Skip to Content

What do you buy the Apple fanboy? Visit the TUAW Holiday Gift Guide to find out
AOL Tech

Posts with tag Jim Allchin

Filed under: OS Updates, Security, Windows, Microsoft

Allchin says Vista won't need antivirus

Windows VistaGreat news, everybody! Windows Vista is so secure it makes antivirus programs obsolete! Er.. well, not exactly. According to BetaNews, Microsoft co-president Jim Allchin told reporters on Wednesday that "[Vista's] new lockdown features are so capable and thorough that he was comfortable with his own seven-year-old son using Vista without antivirus software installed." "My son, seven years old, runs Windows Vista, and, honestly, he doesn't have an antivirus system on his machine," said Allchin. "His machine is locked down with parental controls, he can't download things unless it's to the places that I've said that he could do, and I'm feeling totally confident about that." He did make a concession to hackers, however, saying, "The hackers are getting smarter, there's more at stake, and so there's just no way for us to say that some perfection has been achieved. But I can say, knowing what I know now, I feel very confident." He also said he believes Vista is "the most secure system available."

I don't even know where to start, so I leave it to you, faithful readers, to pick it up in the comments.

Filed under: Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

Windows Vista not quite ready yet

Vista RTM delayedAccording to Microsoft exec Jim Allchin, Windows Vista isn't on track for RTM (release to manufacturing) on the its target date of October 25. Allchin says they're still "in pretty good shape" but that Vista doesn't yet fulfill all five categories they're looking at before RTM: reliability, security, performance, driver coverage and application compatibility. Allchin is confident they're still on track for Vista's January 2007 launch, but the delay will undoubtedly push back the launch to corporate customers, which Microsoft has said will be before the end of the year. ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, who interviewed Allchin, has placed her wager on an early November RTM and a November 30 business launch.

Filed under: Windows, Microsoft

Window Vista release will/won't slip further

Windows VistaI'm so confused. First I read this Reuters report from yesterday that says Microsoft "is 'confident' that [Windows Vista] will meet its targeted launch date." That's according to Jim Allchin, co-president of Microsoft's Platform Products and Services Group. But then today there's a story at NeoWin that quotes CEO Steve Ballmer saying, "We think we are on track for shipping early in the year. We've talked about the month, but we get a chance to critically assess all of the feedback we'll get from this beta release then confirm or move [the launch date] a few weeks." So which is it? Confident or not? I'm not exactly feeling reassured. Ballmer is the one that has the power to name a ship date and make it happen, but Allchin is a lot closer to the product itself and it's he who Ballmer probably asks "Is it done?" In other words, when Vista will finally drop is as uncertain as ever.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

View more Time Wasters

Featured Galleries

Defective by Design, London: Protest Pictures
Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals
Android First-look: Amazon.com MP3 Store
Android First-look: Twitroid
Google Reader Android
Android Hands-On
Twine 1.0
Photoshop Express Beta
SXSWi 2008 Schwag Unboxing
SXSWi 2008 Day 1
Mozilla Birthday Cake
Palm stuff
Adobe Lightroom 1.1

 


Follow us on Twitter!

Flickr Pool

www.flickr.com

BloggingStocks Tech Coverage

More Tech Coverage