Users fight to save Windows XP

MikeyDB

House Member
Jun 9, 2006
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But what's driving the chages? Is there something that Vista can do that's so beyond XP's capabilities? Is the coercion to move to HD and digital TV necessary because people's vision is improved to the level where they demand to see the sweat on their favorite star's bosom...?

I use XP and have used it since it came out. It was buggy at first...then patched to something workable... I don't want to change XP because I'm doing everything with my computer I want to do right now! Why should I change a thing?
 

Albertabound

Electoral Member
Sep 2, 2006
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revolt.........go mac and have 95% less hassle. Had Gates not stole their ideas, everone would be using it now anyway.
 

Praxius

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Dec 18, 2007
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Actually didn't someone here post a topic in relation to a hacker comparison between Vista and OSX and OSX was hacked much faster then Vista?

The hype around Vista I remember when it came out, was that it was supposed to be much more secure then XP and reduce the amount of crap that could sneak onto your system.... correct me if I am wrong.
 

Zzarchov

House Member
Aug 28, 2006
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When it comes to Linux, user friendly isn't something its known for (though people have made user friendly versions).

While Windows is prone to treat the user like an idiot (telling you you can't do things, delete certain files etc etc).

Linux assumes you as the user know what you are doing, suit yourself. The problem is, if you don't know what your doing, its very easy to just ruin the whole system by deleting or changing something you really shouldn't (with no "are you sure?" or "illegal operation" windows).

Linux is getting "better" ie , more user friendly for some builds. But the important thing to know is most versions of linux aren't related, anyone can take it and build their own version to do what they want to do.
 

jellyfarm

Electoral Member
I own 2 platforms. XP on my desktop and Mac for my laptop. I am a Mac person obviously because I work in media but having said that Windows XP is a software to be respected.

Why?

It's stabbbllle.

Vista is just a cheap, cheap, cheep (did I say cheep?) imitation of a Mac OS X. It's a wanna be....a groupie in the land of great computing.

They have tried oh-so-hard to make their OS like Mac's but they come nowhere near to the ease of use and function, stability (of the recent Leopard which is just as stable as Tiger) and sheer pleasure of working on the screen of an Apple computer. They really had to think of something radical to match up with what Steve Jobs was promising to unleash with the oh-so-sexy-come-to-me-kitty Leopard. :)

Plus the old Macs hardly got hit by viruses because er, they never recognised them...that was of course in the good ole days before the dual core processor but even then my current Mac doesn't encounter virus or bug problems at all.

Like someone said earlier, let's stop buying into Bill Gates' crap, propping him up every year as Forbes most richest or 2nd richest. Truth is, with Vista, Bill didn't do his homework carefully and people who don't check their homework properly don't really deserve to get an A on their assignment. Period.

He just assumed that because Apple was gaining considerable ground with their new range of reasonably priced laptops and desktops (and people just ooh-ing and ah-ing over the Mac design and functionality) that he had to come up with a quick alternative to save his market...ahem or should I say world domination?

But truth is, once an Apple, always an Apple because they were smart.

Apple is a LIFESTYLE...an approach to Life itself whereas Windows is er...just Windows...see? That's the difference!

I for one am happy with my XP needless to say..(say did that rhyme? Oh yes, it did!) It's my side accessory. It helps me to get my Windows Media Fix and all but it's not part of my personality whereas my Mac is.

From,
Once an I-Mac always an I-Mac Jelly
 
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Praxius

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Dec 18, 2007
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I own 2 platforms. XP on my desktop and Mac for my laptop. I am a Mac person obviously because I work in media but having said that Windows XP is a software to be respected.

Why?

It's stabbbllle.

Vista is just a cheap, cheap, cheep (did I say cheep?) imitation of a Mac OS X. It's a wanna be....a groupie in the land of great computing.

I think you and I have different perspectives of "Great Computing" as I am also in media/advertisement and my company currently has all PCs doing the workload. When I was in Photography, we used Mac G5's with OSX and I tell you, I was pulling my damn hair out everyday. Crashing, freezing up, having to restart, lose the damn job I was currently working on.

