Microsoft settles with Eolas over Internet Explorer

Microsoft has settled with Eolas over a number of patents regarding browser plugins which chicago based Eolas filed patents for in 1998. A jury in Chicago then found Microsoft guilty of infringing on Eolas’ patents and was told to pay $521m US Dollars in 'damages'. That ruling was overturned and a fresh trial ordered which was due to start very soon, but it seems Microsoft has decided to pay out:

Details of the settlement have not yet been released but Eolas Technologies’ chief operating officer, Mark Swords, told the New York Times that a certain number of Eolas’ shareholders would get US$60 to US$72 per share.

I think it is a sign of a deep crisis in the technology industry as a whole when companies have to pay out over patents over which the holder has no product. With patents there should be a use em' or lose em' theme. My biggest concern now is that I hope Microsoft are not trying to validate the patent by paying out and then encouraging Eolas to use it against competitors, sort of like the Apple and Creative deal comes to mind.

Gutsy coming along, Update to Dell Windows Refund..

I just tried Herd 5 of Gutsy Gibbon, a beta release which will be Ubuntu 07.10 released in October. Obviously it is still early stages and a lot of things aren't working quite as they should, but it looks very promising. Here's some new stuff which should hit the final release:

• Compiz Fusion - Pretty Graphics that leave you in awe...
• Bullet Proof X - Making sure you'll never see a terminal prompt not of your own choosing, basically the graphics server should be 'bulletproof'
• Appearance Manager - Making it easier to change yourbuntu's look and feel
• Better Driver Support - More of those restricted drivers to make sure you can see your screen and use your wifi card
• Simplified Codecs install - It will now be painless, install ubuntu-restrictedcodecs (or kubuntu-restricted codecs) and you can see Youtube in all its glory, play a dvd, watch that porno WMV file (just kidding but I think thats all WMV is used for) and other such niceties of the propreitry world we have to put up with
• Firefox Codecs Plugin - Firefox will be hooked up to the package manager and prompt to install Flash/Java if you haven't got it already, much the same way it prompts to get a codec when you throw a file at it that it cannot play in the movie player. The free software Gnash replacement for Flash will come as standard and can play Youtube Vids.
• Dual Screen Glory - If your like me you have a nice and small portable laptop, but that screen just won't do all of the time, thats why I personally have a 19" to plug my 13" MacBook into. With Gutsy I should be able to plug and play over DVI.

These are just some of the features that are being worked on for the final release. Probably not all of them on the list will get into Gutsy final, but lets hope they do! Gutsy+1 (slated for release April 2008) has been announced as "Hardy Hereon" and should be a long term release (5 years server and 3 years desktop updates and patches).

Dell refunded me €18.15 for Windows Home Edition, to be honest I thought I'd get more, but alas that's life.....

Dell refunds me for Windows!

As many of you know I am a Linux and Mac aficionado. For my Linux machines, all of them are Dell. I have been always pleased with Dells prices, how their machines work with Linux, their customer service and the fact they are made in Limerick, Ireland (I am from Ireland). I politely emailed Dell (well got up on my high horse), heres my first mail:

I would like a refund of Windows XP since I am installing Ubuntu Linux on the computer when I get it. When I turn on the computer I am going to decline the EULA, and I am within my rights to request this refund (as part of Irish consumer laws). This also applies in Britian, see here: ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6144782.stm )

So yeah I wasn't the most polite, but I was trying to make a point because I guessed they'd be not 'welcome' to the idea. Boy was I wrong, I got a lovely call from a Dell representitive telling me they would refund it:

As per our phone conversation I have arranged for you to be refunded for this part. Please allow approximately 5 working days for the money to show back on your credit card.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate in responding directly to this mail and I will be glad to assist you further.

All I can say is I am definitely a Dell customer from now on. The sad part of this story is perhaps Dell is out of pocket because of licensing deals with Microsoft. But they did the right thing, and that is honourable, it seems IdeaStorm and Michael Dell returning is working. I would gladly deny the refund. Why did I do this? I did it because I oppose the ridiculous notion every PC has to come with Windows, its like selling all black cars. People want choice and variety, and consumer laws are supposed to protect and promote this ;-) I won't be using XP and I will be true to my word and deny the EULA as soon as I receive the laptop.

