-Bangs head into wall repeatedly-

alternateorg on July 31, 2001


This apparent interference came in the form of Microsoft’s announcement Monday that computer manufacturers who put any icons on the desktop of Windows XP — the new version of its operating system — must also include an icon for MSN, Microsoft’s ISP.

Wha-? Who-the-? How-the-? It’s entirely too frustrating that they keep doing this, and I’m seriously getting sick of hearing about it, writing about it, thinking about it. And it’s an OS I don’t even fucking use! I haven’t seen a Windows desktop or Windows IE explorer window in action since last January, and still it upsets me that they try to do this shit. I don’t know how many times I’ve vowed ‘never to report on MS doing something stupid again.’ And yet I keep doing it, over and over and over. Because they keep finding new ways to stick their head in the sand. I have no doubt that there are smart people at Microsoft, but whoever the hell makes and approves these kinds of decisions should be fucking fired. Wait. I don’t mean fired, I mean fired AT. With a shotgun.

Justice Prevails?

alternateorg on July 27, 2001

“Stopping just short of accusing Microsoft of stalling, the Justice Department asked an appeals court to deny the company’s request to re-examine whether the software maker illegally mixed software code for two products.”

Yahoo!!

Like a soap opera

alternateorg on July 24, 2001


Blackcomb, the successor to Whistler, was due out in the second half of 2002, Gates said, adding that in both releases, the Internet Explorer browser would become more fully integrated and more central.

Sounds like a great idea to me. Just keep on doing what the Government is already prosecuting you for. Awesome.

Microslut IIS (It Isn't Secure)

alternateorg on July 23, 2001

This story about Microsoft IIS (IIS is their web server software) is so funny, It took the media and most of IT about 5 years to figure this out? I knew IIS was shite the first time I ever installed it. Especially with WinNUkePro and NTAttack and other Mac GUI based windows attacks in all the Hotline rooms… That alone made it fairly obvious.

One company I don't mind pirating from

alternateorg on July 5, 2001


Microsoft Word + Entourage SE will be available in English and French versions for an estimated retail price of US$149. The English version is expected to reach stores the week of July 9, and the French version the week of Aug. 6.

Seriously? Only $150 for a fucking word processor and email app? Where do I sign up? Wow… It’s not like I could get an entire UNIX-based operating system for less than that price, or a Linux-based one for fucking free. Holy crap. Microsoft really does know what they’re doing, and this whole ‘open-software’ thing is just a fad. Expensive, shitty software that is incompatible with other software from the same vendor really is the future. I simply love how sometimes, inexplicably, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 Mac Edition and Microsoft Entourage can’t run at the same time, or if they do, then you have to open IE first, otherwise the whole machine crashes. That’s zzzrad.

&#60/sarcasm&#62

All of a sudden, that 80mb Hotline download a year ago that provided me with Office 2k1:mac for no price whatsoever looks like a great deal.

Not really a geek milestone…

alternateorg on June 20, 2001

So, Shift Magazine’s Geek Timeline lists ‘Microsoft releases Windows 95’ as an important item in 1995.

That’s not really a geek thing is it? I mean, I think Windows ’95 is more of a moron thing, don’t you?

Ah… now that’s the good old Alternate we all know and love, isn’t it? 🙂 I am pretty impressed that they included ‘• Adam Hinkley forms Hotline Communications.’ They did their research. Thanks to Jen for the link.

Wow. A Mac Virus.

alternateorg on June 8, 2001

A Mac-based Outlook virus has sprung up. So it’s still Microsoft-reliant, but instead of VBScript, it’s written in AppleScript. So don’t run crazy AppleScripts you get in an email. Or use Eudora or MailSmith. I’m pretty sure the Mac versions won’t open files automatically, so just don’t open a file if you get it in some email about The Simpsons. The ‘virus’ will attack both Outlook Express and Entourage, and no word yet if it works in the beta releases of Outlook:mac 2001. My guess is ‘yes.’