ms pulling the wool over people's eyes again

[Walter Dnes]

On Fri, May 20, 2005 at 10:35:59AM -0400, Alex Beamish wrote

> Actually, I think this is Microsoft *finally* listening to the
> Windows 95/98 users that they abandoned over the last few years.

  That's what they want you to think.  This is a lock-in move.  "Eiger"
is actually worse than "3rd-World Windows", which at least allows you to
run Windows programs of your choice, even if only 3 at a time.  Read
article http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5705456.html and notice a
couple of juicy quotes...

  "Code-named Eiger, the product is basically designed to turn older PCs
into a thin client, which is a terminal that gets most of its
information from a central server."

  "Microsoft won't guarantee that it will run most of the hundreds of
thousands of Windows programs. The company won't even promise support
for Office, perhaps the most ubiquitous of Windows programs. Office and
other business software will be able to be run off a server and viewed
on Eiger-based PCs using Microsoft's remote desktop software or thin
client software from Citrix and others."

  So if you're running an office full of older PCs, the Eiger strategy
will require you to...
  - purchase Windows 2003 Server edition, ka-ching
  - which has heavier hardware requirements than even XP Pro so you'll
    have to buy a heavy-duty Windows server machine, ka-ching, ka-ching
  - you'll need to purchase multi-user-licensed versions of the software
    you want to run, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching
  - each of your client PC's will require the purchase of an "Eiger"
    client, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching
  - and if you want to have several Eiger clients accessing the server
    simultaneously, you'll have to buy CALs (Client Access Licences) to
    allow the server to talk to all the clients, ka-ching, ka-ching,
    ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes-SLHPyeZ9y/tg9hUCZPvPmw at public.gmane.org>
An infinite number of monkeys pounding away on keyboards will
eventually produce a report showing that Windows is more secure,
and has a lower TCO, than linux.
--
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