[Antares]

Found this while poking around an overclocking forum (even though I don't overclock, ironically enough):

http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp

The CD contains (presumably) all the Windows Update patches from the last service pack for your invididual operating system up through those released as of February 2004.  The order is totally free--no taxes, no shipping.  All you have to provide are a name, address, e-mail, and phone number.  Delivery takes 2-4 weeks.

This won't be of much use to people with broadband Internet or who are anti-M$, but for folks like me who are relegated to dial-up, it'll be especially useful for updating my new system when I get home in May.

[Fineus]

Even to those of us with broadband this is handy stuff - a 1mb file takes next to no time to get hold of them, but there's a lot of updates. It's nice to have them on file for easy updating when formatting etc.

[IceFire]

But its not Service Pack 2?

Then there really is no point...if you have to download all of SP2 later anyways then...

I don't get MS anymore...they are insane.

Hah and Walmart is selling Linux/Sun Desktop OS computers now.  Thats hilarious!

[Antares]

SP2 for XP hasn't been released yet.  I read that an updated release candidate will be out next month, but that the real deal won't show up until summer.

I imagine that when the service pack is released, it'll be added to the CD.

[Martinus]

[color=66ff00]Isn't that an utterly fantastic idea to keep tabs on a large number of windows users?
[/color]

[kasperl]

well, they could do that by simply reading the winXP error reports it wants to send every time something crashes.

[Rictor]

XP is the devil. Each new generation of Microsoft OS not only takes up more resources to run, but also limits your options in choosing non-MS programs and limits access to anything beyond the "standard user-interface", meant for house-wives and soccer moms. I'm sticking with 98 for good, unless I switch to Linux or something.

[Ashrak]

http://unattended.msfn.org/


as long as we are on XP theme ... a CD that asks for 1 command line and installs windows / programs / whatever

[Setekh]

Originally posted by IceFire
Hah and Walmart is selling Linux/Sun Desktop OS computers now.  Thats hilarious!

Seriously? Isn't Walmart a sort of simple convenience/sell-everything store?

[Rictor]

Yeah, its like what a general store used to be back in the old days, except its big and cookie-cutter.

[WMCoolmon]

And has an electronics section.

[IceFire]

And they are brutal to everyone from employee's to the industries that they deal with.  Their prices are low because Walmart is huge and they have quite a bit of control and say as to how other companies sell their products to them.

But the fact that a widely distributed store such as Walmart is selling Sun Java Desktop (which is Linux based) instead of Microsoft is an important event methinks.  Another step towards making Linux mainstream.  When that happens there will be linux games, better driver support for video cards, and a major shift will have taken place between Linux OS'es and Windows.  I don't want to see Windows destroyed...I just want to see it with 50% of the market and with Microsoft in a position where it has to compete in the market over features, stability, and capability.

[Rictor]

Originally posted by IceFire
And they are brutal to everyone from employee's to the industries that they deal with.  Their prices are low because Walmart is huge and they have quite a bit of control and say as to how other companies sell their products to them.

Read NoLogo by Naomi Klein. I'm kinda bored so I've been re-reading it today. Good stuff.

[ChronoReverse]

Eh?

/me looks at CD-r with all the winxp updates on it

/me looks at winxp CD-r with SP1 slipstreamed in

[Turnsky]

Microsoft?.... Free?...


Does not compute....

Does not compute....

*explodes*

[ChronoReverse]

Oh this'll turn your world inside out then.  I get almost every Microsoft software product for free...legally.  Simply because a bunch of students asked for it.

[ZylonBane]

Originally posted by Maeglamor
[color=66ff00]Isn't that an utterly fantastic idea to keep tabs on a large number of windows users?
[/color]

Ummm, no. No it isn't. At all. It's utterly horrible, actually.

That's what Windows Update is for.

[Martinus]

[color=66ff00]Well I'm thinking about it in this way:

Most people are on 56K, thus most people don't generally download what amounts to pretty hefty downloads. The result is that MS doesn't know who's upgraded and to what level for a large proportion of 'doze users.

If they give out these free CD's they effectively get the name and address of Joe user, they can then verify if Joe user got a legit copy of windows (if it's XP and it's registered), they know that he's running the service pack that's been distributed on the disk he  ordered (and probably media player, MSN messenger, IE6 and whatnot) and they can no doubt use this info to get more accurate marketing data.

I'd say that amounts to keeping tabs.
[/color]

[ZylonBane]

The Windows Update downloads aren't particularly hefty if you grab them on a regular basis.

I'd say a monitoring technique which relies on a built-in function of the OS is infinitely superior to one which relies on the user going to some website and filling out a form.

But that's just me and my crazy "logic" talking again.

[Martinus]

[color=66ff00]Oh there's no argument there ZB, I know from experience though, not many people use the update function built into windows; half of them are afraid of the internet and the rest are too lazy.
[/color]