I'm Stupid about SmartUpdates

sorabji.com: I need advice: I'm Stupid about SmartUpdates
By Wiz on Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 05:11 pm:

    I'm starting to think that Microsoft is a bunch of "hired hackers" who've placed so many obstacles to using alternate browsers, alternate plug-ins, and alternate $400 rebates to give you the privilege of easing your money (36 x $22 = $792 in the case of the rebate) down the yellow brick road leading to microsofts bloated money bin. That is all your money goes straight to microsoft via Y2k scare checking kits etc.

    Reason is a couple of people I know, including myself have gotten the feeling that no-one has successfully downloaded and installed a Netscape
    Communicator 4.7 smart update. Here's my Y2k scare: my bank will no longer accept communications with encryption weaker than 128 bit. Why? Just because a bunch of anal retentive people imagine an army of Asian hackers, I mean Asian code-breakers, transferring all our funds to Hong Kong after they brilliantly made 56 bit encryption the late 20th century version of the Enigma Machine?

    OK, we bought these Gazelle clone machines with an earlier version of Netscape Communicator embedded in THEIR software suite somehow outside
    of but compatible with Windows. Does this mean these machines have a third "operating systems" besides MS DOS and Windows95?


    p.s.
    After Windows 95 and 98 are they going to spring on us "Transoms 2000" sucking and spitting cookies and mailing lists to people you don't even want to know would try to sell you their "services" Can we beat them with a healthy dose of irony or does irony hurt too much?

By MSUCKS on Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 09:47 pm:

    Forget trying to dnld NS 4.7 over the net. I have tried it several times but do not have 214 bit encryption. Then I coughed up the $5 and ordered it on CD and now everything's ok!

By Moonit on Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 10:49 pm:

    Why dont you get a mac?

By R.C. on Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 11:17 pm:

    Can you use Linux w/yr encryption software?

    I don't know much abt all this/but I do know that Linux is free & supposedly very compatible w/other programs. Whereas Mr. Bill makes sure that if Windows is yr OS/nothing but Windows-based products can run on it.

    Ask Swine. Or Nate. They both eat & sleep this stuff.

By Isolde on Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 11:17 pm:

    Because, even though Bill Gates is evil, Microsoft has some wonderful features. I really loathe myself for saying that it does, but it's true. I crossed to the dark side because we had IBMs at work, but it was a good choice. I'm working on Linux. I've decided I really need to know how to use Linux, and that way I could rest peacefully at night, knowing my money hadn't gone down the computer drain...

By _____ on Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 11:24 pm:

    linux is free if you dl it. redhat linux (and suse and debian) are only about 600 megs for the full meal deal. i have it and i haven't even attempted to set it up. if you really want to learn about computers, install an older version of linux like 3.0. the cool thing is it works like a champ on a crappy old 486. of course, that gives you 3 more days to enjoy it.

By Isolde on Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 11:38 pm:

    I'm even more ashamed to tell you how many computers I have. Let it rest that I did fix my 486 so that it'll runn after the New Year, and it costed next to nothing. My issue with Linux isn't cost (nil), but knowledge--I don't know the OS well enough to feel confident using it. But, when I do...