Xaggeration

Microsoft Corp. won't pin a timetable on the first major update for Windows Vista, but one of its most important partners, Intel Corp., doesn't have a problem naming dates. During the Q&A portion of an earnings conference call Tuesday, Intel's CEO Paul Otellini was asked how Vista sales would impact his company's 2007 sales projections. Otellini began his answer with the by-now-standard explanation that enterprises haven't jumped to the new operating system. "Most companies will act like Intel," he said. "They're doing some pilots and testing today." But as he continued, he named a rough release date for Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). "But the [Vista] deployment [in enterprises] will actually happen when the Service Pack gets released in the fourth quarter time frame, probably the October-November time frame," said Otellini. Although Microsoft has confirmed that SP1 is in the works, it has refused to name a release date or peg it to a particular quarter. That didn't change -- even after Otellini's leak. "It's too early to provide any firm date range for SP1's delivery," a company spokeswoman said in an e-mail today. "We will continue to take customer feedback from programs like the TAP [Technology Adoption Program], and will ultimately determine an official delivery date as the service pack is nearer to completion." The spokeswoman did not reply to a request to confirm the accuracy of Ortellin's SP1 schedule. Microsoft's stance on SP1, said one analyst, is incomprehensible. "I don't get that logic," said Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, a Kirkland, Wash. research firm. "If customers want dates that they can plan around for major releases [of Windows], why wouldn't they want the same consistency and ability to plan for service packs?" Microsoft does publish what it calls the "Windows Service Pack Road Map" on its Web site, but Vista is not represented, and future service packs for currently-supported OSes such as Windows XP are broadly drawn by naming a half-year span, not a month or quarter. "Calling that a 'road map' is an embarrassment," said Cherry. "They should be much more transparent on service packs, and that includes whether they're going to do them or not. There may be customers holding back on Vista for SP1, but the bigger story is that service packs are like everything else, and if Microsoft wants to be transparent, they need to provide a guideline as to when they'll release." ~~Computer World

Dell Inc. yesterday bowed to pressure from customers and dumped its Vista-only policy for consumer PCs by adding Windows XP as an operating option on half a dozen machines. Dell now offers Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional on two Dimension desktops -- the E520 and E521 -- and four Inspiron laptops -- the 1405, 1705, 1505 and 1501. "We heard you loud and clear on bringing the Windows XP option back to our Dell consumer PC offerings," Dell said on its Ideas in Action page, a companion to its IdeaStorm site. IdeaStorm, a site rolled out in February where Dell customers can plead for changes, has been most notable for convincing the company to add Linux as an operating system option. The requests for XP started coming a day after IdeaStorm launched. "I would like to see both Home and Business computers, especially notebooks, have an XP Home and Pro option on top of Vista until it has at least been out for a year," said javaprog07 in the inaugural message on that particular thread. Earlier this month, Dell decided to add Windows XP on systems sold to its small business customers. At the time, Tom West, Dell's director of small business marketing, said the older operating systems wouldn't be offered to consumers. "Dell does not have plans to launch Windows XP for home users as the preference and demand is for the 'latest and greatest' technology, which includes Windows Vista," he said on the Direct2Dell blog. Yesterday, Lionel Menchaca, Dell's manager of digital media, noted the reversal in another blog entry. "After Tom West's post that said Dell would offer Windows XP on systems for small business customers, many Direct2Dell readers have commented or sent e-mails asking us to bring back Windows XP for home users as well. Today, we're doing that." The new XP option is available only to U.S. customers. Rival Hewlett-Packard Co. was not available for comment on whether it would answer Dell with a Windows XP option for its consumer customers. HP's small business systems can currently be ordered with either Windows XP Home or XP Professional, as well as Vista Business or Home Basic; the company's consumer PCs, however, are available only with Vista. In related news, Dell's XP option makes it easier to compare the end-user cost of Vista on manufacturer-built PCs. Two Dimension E521s, one configured with Windows XP Home and the other with Windows Vista Home Basic, end up priced identically at $499. An E521 equipped with Vista Home Premium, however, costs $529, or $30 more. Likewise, the same PC with Windows XP Professional pre-installed runs $648, while one armed with Vista Ultimate costs $668. That last price comparison is at odds with Microsoft's prior positioning of Vista editions; it has equated the less expensive Business edition as the Vista equivalent of Windows XP Professional, and Ultimate as a completely new SKU. The retail list price difference between Vista Business and Vista Ultimate, however, is $100 for a full version, $60 for an upgrade; both are considerably more than the $20 surcharge Dell puts on Vista Ultimate over Windows XP Professional. Manufacturers like Dell will be able to pre-install Windows XP on new systems until Jan. 31, 2008; smaller system builders and end users, however, will be able to license XP into early 2009. ~~Computer World

