Get some coffee or other refreshing beverage, this is a long one

Did you know that Windows is the operating system on 9 out of every 10 PCs? ITWeb has an article about Bill Gates "first" look at Longhorn which took place yesterday at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seattle. An appropriate location. Microsoft main offices are located in Redmond, a suburb of this thriving, grunge rock, rainy, west coast city. Longhorn, the long awaited replacement of XP, 2000, NT, 98, etc., is being touted as more secure, has better file management, will take out the trash, walk the dog, mow the yard, clean the grill, smooch the wife, husband, lifepartner, etc.

Even though I sit before XP while scribbling this post, my favorite rendition of Windows is still 2000. That was the last issue of Windows where we still somewhat owned the product after purchasing it. Granted, XP has some nice features that are apparent plus there is some really cool and also weird stuff happening in the background. No need to go into great detail, there are books written about such things. Somehow it gripes my butt that every time you make a move inside a Microsoft product and have internet connectivity, various things are reporting in, supposedly, because it "helps" Microsoft make better software. Hell, it's spying.

Call it what you want, it is still an invasion of privacy. Most flavors of Windows do this to some degree but the mighty XP seems busier. MRUs (Most Recently Used thangys) are really none of Bill Gates or anybody else's business unless I 'Jean-Luc Picard' and make it so. Ask me and I might participate. Don't hide it buried inside a EULA (End Users License Agreement) utilizing a 2 pitch font.

Okay, okay, I am definitely glad to live in a Bill Gates - Windows world. Yes, I know that a Darth Jobs - Apple world is not desirable. Who wants 2 year old technology that is overated and wayyyy overpriced? Besides Darth's latest round of operating systems are based on an opensource Unix flavor called FreeBSD. There's real creativity for ya'. Apparently, 9 out of 10 people agree.

Since the comments have been bare maybe some of the Orchard Troopers and XP Nazis will share with us. Flame on. Time to go to a Linux PC and check email. Later.

"From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it."
-Groucho Marx