still an afterthought

Story: Microsoft comes out fighting over XP mode securityTotal Replies: 10
Author Content
gus3

Aug 24, 2009
10:17 AM EDT
The semi-official response from Microsoft is laughable on its face:

Quoting:I know of companies that have decided to stay with XP and not move to Windows Vista because of concerns over compatibility issues with other applications they run. Their systems no doubt run, but they are depriving themselves of security and privacy enhancements designed to cope with modern threats – bear in mind that XP was designed in 2001 to cope with the threats back then – threats which changed significantly over the last eight years! The impact of Windows Vista as a secure platform is significant, and Windows 7 will built on that foundation.... Which risk is higher? Leaving our customers on an 8-10 year old operating system for another few years, or helping them to migrate to a modern one, accepting the drawback with XP Mode? With XP Mode, we could have helped my friend above without actually having to force him to run a PC just for the sake of this single application!
Microsoft has never had a real plan for an OS security framework. Their entire approach has been reactive, and it shows. "XP compatibility mode". Is that the original released version, or is it "XP SP3 compatibility mode"?

Of course, if they did finally get a security framework shoe-horned into place, it would put McAfee out of business, and deprive Symantec of their #1 revenue stream. We couldn't have that, could we?

Oh, and I loved the part about "the impact of Windows Vista as a secure platform." Repeat after me, children: DRM is not a system security framework.

This "response" is nothing more than a distraction, rearranging the deck chairs. It does not address the real issues of why the Microsoft ship is sinking.
jdixon

Aug 24, 2009
10:39 AM EDT
> With XP Mode, we could have helped my friend above without actually having to force him to run a PC just for the sake of this single application!

Of course, with any of a number of free virtualization options already available, Microsoft is once again trying to catch a train that's already left the station. Lots of individuals and even some businesses have already figured this out.

> if they did finally get a security framework shoe-horned into place, it would put McAfee out of business, and deprive Symantec of their #1 revenue stream.

Plus what would that do to their continual "The most secure version of Windows ever" refrain every time upgrade season comes around?
hkwint

Aug 24, 2009
12:50 PM EDT
Probably their product has become so complex they can't grasp their own products anymore. No single person can understand the full source code of Windows Vista because one single brain probably can't handle that complexity.

The same might be true for Linux as well, as the number of lines in the kernel rises. That's why embedded stuff such as early mobile phones + TV's / Radio receivers etc. seem to 'always work' and PC's don't.
hkwint

Aug 24, 2009
12:55 PM EDT
Quoting:The finest pieces of software are those where one individual has a complete sense of exactly how the program works. To have that, you have to really love the program and concentrate on keeping it simple, to an incredible degree.

Before Paul and I started the company, we had been involved in some large-scale software projects that were real disasters. They just kept pouring people in, and nobody knew how they were going to stabilize the project. We swore to ourselves that we would do better



B.Gates, Interview from "Programmers at Work" (1986)
tracyanne

Aug 24, 2009
7:37 PM EDT
Sorry very OT.

Does anyone know a good GNU bug tracking/project management system that will run on Windows. Or even one that I can recommend to my boss regardless of os.

Sander_Marechal

Aug 24, 2009
7:51 PM EDT
Tracyanne, try Mantis (http://www.mantisbt.org/). It's PHP so runs on Windows either under Apache or IIS.
tracyanne

Aug 24, 2009
8:22 PM EDT
Sander can you email that to me, so I can forward it, with a bit of a blurb. Thanks
jhansonxi

Aug 25, 2009
1:22 AM EDT
TestTrack Pro by Seapine Software is a good non-free cross-platform one I've used. Another one I've heard of is FogBugz by Fog Creek Software (owned by Joel Spolsky - "Joel on Software" blog). Wikipedia has a comparison list that might even be accurate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_issue_tracking_sy...
Sander_Marechal

Aug 25, 2009
6:15 AM EDT
@Tracyanne: Mail sent.

@jhansonxi: FogBugz is nice, yes. But it's not open source.
hkwint

Aug 25, 2009
8:22 AM EDT
TA: I guess you mean GPL bug tracking system?
tracyanne

Aug 25, 2009
8:44 AM EDT
yeah gpl

Thanks Sander

Posting in this forum is limited to members of the group: [ForumMods, SITEADMINS, MEMBERS.]

Becoming a member of LXer is easy and free. Join Us!