After floating the possibility last month that it might begin selling some of its laptops and desktop PCs preloaded with Linux, Dell has announced that it will definitely offer Linux on select desktop and notebook computers due to consumer demand. In an announcement on the company's IdeaStorm website, Dell said it will provide specific models and details about the configurations and Linux versions offered in the next few weeks. Two weeks ago, Dell unveiled an online survey that asked prospective buyers what they would buy if Dell once again offered Linux-loaded machines for sale. The survey received more than 100,000 responses, according to the company. More than 70 percent of the respondents said they would use a Linux-loaded Dell system for both home and office use and said that existing community-based forums would meet their technical support needs for a tested and validated Linux operating system, according to the company. The respondents also said that improved hardware support for Linux is as important as the distributions that will be offered. No time frame has been set for when the systems will go on sale. In a related post on the company's Direct2Dell blog site, Matt Domsch, a Linux software architect at Dell, said that the company will work to ensure that needed software drivers are available for Linux users as part of the new Linux on Dell initiative. "At least half of the comments effectively said, 'We want Free Software, GPL-licensed drivers which are maintained in kernel.org, for all hardware in Dell systems,'" Domsch wrote in his blog. "This request is not new to us - it's been our standard operating procedure for the last eight years on PowerEdge servers, which today have no closed-source drivers necessary. For new Linux desktops and notebooks, we'll use drivers already in the mainline kernel.org kernels for as many components as possible. In these cases, the drivers will be included in your distribution of choice. This includes storage, wired networking, power management, USB and more." Where no open-source drivers are available, such as for software-based modems, Dell would not be able to offer drivers, the blog said. In those cases, users would have to replace software-based modems in their new Dell Linux desktop machines with hardware-based modems that work under Linux, or use a PC Card or ExpressSlot modem in their new Dell Linux-based laptops. Dell offered Linux-loaded laptops several years ago, but they were not very successful in the market. Dell now offers Linux on a few precision workstation models for specific business and technical users, but those machines are not available to the general public. Story from Pc Advisor

Can we just close this before something unspeakable starts.

Edit #1: MSN chat was often ran by your social reject. In the confines of cyberspace he/she could rip of photos of others, claiming they were quote "Hott". Also in this cyber world of MSN chat they could try to gain control of such worthless things as ownership of a chatroom. Which were free, easy to make, and often times just over run with others just like yourself.... pathetic. This continued on for years and years. Gaining popularity and ultimately leading to it's own demise. As more and more social rejects came to chat at MSN, more and more advertisers saw this as a breeding ground for young porn addicts. Soon MSN saw that these "Porn Bots" as they were sometimes called, were not paying MSN to advertise. Apon recogniseing that they could not ban these bots or suck money from them, they decided to close they're doors. But not before making you actually pay for chat. P.S. It's F^(%ing dead. Just let it go.

K just thought it was suppose to be blurred. I like the chat though. Nice simple sleek interface.

If you were trying to blurr out the chats name on that screenshot, try harder next time. If it wasn't being blurred out, get a better graphic designer.

Common sense will go a long way in protecting your info. I refuse to fill out any person info beyond my name/addres/and phone on the net. If it's my bank or something similar, I request they call me instead and provide me with info on my account before proceeding. Also, do as the others have suggested. Anti-virus goes quite a long way in protecting your pc. But I might also suggest a anti-spyware/adware/malware program, and a firewall also. It may seem a bit paranoid, but it may save you alot of hassle in the end.

As I see it, the initial problem has been resolved. Can we just close the topic already?

