First Vista security hole publicly recognized by Microsoft

[L5->R5/CR]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/technology/6320865.stm


Can't help but sit back and laugh while wondering how many hundreds more of these admissions about security we will see in the coming months...

[veeten]

In this case, it's more about finding an app than a hole.

Voice recognition software is nothing new, as IBM, Microsoft, and even Apple have such programs in existance for quite some time. It's just that it is an integral part in Vista, rather than a aftermarket add-on. Given that Wi-Fi/Bluetooth headsets are available to business as well as the general public, it seemed the obvious choice to add the software to connect them into Vista.

It will take time before most people get the hang of using the application in everyday life, with the proper precautions and discretion. :)

[Dave B]

If the voice command arrives in the form of an unsollicited MP3 or WAV file then the fault, as with so many so-called exploits, is with the user who plays it - not the OS.

Microsoft haters will no doubt laugh at this, but it's hardly a fault with Vista.

[J4MIE]

Yeah, just like people who fall for scams through email.

But people are happy to blame Microsoft anyway.

I was listening to the news on my way home from work the other day, and it said people are complaining that Vista is too expensive for a lot of people.

Sure, but so are Ferraris - but nobody complains about that!

[Daniel]

Microsoft Operating Sytems are great. It's the morons who sometimes use them which are the problem.

Jamie's brought up a point which really gets my goat. People are going around spreading FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) about Vista on the internet.

The first is that Vista is costly.

False! The comparable Vista editions are around the same price as the XP ones. Ultimate is a new product so doesn't really count. Saying Ultimate is more expensive is like complaining that an Audi R8 is more expensive than an Audi A4. Compare oranges with oranges and you'll see that not much has changed. Most people should be just fine with the far far far cheaper OEM version and all the rumours about not being able to change your motherboard, CPU, graphics card or any other parts out without having to buy a new copy of Vista have proved to be false.

DRM - Microsoft want to screw everyone over and make them buy new graphics cards and monitors.

False! Microsoft leaves itself open to legal action by movie companies if they don't go along with the movie companies efforts to protect their product. Microsoft have no real primary interest in forcing DRM upon users. It's the movie companies who people should be speaking out against!!!! Microsoft have little if anything to gain by DRM. Don't want DRM? Buy DVD's and not HD DVD's or Blu-Ray! I'm personally not bothered as I didn't buy a Plasma or LCD TV in the early days before HDMI and I'm not fussed about HD content on a tiny little monitor.

Microsoft want to be the police - Microsoft are rumoured to have left major backdoors in Vista so that they can monitor what you're doing.

False! It's quite probable that there are backdoors in Vista. If Microsoft was to be exposed publicly as monitoring every Tom, Dick and Harry they'd yet again open themselves up for legal action. Microsoft can write whatever they want in the EULA but by laws in most countries they can not spy on you or access your files. Would Microsoft allow the Police to use backdoors in Vista? Hell probably yes maybe if the police had a warrant. But if you have nothing to fear then there's no need to worry right? Could hackers use it? Probably but a good firewall should sort it anyway. If you don't use a good firewall then you deserve to be hacked.

Vista is unsafe if you have an IQ of less than 40.

True!!! If you're a bonehead and play an MP3 which has voice commands which tell your PC to mate with itself then you deserve what you get. If people are this stupid I should just go and open a PC repair shop and watch the money roll in. Calling this an issue is just totally wrong. It's like saying that if you have a gun and you point it at someone and pull the trigger you might kill them. It's a function of a gun that it can kill someone just as it's a function of voice recognition software that it can be used to control your computer.

Vista runs slower than XP

Well duh!!!!!!!! When you add functions you decrease performance. To use Jamie's example when Ferrari want to make a faster car they strip out things like electric windows and carpet and so on. Who wants a stripped out operating system with no internet browser and no taskbar and so on? If people would just open their minds and use Vista and see what it can do for them then it'd all click together and make sense but as the media are spreading so much FUD around about Vista the transition is going to be even slower than with XP and that's a pity in my opinion. I bet the fact that the BBC published this story has stopped thousands of people from buying a Vista equipped PC now. Pity about that!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been testing Vista since it was still called Longhorn all the way up through CTP's and RC's and I've even used the final product and tbh what Microsoft has done is great. I've no bones about people using their Mac's and PC's running Linux if they want. In fact there are some occasions in which you'd be stupid to run a Microsoft OS and I accept that. But please understand that with the ability to run 99% of the software out there and use 99% of the hardware out there come some issues. Mac's run on very expensive hardware, a select suite of programs which Apple controls fairly tightly and Apple gets to control what goes into their computers. Microsoft isn't in that position. Most PC's out in the real world use substandard PSU's, fans, RAM, motherboards, graphics cards and everything else so they will always have problems because they're built badly. When you buy a crappy Korean car you don't blame the tyre company or the petrol company where the doors don't open properly or when someone breaks into your car. So why blame Microsoft when the source of 99% of computer problems is people buying cheaply built PC's and then running XP or Vista on there??????

