Macenstein

With Apple Fanboyism running at an all time high, I hesitated writing this article as I feared some of my fellow Mac-heads’ brains might implode from the euphoria caused by reading any anti-Microsoft news so close to the Stevenote… but ultimately I figured I would risk it in the interest of pseudo journalism.

So, be warned, if you are feeling particularly pro-Apple, you may want to strap on a helmet before proceeding, as this news could blow… your… mind (or at least your hypothalamus).

Vista still seems to blow

First up is a desperate plea from InfoWorld to its readers to sign a petition designed to keep Microsoft from pulling the plug on Windows XP in June. Apparently InfoWorld thinks Vista (the upgrade no company seems to want to install) is still not ready for primetime nearly a full year since its launch.

“We encourage IT and business staff alike to sign the petition today and to ask their friends and colleagues to do the same,” said Eric Knorr, editor in chief at InfoWorld.

Microsoft already gave XP a reprieve last December when public outcry against Vista forced the company to extend XP’s shelf life to this spring. Now InfoWorld thinks June may not be long enough, and wants its readers to beg Redmond to keep selling XP indefinitely. If you wish to save XP, or just give Vista the finger, head on over to www.saveXP.com and sign their petition.

UK schools ditching Windows

The next bit of good news to come at the expense of “Our friends in Redmond” comes by way of another “Info” journal, this time Information Week, which reports UK schools have issued a report advising against adopting Windows Vista and Office 2007 in the public schools. According to the report, “the upgrade would increase costs and create software compatibility problems while providing little benefit.”

Information Week says the report’s conclusions could end up costing Microsoft millions of dollars in lost sales in the U.K. public-sector market. Similar US studies reached the same conclusion in regard to Microsoft’s latest offerings. The Department of Transportation placed a ban on the use of Windows Vista, Office 2007, and Internet Explorer 7 last year because of cost and compatibility concerns.

Yikes.

With Macworld mere hours away, isn’t it nice to be using Leopard, the tech industry’s media darling?