It's amazing how many people don't use AV, firewall, or antispyware.

As surprising as it sounds, apparently most internet users don't like to download anything. I asked About.com graphics if I could upload something and they said nobody would download it.
[CENTER] [/CENTER]
Also, I don't know for sure, but I think Windows XP N is not selling too well in Europe. All people have to do is download Windows Media Player and install it.

And, I think if you have Windows XP SP 1 the Firewall is not enabled by default. Also, you would have to download and install the anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Even if people did this, they don't seem to update it.

doesn't life suck for noobs?

it's amazing how many idiots we got now in the world,it sucks to be them,it was never this bad many years ago.

Yeah there are many ignorant users that think because they don't see an error message or aren't having problems with their PCs that they are safe. The entire time, something's emailing their entire address book or attacking someone else's PC or company site from their computers. I have no pity for people like that, because 90 percent of the time, they KNOW they should have an antivirus and firewall running.

But then, you have noobs or new users to the internet, or computers in general who don't know. All they need is a little educating and they'll be ok.

or dumb ppl who email or phone ebay for support.

Windows XP N wasn't put out as a marketing ploy by Microsoft to increase sales, it was put out to comply with the Euro Union's anti-trust ruling against Microsoft. The European Union decided that Microsoft couldn't bundle Windows Media Player with Windows XP, which is why it was stripped out. Of course if people decide to download and use it, that's just fine with everyone.

I think the Eu is going a bit far with stripping out WMP10.

I disagree! I just wish that the Judge in the U.S. vs Microsoft case hadn't been such an Idiot. Then we might not have to put up with Windows using IE by default either. I don't mind if Microsoft wants to make those kind of applications "on the side". But there isn't really a valid reason why they have to be totally "integrated" into the OS. (If you understand the Appeals process and how our Judicial system is supposed to work - you can plainly see how that judge made a sucessful appeal of the case inevitable. The Judge in a European Court typically participates much more aggressively than in the U.S. btw - so their ruling may not be reversed as easilly by an appeal.)

But more on topic. I'm gratified that Microsoft's WinXP Update has recently been bypassed. That means that several of the people I know who have bootleg copies can now update their systems for slightly better security. I don't mind Validating per se. Yet I question the logic of Microsoft's adversarial stance towards "end-users" that may not have a "legit copy" of their OS. And PLEASE! don't try to tell me how many "billions" of dollars Microsoft is loosing because of software piracy. I don't believe it....