I've no doubt that Vista will have problems. No program is ever 100% perfect and Mac's have their issues with viruses and security holes too. Funnily enough the first Vista updates has come out to make a lot of programs and games work better with Vista http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929427/en-us
Numerous websites are coming out and bagging Microsoft for this? Why? I don't know. Microsoft are simply trying to better their product and iron out the problems that inevitably come with every new OS. What's wrong with that?

I've personally never had a problem with XP other than the Blaster worm which I got once after a fresh format about a year after it got into the wild. Now everytime after I do a format or install XP on a new PC I ALWAYS install SP2 from my iPod before going online.

I come across as being very heavy handed and defensive of Microsoft but if you spend as much time, effort and money on a PC as you would with say a Mac or a PC running Linux then it's run just as well if not better for most uses. Simply spending £50-100 quid more on a PC and get decent components and then a bit on a decent Firewall (no need for anti-virus software tbh!!!!!) then you'll have a fairly trouble free experience. Like they says you gets what you pays for!

[Erki]

:s nore:

[janneppi]

All hail Vista, eh Daniel. ;)
With the time they took took to finish the thing (what was two years late and still missed christmas? :p : ) it should work fine.
Personally, i won't have any need for it yet, it's too heavy for my computer and won't offer anything i really need from a OS that XP already has.

[Daniel]

The fact that your PC isn't powerful enough isn't Microsoft's fault now it is Janneppi? ;)

[Erki]

Of course it's Microsoft's fault. Every OS should work on ANY computer. You probably don't know I post this message from a 30MHz 286 with 1MB RAM and a 80MB HDD. :)

Loading page... :dozey:

[janneppi]

The fact that your PC isn't powerful enough isn't Microsoft's fault now it is Janneppi? ;)
I haven't even suggested it was.
While Mickeysoft triest to market Vista as a whole new experience, for me it's really just a operating system for real programs be they games or worksoftware.

[Tomski]

I'd be interested to know how many people actually go out and buy Vista, as opposed to obtaining by default when they buy a new machine?

I certainly would never contemplate shelling out for Bill's latest, just because its avaialbe.

[Dave B]

My lappy isn't powerful enough to run Vista, and to upgrade it would be throwing good money after bad.

When I eventually get a new one of course I'll make sure it has-ta la Vista, baby :p

[Daniel]

I'd be interested to know how many people actually go out and buy Vista, as opposed to obtaining by default when they buy a new machine?

I certainly would never contemplate shelling out for Bill's latest, just because its avaialbe.
If you bought a computer just last year and aren't going to buy a new one for a couple more years there's no point in waiting to buy a new computer. Buy an OEM copy of Vista and install. Simple and easy.

[tinchote]

I'd be interested to know how many people actually go out and buy Vista, as opposed to obtaining by default when they buy a new machine?

I certainly would never contemplate shelling out for Bill's latest, just because its avaialbe.

Probably not many. But that's the same with any other operating system, isn't it?

[Erki]

If you bought a computer just last year and aren't going to buy a new one for a couple more years there's no point in waiting to buy a new computer. Buy an OEM copy of Vista and install. Simple and easy.

And expensive.

[Daniel]

Not really. Do you know how much an OEM copy of Vista is?

[janneppi]

They sure are screwing customers with prices, here a Home Premium costs 315€, upgrade from XP 208€ and OEM 115€
Where can you get the OEM version and if they are so easily available, why would anyone by other versions?

[Erki]

One littler question: why should I go and hurry to a shop and buy the Vista-la-hasta?

[Daniel]

They sure are screwing customers with prices, here a Home Premium costs 315€, upgrade from XP 208€ and OEM 115€
Where can you get the OEM version and if they are so easily available, why would anyone by other versions?
Ask AFF. He asked about building a PC and he gave me a website which had Finnish language versions of Vista listed. OEM comes without manuals and you have no right to free telephone support for Vista which is fine if you know your stuff and can look up on MS's website for knowledge base articles.

Also if you think Microsoft are screwing you over on Vista prices then compare them to the prices for XP. As I said above they are mostly similarly priced when compared to XP.

