardware. When our report indicated that OEM editions would be made available to the public, which they are, we rightfully assumed that our audience would realize that these are, in fact, OEM editions. Seems perfectly logical, does it not? As such, our audience would know that as OEM products, they would be sold only by those companies which usually sell OEM goods. The Internet is loaded with them, but yes, you won't find such materials at your local Best Buy (nor will you find there a number of other things we geeks like to buy). You can find OEM products at large chains such as Fry's Electronics, however, and many mom & pop stores also carry such items. The fact of the matter is that finding a company that legally sells OEM products is about as easy and finding a company that sells any tech-related product. Nonetheless, the early story generated some confusion. We were contacted by an anonymous informant at Microsoft who supported our report of the story, except that he noted that MCE was based on Home, not Professional. Later that day, Tom Laemmel of the Windows PR team at Microsoft contacted us, offering to add "clarifications." We responded to him that day, but Mr. Laemmel never responded to us, and he never indicated what clarifications he could offer, only that reporting from other sites was factually incorrect. Our response to Mr. Laemmel was enthusiastic, and I said, "We'd love to correct the article." No one from Microsoft has actually told us the official line, however. Importantly, it would appear that their efforts at clarification do not relate to OEM availability, but about whether or not MCE is built on XP Home. On that question, we are still without an answer. A call to Microsoft this evening has not yet been returned. Mr. Thurrott, nonetheless, reported that we had received corrections from Microsoft and we failed to act on them. This is, unfortunately, a lie. How Mr. Thurrott claims to know who has and has not contacted us remains a mystery, but his willingness to make false statements about the actions of our publication are rather alarming. Mr. Thurrott is correct that he himself had e-mailed us with his own account, but Mr. Thurrott does not work for Microsoft (despite mean-spirited rumors), and Mr. Thurrott has also been incorrect in the past. We decided to wait for the comments of Mr. Laemmel, especially since we could see that anyone with 60 seconds to spare could buy MCE 2005. Mr. Thurrott also makes much ado about the MCE OEM edition not including a remote control or DVD decoders, or other minor matters. These things can, of course, be purchased with utterly minimal effort, and hardly merit mentioning. Claiming that the "product is not complete" is akin to complaining that Windows XP doesn't come with a keyboard. It is a pointless and irrelevant observation. Finally, in his attempt to castigate us for claiming that you can now easily buy MCE 2005 as an OEM edition (which you can), Mr. Thurrott noted that it is available only to those who are "willing to lie about their status as system builders". Mr. Thurrott would be well advised not to call the majority of enthusiasts "liars" by suggesting that their purchase of OEM materials amounts to an immoral practice. A quick call to a Sales Associate at Directron exposed this claim for the umbrage that it is: you do not have to certify or say or even hint in any way whatsoever that you are a "system builder." The Associate noted that OEM sales such as this are the result of Microsoft allowing system builders (Directron is one) to resell such products when other hardware items are purchased. It is an agreement between Microsoft and Directron, not a home enthusiast and Microsoft, that makes this possible. It is for this reason that, for example, publications such as CNet and ZDNet have bid on "OEM Hardware" as Google keywords for search placement. They're not trying to induce anyone into lying, and the charge is ridiculous. I would be shocked to hear that Mr. Thurrott has never made such a purchase in his entire life. If this were some unethical practice caused by a "loophole," we suspect that a corporation such as Microsoft would have little trouble eliminating it. More importantly, if Mr. Thurrott cares to cast aspersions on the credibility of Ars Technica, he might consider his own credibility when he decides to label as liars the thousands and thousands of people who legally and ethically purchase OEM products. It's unfortunate that we were not more precise in our language about the extent of availability of the OEM edition. We assumed, and rightfully so, that our audience would know what an OEM edition was. The far greater error relating to credibility comes in the form of insulting so many honest enthusiast builders, and instantly jumping to conclusions about the credibility of a website simply because that site didn't bow to the insulting characterization of its content and its readers. At the same time, our critic assumes for himself the right to speak on behalf of Microsoft, apparently. So we ask you Microsoft: are people who buy MCE 2005 OEM edition but are not system builders for resale purposes liars, or is Mr. Thurrott out of line? [-Ken]

What a moron. Maybe Paul should use a little common sense. I will and never bother reading this stupidity. Maybe he should find some users croup meeting at the local library to confuse, as IT pros certainly are a whole lot brighter than him.

Why does anyone bother with this site? The only thing Paul reports is regurgitated news articles previously posted, sometimes by days, at /. (www.slashdot.org) and Ars (www.arstechnica.com). Any IT professional worth his weight in salt knows better than to read this mush here.

What an unprofessional slam at Ars Technica. Paul clearly doesn't have a firm command of the English language. Either that or he deliberately chose to misinterpret the Ars write up. No matter what the case, it doesn't speak well for *his* journalistic credentials. In the meantime, I think I'll head on over to online Retailer NewEgg and grab a shrink-wrapped OEM copy of MCE 2005 which is on sale for $134 today.

Man, it looks like Paulie has his head so far up his ass he needs a window in his stomach to see out.

I choose to agree with the majority of the comment posters, why write it all again?

This type of behavior is what (sorry, ladies) seperates the men from the boys when it comes to technology reporting. Unless Paul has been hiding something from us, he has no journalistic credentials to speak of, nor any sort of advanced degree that would qualify him to comment on these matters with any authority. Unfortunately, because the PR folks at Microsoft choose to speak to him, he takes this as some sort of justification for his pompous attitude towards any who would dare to differ with him. Whereas the more popular and mature members of the computing journalisim community will suck it up and admit when they screwed up, I've never seen Paul to display this sort of behavior. Perhaps, some day, he'll grow up and join the rest of the adults who happen to get their comments posted to a web site.

I'm posting anonymously because I do not want to involve the major hardware website that I am involved with; however, I am compelled to express my opinion. I am truly appalled at Paul's comments. I agree that his post is somewhat of an editorial, and by nature, editorials are heavily opinionated; but in this case, someone who has as big of an ego such as Paul should be completely ignored. With this post, he just gave us all reason to. Paul, it’s time for you to retire. Your news reporting is out of touch, untimely, and worthless.