[Robotgroup] Micro$oft Robotics

[Vern Graner]

vkonradi wrote:
> I'm so glad to see Microsoft _finally_ apply their charitable bent to the cause.  Now things are really going to happen!

<rant>
Yup. Now robotics can benefit the same way the other markets have by 
Microsoft being involved. Things like:

Driving competitors out of the market (think Word Perfect, Netscape, Novell)

Stealing ideas or sabotaging others in the space (think Stacker/ DR-DOS)

Using their monopoly-made mega-dollars to patent *everything* so you 
can't make a product without stepping on a patent "land mine"

Hiding critical source code as "trade secrets" so no one can make 
compatible or work-alike software.

Draconian EULA's that strip away your rights i.e. "You can run THE 
PRODUCT on ONE robot in your swarm, each additional robot requires an 
additional license, if the robot speaks, you must purchase a separate 
text to speech license for each robot in the swarm. If your robot 
becomes damaged you cannot transfer this OEM edition software to another 
robot." etc. etc.

Your robot won't boot till it passes Windows Genuine Robot Advantage 
Activation (I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that!")

Giant, buggy, bloated, slow software prone to STOP: Your robot has 
performed an illegal operation in module "walk.exe" and will be shut down.

Weekly fixes and "upgrades" that won't apply if the W.G.R.A. *thinks* 
your robot isn't "genuine" (I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I *still* can't 
do that, you filthy pirate!")

FUDing of Linux and/or open source alternatives (you can't trust 
something as dangerous as a robot to a hodge podge of code from hippies! 
You need a professional M$ product!)

A EULA that will let them off scot-free if their "professional" product 
damages anything or anyone. ("I'm sorry Dave, I know I killed people but 
my EULA says all I owe you is a refund of my purchase price")

Suing people into oblivion via the The Software Gestapo aka "The 
Business Software Alliance"

EULA terms that require you to submit any benchmarks or reviews to them 
for approval before they are published.

Security holes big enough to drive ED-209 through (hope your robot isn't 
armed!)

Yeah it's gunna be great, can't wait. :P
</rant>

:)

Vern

-- 
Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
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