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Good question
It may have something to do with the original design of Windows (back in the early 90's), which was never designed to be networked, and how everything else has been added on to it while trying to maintain maximum backward compatibility.

There's also the issue of market forces; the product has sold and sold and sold (yes, some of it through questionable business practices -- which all the rest of the players wish *they* had been successful at), so if you're making lots of money and the demand for something better isn't cutting into your sales because there are no truly better alternatives, you have less impetus to change. In those days, fixing fundamental underlying flaws that didn't impact very many people didn't sell more software; adding new features to keep people from looking at the competition did. I'm not defending it at all, merely stating it as the reality that it is.

That's changed, however. There is real competition now, the security threats are worse, the demand for change is high, their business practices are under heavy fire, and their sales are slipping. If something doesn't change, it will only get worse for them. They aren't stupid in the business department over there, and they can see it coming.

SO ... now we have them talking about their new OS, which is going to take 4-6 years to bring to fruition. It doesn't take 4-6 years to bolt on a new GUI and some additional "features" to XP, so we can only HOPE they are finally starting over with a new "kernel", so to speak, and fixing the fundamental underlying flaws that date back to the early days of Windows (by starting over).

They aren't just going to blip off the map tomorrow, so like I said, we can ALL only hope (and push them to do it). The big problem for them (and thus everyone else on the net) is how to get those old systems out of use.
Posted by: pschroeder@...   Posted on: 02/04/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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No, it shows Microsoft software is not working!!!  Bobby Sskcat | 02/03/04
You need a life....  DarbyOhara | 02/03/04
Flaming does not prove your point  Michael Kelly | 02/03/04
I'll give it a shot.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 02/03/04
Excellent suggestion  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
So why hasn't MS done this?  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 02/04/04
Good question  pschroeder@... | 02/04/04
Why wait 4 to 6 years?  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 02/04/04
waiting  pschroeder@... | 02/05/04
partly agree  ryusen | 02/03/04
Ask And Ye Shall Receive ...  coffeenite | 02/03/04
Please do go on  Michael Kelly | 02/03/04
Points  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
More Points  coffeenite | 02/03/04
Deep browsers and ZIP programs  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
Browsers, operating systems, and untrusted techies  Anton Philidor | 02/03/04
No, it proves that there is always a bigger idiot  nucrash | 02/03/04
Users aren't always that dumb ...  coffeenite | 02/03/04
...but, quite often, they are!  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
Eh ....  coffeenite | 02/03/04
What to do?  Doug@... | 02/03/04
Do this  MarcB_z | 02/03/04
Sigh  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
Get rid of ActiveX and VBA and 97% of the problem is solved  MarcB_z | 02/04/04
Neither of which would have solved THIS problem (NT)  pschroeder@... | 02/04/04
But that other 3% thingy would have (NT)  MarcB_z | 02/05/04
maybe ... except for the dumb user issue (NT)  pschroeder@... | 02/05/04
Fine for the corporate environment  jfrankcarr | 02/03/04
question  Hanover Phist | 02/03/04
...which...  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
you are right  ryusen | 02/03/04
Save and execute no fix  wolf_z | 02/03/04
AMEN, Built-in SECURITY helps tho'  MarcB_z | 02/03/04
Ok, so then they should have rights to restrict what you can do on your pc?  TreborG2 | 02/03/04
I think they should be restricted  voska | 02/03/04
restrictions  ryusen | 02/03/04
Nobody said "restrict"  MarcB_z | 02/04/04
Restrict execs  Domb2 | 02/03/04
don't forget...  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
Harder to hurt yourself/easier to effect others  Domb2 | 02/03/04
integration  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
RE Integration  Domb2 | 02/03/04
RE RE integration  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
re re re:  ryusen | 02/03/04