So MSN did finally get rid of emoticons while I was away. Huh, guess my all smilie face name wouldn't have worked anymore, even if I did pay back then.

I'm guessing it was through Unicode. That is what I used on MSN, WAY back in the day. I have no idea if MSN updated their OCX before closeing to disallow this.

*Yawn* So how about them Mets?

Can we just have this thread closed? The initial question has been answered. err0r answered it in his post. That way we keep this from escalateing.

Just because you only make the metal for the outter shell of a nuclear bomb, it does not excuse you from the aftermath of that bomb. As with "THE CHAT THAT WE DARE NOT SPEAK IT'S NAME", graphics or not, you still contribute to the making and up keep of "THE CHAT THAT WE DARE NOT SPEAK IT'S NAME". Yes, I understand your inability to comment on some aspects of "THE CHAT THAT WE DARE NOT SPEAK IT'S NAME", but the fact remains that you are supporting it. No matter how much you try to sugar coat it or distance yourself frm it, you are contributing to "THE CHAT THAT WE DARE NOT SPEAK IT'S NAME". Yu are accountable for your actions within "THE CHAT THAT WE DARE NOT SPEAK IT'S NAME", whether you like it or not.

You too? I sat there for 20 minutes.... just for the first one.

"I saw a gagster kill a cop on T.V. That makes it okay, right?" Okay when Buzzen comes out with they're new OCX, I'm going to be one of the first to rip it, and use it for my own personal network. And if Buzzen even tries legal action, my one and only responce will be: "Well you did it first." Sounds valid... right?

If you even read one page of posts in any of the other Buzzen/clone/msx ocx topics you'd see trhe discussions on the legallity of these clone networks. But w/e. I'm not posting in the msn/ocx/clone threads anymore. It is simply the same rehashed post repeated and repeated. Have fun with all your posts in here.

I believe chat is like hypercolor t-shirts and pogo-sticks now. You will likely see an upriseing in popularity year to year, but it will never make as big a come-back as it once was. It might also be very popular in other countries years after the US is through with it, or vice-versa. You may also see it in small pockets throughout the web. Those are people who can't let go of something... like me.

And the information is out there that what those clone networks are doing is illegal. You don't need to reitterate the exact same bullshit that has been skewed and rehashed a million times. You want to complain more about clone networks... hmmm, maybe GO TO THOSE NETWORKS. Freedom of speech is allowed to a point. What your doing is blatently beating the hell outta a dead horse. Oh and hmmm, I wonder why Ozzy closed the last topic, because he wanted it closed. If you see the owner of a site doesn't want something posted, you don't repost it. Let it die. You've had your say, now let it be.

err0r just needs to close anything that comes up "Buzzen", "Clone", or "OCX". It's getting f`ing annoying. I come on here to help people, not to listen to same old same ramblings of the same old same topics. If you hate Buzzen, or other clone networks, fine, but we've heard all the complaints before. We're not Buzzen. Go and yell at them on their forum. I just wanna get back to a time in which we helped more people than we griped.

An MSN group? Like everyone else said, if you don't have time to make a new group, then you likely wouldn't have time to actually give the group the attention it needs. I'm quitting my job here shortly to go to college. I don't expect for my job to be here when I get back. Just as you shouldn't suspect to leave your group and then come back to it years later. I'm not justifying that what they are doing is right, but none-the-less, niether were you.

Now I just want to know the real story. Hypothetical questions just get me more intrigued in knowing the real story.

Now in that case, is it due to the lack of intelligence of the person.... or the sheer genious of that person. "I'll go out and kill someone because the album told me too." - Easy out.

That's why I shot that cop today... ....It's okay if I saw someone else do it... right?

Sorry, but I never bought into the whole "Paying for chat" thing. So I don't know what your user agreement looked like. Yet from what I have heard, it includes something along the lines of what I just said. Which I will reitterate: "All services in said agreement are subject to change or cancelation without notice or compinsation." <- That's just what I'm guessing it said. If you have printed out a copy, or saved a copy, of the user agreement that you agreed to, I'd be glad to look it over and give you the exact line(s) in which it states that MSN can do pretty much whatever the f**k they want because they wrote a long ass user agreement that no one bothers to read.