It is true that when you put a PC and a Mac with equal power against one another to pull off some Photoshop action (For example) the Mac may complete the task faster (by a second or two) over the PC based on how it is designed....... But make both of them repeat this task for an entire day's worth of work and I usually ended up restarting the Mac twice in that day.... at least.... so then how much time is one really saving?

They have tried oh-so-hard to make their OS like Mac's but they come nowhere near to the ease of use and function, stability (of the recent Leopard which is just as stable as Tiger) and sheer pleasure of working on the screen of an Apple computer. They really had to think of something radical to match up with what Steve Jobs was promising to unleash with the oh-so-sexy-come-to-me-kitty Leopard. :)

Sorta sound like Nazi German Tanks if you ask me :p

Plus the old Macs hardly got hit by viruses because er, they never recognised them...that was of course in the good ole days before the dual core processor but even then my current Mac doesn't encounter virus or bug problems at all.

Nobody bothered to try and hack them simply because the mac population wasn't as big of a target as PC's... they were still hackable.

Like someone said earlier, let's stop buying into Bill Gates' crap, propping him up every year as Forbes most richest or 2nd richest. Truth is, with Vista, Bill didn't do his homework carefully and people who don't check their homework properly don't really deserve to get an A on their assignment. Period.

He just assumed that because Apple was gaining considerable ground with their new range of reasonably priced laptops and desktops (and people just ooh-ing and ah-ing over the Mac design and functionality) that he had to come up with a quick alternative to save his market...ahem or should I say world domination?

I could say most of the same towards macs..... IPod, IPhone, IMac, all of them are restrictive with what you can do, who you can use them through, their prices are always much more then alternative brands which have more options and easier functionability and the only thing they got going for them is the fancy eye candy of movable icons and colored effects..... I want something I can us, not be baby-sitted and told what I can and can not do with it.... all along getting charged up the arse for doing it.

My girlfriend curses the day she bought her Ipod and wished she had something like my Creative Mp3 player..... Mmmmm.... it's nice.

But truth is, once an Apple, always an Apple because they were smart.

Apple is a LIFESTYLE...an approach to Life itself whereas Windows is er...just Windows...see? That's the difference!

If my computer is the thing that defines my "Lifestyle" ~ Shoot me.

I want a computer to do the work I need, effectively and not waste my time with little useless gadgets and do-hickeys.

I for one am happy with my XP needless to say..(say did that rhyme? Oh yes, it did!) It's my side accessory. It helps me to get my Windows Media Fix and all but it's not part of my personality whereas my Mac is.

From, Once an I-Mac always an I-Mac Jelly

Ack, the Fishbowels with tiny little keyboards and round friggin one button mice that were hard to determine if you had the mouse positioned correctly, only to find out your Up is now Right..... eck....

Don't get me wrong, enjoy whatever programs and computers you want for whatever reason.... but your reasons certainly clash with my experiences.
 

jellyfarm

Electoral Member
Sorry Praxius that your experiences with Mac were downright sticky and hope your bald patch (after pulling out your hair because of the Mac) is a shiny example of why ironically, despite what you say, more and more are converting to Apple.

I use FCP HD for editing some of the TV shows I've done and although I must admit that while Avid Adrenaline or Nitrate is far more stable when it comes to final output, I've never really had much problem-o's with the system. The production house I work for as well as the regional cable channels I freelance for also seem to be replacing the Avids with FCPs and Macs for daily pre-production tasks etc. It is more than capable of handling HD output as the Adrenaline and Nitrate...far more easier to edit, as opposed to Avid (which is on the PC platform).

For most, it's a cost issue as FCPs are definitely cheaper to install than Avids that can cost up to 60,000 USD for the software alone. And while using Avids, I have had endless editing nights of despair when I would encounter problems with the PC.

But we're not discussing that. We're discussing Vista and like I said while I have no real complaints about XP, I am saying that MS should take Vista on a detour for a reality check before they lose more customers. And that in reality, if you look at the design features of Vista, they were really trying to imitate the MAC OS X with it's 3-D buttons and grey/silver-ish features.

