Exactly how does Microsoft use Windows to "prevent competition with Microsoft's applications," and why does it even matter, given that Microsoft only really sells one application?
People who root for teams are in for disappointment. It's all just business.
-- Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.
As you pointed out to me, you may not be representative.
If it's fast enough, it should.
I'm talking about both. The slowness and lack of accuracy of speech systems holds them back. That's why people tend not to use them unless they have to. I'd much rather type than have to speak to my computer to write things. It would take forever with speech.
Why? There's almost no demand for it.
Both are extremely difficult if you want truly integrated solutions.
It's not pure guesswork. Virtually without exception, putting in features for a tiny minority of users is a net loss. Companies only do it for PR, out of corporate conscience, or when the law requires it. They certainly don't do it to make money.
Within reason, I believe they should. But I do not believe that vast resources should be spent on accommodating them when the same resources could do more good for a larger number of people if spent in a different way.
That's the easy part. Just as generating sound is the easy part of speech synthesis. The hard part is compressing information into an audio channel, and making sense of input or reformatting output to fit it.
Which technology am I unable to use?
If you want to do it right, you need hardware solutions.
No, it can't. There are a lot of clever and/or well-funded competitors out there. Not every company is as stupid as Netscape.
Microsoft builds what sells. That's business.
Speech is no more a "valid" part of the operating system than text.
Whether any company does. For extreme niche markets, small companies are usually better at turning a profit than large companies.
The future will be just like the present.
In that prior post, I was making it obvious why people _don't_ write applications for obscure operating systems.
-- Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.
Are you visually impaired?
I'm using a Celeron 400MHZ with 192MB of RAM under Windows 2000. And it hits really hard here.
Hopefully.
Huh? Windows has text to speech built right into it.
Narrator is intended to help people with low vision to setup their own computers, or use other people's computers. Narrator may not perform well with some applications. Most users with visual impairments will need a utility with higher functionality for daily use.
For a list of Windows-based screen reader utilities, see
Screen reading is right there in at least Windows 2000/XP.
You know some people can push this disabled stuff too far. So where do you draw the line? For example, real disabled people still can't get good parking. Yet zillions of dollars were forced from people's pockets to build them. And one of the lawyers who did the forcing and made probably zillions of dollars, didn't even have handicap parking at his own office (this was on like 20/20 or something). Go figure! It always comes down to it's about the money and who is going to pay for it, now isn't it?
I'm not betting on that. As humans have a clear advantage over computers when it comes to speech recognition. And I haven't even heard of a workable theory in how computers could ever surpass humans in this area.
Huh? The current technology in this area is very frustrating.
You need a microphone and speakers for one. And I don't know how anybody can reroute the keyboard to a mic and the screen output to speakers without added drivers? So you're saying that Windows has this ability built in? Gee and here I thought you were saying it does not.
Not so. They would like to make Linux disappear and can't for starters. They probably would like IBM to fade away and can't. And I bet they wished they didn't have to improve their products when someone comes out with something better. And lastly, Microsoft has no power over the end user! As the end user can choose what they want to do with their money.
Can you elaborate?
Well Bill Gates has given millions of dollars to charity all of the time. And while the future is not a charity, the future also isn't here yet as well.
Are you aware that Microsoft does have disability features built into Windows itself right now? And offers a web page for other solutions between Windows for the disabled? How can you imply they are not doing anything about it?
__________________________________________________ Bill (using a Toshiba 2595XDVD under Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within WordStar 5.0
You're attributing to Microsoft what rightfully belongs to Digital Research and CP/M. Kildall had the vision of running the same software on anyone's PC, with a uniform set of utility programs and system calls. Paterson copied it and Gates bought the copy.
--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.
Maybe it's just me, but the only thing I can find wrong with it is that it has trouble writing some Microsoft output formats. OpenOffice can do something that most versions of Office can't do, that is to open Word 6 documents.
--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.
The industry would be set back two years while the laughter died down enough for IT people to resume working.
--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.
I don't know what BP gas pumps run, but what I saw a little while back was unmistakably a BSOD.
--
If John McCain gets the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination,
my vote for President will be a write-in for Jiang Zemin.
I meant to say something about this since I was a big Works fan until I got Office 97. As I used MS Works v2, 3, 4, 5, and I never installed v6 (but it is sitting right here). And MS Works as far back as I can remember was dirt cheap. Like $29.95 or something. And the $100 version was called Works Suite I think and it included Word. Which was a good deal if you only wanted Word from the MS Office.
MS always in the past (I don't know about now), always kept macro ability out of Works. And if it ever did, I probably wouldn't have ever bothered with Office at all. As Works v4 and 5 were really quite good IMHO. Almost as good as other software that called themselves as Suite. Although no macro ability made it suck! And I believe this was on purpose so not to cut into the Office sales.
I'm saying this in regards as MS Works did everything and I bet many others needed for simple tasks. On the other hand, I bet virtually nobody uses over 90% of Office features. There are just too many of them. Heck, I've been using Office for about 8 years now and I still don't know everything that it can do yet.
__________________________________________________ Bill (using a Toshiba 2595XDVD under Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within WordStar 5.0
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No, my 'recollection' is about the subject at hand, namely the original IBM/Microsoft deal for DOS and the folks claiming that Microsoft screwed IBM by retaining the rights to sell it to non-IBM computers.
At least they didn't try to get a reverse royalty payment on every prior computer made like IBM did with their MCA license.
