Date: Sun, 4 Jul 1999 21:30:05 +0100 From: Mark Ovens <markov@globalnet.co.uk> To: "G. Adam Stanislav" <zen@buddhist.com> Cc: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: An interesting signature Message-ID: <19990704213005.A439@marder-1> In-Reply-To: <3.0.6.32.19990704104339.009bb4f0@mail.bfm.org>; from G. Adam Stanislav on Sun, Jul 04, 1999 at 10:43:39AM -0500 References: <3.0.6.32.19990704104339.009bb4f0@mail.bfm.org>
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On Sun, Jul 04, 1999 at 10:43:39AM -0500, G. Adam Stanislav wrote:
> Just discovered this signature in a different list:
>
> >The nice thing about Windows is:
> >It does not just crash, it displays a dialog box and lets
> >you press 'OK' first.
> >
>
:-)
I recently received the following. Many a true word spoken in jest?
It is the last paragraph that had me ROFL.
In a surprise announcement today, Microsoft President Steve Ballmer
revealed that the Redmond-based company will allow computer resellers
and end-users to customize the appearance of the Blue Screen of
Death (BSOD), the screen that displays when the Windows operating
system crashes.
The move comes as the result of numerous focus groups and customer
surveys done by Microsoft. Thousands of Microsoft customers were
asked, "What do you spend the most time doing on your computer?"
A surprising number of respondents said, "Staring at a Blue Screen
of Death." At 54 percent, it was the top answer, beating the second
place answer "Downloading XXXScans" by an easy 12 points.
"We immediately recognized this as a great opportunity for ourselves,
our channel partners, and especially our customers," explained the
excited Ballmer to a room full of reporters. Immense video displays
were used to show images of the new customizable BSOD screen
side-by-side with the older static version.
Users can select from a collection of "BSOD Themes," allowing them
to instead have a Mauve Screen of Death or even a Paisley Screen
of Death. Graphics and multimedia content can now be incorporated
into the screen, making the BSOD the perfect conduit for delivering
product information and entertainment to Windows users.
The BSOD is by far the most recognized feature of the Windows
operating system, and as a result, Microsoft has historically
insisted on total control over its look and feel. This recent
departure from that policy reflects Microsoft's recognition of the
Windows desktop itself as the "ultimate information portal."
By default, the new BSOD will be configured to show a random
selection of Microsoft product information whenever the system
crashes. Microsoft channel partners can negotiate with Microsoft
for the right to customize the BSOD on systems they ship.
Major computer resellers such as Compaq, Gateway, and Dell are
already lining up for premier placement on the new and improved
BSOD.
Ballmer concluded by getting a dig in against the Open Source
community. "This just goes to show that Microsoft continues to
innovate at a much faster pace than open source. I have yet to see
any evidence that Linux even has a BSOD, let alone a customizable
one."
> Adam
>
>
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--
FreeBSD - The Power To Serve http://www.freebsd.org
My Webpage http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~markov
_______________________________________________________________
Mark Ovens, CNC Apps Engineer, Radan Computational Ltd. Bath UK
CAD/CAM solutions for Sheetmetal Working Industry
mailto:markov@globalnet.co.uk http://www.radan.com
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