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Ballmer questions open-source code security

October 22, 2003, 7:17pm PDT | Length: 00:06:12
At Gartner's Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, Fla., Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer disputes the idea that open-source code is easier to secure than that of Windows.
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Talkback Most Recent of 1 Talkback(s)

  • Steve Ballmer talks smack
    Well, at this point Ballmer sounds like a politician, painting Open Source developers as "hackers in China or other foreign countries" vs. Microsoft's "controlled" environment. He doesn't "buy that".

    He never had to. Open Source is free.

    Unlike Microsoft's mega-crap that uses all resources as possible until you tell it not to, making alot of un-knowing PC users think that their PC's are running slow because of a virus, MY OpnSrc operating system uses far less resources and does not load up programs automatically on start up unless it's told to. Why MS chose a model that has "run program at startup" already checked (why is it even an option anyways?) seems like a salesman making more money over time from selling past customers what should be un-needed hardware upgrades. Like a car salesman selling a car that has a high cost of ownership due to repairs needed within 100,000 miles: it's crap. ALOT of users just have all of their start-up processes and several programs loaded and running in "stand by" mode.

    ZDNetter's probably don't run into these types of people, but I do, every day. Non-computer-proficient people who use computers because they have to at work and little else outside of internet to surf at their leisure and to play a web based or non web based games, these people DO NOT WANT TO GET UNDER THE HOOD to fix whatever problem they're having themselves out of fear of hurting their computer. They assume Norton or McAvee is a MUST. Automatic updates is a MUST. But if you hold their little hands and walk them through turning the stuff off and performing other steps such as downloading a good, clean running Anti-Spyware and non Microsoft FireWall (*ahem* lavasoft *ahem*) people will have far less issues over time.

    Ballmer is a pitchman, a sales-guy, a politician, a wordsmith: working for one of the worlds largest corporate entities. The facts are this: Microsoft: Windows will push you to force it's software to make other software from any company ASSUME IT RUNS AT START-UP. Ubuntu on the otherhand: DOES NOT HAVE REQUIRED CODECS AND DRIVERS FROM THE START. The ass backwards situation is that as long as the hardware is COMPATIBLE (most pieces of PC hardware are, but it's best not to assume) with Ubuntu, you have to go out and get the codecs YOURSELF and Ubuntu ASSUMES NOTHING, other than if you have an ethernet cable plugged in you'll need the internet.

    My original reason for reading the story: I thought somebody in the TOWN I LIVE CLOSEST TO: Baltimore (sometimes lovingly called BALLMER due to the native accent) said something profound about Open Source security. And instead I get a single line of bull **** from sales-guy that throws the old-school catch phrase "hacker" out there instead of "developer" and paints a deformation case against their latest (and WILL BE their TOUGHEST) competition: free. And I should know: I'm a salesperson myself!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    surelock22
    6th Oct 2009

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