[janneppi]

I think they are screwing us with all of their prices. :p :

[Roamy]

Yeah, just like people who fall for scams through email.

But people are happy to blame Microsoft anyway.

I was listening to the news on my way home from work the other day, and it said people are complaining that Vista is too expensive for a lot of people.

Sure, but so are Ferraris - but nobody complains about that!

Microsoft - vista is many things but Ferrari's league is not in the realm of possibility for them. Now Apple is another story !!

[Roamy]

Also here is a nice article for all computer whizs to read
http://daringfireball.net/2007/02/lies_damned_lies_and_bill_gates

[Daniel]

Very interesting :p

[Mark in Oshawa]

I am of the opinion that Microsoft was really careless with the first editions of Windows in that they didnt' have it all sorted before they came to market. My Windows 95 equipped computer 8 years ago was damn near unusuable for problems in the beginning. That said, I own xp on a good quality HP and voila, I have had no issues whatsoever. The quality of the computer makes a huge difference. If you are running a system with the bare minimum requirements, you will have problems. Simple...

I think Microsoft does an ok job considering they own 96% of the computer market for software O/S's. They have to write an O/S that will run anywhere, and THAT is damn near impossible, yet they pretty much pull it off. The trick is, wait a year before getting Vista. If you need to update at all. I am very happy with my XP, and it does what I need it to do. I don't NEED to spend money. I think a few of you have been sucked into believing this new VISTA thing is the bomb, and you have to go buy it. No, leading edge tech stuff always has bugs, and this will be no different but MS will get their updates in and it will be just fine...

Hell, 70% of my time online is posting on this forum, so how much computer do I really need for THAT??? lol

[Daniel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgZQ_It0weI

I love this video :laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZvt6Plo4jk&mode=related&search=


But the best is this one. See if you can actually see any fact in this ad other than just attempting to make PC's look crap in a very ridiculous manner :crazy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNnX6XRQBec

[Drew]

Of course there was going to be a security hole, after all how many microsoft haters have been spending days and nights looking for them?

[Erki]

It's not a bug, it's a feature. :)

[A.F.F.]

Ask AFF. He asked about building a PC and he gave me a website which had Finnish language versions of Vista listed. OEM comes without manuals and you have no right to free telephone support for Vista which is fine if you know your stuff and can look up on MS's website for knowledge base articles.



I have anew computer now with Vista Home Premium. I have to say it feels very good. All the gadgets which brings in mind, why they wasn't available before :D

Of course this is like the early days with XP. Waiting updates after updates but that's fine.

What comes to Fousto and other mopes with Macs....

Well, I just say, everybody should have a friend like me :D

[Daniel]

Did you build it yourself like I said to? :p

What did you get in your PC? :)

[Daniel]

I forgot to mention. Don't dare go on a computer forum and mention that you've got Vista. 50 people who have never used Vista will come on and slag you off :mark:

[A.F.F.]

It's ready build package.

AMD Athlon 64 x2 4200+
2048 DDR 2
320 GT SATA II
16x Dual Layer DVD+RW+R
nVidia GAYforce 7650Gs 256MT DVI
Vista Home Premium

When ATI brings it's DX10 graphics cards to the scene, I'll change that GAYforce in a minute.

[Caroline]

Why did you waste your money on that AMD processor :p :

[A.F.F.]

AMD isn't THAT bad Danny.

And it's changable in the future. The price for this package was very appealing :up:

[Caroline]

Oops Caroline logged in :angryfire :

[Dave B]

I haven't got Vista. It's rubbish. So's Linux. :p ;)

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

What's all this talk? I've only just upgraded from a Commodore 64!

[tinchote]

So's Linux. :p ;)

And other flavours of Unix, too ;)

[walrus81]

And other flavours of Unix, too ;)
Did somebody mention eunuchs?

[tinchote]

Did somebody mention eunuchs?

:confused:

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Vista doesn't work.

We have just got a brand new computer with Vista and our 1 year old Wanadoo broadband modem won't install on it :mad: So no internet access.

[Daniel]

Vista doesn't work.

We have just got a brand new computer with Vista and our 1 year old Wanadoo broadband modem won't install on it :mad: So no internet access.

Yes it does. Contact Thompson for a Vista driver disk.

Don’t blame Microsoft for the fact that your hardware is a useless PoS and the manufacturer didn't ship this 1 year old product with drivers that would work with a product which was very much on the horizon.

Your problem is with Thompson and not with Microsoft.