http://www.guardian.co.uk/microsoft/Story/...1261139,00.html


http://www.guardian.co.uk/microsoft/Story/...1258193,00.html

Just out of curiosity does anyone know what computer system is used in fly by wire jets?

The first article is excellent! Finally people who know what they are talking about... the second is, well, just funny.

It is difficult to find such information published in the US. Why? First, because the media is more interested in pushing their own agenda, a political one, and not serving the public good. Second, the American media is by and large ignorant of computer technology. Karnal knowledge seems to be their only interest, after politics.

Which fly by wire planes do you mean?

http://www.fly-by-wire.freeservers.com/

Don't know why yet but I just don't like the idea. Could the singnals be intercepted by someone in the plane then later used to take it over? Really how much could a little fiberoptic cable weigh? Is it worth the safety question?

Ix nailed it, our media loves to publish big headlines about divisive issues that can never be resolved (there will always be people for and against many controversial things) but misses the importance of the technology we use every day, which is why so many people have no idea why there is such an anti-MS crowd out here, the vast majority of the American media and our (so-called) computer press pretend there aren't alternatives.

I really think thats stupid that Microsoft can patent technology that your body has had and used for the past milenia.

The A320, They have beem in use for 15/16 years. I didn't realise Boeing had finally caught up with the technology.

IX we can potentially go the same way we have a monopolies commission that is intended to prevent too few people controlling things but there is quite a strong lobby that would like to see it done away with in the name of free competition. The BBC is publicly funded (no adverts, hooray) with a mandate to present both sides of a debate and is supposed to be objective in its reporting hence it usually falls out with whatever party is in power since most politicians don't like criticism. Rupert Murdoch and his ilk have to compete so any qualitative differences in programmes reporting or bias really stand out.

Actually I started poking around US paper web sites, its an interesting cultural adventure, shame about the spelling