The Return of "HailStorm": Microsoft Lies Again

As foretold in this very weblog, Microsoft has now admitted that their annoucement that they intended to scrap Hailstorm due to privacy concerns was just a ruse to get the heat off of them. They now plan to go ahead with incorporation of privacy-shredding Hailstorm technology at all levels of their Windows monopoly. And there isn't fuck-all you can do about it, either.

Thank you, Microsoft, for giving me a reason to hug my Apple machines again. It hasn't been easy this week, but as usual you have snapped me back to reality.

At some point in the future I'll elaborate on why Hailstorm is so bad, but in the meantime you can do a Google search and find out for yourselves. Let's just say that the future for Windows XP users isn't looking too hot, and that's coming from a guy who's just been told his computer is going to cost him another $129+$49+$30 over the course of the next 14 months (see below). I may rail about some of the marketing decisions Apple has made lately, but looking at what's coming for Windows users, I have to say the thought of switching is even further off the radar than it was before!

Those of you who don't want to run Apple, I suggest you start learning Linux -- or hoarding old Windows 9x licenses and software. You're going to need them. Soon.