He who controls the bootloader...

Post #6,910 by a6l6e6x 8/27/01 10:00:43 PM Reply	He who controls the bootloader... Interesting [link\|http://www.byte.com/documents/s=1115/byt20010824s0001/\|Byte.com] article about Microsoft license with computer manufacturers. The bootloader is classified as a "trade secret" prohibiting sale of dual boot machines. Now you know why dual boot machines are not sold. Have you seen this Andrew? Alex Life is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel. -- Anne Frank
Post #6,921 by Ashton 8/28/01 2:44:47 AM Reply	Interesting sleeper.. Worth permanently remembering. Difficult to tell whether Boies' decision was technically illiterate, foolishly about the mere inconvenience of rewriting their case or.. other. We seeem to have only the slimmest hope that Be, by reserving rights to sue - might pull off a Stac or DRDOS coup - this time sans secret cash settlement clause? Looks as if that prospect alone might attract a funding angel at such time as - IF EVER - some..penalty finally is assessed against the barbarians. Surely, IMhO the issue of the boot loader secret proscription - ought to be kept alive among the intelligentsia, indefinitely - pending next opportunity. We could do Our part (?) - ineffectively but not futilely; never know who might notice.. A.
Post #6,927 by kmself 8/28/01 3:43:24 AM Reply	Copy of article? I don't know if the site's Slashdotted or just doesn't like me (Byte tends to work only moderately at best for me, and often fails to load). After about 15 minutes I've got 6kb of the article (just headers and navigation elements). Anywho, if the text is out there, please post. -- Karsten M. Self [link\|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com\|kmself@ix.netcom.com] What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?
Post #6,929 by wharris2 8/28/01 3:50:29 AM Reply	Executive summary :=) The reason no other operating system is offered as an option, even a dual-boot option, is because of confidential agreements with Microsoft that agree that Windows, and only Windows, will be loaded and available to the user. (The article is much longer and goes into more detail, but that's the essense.) French Zombies are zapping me with lasers!
Post #6,944 by jake123 8/28/01 9:13:21 AM Reply	Re: Copy of article? I [link\|http://jakesplace.dhs.org/He_Who_Controls_the_Bootloader.pdf\|PDF'd] for you. Ghostscript 7 is great. -- ---------------------------------------------------------- * Jack Troughton jake at jakesplace.dhs.org * * [link\|http://jakesplace.dhs.org\|[link\|http://jakesplace.dhs.org\|http://jakesplace.dhs.org]] [link\|ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org\|[link\|ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org\|ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org]] * * Montr\ufffdal PQ Canada [link\|news://jakesplace.dhs.org\|news://jakesplace.dhs.org] * ----------------------------------------------------------
Post #6,928 by wharris2 8/28/01 3:47:00 AM Reply	Bootloader? I think labelling it as a bootloader control issue is mislabelling it. It's a question of what operating systems can be loaded, which is a subtle distinction. In any case, I think the Byte article gets a good angle on the antitrust case. I also think that the issue of browser integration (while interesting and worthy of contemplation) was hugely overplayed; the more egregious monopoly abuses were completely downplayed or overlooked. French Zombies are zapping me with lasers!

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