Finally had enough

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From: Anonymous


Well, that's it. I've finally had enough of a certain piece of exceptionally low-quality software foisted upon us by a large company recently convicted of *illegally* maintaining their monopoly to the detriment of consumers worldwide.

I'm sick to death of the crashes, and worse yet, the despicable new EULA restrictions they are trying to sneak in through software updates. Not to mention their continued aggressive monopolistic practices, completely unhindered by moral responsibility, guilt at being convicted, or just plain shame.

Why anyone would tolerate for even a second the Orwellian "product activation" crap from their latest pile of junk is beyond me.

I'm suspect I'll switch to full-time Linux use instead. Does anyone have experience using PIA under WINE? Does it work well? How about printing from it?

Any chance of a Linux version?

Is the Mac version of PIA for OSX or OS9? If I have registered the Windows version, but am no longer using it, can I use my registration number in the Mac version, or do I need a new one? Would I have to pay again?

Thanks.
 
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Reply: 1
From: Phillip Jacovelli


Careful,

Bill Gates is watching you ;-)
 
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Reply: 2
From: Webmaster (Somersoft)


I hope that you are not implying that the Windows version of PIA is crashing your Windows O/S! If anyone were to have problems of that nature they would have been investigated and fixed asap.

However, if it is simply the Windows O/S that you have become so frustrated with that you are looking for a change, there is good and bad news. The bad news is that there is no Linux version at the moment. The good news is that if you have the latest version (7.0) of PIA with a 24 character registration code beginning with the letters "TKAB" (stands for 2001), you will find that it will enable both Macintosh and Windows versions of the software. You may be registered for only one O/S (and therefore receive official support for only one), but no one is going to stop you downloading the demo for the alternative operating system and enabling it with the same registration code.
 
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Reply: 2.1
From: Paul Zagoridis


Way to go Webmaster!

That attitude of customer support and care is why I'm a happy somersoft customer.

It's absence is also why Microsoft will eventually go the way of all great software companies. Anybody remember desktop applications from Wordperfect, Lotus, Ashton-Tate? What about OS companies like Novell, Banyan, Pick, Digital Research?

Monopolistic, restrictive, buggy, and user unfriendly software I don't need.

PaulZag
Dreamspinner
WealthEsteem :: Psychology of the Deal
http://www.wealthesteem.org/
 
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Reply: 2.1.1
From: Sim' Hampel


On 8/25/02 2:03:00 AM, Paul Zagoridis wrote:
>
>Anybody remember
>desktop applications from
>Wordperfect

Wordperfect Office suite is still there and widely used... now owned by Corel.

>Lotus

Lotus Smartsuite is still there and very widely used, now owned by IBM

>Ashton-Tate?

Umm... well, their databases are still there and now owned by Borland.

>What about OS
>companies like Novell

Still there, and surprisingly widely used. Wish they would just go away, some of our biggest customers still insist on using Novell ! Specialising now in directory services.

>Banyan

Mmm... after conceding the networking wars to Microsoft, I think they sold off their directory services and other products to Corechange and became a services only company.

>Pick

Don't know about the company, but there are still job adverts out there (www.seek.com.au) asking for PICK experience.

>Digital Research

Still there... bought by Novell then sold to Caldera in 1996 ! Their DRDOS was reworked into a thin client for use in Linux networks.

>Monopolistic, restrictive,
>buggy, and user unfriendly
>software I don't need.

So are we talking about Microsoft or everyone else here ? ;-)

Sim'

sim.gif
 
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Reply: 2.1.1.1
From: Paul Zagoridis


How did I know you'd answer that one.

Yep I know their all still around in one shape or form. I had a great time last night reading internet histories on all of them (and others like Wordstar)

Yep I was bagging Microsoft. And I do think MS will go the way of all the other once dominant companies. And it'll have nothing to do with DOJ. They'll just blink one day and a hungrier faster competitor will win.

They chose predatory capitalism, "live by the sword, die by the sword" comes to mind.

PaulZag
Dreamspinner & Capitalist
WealthEsteem :: Psychology of the Deal
http://www.wealthesteem.org/
 
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Reply: 2.1.1.1.1
From: Rolf Latham


Hi Paul

Wordstar. my favourite bit of wp sw. All my data files and the software on one 9 inch floppy. They even used to make it for CPM and DOS.

