Remember W2Knews and Sunbelt Software? The Windows-oriented folks that Laura DiDio sometimes gets her poll data from? They have a new poll, asking visitors to their site if they prefer Internet Explorer or Firefox.
Hmmm.
That's like when lawyers insist you must answer only yes or no and you wish to explain. Personally, I have a fondness for Galeon, but they probably have never heard of it, and I like Safari quite a lot too, and I've been nuts about iCab for years. When I used to use Windows, I regularly used Opera. Now, I do also love Firefox and I use it a lot these days, so in that choice, I know what my vote would be.
Some of you may even wish to express yourself on the subject. Assuming their computer system actually counts votes accurately, it might be quite amusing, if Firefox got a fair number of votes, to see *that* white paper issued by Ms. DiDio. I thought about whether it would be fair, and then I thought, those polls have always seemed unfair to me, because only Windows people read that site, or mostly only Windows people. Why shouldn't the rest of us visit and express ourselves too?
There is also some info on Microsoft and spyware you may find of interest on the site. And they have put up their predictions for 2005. They say SCO is going to perish, but patent infringement lawsuits will be the next weapon:
OPEN SOURCE: All the smoke that SCO was blowing has died down, and I expect that SCO will perish with it. But now patent infringement lawsuits will stick up their ugly heads and be much harder to subdue. Despite that, open source products will continue to proliferate.
I thought it worthwhile, from a future legal perspective, to get that on the record here. What is the basis for that prediction that patent infringement lawsuits will be next? A girl can't help but wonder. Maybe I've been reading too many transcripts from the US v. Microsoft antitrust trial. In one Gates deposition from January 13, 1998, Boies kept pressing him about interviews Gates had given, and so when I read this prediction, the picture that came instantly to my mind was the guy being grilled in a deposition about the basis for the statement. I probably need to take a break. But I found some more Gates depositions here, and I'll tell you what: I'm finding it addictive. I guess I'll install RealPlayer and watch the video.