Integrated NOT EQUAL TO welded  MarcB_z | 02/04/04
Exactly.  bhanes@... | 02/03/04
Maybe we could return to non-executable mail?  Atlant | 02/03/04
Easy, get rid of VB & Office Macros  MarcB_z | 02/03/04
Lot's of systems use this technology  Heatlesssun | 02/03/04
Excel and Word are good reporting tools  jfrankcarr | 02/03/04
getting rid of useful features,  ryusen | 02/03/04
Microsft "solution" negates "useful" features  MarcB_z | 02/04/04
you don't get it... JPG & GIF can have embedded URLs!  TreborG2 | 02/03/04
Stupid Human Tricks  Squawkbox | 02/03/04
Actually ... Image files don't work that way  coffeenite | 02/03/04
Email should be just plain text  voska | 02/03/04
Files  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
Even at that  bhanes@... | 02/03/04
Of all things...  rbethell | 02/03/04
spam filtering doesn't stop mail from *known* sources  TreborG2 | 02/03/04
{cough} change the OS {cough}  Xunil_Sierutuf | 02/03/04
still the wrong answer  TreborG2 | 02/03/04
good comments  Domb2 | 02/03/04
How about  bhanes@... | 02/03/04
The answer is so simple...  Heatlesssun | 02/03/04
Simpler solution  tic swayback | 02/03/04
to scan the attachment  Fred Flintsone | 02/03/04
Yes, I read it !  chawly | 02/09/04
funny thing about linux...  ryusen | 02/03/04
Suggested Solutions  Domb2 | 02/03/04
Other options  Letophoro | 02/03/04
And item 5  Domb2 | 02/03/04
Pop-up msg's worthless  Gasman_z | 02/03/04
Overrides are too common  Domb2 | 02/03/04
Let's agree and disagree  chawly | 02/09/04
The real story  usapride | 02/03/04
About enough  MkIIISupra | 02/03/04
license requirement  Domb2 | 02/03/04
Amen ... but apply that across the boards  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
Nice post.....  Jose Jimenez | 02/03/04
problem with licencing  ryusen | 02/03/04
The NSA are fools?  B.O.F.H. | 02/03/04
well  bhanes@... | 02/03/04
Yes but .....  chawly | 02/09/04
Granted I only deal with SMB's  JoeMama_z | 02/03/04
It won't work  j.m.galvin | 02/03/04
I have one big problem with your statement  JoeMama_z | 02/03/04
ZIP files  pschroeder@... | 02/04/04
in my origional post....  JoeMama_z | 02/04/04
antivirus  pschroeder@... | 02/04/04
Unless your anti virus updates every day.  JoeMama_z | 02/05/04
Daily updates  pschroeder@... | 02/05/04
P.L.B.A.C. Virus  JoeMama_z | 02/05/04
So what was that MyDoom thingy  FilledOut | 02/03/04
What it was  tic swayback | 02/03/04
Sorry  FilledOut | 02/03/04
Hey Kids  Fred Flintsone | 02/03/04
It Shows that Microsoft Has Near-Zero Security  brenthawkinsmd | 02/03/04
What mail software has built in Virus protection?  PeteS_z | 02/03/04
some do not  JWatson77 | 02/06/04
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What a sad state of affairs.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 02/03/04
Actually the Internet was a DoD/DARPA project...  B.O.F.H. | 02/03/04
It started well before that.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 02/03/04
History lesson  B.O.F.H. | 02/03/04
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Just hilarious  nograin | 02/03/04
SpongeWare  pj-xmesh | 02/03/04
We'll let you answer the phone  jfrankcarr | 02/03/04
Stop it! You can't use common sense here!!!  No_Ax_to_Grind | 02/03/04
well...  yucantrak | 02/03/04
True  JWatson77 | 02/06/04
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Short coming in Victoria Secrets products  No_Ax_to_Grind | 02/03/04
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You still don't "get it" do you.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 02/03/04
Well, to use another analogy  jfrankcarr | 02/03/04
Congratulations - you get it  Harry Bardal | 02/03/04
Product Flaws  tic swayback | 02/03/04
The point is, blaming the victim.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 02/03/04
Should the user shoulder any responsibility?  tic swayback | 02/03/04
But...  quietLee | 02/04/04
I agree  JWatson77 | 02/06/04
How's that again?  pschroeder@... | 02/03/04
No Spam from Zombie attackers  ratatat62 | 02/03/04
Education of the END USER is the only solution  morgaine2003 | 02/04/04
Why Email Executables?  dadon | 02/04/04
Business reasons  pschroeder@... | 02/04/04
Why Email Executables?  dadon | 02/05/04
FTP  pschroeder@... | 02/05/04
Fighting Fire With Fire  LAMski | 02/08/04
Fix Email, not OS  DGSteig | 02/09/04
Wrong solution! Wrong target! Wrong thinking!  harperwill@... | 02/09/04
problem is between keyboard and chair...  absentia | 02/09/04
my Doom  a8a09923@... | 02/09/04
Oh well, sh** happens ...  Shodan_z | 02/13/04

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