@bigger_ludite
I agree freezing is unacceptable, and grounds for drastic measures.

On the other hand: Trying bluetooth a2dp under linux is also unacceptable.
Five of so different packages to run. I gave up!

Are you aware that Linuxes basically run until the hardware explodes? That you rarely have to re-boot even with updates?

Oh you make such a well-reasoned and cogent case !

I don't nail it down to a specific thing they fixed (they have a whole list). But I've been going for a week without freezing on SP1 beta. And I'm even doing Bluetooth. Was about to buy a new laptop. Even vista froze on me once on a separate installation.

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

(Please standby for more freezes and better statistics)

To be fair first half 2011 could equally mean January 5th in which case it's less than 6 months away.

First, VISTA Is Probably Greatest Advancement in Desktop O/S Ever. Finally HARDWARE Is Catching UP. took Mfg By Ankle & Niped away.

7 Came As Softing of Change to NT6. Wasn't Month Out Before Mary Jo Wanted 8. Now Pundits Dis9. Dr. Phibes Knows, Nine, 9, 9, Nine. If there ever is 9, based on Improving nm structure stablized, Therefore Worth Improvement.

Chrome Is Meance In Little RED Riding hoods woods. that & the INQUIRER Reports. 8 Might Be First Multi Core Enviorment. O/S Are Like Song:Where Have ALL Flowers Gone, Long Time Passing. Been Long Time & Enormous Work, yet Is Public Even Aware?

vondrashek

I'm not one of those idiots who says "Windows is broken until the first SP comes out" but the truth of the matter is there are many zealots that really believe that, and more often than not, those zealots work in IT at businesses. Maybe it's just coincidence, but companies generally don't start rolling out a new OS until the first SP arrives.

Even MS seemed to started feeding the FUD (it makes for quicker adoption, meaning more sales) and was delivering SP1 on many products in 6-9 months or so after release.

I'm a bit dissapointed that MS is going to wait 16-20 months after release to give out SP1, considering a beta was floating around, I expected it to come out in 1-3 months.

Windows 7 is very solid, not perfect, but very solid, so why rush a security SP, especially when security is more than significantly improved over XP?

I've been enjoying using W7 since the beta because my old XP install just kept getting more and more frustrating to use as it incrementally progressed towards the speed of carpet. I'm sure the millions of security updates helped kill it.

Now then, Windows 7 does have a hidden ogre that I just recently discovered. Over time my USB devices ever so slowly started misbehaving. My wireless rodent began to have a mind of its own, recently my GPS watch wasn't recognized very often, and a couple of USB portable hard drives began to not connect 100% of the time. I finally Googled the problem and found others suffering as well. The fix turned out to be quite easy; unplug the computer for a few minutes (also remove the battery for laptops) then plug 'em back in and boot it up. For some reason when you do this W7 will reload the USB drivers and "badda-boom badda-bing" the problem is gone. I don't think this problem is widespread, but it is a problem for some of us. If you think you're having similar problems, just try this fix.

I would also like M$ to sh*tcan the W7 search function as the XP version was much better. I was searching for a series of files on one of my USB portable drives yesterday, but no matter what, the search wasn't finding them and I know they are there. I think it was only searching the main hard drive. Maybe I was doing something wrong. If so, the search function is still not intuitive.

Other then these points, my experiences with W7 have been very positive, especially where security updates are concerned, i.e., not many so far.

The miraculous thing is W7 is great in spite of that effing moronic inept idiotic cartoon character, aka Steve Ballmer, calling the shots at Redmond.

Honestly, there are linux rootkits and vulnerabilities. Just yesterday I logged into a ubuntu box that was hacked running an asterisk credit card scam dialer.... and it was updated and ssh root logins where disabled, and history trails conveniently deleted.

It happens a fair bit actually. The box probably could have been protected better by firewalls, but I'm sure most of us have machines that could be protected better and we didn't spend the time.

Since you work for M$, can you tell us when we can expect SP4 for XP?

TIA.

Is this a news article or an editorial?

Starting off your story with 'DEVELOPER OF SHODDY SOFTWARE Microsoft' is not exactly unbiased, now is it?

I am not taking a stand either way about MS - but you need to figure out whether you're a reporter or a columnist.

"the popular Linux distribution Ubuntu will have released two major updates, both of which will be likely to have fewer security concerns than Microsoft's efforts"

Hrmm... You can also say that because Ubuntu is used by fewer users, security concerns are less prominent.

It's just like Apple. Apple computers as secure as NORAD... until it got popular. Then all of sudden there are security concerns.

Maybe if Ubuntu gets it will also endure security concerns.

Remember, the least secure system is the one that everyone uses because there are so many targets.