Questions with no answers

There are a few things about computing that seem to have no answer.

1. I cannot find a Windows based PC laptop that includes a 6 pin bus powered FireWire interface. All Apple laptops have this. All Windows based PCs only have 4 pin non bus powered interfaces. I find it very curious that no one has ever written an article about this. Since Apple invented FireWire (1394) could there be a patent limitation on this? You can buy desktop motherboards with 6 pin bus powered FireWire interfaces. Very odd. Having a bus powered FireWire interface on a laptop lets you run things like Audio interfaces (from Motu, M-Audio, etc.) without needing a power adapter and a tangle of wires
2. Why do no Windows Media portable players support WMA Lossless files? Apple iPods have supported Apple Lossless files for many years. Why does Microsoft and their partners think this is unimportant? Audiophiles care deeply about such things.

Auto Show 2007 - Washington, DC

Google has expanded its Picasa Web Albums. I've been posting some photos:

Auto Show 2007

Moduslink Vista Upgrade - Update 2

Somewhat surprisingly, my Windows Vista Express Upgrade disc arrived in the mail last Friday, March 2, 2006.

Thus, for me, ends a sad tale of simply trying to get what I paid for over three months ago.

My advice to Microsoft: next time skip this nonsense. There was nothing Express about this process. In the future, put the resources into hitting ship dates that mesh with selling periods (e.g. back to school, Christmas) and spare the consumer some grief.

Based on a Google of news stories and blogs, it is apparent that other consumers are still suffering the fallout of the Moduslink Vista Express Meltdown.