You know, it's been awhile since I've heard "Crystal Reports." These types of software are like kudzu. Once these invasive species gets a foothold you can never get rid of 'em.

IE6 ,,, ? From the land of the undead.

Not even Microsoft has been able to drive a stake through it's heart.

IE6 users cannot update their OS with security patches because not even MS supports it. Yet, there it is, lurking in every set of logs still being used--in very small percentages--but still being used by machines which have to be virus and malware ridden.

LOL - I guess I'm the pragmatist here. OS's just don't get me all that worked up - of course, I've never been (or wanted to be) a web-developer, so the IE6 thing doesn't do much to me. Now if we translate that into report development terms - yeah, your IE6 is my Crystal Reports. Spawn of Satan, that's all I have to say.

All this talk of Apple and Microsoft is causing me to re-examine some of my most deeply rooted prejudices. Of course, as a Linux user I hate Microsoft BUT Apple used to be the acceptable face of proprietary software. In recent years, however we have seen reports about sweat shop labour in Taiwan, allegations of tax evasion and of course, blatant patent trolling.

So has Apple knocked MS off the number one position on my s**tlist? NO!

Whilst I despise Apple's current business practices I loathe MS with a deep and abiding passion. The reason? IE6! In my humble opinion IE6 was the foullest digital abomination ever perpetrated upon mankind. I can neither forgive nor forget

Oh sure - nice going, Pandora!

You're right! It could be quite dangerous in the digital spiritual realm. Especially since Steve Jobs has now crossed over. And I imagine installing it was quite illegal--or at least a breach of Apple's TOS, which may or may not be the same thing. But I only left it running a day or so then uninstalled it. I'm a stickler about keeping all my software legit. Of course, breaking a law for only a "day" might not be much of a defense! But a search of Youtube for "Hackintosh" will provide plenty of evidence that it can be done.

"...run OS X in VirtualBox on an HP workstation." That phrase just caused me to go on some sort of 'trip'. GhostBusters - Don't cross the streams. Why? It would be bad.

I now have a lot more questions about you than I did before, Harold!

I run Windows under VirtualBox on Ubuntu, and Ubuntu under VirtualBox on Windows. The nice thing about VirtualBox is the double clip board. I wasn't a fan of Chrome at all until recently. One thing I really enjoy is the abilty to login to Chrome and have all my passwords, bookmarks, etc. available. I've even run OS X in VirtualBox on an HP workstation. But I've only been able to run it as a test then immediately had to uninstall it. Apple will not give permission to use their OS on anything other than an Apple product--except for OS X Server. However, who can afford that? It's legal to run it on a PC but the license cost more than a whole new server with software.

Yeah, waiting for the day I can get my users away from Microsoft altogether, but they have the business world by the cajones. I sneak Ubuntu and other Linux varieties in where I can - I run Ubuntu on my desktop, with a VirtualBox for whatever required Windows apps I need. And we use Linux for some virtualization as well. Chrome I haven't tried in a while - the last time left a bad taste in my mouth. Speedy, but buggy, and the one wasn't worth the price tag of the other. Maybe time to try it again....

In a world once ruled by the Evil Empire led by Microsoft and where the last fading light of the Jedi dream of freedom flickered at the edge of extinction, it came to pass that "...t he more the Emperor tightened his grip, the more star systems slipped through his fingers."

Last week Mark Shuttleworth crossed off one of the biggest goals of his free Ubuntu operating system: removing Microsoft's dominance. He did not claim credit but he did claim that the goal had been reached. So Is Microsoft dead? No quite. And Shuttleworth is no fool. He knows Ubuntu and every other competitor has a long way to go.

Yes--the Empire is still alive but becoming more and more fragmented each day as these recent Browser Results attest:

http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp

Plus,the suspicion of many users that Apple, under the leadership of Steve Jobs, was not really part of the alliance attempting to break free from the Empire. Rather, Jobs merely wanted to replace the old Emperor with himself.

The stats above show--decisively--that Jobs failed in his quest to control all things digital. But so has Microsoft.

The Rebel Alliance is growing stronger each day whilst the Storm Troopers and the old Empire watch more and more users reject top-down, centralized control.

Microsoft IE browser: 12.6 %

Firefox Mozilla: 27.7 %

Chrome: 52.9 % (The Force is strong in this one)

Safari (Apple): 4 %

Opera: 1.6 %

Personally, I use Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP, Linux (primarily Ubuntu and NGINX ), Android and iOS. My personal usage of browsers pretty much mirrors the stats above which came as a surprise because I did not consider myself average. About a year ago Chrome finally--after a long on and off relationship--became my favorite browser.

updated by @harold-powell: 12/14/15 04:01:36PM