Ta

Rolf
Rolf
 
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Reply: 2.1.1.1.2
From: Sim' Hampel


On 8/26/02 12:20:00 AM, Paul Zagoridis wrote:
>How did I know you'd answer
>that one.

How did I know you'd say that ?

>Yep I know their all still
>around in one shape or form. I
>had a great time last night
>reading internet histories on
>all of them (and others like
>Wordstar)

Fascinating stuff isn't it.

>Yep I was bagging Microsoft.
>And I do think MS will go the
>way of all the other once
>dominant companies. And it'll
>have nothing to do with DOJ.
>They'll just blink one day and
>a hungrier faster competitor
>will win.
>
>They chose predatory
>capitalism, "live by the
>sword, die by the sword" comes
>to mind.

Indeed.

Funnily enough, there was another large IT company out there who chose predatory capitalism as their methodology back in the 70s and 80s... and they got slapped big time by the US government.

It took almost going bankrupt in the early 90s and a new CEO to turn things around. Now they are regarded by many as one of the "good guys" in the software industry, widely supporting open source movements and very firmly committed to open standards.

Yes, of course I'm referring to IBM.

Some interesting facts for you all:

- IBM spent over US$1 billion in 2001 on developing the Linux operating system and preparing it for use as an enterprise operating platform. This money was spent in various areas, but mostly working with the open source communities, donating code and technology to speed the maturation of the software.

- All of IBMs hardware is now available to ship with Linux as a preinstalled and fully supported option. That includes IBM laptops, desktops, Intel based servers (xSeries), midrange RS/6000s (pSeries), mid-market AS/400s (iSeries), and even the "big iron" mainframes (zSeries) !!

- All of IBMs server software (DB2, WebSphere, Domino, Tivoli etc), has been ported to the Linux platform.

- Check out http://www.ibm.com/linux

- IBM is strongly behind the Java 2 enterprise computing platform (J2EE), and has contributed to nearly 80% of the standards with technology donations, standards design, and reference implementations.

- IBM spent over US$40 million creating a next-generation application development framework and then simply donated it all to an open source organisation it started called Eclipse (http://www.eclipse.org/), now IBMs biggest competitors (including Borland) are cooperating in developing the framework further. Of course, Eclipse runs on Linux as well.

- IBM is driving the standards for Web Services technology, working very closely with (strangely enough) Microsoft to ensure that there are open standards which will enable applications to interoperate in a vendor-independent manner.

Even though it sounds like I'm just waving the Big-Blue flag (hey, I'm a software evangelist for the company... I can't help it !), my point was really that there are alternatives out there other than Microsoft (and I don't just mean IBM). There is a very strong movement towards open standards and "supported" open source software, and Microsoft have clearly drawn their line in the sand, proclaiming the evils these things.

Microsoft are still playing the "customers don't want choice" songs that IBM sang so loudly long ago, and got completely beaten up over.

There is a place for Microsoft software (no, I don't mean "in the bin" !), but there has to be choices as well.

Just remember, as much as Microsoft dominate the desktop computing environment, they are not even close to dominating the enterprise computing environment. They just don't get it. What's more, the technology that is being developed at the enterprise level, is trickling down to the desktop level, and there will be freedom of choice for all, and there will be happiness and rejoicing, and the world will be a better place, and there will be little fluffy white bunnies.

sim.gif
 
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Reply: 2.1.1.1.2.2
From: Terry Mc


Hi Sime'
Really enjoy your posts and your
thoughts.
You might be interested in a book called
'IBM and the Holocaust' by Edwin Black -
may be in your library. An interesting
historical view which I am part-way
through.
Sorry about the off-topic post!
Terry Mc
 
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Reply: 2.1.1.1.2.2.1
From: Sim' Hampel


On 8/29/02 10:29:00 PM, Terry Mc wrote:
>
>You might be interested in a
>book called
>'IBM and the Holocaust' by
>Edwin Black -
>may be in your library. An
>interesting
>historical view which I am
>part-way
>through.

I've seen it but not read it. I can tell you it certainly caused a stir at work when it was released !

sim.gif
 
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