>In the wake of the Federal anti-trust suit against Microsoft, Sony has > >announced its own computer operating system now available on > > its hot new portable PC called the Vaio. Instead of producing the cryptic > >error messages characteristic of Microsoft's Windows 98, 3.1, and DOS > >operating systems, Sony's chairman Asai Tawara said, "We intend to > >capture the high ground by putting a human, Japanese face on what has > >been-until now-an operating system that reflects Western cultural hegemony. > > For example, we have replaced the usual impersonal and unhelpful > >Microsoft error messages with our own Japanese haiku poetry." The chairman > >went on to give examples of Sony's new error messages: > > > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >A file that big? > >It might be very useful. > >But now it is gone. > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >The Web site you seek > >cannot be located but > >endless others exist > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >Chaos reigns within. > >Reflect, repent, and reboot. > >Order shall return. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >ABORTED effort: > >Close all that you have. > >You ask way too much. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >First snow, then silence. > >This thousand dollar screen dies > >so beautifully. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >With searching comes loss > >and the presence of absence: > >"My Novel" not found. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >The Tao that is seen > >Is not the true Tao, until > >You bring fresh toner. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >Windows NT crashed. > >I am the Blue Screen of Death. > >No one hears your screams. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >Stay the patient course > >Of little worth is your ire > >The network is down > >-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >A crash reduces > >your expensive computer > >to a simple stone. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >Yesterday it worked > >Today it is not working > >Windows is like that > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >Three things are certain: > >Death, taxes, and lost data. > >Guess which has occurred. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >You step in the stream, > >but the water has moved on. > >This page is not here. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >Having been erased, > >The document you're seeking > >Must now be retyped. > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >Rather than a beep > >Or a rude error message, > >These words: "File not found." > >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > >Serious error. > >All shortcuts have disappeared. > >Screen. Mind. Both are blank. >