Sleeping with the enemy
The reason why a lot of things don't work!
Many applications, that sound just great on paper, such as Intel's "Execute Disable Bit" and ("Virtualization Technology" *** This has now changed (Oct/Nov 2009) with the advent of Windows 7 and XP-Mode) have limited use and operation as the developement and deployment depends too much of interation with the software vendor.
The reason that is so difficult to run an alternate operating system on your new hardware is that the component parts, the processor and the GPU etc, are developed with the software vendor in mind.
MS are having a hard enough time convincing users to adopt their latest operating system, they have appeared to have given up on trying to develop a mobile operating system for UMPCs and are now offering an earlier version (XP) to manufacturers so that they can retail their product at only $50 more than the Linux versions!
This is very sad for those of us that would like to be able to run Linux on our new HP and Toshiba computers. Those of us that think that the "Netbook" is a really great concept and are now having problems in keeping their web browsers uo-to-date!
Instead of trying to maximize profit and move as much product as they can, why can't we pay just a little more for products that are designed and built with more than one software provider? Products that are released with support for multiple component vendors, such as AMD, Intel, Nvidia without having to search high and low for the drivers.
It would be great if the consumer could rely on what they are presented with at face value and not have
to guess at specifications and whether the computer manufacturers, retailers and component manufacturers are
trying to pass off old technology!
But, I guess, this is the real world - and we can only hope!
