Story: EU clashes with Microsoft over Vista features

Posted by: John Bailey (Thursday 28 September 2006, 12:01 PM)

Why does anybody think for a moment that an operating system shipped with one security system is more secure than a multitude of different security systems, each using a slightly different method to protect the computer or network? No matter how good the security system is, the biggest risk is the one sat in front of the keyboard. No security system is bullet proof! Vista is no different. ther e will be holes and someone will find them through social engineering or more clever means of making the security system work against its self.

How long before someone discovers a way to get past the MS security system? Thats not IF but WHEN. Then every Vista system that has the same identical security measures installed will be wide open.

XP is pretty stable at the moment. Viruses are not a problem if you are careful about the sites you visit and what software you download and run. If the security of the current OS is such a nightmare, then why are so many people using it every day and risking the fate of their businesses on it? Apple and Linux do not have a problem with viruses or malware. Partly due to obscurity, but also because in many cases, the OS is installed with pretty tight security measures by default.

Something else to think about..

1) Cost to EU business being delayed adopters of Vista

Nothing. Any company that changes over immediatly should sack the IT department and bring in a bunch of five year olds to run the system properly. Business asoption will take years to get going. I've worked at places where most of the computers were using 3.x in 2000, and only slowly changed over as the computers were replaced.

2)Cost to domestic customers of the same delay.

Nothing. A few tech enthusiasts will have to wait a bit to play with Vista, but by then the system will have had the first rounds of updates and will be MORE stable than the idiot early adopters who have to make do with the inevitably buggy code released in April according to the last announcement. The hardware drivers will have left the first buggy version, as will the software that will have problems with vista.

3) Cost to Microsoft if it delays Vista in Europe..

Huge. Bad PR for the invincible Microsoft, so other countries might decide to try the same thing and stand up to Microsoft's bully tactics.
Possibility of customers choosing a different system such as Linux or OsX if they just can't stand the idea of having last season's OS, or if MS suddenly decide that they can't issue timely effective security patches for XP anymore.

3) Cost to hardware manufacturers.

Possibly considerable, but temporary from all the new gear that people in the domestic market would have bought, as some will hold out until Vista arrives, and the sensible ones will wait until the first service pack arrives. Nothing stopping the retailers selling "Vista ready" computers though. And Microsoft can always extend the voucher scheme if they choose. But when the market has stabalised elsewhere, There will be a surge in EU sales to take up the slack.

If the American legal system hadn't chickened out of the last anti trust case, and actually forced MS to play nice with others, windows would be a better product today. At least the EU has some backbone.