Bootnote: Ubuntu Dells are available in France, Germany, UK and the US but not in Ireland. I ordered through small business and specced the laptop to the exact parts the Ubuntu Inspirons in the US have, all that is different is the model numbers. Come on Dell, sell those Ubuntu machines in Ireland, I'll buy another!!

Have you got viruses or spyware? Here's my tips!

I come into contact everyday with people asking how to fix their machines due to the inevitable spyware and viruses found on a Windows machine. Lately I have been switching people to Ubuntu, and even getting them to buy machines to install it on (Dell). But I understand and have no zealotry for Linux when it comes to fixing peoples' real world problems. I always mention Ubuntu as a matter of course, and also Macs. I follow up peoples Ubuntu installs with friendly emails explaining the free help open to them, but also as common (probably moreso) are my emailed tips to people guiding them how to fix there Windows XP computer. So I'll list the steps here which are generic and should help anyone out their with such problems; this is not a miracle cure and I fix these problems on a case by case basis, so expect better perfromance, but not a new computer!!

1. Go to Control Panel (Click on My Computer, then a link to it appears at the side) > Add/Remove Programs
2. Remove all Norton Antivirus and/or Symantec Security products
3. Download This: Avast Home Edition 4
4. When Avast installs and asks to perform a boot time scan, click: yes, then restart your computer as it suggests
   
5. Register for a (free) Avast Home Edition 4 Serial key
   
6. Start Avast from the Start Menu (Start > All Programs > Avast). It will flash an "A" on a round ball in the status area, click it and enter serial number recieved in email
   
7. Download: Spybot Search and Destroy
8. It will guide you through this when it starts up the first time: Backup your registry, download all available updates, immunise and then do a full scan (it sounds harder then it is), then remove all spyware

I should also mention the open source ClamAV, but I find Avast more suitable for this guide. I hope this helps fix issues that people have. I hate to see new computers being bought every day when the old ones can be made to run very fast with the right amount of TLC!

Seven financial reasons not to use Windows

I recently read a very insightful article on 7 factors every company should seriously consider about Microsoft Windows, here they are summarised:

1. Licensing Costs

Everyone in the IT industry today knows that proprietary operating systems and the applications that run on them will cost you a lot of money on licensing fees. According to a recent Forrester study, U.S. companies overall are expected to spend $100 billion on software maintenance in 2007.

2. Hardware Costs

"You need to throw lots of hardware at it," says Central Desktop founder Arnulf Hsu about Windows. The minimum hardware requirements for Server 2003 call for a Pentium III 550MHz, 512MB of RAM, and at least a 3GB hard drive. Linux, on the other hand, can go on an old Pentium II with only 64MB of RAM and 1GB of hard drive space.

3. Inefficient Security Control

It's going to take more labor to keep a Windows system secure. Virus makers and crackers target Windows systems because it is easier to break into.

4. Heavy Vendor Influence

Because so many corporations have a company policy that specifies "Microsoft-only," it discourages independent thinking and technological savvy; many end up simply relying on the sales guy to tell them what applications they need.

5. Inefficient use of Manpower

While it is true that it is relatively easy to find Windows-skilled IT admins, it's still not exactly cheap. Though many Unix-based admins are more expensive, it takes fewer of them to maintain more servers, which saves money in the long run.

6. Feature Lock-in

Proprietary systems like Windows are not easily customizable. Companies that need the flexibility to drop in or remove features on an as-needed basis find themselves either paying for unneeded feature bloat, starving for the features they do need because commercial vendors rarely are willing to drop everything to accommodate a one-off request

7. Forced Upgrade Path

With Microsoft, you're on a forced upgrade path. Once it drops support on your version of Windows, you're out of luck when it comes to fixing those above mentioned security holes-if you can even continue to use that version.

The full article on CIO is here, and is a very interesting read (it expands on the points I quoted above). No person in a company responsible for IT should go without reading this, especially if your are a "Microsoft-Only" shop.