Resetting Priorities
Jan 07, 2010, 10:33 (10 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Brian Proffitt)
"I was amused earlier this week by the news sweeping the
ether-web about the so-called "GodMode" folder present in Windows 7
and 32-bit Vista.
"The news in itself was not amusing: the presence of a
über-configuration folder for Windows power users seems a
useful thing, I must admit. What was amusing was the hoopla
generated by the discovery of a hidden Easter egg in Microsoft's
flagship product, while all the while, a much bigger story remains
in play.
"Microsoft continues to sell consumers an operating system that
needs anti-virus protection.
"It's not like they keep it a secret: if you install Windows 7,
there's three things splashed up on the screen for users towards
the end of the process: configure the OS, activate the OS, and get
anti-virus software.
"To me, there's something fundamentally wrong with knowingly
send out a piece of software that's vulnerable--so vulnerable that
you have to tell users your product is unsafe until they get
third-party protection."
Complete Story
Related Stories:
- New Malware Tactics, Targets Expected in 2010(Dec 31, 2009)
- Linux-powered Packet Fence Protects Your Network(Dec 31, 2009)
- Attackers Buying Own Data Centers for Botnets, Spam(Dec 22, 2009)
- Research Shows FOSS Bugs Get Rapid Response, Commercial Software Not So Much(Dec 13, 2009)
- Editor's Note: Yes, I Guess We Linux Fools Are Pretty Weird(Dec 12, 2009)
- Are Microsoft to blame for "hidden" malware costs and will Windows 7 make any difference?(Nov 09, 2009)
- Does Wine Make Linux Too Loose?(Nov 06, 2009)
- Windows unsafe for online banking? Shopping?(Oct 20, 2009)