Bill Gates got the Romanian piracy message

Hi,

I live in Romania and I watched the news this morning. Basescu indeed said that, but the next moment the camera went on Bill and he was smiling more than usual, so I think he got the message right. On the other hand, Basescu said the truth and I don't know if you've heard him in the past, but he is not afraid to say anything. If he wants to say it, then there's nothing stopping him. He's kinda funny in his own way and that's why people love him so much.

Bill arrived one hour before everybody else (including president and prime minister). When, Bill and the prime minister shook hands, Bill said "Good morning, I'm Bill Gates", while our prime minister said just "Good morning", without mentioning his name. I think this was more embarrassing than the speech.

Regarding piracy, I don't really know if the statement is true. Any PC or notebook sold here has Windows or FreeDOS preinstalled, the price differences being minimal. On the other hand, people are starting to buy original software in Romania. Games sales have been 30% better in 2006 than 2005, so things are moving in the right direction (we hope for an Xbox 360 launch soon as Microsoft Romania recently started an entertainment department here). Windows Vista is already available (retail and OEM). The Premium Home retail edition is 255EUR (VAT included) with OEM version half that price but they're 32 or 64bit only.

Also regarding piracy, the situation is a lot different from the one 10 years ago, but there's still no law enforcement on individuals, unless someone is caught in the act (of selling or distributing unlicensed software), which, in most cases, never happens. On the other hand, companies are strictly verified.

vlad

Subject: Users start class action site to hammer Nvidia

I'd also like to tell you that purevideo totally doesn't work in Vista. In my HTPC, purevideo runs in software mode only. Hardware acceleration does not work! Sid

Subject: Intel "secret"

How would that conversation go, exactly?

Dell: "Hm... I dunno, AMD's processors are doing pretty well lately.."

Intel: "We'll give you a billion dollars under the table to make you think about it. Nobody will ever notice that it came up missing. Nobody audits a billion dollar agency or pays attention to what we do, even if we're scrutinized by our competitors."

Dell: "Okay, but keep it a secret. But, no guarantees on sticking with you... you see how well Gateway did with those piece of shit chips!"

mataroo

Subject: Scientist shocked that people lie on dating sites

The reason why there are more woman with ages between 29 to 34, is simply because women in general, don't like this kind of things.

They want to be seduced and conquered in the rainforrest, so they only try this when they are a little more desesperate. When are they desesperate? When they see that are 30 and single, so having children is an urgency and biological clock is going tick...tack...tick...tack!

Men don't have this problem, so we don't distinguish too much between ages.

Cheers,
Roger

Subject: Vista Upgrade Clean Installs

It is possible to install an "upgrade"-only version of Vista without having previously installed XP or 2000. Doing so can essentially lock both product keys.

All you have to do is do a trial install off the Upgrade CD and click next when prompted for the product key. It will ask you to confirm whether you want to really continue without a code and then ask you to select the version of Vista that you bought.

Let Vista finish installing. Then reinstall using the same upgrade CD. do an upgrade custom install and when asked enter your product key. I advise not to let it activate your product key till you are sure the OS is suitable for your hardware. Once that's done traverse the dialogs till you get the point where you tell it you want a clean install.

This is done so that there'll be a windows.old directory at the end of the install. This directory contains the first install. You can then just delete that folder. (BTW, it contains 44,716 files and consumes 6.80 GB. That's one hell of a lot of files for a new install.)

Also, you cannot do a trial install and then expect to be able to just enter the upgrade product key after the install is done. It will tell you that the product key is for an upgrade not a clean install.

Microsoft has been expecting too much of us Systems Integrators as we'll be the ones paying the price to get these things installed and upgraded. If they had any sensibility about this they'd realize they need to make this easier for us, not harder. Instead, we have to resort to alternative methods not condoned by Microsoft.

It does mean that you do two installs, but so does installing XP then installing Vista. At least the double Vista install preserves your XP product key.

This is part of the installer and don't expect this to be corrected for everyone, ever. Microsoft may update the installers when they start distributing Vista with SP1 but keep a hold of those older upgrade CDs so you can continue to work around it.

Vista is so full of hardware issues you wouldn't believe it. As a systems integrator I have to be able to solve problems. There's a huge lack of drivers for machines that can run the OS. I tested several older but still very capable notebooks and desktops. I have to just shake my head.

