Texas: Let's ban Windows Vista

Just when you thought our tax dollars and TARP funds were going out the window, a Texas senator added a provision to the state budget that would require state agencies to get written approval from the Legislative Budget Board before buying Windows Vista technology related to an operating system, equipment, or licenses.

Microsoft spokesperson Tonya Klause* said in a statement, Given our daily work with government agencies and longstanding technology partnership, we’re surprised that the Texas Senate Finance Committee adopted a rider which, in effect, singles out a specific corporation and product for unequal treatment. We hope as the budget continues to go through the process this language will be removed.”

Tech journalist Ed Bott, who specializes in Windows, said it’s not unusual for an information technology (IT) department to decide to hold off on buying a new technology, but he said it’s unusual for lawmakers to decree it: “I don’t think it makes any sense for any kind of legislative body to be making IT decisions. That’s what you hire your professional staff to do. That’s a level of micromanagement that is breathtaking to me.”

He said many of Vista’s problems have been solved by service packs, patches and more compatible hardware and software.

Budget rider would bid â˜Hasta la vista to Windows Vista

Texas senator: Let's ban Windows Vista purchases | Software, Interrupted - CNET News

 

[avgwarhawk]

That is all well and good but the government said they were not going to use Vista over 2 years ago. What, is this guy just catching up? To further that notion, as XP fades into the distance eventually the government that bases all it's activity on computer and windows...including Obama....will have to make a switch to something as the applications for XP just will not be supported anymore. Catch 22 and checkmate. I know my company is going to web based applications using IE7 as Vista and Window 7 will not work with our XP applications. We either evolve or we sit and have a computer with a worthless OS as Windows 98 is today.

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

They allow millions of illegal aliens and Mexican Drug Cartel members in Texas. Why ban Vista?

 

[avgwarhawk]

They allow millions of illegal aliens and Mexican Drug Cartel members in Texas. Why ban Vista?

True, there are larger fish to fry in this country yet we spend time on this concerning an OS.

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

I say bring back the Texas Gunman from the old west and have them deal with the politicians and illegals.

 

[Scotteq]

They allow millions of illegal aliens and Mexican Drug Cartel members in Texas. Why ban Vista?

I suppose we could reply with jokes about Microsoft not picking lettuce for $1.50 a hour... But that wouldn't be particularly funny...

So instead we'll merely make note that the second faction is apparently supplying the Texas Legislature....

 

[Irunongames]

Wow! Didn't see that one coming. What even gives them the right to choose out OS? Drugs are illegal but people still find away to buy it. Will we soon have vista dealers on our streets?

 

[Pasygon]

no comment...

 

[garysgold]

So instead we'll merely make note that the second faction is apparently supplying the Texas Legislature....

What the illegals are supplying is votes to keep 'em in office.

Gary

 

[echrada]

I say bring back the Texas Gunman from the old west and have them deal with the politicians and illegals.

If we are going to have politics lets not make it murderous.

 

[lordbob75]

Hmmm.... Well it makes sense. After all, we need something to blame for our pathetic attempts at national security. If we expend as much energy as possible banning Windows from Government workplaces, then we have a reason to not catch terrorists and such. Right? Makes sense to me.

While we are at it, lets also give as much money as possible to GMC, Chevy, and Ford. We also need a reason to show other nations why our National debt is so high. If we give it all to the automakers, then they can spend it all on parts to build Hummers, XL Tahoes, Heavy Duty F150s, and huge bonuses for the upper echelons.

~Lordbob

 

[koch]

Wow, talk about a twisted path.

We begin with a Texas legislator "...add[ing] a provision to the state budget that would require state agencies to get written approval from the Legislative Budget Board before buying Windows Vista technology..." to illegal immigrants to Mexican drugs cartels to killing politicians and illegal immigrants to selling vista on our streets like drug dealers to illegal immigrants voting to terrorism to bailing out Detroit!

Did I miss anything?

 

[SCSIraidGURU]

If the Big 3 go bankrupt, union wages will be slashed by 40%. Benefits will be lost. What good will card check be? We spent over $1 Trillion on the banks. When do their CEOs and boards go like the Wagoner at GM? When does Turbo Tax Tim Geithner go for being a total idiot.

 

[JimJoe]

I think its a darn good idea. But then, I grew up in Texas and know that the Texas Lege does funny things sometimes.

Like the time they argued over should they wear black socks or not when the Queen of England came by for a visit. Some Lege member said he didn't wear socks with his boots, so there. Anyways, they were polite to the Queen. But I guess by the time her speech date came along, they had already decided on what kinda socks to wear.

 

[Bob123]

I can't really blame the legislator for being upset and intellectually engaged by the picture that Vista x64 brings to him. The future is full of very high cost items - like Exprssion Web, which is an updated version of Front Page, which used to be part of the software bundled on a PC until legislators were lobbied to breakup the bundles. The culprits are not the legislators, the culprits are the characters that are driven by greed. Like a cable company that buys AOL in hopes of getting rich (but subsequently proved a big loser.) And that same cable company, starting in septmber 2009, wants to charge you by the byte for using their ISP system. What we have to realize, to strive for, is that, in order to survive, we must learn and practice responsibility, not greed!

Back to the subject at hand - Vista 64bit works great. It allows us to use 5GB RAM, and 500GB drives - even though we can't afford them until they become mass-produced and available to poverty levels. Take a look at what's available now at the wholesale clubs and rejoice that the future is closer than ever before!

 

[blackdragonsdg]

This is yet another prime example of stupidity at work. They want to blame someone else for problems they likely brought on themselves. They were probably trying to run Vista on computers that were built in the mid 90's.