The other thing I don't like about it is that it's not as user friendly as XP.

Oh, and before I go, don't kid yourself that your life isn't dictated by your Creative MP3 player either. As long as you're living in this modern world and 'buying' into a product, whether its iPod, Dopod, Nikes, Adidas, Hyundais, Toyotas or McDonald's, I'm sorry, reality check people! You've already sold your soul!

The day you ditch all the stuff and material life you have now and switch to ascetic mode in some Tibetan monastery with nothing on your back but your robes, then let's talk about not being baby-sitted (actually it's babysat) by some multi-national corporation shoving their ideals through their products down your throat.

Until then, keep believing the hype!

It keeps the cash registers ringing, wasteful economies running and jobs coming while the blokes at Forbes all live happily ever after! LOL!
 

Zzarchov

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Aug 28, 2006
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About Apple and Viruses ,

They do exist, and are growing in number. The simple fact was that apples were so comparatively rare that writing an apple virus was a waste of time, it would never spread. Now thats changing.

Linux has its own reason it doesn't get viruses, not that they don't exist, but that they are 1.) easier to get rid of (as linux lets the user do whatever he sees fit) and 2.) Linux users tend to be a bit more tech savvy in the first place (hence why they use something not very user friendly)

Contrary to popular image, I must concede that viruses are not limited to windows nor are other platforms safe.
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
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The problem is, if you don't know what your doing, its very easy to just ruin the whole system by deleting or changing something you really shouldn't (with no "are you sure?" or "illegal operation" windows).


That won't happen as long as you aren't logged in as "root", which you shouldn't be unless you are making system changes, which is a fundamental concept with unix system, don't f around under root.
The root user

  • The root user is the super user.
  • The root user can control entire Linux system including files, process, applications etc. The root user has full access to system.
  • You should not use root for day-to-day tasks as root has full system access.
  • Never ever, give root password to anyone
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
10,385
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Toronto
To everyone who suggests that you should just drop Windows and give you cash to Steve Jobs instead, you have watched one too many Apple commercials.

The people who believe operating systems should be perfect are the same idiots who will not read an EULA when installing their smiley cursors and have loads of spyware installed, slowing the OS down and warranting a trip to the pc tech. I have used Mac OS 6 and above, all flavours of linux, BSD, DOS, Windows 3.1 and up, and guess what? I have not got virus's on any! If the end user is a moron and does not have any discretion when it comes to opening files or providing basic protection for the system, it will get messed up... don't blame Bill Gates, blame your self.
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
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Sorry Praxius that your experiences with Mac were downright sticky and hope your bald patch (after pulling out your hair because of the Mac) is a shiny example of why ironically, despite what you say, more and more are converting to Apple.

My Irish Afro-like hair covers pretty good.

But why would my frustrations and being fed up with Macs be a perfect example as to why people want one?

People want to be bald? Could have fooled me.

I use FCP HD for editing some of the TV shows I've done and although I must admit that while Avid Adrenaline or Nitrate is far more stable when it comes to final output, I've never really had much problem-o's with the system. The production house I work for as well as the regional cable channels I freelance for also seem to be replacing the Avids with FCPs and Macs for daily pre-production tasks etc. It is more than capable of handling HD output as the Adrenaline and Nitrate...far more easier to edit, as opposed to Avid (which is on the PC platform).

For most, it's a cost issue as FCPs are definitely cheaper to install than Avids that can cost up to 60,000 USD for the software alone. And while using Avids, I have had endless editing nights of despair when I would encounter problems with the PC.

Well the problems with the Macs I used I eventually concluded it was related to RAM not getting cleared out properly (Which is why the computer would lock up and have to be restarted a few times a day) due to the number of images I worked on throughout the day.... but also there were a lot of problems with the video card we installed, that we also needed to do our work.

Another problem I had with Macs is the difficulty and expense that is involved when it comes to upgrading or replacing parts.

