(OT) but interesting= Windows Vista Beta 2: Largest software download in history

[John Jay Smith]

http://bink.nu/Article7370.bink


In an instant message chat, Microsoft has told the Windows Featured
Communities that the demand for Windows Vista Beta 2 has been overwhelming.
It is, in fact, the largest downloaded software in history. Currently, they
are serving product keys out ten times faster then the downloads can be
served. In fact, they are pumping out bits as fast as they can - any faster
and there would be a measurable impact on the internet. In fact, I quote a
Microsoft representive:

"So, we are literally saying that if we increased our bandwidth any further
there's a possibilty of taking down the Internet - people might have
problems with World Cup viewing, etc"

People who have recieved Vista Beta 2 product keys, but are unable to
download, may need to wait a few days, up to one week. Microsoft encoruages
users who want to try out Windows Vista Beta 2 to order the DVD. When they
recieve the DVD in 1-4 weeks, install it, and activate it, they will be
automattically guaranteed an RC1 upgrade.

 

[elaich]

In an instant message chat, Microsoft has told the Windows Featured
Communities that the demand for Windows Vista Beta 2 has been
overwhelming. It is, in fact, the largest downloaded software in
history.

Just proves that 90% of the populace are like sheep being led to the
slaughter.

 

[Father Merrin]

I interpret it like this, people are interested in what OS they are going
to be forced into using for the next 5+ years. And given the fact that
Microsoft deprecates older releases and cuts support, It never hurts to see
what lays ahead.

FM

 

[hummingbird]

http://bink.nu/Article7370.bink

[snip]

The lengths people will go to, to inflict pain upon themselves and
wreck their computers is amazing ;-)

 

[Terry Russell]

http://bink.nu/Article7370.bink


In an instant message chat, Microsoft has told the Windows Featured
Communities that the demand for Windows Vista Beta 2 has been
overwhelming. It is, in fact, the largest downloaded software in history.
Currently, they

Vista n a. a distant view or prospect

out the window we see vista stretching to horizon
or maybe a paravista
but to get there you need to perform an act of defenestration
or else use the door

defenestration n. the act of throwing something out of a window

"largest software download in history" will it go in the record books right
next
to largest bowl of crickets eaten in one sitting?

 

[John Jay Smith]

they should be ashamed of their bloatware.. not boast about it...

XP's iso even with SP2 integrated was less than 600 mb.

now the Vista iso is 3 or 4 gb... its a monster

Linux distros are that big but they include hundreds of applications with
the OS.

 

[Al Klein]

The lengths people will go to, to inflict pain upon themselves and
wreck their computers is amazing ;-)

And when you consider that most computers still in use today can't run
Vista (this from a customer support viewpoint - people don't spend
money to replace computers that work unless the software they MUST use
won't run on their computer) ...

 

[meow2222]

http://bink.nu/Article7370.bink


In an instant message chat, Microsoft has told the Windows Featured
Communities that the demand for Windows Vista Beta 2 has been overwhelming.
It is, in fact, the largest downloaded software in history. Currently, they
are serving product keys out ten times faster then the downloads can be
served. In fact, they are pumping out bits as fast as they can - any faster
and there would be a measurable impact on the internet. In fact, I quote a
Microsoft representive:

"So, we are literally saying that if we increased our bandwidth any further
there's a possibilty of taking down the Internet - people might have
problems with World Cup viewing, etc"

do you think its actually true though? Most people have nothing to run
it on.

NT

 

[hummingbird]

And when you consider that most computers still in use today can't run
Vista (this from a customer support viewpoint - people don't spend
money to replace computers that work unless the software they MUST use
won't run on their computer) ...

Quite so. I build my own computers and I'm currently very happy to
continue running XP-Pro-SP2 for the next few years. The next time
I install it on a new machine, I plan to use XPlite to strip it down;
I can do w/o all the new bells and whistles in Vista - and some of
the hidden constraints which surely exist...but we're not told about.

 

[Al Klein]

Quite so. I build my own computers and I'm currently very happy to
continue running XP-Pro-SP2 for the next few years. The next time
I install it on a new machine, I plan to use XPlite to strip it down;
I can do w/o all the new bells and whistles in Vista - and some of
the hidden constraints which surely exist...but we're not told about.

"They're not bugs, they're 'hidden constraints'." I'll have to
remember that one.

 

[hummingbird]

"They're not bugs, they're 'hidden constraints'." I'll have to
remember that one.

Lol ...how about "functionally challenged software".

 

[Al Klein]

Lol ...how about "functionally challenged software".

Nah, that's too transparent - everyone will understand it. We're
going for <warning: word creation in progress> obfuscurity here.

 

[sablegs94]

Nah, that's too transparent - everyone will understand it. We're
going for <warning: word creation in progress> obfuscurity here.

Transparent Features?

 

[meow2222]

And when you consider that most computers still in use today can't run
Vista (this from a customer support viewpoint - people don't spend
money to replace computers that work unless the software they MUST use
won't run on their computer) ...

Quite so. But it does remind me of the move from 98 to 2000, and the
early 2k machines that were quite overloaded running it. 2k offers
obvious advantages over 98, and on todays hardware most would choose 2k
not 98: the question is does V have any major advantages? Since its ms,
and since its initial spec is so wildly niappropriate, the answer is
presumably no. It may be we'll prefer it in 5 years, when the hardware
of the day runs it easily, but today anything that cant run on an
existing newish machine seems a farce.


NT

 

[Luis Cobian]

Quite so. But it does remind me of the move from 98 to 2000, and the
early 2k machines that were quite overloaded running it. 2k offers
obvious advantages over 98, and on todays hardware most would choose 2k
not 98: the question is does V have any major advantages? Since its ms,
and since its initial spec is so wildly niappropriate, the answer is
presumably no. It may be we'll prefer it in 5 years, when the hardware
of the day runs it easily, but today anything that cant run on an
existing newish machine seems a farce.

Exactly. The advantages of Vista are much more that it's possibly negative
sides. I've been using Vista Beta for some time now, and while it's a Beta
with TONS of debug information, it has been very stable, and from an
usability point of view there are a LOT of welcome changes. Sometimes the
things that people call bells and whistles are very goos usabiliry changes.
Funny enough, people complain about thos changes in Vista but the same
people cheer about bells and whistles in Unbuntu or Osx tiger.

 

[Al Klein]

It may be we'll prefer it in 5 years, when the hardware
of the day runs it easily, but today anything that cant run on an
existing newish machine seems a farce.

Well ... a "newish" machine would be something like a 64 bit 2+Ghz CPU
with 2 gigs of RAM and a 250+gig drive, so Vista will run nicely on
something you bought within the last month. Which would be around
0.0001% of the computers out there, probably.

 

[Al Klein]

Funny enough, people complain about thos changes in Vista but the same
people cheer about bells and whistles in Unbuntu or Osx tiger.

And the newest release of Ubuntu requires WHAT upgrade in hardware?

 

[Lou]

Well ... a "newish" machine would be something like a 64 bit 2+Ghz CPU
with 2 gigs of RAM and a 250+gig drive, so Vista will run nicely on
something you bought within the last month. Which would be around
0.0001% of the computers out there, probably.

Fits right in with my Why Vista thread.

 

[Al Klein]

Fits right in with my Why Vista thread.

Why Vista ...

Why .net ...

Same reason in both cases - no reason at all.

 

[Terry Russell]

And the newest release of Ubuntu requires WHAT upgrade in hardware?

Well, it is a little bit slow running as a livecd on a P2-400