[FSF]: Stand up for your freedom to install free software

Stand up for your freedom to install free software — Free Software Foundation — working together for free software.

When done correctly, “Secure Boot” is designed to protect against malware by preventing computers from loading unauthorized binary programs when booting. In practice, this means that computers implementing it won’t boot unauthorized operating systems — including initially authorized systems that have been modified without being re-approved.

The biggest issue with the “Secure Boot” system, is that it’ll create a vendor-lockin. This has been seen with the android system as well, but it’ll be Microsft pulling the strings on this one.

Some other interesting reads on Secure Boot:

http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2011/09/windows-8-secure-boot-will-complicate-linux-installs.ars

http://www.osnews.com/story/25180

Microsoft’s Bing.com is running on Linux servers

Ok, Windows Server 2003 was great, and Windows Server 2008 is even greater, as told by Microsoft @ the It-pro days in Ghent (Belgium) 2 years ago.
So, we’re going flat on the assumption that they’re using their own ‘great’ server technology for their own good.
After all, according to their website, Windows Server is cheaper, safer and better than any other technology around.

But wait, what’s this?

Bing_hosted_on_linux

As a search page should be quick, secure and efficient I agree you should use Linux, but I never saw this one coming!
Other searches for microsoft results in different linux hosted services beneath the microsoft.com domain.

wb.dlservice.microsoft.com
search.microsoft.com
vista.gallery.microsoft.com
social.microsoft.com
fullproduct.download.microsoft.com
silverlight.dlservice.microsoft.com (This one is even hosted on Ubuntu)

I know the saying: “Keep your friends close, but your enemy’s closer” (not sure who came up with this slogan), but this is way too funny!

How many times did you pay for an unused OS?

When you buy a computer from a know merchant, it comes with a pre-loaded OS (mostly Microsoft’s Windows).
And yes, you pay for it. But “‘what if” you don’t use it? Is it possible to buy a OS-free system? Continue reading How many times did you pay for an unused OS?