The one you brought up raising an interesting conundrum because you have IBM wanting it both ways. They had a competing O.S. and a competing office suite yet while they're trying to wipe MS off the business scene they want their competitor to give them preferred OEM status.
I'm not sure I'd be real happy about that either.
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Until you realize that Microsoft competitors are mostly controlled by MBA morons, you will never understand! As to beat a computer nerd, you need a better computer nerd. Something that Harvard will never understand. And believe me, Bill Gates as a nerd isn't all that great. In that respect he was lucky and he knows it. And the only thing he is really good at is beating MBA types. But most nerds has no problems in that area since those MBA types are generally are just morons anyway. Maybe someday you'll learn the truth. Maybe today or never, who knows?
__________________________________________________ Bill (using a Toshiba 2595XDVD under Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within WordStar 5.0
Nope. I am a exceptionally active personal computer user intimately familiar with the required monopoly operating system.
That's hardly current technology.
Maybe I should say a medium to high end current store-bought computer. It probably also depends on whether the system is loaded with many of the common bundled programs like Microsoft office and Norton Utilities.
These are my specs, all homemade. ... MSI K7N2 Delta2-LSR mainboard ... Athlon XP 3000+ ... PC 3200, 1 GB RAM ... Western Digital Raptor 37 GB 10,000 rpm HDD ... external Creative Labs USB Live sound box
Hopefully soon. The eventual outcome is clearly logical.
The default voice, the only voice Microsoft currently provides is called Mary. There are lots of better voices.
With enough experience, you begin to realize that what Microsoft says is oftentimes mostly hype. That's a good example.
Try using it.
Again, experience suggests otherwise. The handicapped parking spaces are often very useful to people with disabilities. As an in-line skater, I definitely appreciate curbs that include ramps.
I pray that the implementation can be bad. Public transportation in my city is a good example of bad. There are better ways, but they haven't put enough thought into the design.
Sounds like you aren't willing to try.
I'm using it.
Sounds like frustration. I hear you.
Most computer things are very frustrating as I learned/learn them for the first time. Attempting speech-recognition and failing was worse than frustrating. It might even radically alter your opinion about the subject. With Microsoft's vast resource dollars and proficient management, Microsoft could help, investor willingness aside. Bill Gates owns a large percentage of Microsoft anyway.
:) I don't think anyone in the homebuilt PC group would consider that an obstacle.
Because it's not programmed to do so.
Microsoft has met serious resistance at the server operating system market. One of the factors is probably that CEOs are typically more intelligent than an average personal computer user and they don't want Microsoft limiting their server operating system quality.
Microsoft was able to force IBM not to use its own Lotus SmartSuite office applications on Microsoft's own personal computer line. Then IBM gave up the business of selling personal computers.
Only if he (or she) wants to live in a closet without being able to run the vast majority of personal computer software.
At one point, Apple Computer almost went out of business simply because Microsoft temporarily decided to discontinue making Office for the Mac.
It's a long story.
Bill Gates Jr. has more money than he or 10 generations could spend in a lifetime. All of the millions Bill Gates has given to women and race-based charities hasn't put a dance in his tens of billions in personal wealth.
Offers a web page with links? That's hardly exciting.
I'm not saying they aren't doing anything about it, I am saying that they are not very concerned. Microsoft used to publish a systemwide macro recorder called Macro Recorder. It came with Windows 3.11. According to Microsoft, one of its uses was to help the disabled. Unfortunately, Macro Recorder went out the back door. The lack of built-in scripting and speech are two areas where Microsoft clearly proves to me that Microsoft is not really interested in enabling users.
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Microsoft refused to allow IBM a license to Windows, unless IBM dropped its bundling of Lotus SmartSuite on IBM personal computers.
No you still don't get it! Microsoft is only a so-called monopoly by default. But that isn't true either. As there are other OS available for the personal computer as well. But the dumb MBAs think they can outsmart Bill Gates and they fall like match sticks.
So let's say you or I had a business and all of our competitors were nothing but morons! And it was nothing for us to outsmart them even in our sleep. Some would call us a monopoly, now wouldn't they? Of course they would.
But the truth is our competitors were just too stupid to compete. This is exactly what Microsoft have found themselves in. And it isn't their fault that their competitors are just morons. They just are thanks to the likes of Harvard and the Harvard want to be's.
You just don't get it. A bunch of nerds get together and they start kicking Microsoft's butt. Somehow someone gets the idea that they need a MBA. Now Microsoft while before shaking in their boots (GEOS is a perfect example), comes along and wipes them clean. Why don't you get it?
I was in the business before Bill Gates' first program. I know exactly how he thinks and I know how to beat him is just child's play. But I sit here for all of these years and watch how his competitors screw up royally every time. Boy if I was greedy, I would have made a killing long ago.
Someday I hope you get it. Although unfortunately I believe you are currently not even close yet. But there is still hope.
__________________________________________________ Bill (using a Toshiba 2595XDVD under Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within WordStar 5.0
The 'license' you speak of is an OEM discount agreement and, in particular, the one IBM wanted was 'like Compaq'. I.E. preferred OEM status while simultaneously competing with MS in the O.S. and business suite market.
Anyone can buy retail and IBM considered it.
As I said, I'm not sure I'd like the idea either of giving my competitor a discount on my products so they can make money on my products that they then use to bolster their own competing products they're trying to put me out of business with.
But you're repeating yourself.
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