OT - Vista banned by FAA, DOT, NIST

[donmannino at ca.rr.com]

Duaine,

I would like to suggest that you consider how you state things, and whom you quote, if you do not wish to convey a bias against Microsoft.  Your posts most definitely do give the impression that you do not like MS much!  :-)

The article you quoted is from a noted anti-microsoft writer, and he pretty seriously inflates what the NIST and FAA actually stated.  

These government organizations have put a hold on implementing Vista primarily because of incompatibilities with existing legacy software in use by these organizations.  The NIST did not give a lot of details, but the FAA's main quoted comment was the following:

"Bowen (of the FAA) said he is concerned that Windows Vista may be incompatible with many software applications already in use at the FAA. "

This is a very valid issue whenever an operating system is updated.  I have installed Vista on one new computer so far.  Some older software works fine, while others - especially software which interacts with hardware, such as Fax software - doesn't work.

Drivers continue to be an issue as well, although updated drivers are being issued by most companies very rapidly now, and these issues are vanishing.

There is a very valid dislike of Micro$oft and their practices - I am amongst those who feels the company has achieved too much dominance.  I seriously dislike M$ office, for instance, and although Office 2007 has some improvements, good old Word Perfect still rules in my book.

I am annoyed by the OS incompatibilities as well, but I understand why they exist.  The new OS is substantially changed in how it handles program execution in order to make it more difficult for rogue software to run without the user knowing.  As a result, valid software needs to be updated to work with the OS to some degree.  The added security by MS is a very good thing that, if it had been implemented in Windows XP, would not now be an issue.

Here is another good article about this topic:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197801766

This is written in a little more neutral style, but still points out that compatibility is a serious problem.

Don Mannino




---- Hechler Family <dahechler at charter.net> wrote: 
> Tom, et al,
> 
> So let me straighten you out --- how I feel about Microsoft is irrelevant.
> 
> This email is an FYI email to let everyone know that major organizations
> have been testing it and found it to be troublesome enough and harmful
> enough to ban it's use.
> 
> This is the first time, that I can remember, that this kind of step had
> been taken by any business. So by publicly announcing that a ban has
> been put on the software, then it must be extremely dangerous to use.
> 
> Did you even bother to read the article ?
> 
> Or did not just blow me off because I dislike, no, hate Microsoft.
> 
> Best regards, Duaine
> 
> tom wrote:
> > Of Hechler Family
> >
> > Subject: OT: Vista banned by FAA, DOT, NIST
> >
> > Duaine,
> > 	So let me get this straight---You don't like Microsoft?
> > 	Tom Driscoll
> >