From: david.brown@hesbynett.no   
      
   On 09/02/2026 20:33, MitchAlsup wrote:   
   >   
   > Paul Clayton  posted:   
   >   
   >> On 2/5/26 2:02 PM, MitchAlsup wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>> Paul Clayton  posted:   
   >>>   
   >> [snip]   
   >>>> Cooperating with AMD to develop a more sane encoding while   
   >>>> supporting low overhead for old binaries would have been better   
   >>>> for customers (I think). However, doing what is best generally   
   >>>> for customers is not necessarily the most profitable action.   
   >>>   
   >>> Yes, imaging Custer (Intel) and AMD (Sioux) sitting down together   
   >>> and making optimal battle plans for Little Big Horn battle to come.   
   >>   
   >> Rather than making battle plans for how to annihilate each   
   >> other, perhaps finding a better solution than the ratting each   
   >> other out in the prisoner's dilemma.   
   >>   
   >> [snip]   
   >>> One can still buy a milling machine built in 1937 and run it in his shop.   
   >>> Can one even do this for software from the previous decade ??   
   >>   
   >> Yes, but dependency on (proprietary) servers for some games has   
   >> made them (unnecessarily) unplayable.   
   >>   
   >>   From what I understand, one can still run WordPerfect under a   
   >> DOS emulator on modern x86-64.   
   >>   
   >> With the poor security of much software, even OSes, one might   
   >> want to contain any legacy software in a more secured   
   >> environment.   
      
   Most old software did not have poor security.  It was secure by not   
   having features that could be abused - and thus no need to worry about   
   extra layers to protect said features.  MS practically invented the   
   concept of insecure applications like word processors - they put   
   unnecessary levels of automation and macros, integrated it with email   
   (especially their already hopelessly insecure programs), and so on.  No   
   real user has any need for "send this document by email" in their word   
   processor - but spam robots loved it.  (MS even managed to figure out a   
   way to let font files have executable malware in them.)  If you go back   
   to older tools that did the job they were supposed to do, without trying   
   to do everything else, security is a non-issue for most software.   
      
   The 1930's milling machine is safe because it is a milling machine.  If   
   MS made milling machines, they'd come with built-in beer fridges, TV   
   screens and a subscription to sports channels - and in response to   
   complaints of users chopping their fingers off, they'd add six layers of   
   security gates that can't be passed without a Windows phone, controlled   
   by a HAL 9000 that won't let you mill anything without first begging the   
   IT department for permission.  Of course, there would still be a small   
   hatch at the back where you can put your remaining fingers in to get   
   chopped off.   
      
   >>   
   >> Preventing automatic update is perhaps more of a hassle. Some   
   >> people have placed software in a virtual machine that has no   
   >> networking to avoid software breaking.   
   >>   
   >>> MS wants you to buy Office every time you buy a new PC.   
   >>   
   >> I thought MS wanted everyone to use Office365. It is harder to   
   >> force people to get a new computer, but a monthly fee will recur   
   >> automatically.   
   >   
   > When I need a tool--I buy that tool--I never rent that tool.   
   >   
      
   Nice in theory (and I fully agree with the aim), but it's getting   
   steadily more difficult in practice.   
      
   > Name one feature I would want from office365 that was not already   
   > present in office from  1998.   
   >   
      
   Do you mean a /useful/ feature?  That makes it a lot harder.  What about   
   that dancing paper clip?  I haven't had any MS Office installed on a PC   
   since Word for Windows 2.0 on Win3.11.  (I have been a LibreOffice user   
   since it's Star Office ancestor - not that I use office suite software   
   much.)   
      
   >>> MS, then moves all the menu items to different pull downs and   
   >>> makes it difficult to adjust to the new SW--and then it has the   
   >>> Gaul to chew up valuable screen space with ever larger pull-   
   >>> down bars.   
   >>   
   >> Ah, but they are just beginning to include advertising. Imagine   
   >> every time one uses the mouse (to indicate to the computer that   
   >> the user's eyes are focused on a particular place) an   
   >> advertisement appears and follows the cursor movement. Even just   
   >> having menu entries that are advertisements would be kind of   
   >> annoying, but one would be able to get rid of those by leasing   
   >> the premium edition (until one needs to lease the platinum   
   >> edition, then the "who wants to remain a millionaire" edition).   
   >   
   > Why would I or anyone want advertising in office ????????   
      
   Why would MS care what /users/ want?   
      
   >   
   >>> Is it any wonder users want the 1937 milling machine model ???   
   >>   
   >> Have no fear; soon you may be merely leasing your computer.   
   >> Computers need to have the latest spyware so that advertisements   
   >> can be appropriately targeted and adblocking must be made   
   >> impossible.   
   >   
   > I am the kind of guy that turns off "telemetry" and places advertisers   
   > in /hosts file.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)