🚀 go-pugleaf

Heres my two cents worth:

1) No one is forcing anybody to buy Microsoft products.  Therefore if they
want to have an optional link that allows you to call them to register
then that is their business.

2) Apple has been bundleing E-World with System 7.5 for close to a year
now.  Much like the MSN it can be accessed by a simple double click. If I
were Microsoft I would argue that if they can't do it Apple shouldn't be
allowed to do it either.  I guarantee you E-World wouldn't exist now if
Apple didn't pre-install it on many of its computers. Plus, since Apple
is also supplying the hardware it is even more of a conflict since IBM
compatibles can always be installed with other OS's.

3) Apple's Apple Talk Remote Access technology and the AOL core of e-world
could allow the exact same "theft" of information as Microsofts stragegy.
In fact Apple's tight integration with the hardware and Apple talk network
could make it even easier.  For MS to pull the same thing off it would 
have to deal with many other hardware and network configurations.

4) Maybe some people just don't have the security thing clear.  If you have
very serious information that needs to be protected you shouldn't have it
visible when you call any network.  MSN is the least of your worries considering
they are a highly visible entity.  The most sensitive of data should be
encrypted, viewed, and re-encrypted. Put your data on to floppies, removable
HD's, or protected partitions.  Don't blame MS for your parinoia.

5) As a Win 95 purchaser I have a right to register on-line if Microsoft
makes that option available.  Just as you have a right not to.  Or for
that matter not to use Microsoft products at all.  Just as I have a right
to use E-world on a Macintosh if I want to.  Or not buy any Apple products
at all.

6) One solution for an administrator is to simply go through and remove the
MSN software from the computer.  I've removed e-world from a 3-dozen or so
Macs just because it was taking up space.  It wasn't because I was parinoid
that Apple was going to search my hard drive but the result is the same.

The truth is that some people don't like MS and the fear that Windows 95
puts in to hearts of other OS's is very real. To fight back they look for
anything that they can to find fault in MS.  Even if Apple has been doing
the same thing for the past year. I used to be a long time Mac advocate
but Apple's continuing faliure to produce any meaningful gains in market
share turned me away. While converting to Windows, Mac users acted like I was a 
Benidict Arnold because I was using the evil MS software. The arrogance
of Mac users (which I at one time was too Mac loving myself) only pushed me
further away. 

Now the truth:  Windows 95 levels the playing field pretty much squashing
the last few advantages the Macintosh had.  Of course Mac biggots will
point out some things the Mac does better, but who cares!!!
There are many more applications for Windows with more and more to come.
OS/2 while a good operating system suffers from the same, no real compeling
applications to dedicate large numbers of users.  

I know some very large companies I used to work for that are currently 
100% Macintosh.  One of them has 125 Macintoshes.  Starting this summer
they began switching over to Windows.  By this time next year they expect
to have sold all their Macs (or dumped them in the trash) and replaced
them with PC's.  The main reason is that there just simply isn't
the Macintosh consultants out their with experience in large corporate
information systems. Everytime they talk with "experts" in their industry
they get told "what the hell are you doing with Macs?  Get some PC's and
then maybe we can help you."  Accountants tell them "Get PC's then we
can exchange info better."  New employees instantly question "Why do you
have Macs?  Aren't PC's for business." and on and on...  They soon began
to question why they are fighting so hard to keep Macs.

As I consultant I simply say if you want to do Mac's, fine I can do that.
If you want to do Windows, I do that too.  But I NEVER recommend Macs
because I almost always get burned for it.  Other consultants and businesses
continually question your decisions and think your an amature if you recommend
Macs.  They think that you can't do PC's and are therefore not as good.
In fact I'm still trying to shake my Mac upbringing with some of my clients.
They think I don't "really" know PC's because I used to use and recommend Macs.
  
At least with Windows 95 I don't have to feel any guilt about pushing the
Macs aside.  Truth is after 11 years the Mac is finally a second class
citizen in virtually every aspect.


gmoss@midwest.net