Microsoft Windows

Download Firefox today!

You have to download Firefox today, first because it’s a damn good browser and second to help them set a world record and give “You Know Who” the middle finger.

New Features - Firefox 3 sets the innovation bar very high with exciting new features, including one-click bookmarking, the smart location bar and lightning fast performance.

Security - Keeping you and your personal information safe is our top priority. Firefox 3 includes phishing and malware protection, plus our new instant site ID info.

Productivity - With features like built-in spell checking, session restore and full zoom, Firefox 3 makes it possible to work faster and more efficiently on the Web.

Custimization - Your taste and needs set you apart from the rest. With Firefox 3 you can choose from over 5,000 add-ons that help you customize your browsing experience.

Pledge Map for todays world record!

Firefox Versin 3 - Set a Guinness World Record

Set a Guinness World Record - Enjoy a Better Web

Sounds like a good deal, right? All you have to do is get Firefox 3 during Download Day to help set the record for most software downloads in 24 hours - it’s that easy. We’re not asking you to swallow a sword or to balance 30 spoons on your face, although that would be kind of awesome.

By the way, the official date for the launch of Firefox 3 will be posted here soon - so check back! Join our community and this effort by pledging today.

Offtopic : Is Windows Vista the new Windows ME?

I was talking to a few people in a store and then around the office and started to wonder to myself is Windows Vista the new Windows ME?

If you think about it the cycle would be right.

(1)Windows95(Decent)
(2)Windows98(Little Better)
(3)WindowsME(Crap)
(1)Windows2000(oh not bad)
(2)WindowsXP(Little Better)
(3)Windows Vista(CRAP)
(1)Windows7(Who knows?)

It’s just a thought from someone who would not care if Microsoft fell of the face of the earth right now. The are a company I think we could all live without and are truly un-American when they tell the congress and such that they can’t get any HB1 visa in the country when thousands of developers and IT people are out of work in the US. Why not hire the US Citizens in the US, oh I know why, I could cost to much to hire Americans to do the job, when you could get some no talent outsider to come in and work twice as hard for half the pay as a contractor. Now it all makes sense.

So back to my topic, is Windows Vista the new WindowsME, sure seems that way. I know when ME came out there were people begging to just get Window 98 on the PC, and then Microsoft came out with Windows98SE to get them to shut up and stop calling ME bad. I don’t think we will every see a WindowsXPSE? There is also rumor that Windows7 is right around the corner too. Why do you all as consumers continue to put up with crap? Why is that acceptable from Microsoft, but if FORD or Chevy make crap you choose not to use it and by Honda or Toyota? Microsoft is crap, it’s time to got to Linux or Apple.

Bill Gates has no idea what he is talking about

First of all I am no fan of Microsoft. I have proven that fact over and over again. I do however respect Bill Gates, he is a smart guy with good form who knows his place in life.

But . . . Bill Gates has no idea what he is talking about when he says there are no decent Americans in the US willing to work for Microsoft. I know plenty of strong IT people who would work for Microsoft today if they had a way for them to get in and interview. I think there are a couple of things here going on.

1. Bill Gates is turning soft and forgetting about the country he has built his empire on, the USA, and is thinking he will be a global shill and pander to other “not so lucky” countries that would do anything to get here even work for less and not have as much “house hold goods” to move. It all comes back to money.

2. I would have worked for Microsoft if they would ever call anyone back. In the past 20 years I have read the Microsoft jobs web site and have found many positions I would like but have never even got so much as a call back on anything in 20 years. Getting into Microsoft, unless you are an H-1B visa holder, then they seem to be able to find you just fine.

3. Microsoft is now pandering to the country that is the second or third country to steal the most software from them. Most H-1B visa holders Microsoft wants to hire are from India, not Japan or China, but India and also a country that steals more software from Microsoft than the US.

4. Indians from India will work like crazy because they don’t want to go back to India and they don’t want to leave. If they work for $50 and hour 17 hours a day they and are only half as skilled as a seasoned US developer getting paid $120 an hour and only working 8-9 hours a day which looks better on the books? I have seen H-1B visa holders come over without any skills but the project leader who is India or the same nationality has moved them to the US only to have them learn the skills they need while in the US. Some I have seen come into the country as say Java developers, having never seen Java and work with a good developer so they they are lost in the shuffle, only later to find out the hard way they know nothing about Java, the team lead has been writing the code after work for them and they hold a position in a company a good hard working US citizen could fill but can’t. This happens a lot. It’s the H-1B visa shell game.

SO Mr. Gates. I urge you to look all over the US, there are developers here who are hard working US citizens and are willing to work for you for decent pay with decent work loads. PLEASE HIRE ALL THE US CITIZENS YOU CAN BEFORE YOU GO OVERSEAS. Another reason to buy an Apple I say!

System i Data Center Wish List

With Christmas fast approaching and I am still figuring out what I would like to have under the tree from Santa, I ran across an article that said what Enterprise Classed IT types were wanting for their data centers this year. I know if I had an unlimited budget, and don’t we all, I would want System i  Power6 and lots of it, V6R1, Lotus 8, Lotus Symphony to be GA and replace MS Office,Linux on System i to replace those costly Windows File Server and Print Servers, and the fastest robotic tape backup system money could buy, of course LTO4 would be in order. So past the things you might like if you could take the money out of the companies bank account or if money were not object. and read the Article I found and enjoyed reading.

LINK

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year, I will be moving myself and my family next week, the day after Christmas from Colorado to Charlotte, NC and will be rather busy. I have some posts lined up and will make sure you have something to read and enjoy!