Here's a perfect example. When I did an XP install and then installed the drivers (with wireless support), and then installed Vista over it Vista would not install my drivers for the wireless component. It would error out no matter how many times I tried (going on line to MICROSOFT's repository of drivers, have it identify and download the correct drivers and then FAIL, over and OVER.

When I wiped the HDD in this instance and did a Vista trial then a Vista upgrade over the trial, the wireless card install went without a hitch. Another reason for these work-arounds.

Oh, and BTW, for another $130+ we Systems Integrators can upgrade our action pack subscription to allow us to use Ultimate. The only thing is, it is a rip-off since once we choose to discontinue our subscription we loose that $130.00+ as well.

I'm working my way toward a lessened dependence on Microsoft so I can just dump my subscription and still keep my business running. The action pack subscription was a great way to get a few machines running for gaming. Since Microsoft has chosen to provide us Systems Integrators with the el-cheapo versions of Vista it became the nail in the coffin that made me decide to end my business relationship with them.

You know, it is funny that I can imagine their business meetings. I imagine them sitting there discussing what version they should give to us SIs. In the end they say we are a business and we should thus get the business edition, but in reality we are Systems Integrators (we make computers and resell them) so we need to have the most advanced version possible. Let's just say the meeting are not covering what we do for them--support their product thus cutting down on their own support costs.

I know there's some good information in this letter that you guys might like to let others know about but I don't think I want my name associated with distributing the information on how to get around the "upgrade" issue. I might be held legally liable, even though the information is available already online.

Some bloke

Subject: Users start class action site to hammer Nvidia

This is exactly what Nvidia, Asus, DFI, Sapphire, Microsoft, Abit, Gigabyte, D-Link, and many other companies need - A very expensive class action lawsuit for the defective goods they ship every single week. This consumer fraud has been going on for years and only a few reputable sites like Hexus.net and BenchZone have displayed enough integrity to call these unscrupulous companies on their defective products.

http://www.benchzone.com/page.php?al=asustek_evaluation

Jorge

Subject: Mikey takes charge

i think when the founder steps back from running the show things go down hill like what has happened at Dell, Apple and Steve Jobs, Ted Waitt at Gateway...

..wonder what will happen at MS?

Kev Rollins also left the board of directors per a story in the WSJ.

Ron K

Subject: I agree.

After using 32 and 64 bit Vista and 2003, I wasn't able to get any reliable drivers from nVidia. Either they ran at 60% of what they originally would, or didn't work at all with SLI. There's limited support, very few drivers and late (if any) releases.

Matt Subject: Everywhere girl

Hi there,

I've just seen the legendary Everywhere Girl making an appearance in Switzerland on the homepage of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH, university, www.ethz.ch), here

Greetings Simon

P.S. your site kicks ass....

Subject: Acer Vista Upgrade Jobsworths

I thought this might be something you would find suitable to embarrass Acer UK into seeing some sense.

Bought a customer an Idea 510 Media Center PC just over a week ago. It's probably the best bit of front room kit to go under your HDTV I've seen yet and well worth a review by you lot. However when it comes to sticking the upgrade to Vista Home Premium and upgrading the RAM from 2x512Mb DDR2 SODIMM modules to 2x1Gb Acer have excelled themselves on the jobsworth front.

I called one of their very pleasant customer services chaps a couple of days ago and after a good 10 minutes speaking to his supervisor upgrading the RAM by anyone other than an Acer certified engineer/company will invalidate the extended onsite warranty, despite the only user accessible part of the PC is the memory bay underneath but it's covered by their warranty sticker. He was as dumbfounded as myself hearing it because underneath that DVD player looking exterior it's really a notebook inside and none of their laptops have the same restrictions. So to comply I have to prise the unit out of my customers front room and ship the whole unit in the post either 25 miles away to Maidenhead or even further to Ipswich which quite frankly is either madness at best or extortion having to pay inflated prices for RAM and the cost of shipping & return of the unit. The other option is to use some label remover and prise it off the memory bay and reseal it or does any of your kind readers have any acer warranty stickers they could send me?

Gavin

Subject: BT Helpdesk

You think that was bad? I work for the helpdesk of a printer company who also makes typewriters. I had people calling who thought they could surf the internet with their typewriter just by hooking up a screen to it. They already have the keyboard you know...

DVD

Subject: Helpdesk for DSL

me: sir could you restart your computer in safe mode with networking

customer(10 minutes later): "oh my god windows is running in SPACE mode!"

i had just cleaned my ears so it wasn't a hearing issue.

Cjthorsen