But we're not discussing that. We're discussing Vista and like I said while I have no real complaints about XP, I am saying that MS should take Vista on a detour for a reality check before they lose more customers. And that in reality, if you look at the design features of Vista, they were really trying to imitate the MAC OS X with it's 3-D buttons and grey/silver-ish features.

Seriously? Sorry, but Macs are not the first thing to use 3D icons or effects, nor do Macs hold the patent for 3D icons or effects. For the sake of not looking like an immitation, Windows should stay 2D in apperance? That's just kinda silly.

The other thing I don't like about it is that it's not as user friendly as XP.

I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary except a few additional notifications here and there, which I found were more user friendly then previously in XP where perhaps the typical user wouldn't have a clue what was going on. To me, Vista is just a fancier XP with more security. The fact that some programs won't work on Vista that originally work on XP isn't exclusive to Windows, as when we upgraded from OS9.2 to OSX, we had to buy new programs for that too.

Oh, and before I go, don't kid yourself that your life isn't dictated by your Creative MP3 player either. As long as you're living in this modern world and 'buying' into a product, whether its iPod, Dopod, Nikes, Adidas, Hyundais, Toyotas or McDonald's, I'm sorry, reality check people! You've already sold your soul!

If I hold true to one brand name, just for the sake of the brand name, you might be correct, but I buy my products based on my needs.... much like humans have done for centuries. I don't buy things based on the brand name on the cover.

The day you ditch all the stuff and material life you have now and switch to ascetic mode in some Tibetan monastery with nothing on your back but your robes, then let's talk about not being baby-sitted (actually it's babysat) by some multi-national corporation shoving their ideals through their products down your throat.

Until then, keep believing the hype!

You seem to be confused about my position in my personal life. I don't go out and buy things just to make myself feel good. Most considder my lifestyle a tad spartan if you will, in comparison to other's. I don't buy things to make me feel good about myself, I buy what I need to get by. I have a computer because that is a part of my job and my hobby. I have an Mp3 player because I'm sick of listening to old women gossip on the bus ride to work. I do not have a car, because I do not need one at this stage in my life..... see a pattern?

If I wanted to buy things to make myself feel good about myself and that I fell into the commercial aspect of the things we use everyday, then I would probably have a car right now.... I probably would have bought a better and prettier computer then what I have now, rather then keep using the same system and upgrading it since 2002.

Once again, the reason why I will not buy a mac, is because they're too simple, useless for what I want to do for the most part, their prices are too high for what they are, lack of available service for them where I live to bother, and their pretty eye candy don't do it for me.

It keeps the cash registers ringing, wasteful economies running and jobs coming while the blokes at Forbes all live happily ever after! LOL!

I guess you didn't see my concept of abolishing currency/money in our everyday lives and work? That is how the world is today, correct.... that doesn't mean I agree with how it is and think it's all great.

That's the difference between necessity and luxury. To me, a Mac is like a fancy sports car for some guy trying to compensate for something they're lacking in their lives.


Although I would love to get that old G5 I worked on years ago and pull an Office Space on it.
 

Lester

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Sep 28, 2007
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Praxius: I don't even know where to get a linux, or kick the tires on one. how different is gui compared to PC or Apple? what software can I get? what makes it better? I'm an avid gamer so it's gotta do that.
 

Zzarchov

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Aug 28, 2006
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You should not use root for day-to-day tasks as root has full system access.

That would deny almost every benefit (other than cost) of using Linux. Considering most PC's come bundled with windows anyways, that isn't as much of a benefit as it could be.

If your gonna do it, do it right, use root ;)
 

gerryh

Time Out
Nov 21, 2004
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most of the flavours of linux I have installed default to the root login UNLESS you the user specify another user. Someone that is not "tech savvy" would take the short cut and have only one login...root.
 

Scott Free

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May 9, 2007
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most of the flavours of linux I have installed default to the root login UNLESS you the user specify another user. Someone that is not "tech savvy" would take the short cut and have only one login...root.

That really isn't a good idea.