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1. 
   Review - Kquery4

   3.1.0 Alpha Build 748 (Jan 20, 2003)

   Functionality is nice, but the spyware issue is more than I'm willing to deal with. ALready paid my $20 for a lifetime Gamespy membership, and I think it's worth it.

2. Comment - RIAA Target Fights Back Against ISP

   3.1.0 Alpha Build 748 (Apr 18, 2005 - 3:57 PM)

   As a poor musician, I can say that in no way does downloading of music affect the bottom line of musicians, poor or rich. The only ones affected are the greedy record company execs who aren't making as many millions in profits as they were in the past before P2P. And really, sharing music is nothign new. People have been copying tapes, etc for years. The record companies are still here and still posting record profits.
   
   Musicians make the majority of their income by touring and selling merchandise. When it comes to recording contracts, the majority of the money a musician / band makes comes from the check they get when they sign a record deal. They get a lump of cash up front, and get small royalties on subsequent sales of the album if they sell more than X copies (usually several tens of thousands). And even then, the band rarely sees more than a few cents for each album sold. Only the real BIG NAME musicians can expect to see any more than 50 cents (tops) or so for each album sold.
   
   And in many cases, the musician / band ends up signing the rights to their music over to the record company anyway, so they don't even own their own music anymore. The music becomes property of the record label and they make all the profits off it.
   
   IMO, the RIAA should be embracing the new technology and using it to deliver its material rather than trying to squash it. Music trading, regardless of the medium, is not a new phenomenon, and not going away anytime soon, regardless how many lawsuits are filed. People will jsut find a differnt way to share their music.
   
   But in the end, stealing is stealing, even if it is from uber-rich corporations that have been robbing us (and the musicians) blind for decades. It comes down to being an issue of morality. Whether or not we agree with it or do it, it's there and it ain't going anywhere.

3. Comment - Lindows Keeps Name, Finalizes Second Preview

   3.1.0 Alpha Build 748 (Mar 19, 2002 - 1:54 PM)

   Lindows is certainly an interesting concept, but I have serious doubts as to its viability in the marketplace.
   
   As someone else pointed out, Windows users aren't likely to switch to a half-assed compatible system when Windows does all they want, and Linux users will NEVER switch to an OS they have to pay MS-like prices for, when they can download their favorite flavor of Linux for free and install WINE to run their few Windows programs.
   
   And now they're charging 100$ US (about $150 CDN) for a BETA? Michael Robertson is smoking rope! He needs to give his head a shake and snap back to reality. Even MS don't charge for their Beta and Release Candidate versions. With MS, you pay a small fee ($15 CDN for Win XP RC 1 & 2)for the admin charges, and shipping charges to get the CD delivered, but that's fair.
   
   I'm glad Lindows won their court case with MS, however. This whole suit story is another pathetic attempt by MS to prevent competitors, regardless of how flaky their ideas are, from getting a foothold in the OS marketplace.

4. Comment - Microsoft: We Use FreeBSD

   3.1.0 Alpha Build 748 (Jun 20, 2001 - 8:17 PM)

   There is one thing that Windows can do that Linux really can't, and makes Windows a more more popular option for the average consumer. Gaming!
   
   Sure there are Linux ports of certain good games, and probably many Linux-native games that are pretty good as well. And rightfully, there are many Linux dedicated servers for games like Half-Life, etc... I don't think I can argue the fact that performance and stability-wise, Linux has a BIG advantage over any version of Windows. However, I've always had problems running games in Linux. Upgrading drivers and such is a pain in the a** compared to how easy it is in Windows (in most cases).
   
   Getting a games, or any other software, for that matter, to run in Linux is considerably more difficult for the average computer user.
   
   In the past few years though, Linux has come a long way. Those of us who already know how to use Linux may not find doing this difficult. WhHowever, the average person doesn't share the technological enthusiasm that we computer 'experts' do. You know and love Linux, and I know and love Linux. So what? Joe Q. Public, who makes up 80%+ of the market share out there doesn't give a s*** about that. He wan'ts an OS and software that's as simple to use as possible. He wants to pop the CD in the drive, and be playing his game within a few minutes. And at this point in time, there's just no way Linux can offer that.
   
   Sorry to say, but Windows wins hands down in that department. Sure there are problems with MS OSes. There are stability issues, and they are not as secure as LInux boxes. But the fact is that most people don't really have any serious problems with their Windows machines. Simplicity for the end user is where it's at. At the moment, Windows is the ideal platform.
   
   But M$ should be afraid, very afraid. It mal be a lot largerm but Linux is not going away. It may be smaller, but it's got a much more solid foundation to stand on that Windows.

5. Comment - Feedback

   3.1.0 Alpha Build 748 (Nov 19, 1999 - 1:26 PM)

   I've been a regular visitor to BetaNews since about September 1998. It's my FIRST stop every morning when I get to work. I get to see what's new in the world of software, and often find incredibly useful stuff.
   
   I have to say while the new layout looks good, the new format bites. It used to be so easy to find what we were looking for by the nice menus on the side (Windows 2000, Office 200, etc). This is all missing from the front page now.
   
   Rule #1. If it isn't broken, DON'T FIX IT! You've taken one of the most original sites on the Internet and made it look like 5000 other commercial sites.
   
   You blew it. I'm off to other sites now to find my beta news. This one stinks now.