Why do people hate XP

[OttifantSir]

I don't like XP because: I got a new laptop for my birthday seven months ago. I have been using computers for the better part of the last two decades. I know how to secure it, I use Opera to surf, as it is the only browser I know of that has NO, and that is ZERO, ZIP, NADA security holes. I know how to change settings to my liking, I know how to recover from most anything that I can do wrong.

Still, in the last seven months, I have had to reinstall Windows 4 times. Each time taking the better part of a week to get what I need up and running.

This last one was due to a virus. A virus I wouldn't have gotten if I hadn't had to use XP to keep up my skills so I can help my friends and family with it.

This is now a fresh install. Still, it takes five minutes from boot till I can actually do anything, as background processes and services and such are still booting when I first get to see the desktop.

It's nice to just be able to plug in my memory card from my phone, but then I get another problem: A networked disc can no longer be accessed, as it is mapped at the same drive letter as the memory card, and neither can I access the MC because of this. I CAN change the drive letter of the net-disc, but why do I have to?

The network I had set up, won't work any more because suddenly there are no terminal servers on the network. There weren't any before install either, and I did EXACTLY as I did when setting it up earlier.

And all these problems I have had to figure out on my own. I am not able yet to understand all that is said in an error message in Ubuntu, but a whole encyclopedia worth of information is better than none. The last network error I got was this: An unexpected error occured during the edit of connection (Translated to the best of my knowledge from Norwegian)

I have only dabbled slightly with Ubuntu (Got Edgy Eft to work like a clock on a VERY old (seven years) laptop) and know there are a lot to learn and there will be gripe with that too, but so far, it has been the better choice of the two. I could say three as I have done some work on Vista Home Premium, but haven't used it as much as the other two.

[DownTown22]

Feature rich? :confused: OpenOffice and many more apps are included in almost every Linux distro right out of the box! :O Isn't it Feature rich?
Try to do something productive with windows right out of the box. You have to spend 1 or 2 hours to install drivers, printers, office and so on...

I agree. When I first got Ubuntu up and running - having very little hands on experience with it - I had pretty much everything I needed installed and running in 30 - 45 minutes, including Compiz Fusion.

With windows, where I've had tonnes of experience and know where to find all the files, programs, drivers, etc that I need/want it takes me a solid few hours to get everything up and running. No wait, longer....as I run a virus scan, a couple spyware scans and a system scan to check for the wonderful errors I get after "upgrading" windows, drivers, etc.

"Out of the box", I'm going to have to say Ubuntu is far more "feature rich" than Windows XP!! And 90% of what I need is at my fingertips, thanks to Add/Remove and Synaptic. And I only had to restart my computer once while setting up Ubuntu, whereas in windows....I think I lost track.....

[hessiess]

windows xp comes feture ritch with tuns of crapwere, and time limited tryles;)

[NoSmokingBandit]

most trial programs come from the computer manufacturer because they have a contract with them to install trials. If you install XP from the cd there are no trial programs that i am aware of.
Im not really a ms fanboy, but i have not had any problems with my xp computer. The only times it crashed is when i did really stupid stuff when i was bored. Once Wine is perfected i will live in linux full-time, but right now i cant live without some of my xp programs. I know the old argument that theres an alternative for every win program ever, but there really isnt. Its getting better very quickly, but right now its not so.

[qamelian]

I know how to secure it, I use Opera to surf, as it is the only browser I know of that has NO, and that is ZERO, ZIP, NADA security holes.

Bzzt. Wrong answer, but thank you for playing our game. :)

Opera does in fact have security holes and issues patches for them just the same as pretty much any other browser on the planet. In fact a quick search on Google for "Opera security" brings up quite a few results including a link to a notification of a patch releases in July 2007 to patch 6 security holes.

[HeliClimber]

I don't hate Windows, just how Microsoft is so obsessed over people pirating their software. I quit using windows on my laptop because Microsoft decided that my software serial number is pirated, even though I still have all of the paperwork that came with it, including the original box. So everytime there was an update available, I got to then argue with a Customer service person who didn't want to hear that this was "my"(if you can truly call it that anymore) copy of XP. All they wanted to do was charge me for a new software key and not listen to the fact that this was my copy. Still, XP was good, but Microsoft and there obsession with piracy drove me away from it.

[Specter043]

I don't like windows.
To those who are defending windows with things like "I only defragment every night" and, "I run an antivirus scan every night, and have no problems" or "I avoid websites and change my default browser and avoid clicking things out of paranoia I might get a virus/worm/spyware/adware/malware/whateveryouwanttocallthesewindowsproblems, and then I have no problems".
That is part of the reason I don't like Windows. Telling me I have to run stuff every night to make my computer run smoothly, is telling me I need to do unnecessary work. Telling me to avoid stuff, is telling me I can't browse the web, I can watch the parts that are safe. If you can have a free car that runs perfectly without ever changing the oil, or worrying about accidents on certain roads, then why would you buy the car that required daily oil changes, and can only stick to certain highways?
well, then if you can have a free OS that runs perfectly without defragging or worrying about where you go online, then why buy an OS that requires defragging, and can't go to certain websites?

[phinn]

The main thing I miss about WinXP when I'm using Ubuntu is now fast Windows XP actually is. The way it redraws windows is about instant. Using Gnome it's slow as hell, and yes I have my NVIDIA drivers installed. Kubuntu is a lot faster, it draws windows when resizing and stuff way smoother.

I can't wait for KDE4, I hope its the best yet. Gnome, although I really like its GUI, I can't stand its sluggishness compared to WinXP

[qamelian]

The main thing I miss about WinXP when I'm using Ubuntu is now fast Windows XP actually is. The way it redraws windows is about instant. Using Gnome it's slow as hell, and yes I have my NVIDIA drivers installed. Kubuntu is a lot faster, it draws windows when resizing and stuff way smoother.

I can't wait for KDE4, I hope its the best yet. Gnome, although I really like its GUI, I can't stand its sluggishness compared to WinXP

That's weird. I generally find screen redraw in Gnome to be as good or better than XP. Especially when XP occasionally decides to wipe all the icons of my desktop so it can churn away for a good thirty to forty seconds redrawing them all one at a time.

[sneax]

Did it ever occur to you that other people might have different experiences from yours?

Did it ever occur to you that people have different expectations about what an OS should offer and that XP just doesn't fit their needs.

Personally, I simply get tired of being called by friends and family because their XP is borked.

If 99% of the people in the world would be using linux you'll be called A LOT more because IF there is a problem it's WAY more complicated.

Also about viruses and stuff, you really don't need a anti-virus. There is a simple firewall built into WIndows XP which is enough. You don't need a 'security suite'. You can click any website you want it won't give you a virus (unless you accept it to install a program, but who's stupid enough to do that? yes only stupids, and those stupids would be able to break a linux system too).

[qamelian]

If 99% of the people in the world would be using linux you'll be called A LOT more because IF there is a problem it's WAY more complicated.


That just isn't true. I've converted a number of my commercial clients from Windows to Linux over the past few years and I get far fewer calls from them now. Currently, my Linux customers make up about 60% of my client base, but they only account for about 7% of my support calls. And from checking my support logs, I can see that resolution times on the Windows calls tend to be 50-90% longer than for Linux calls. In my experience, your statement just isn't valid.

[darksong]

That just isn't true. I've converted a number of my commercial clients from Windows to Linux over the past few years and I get far fewer calls from them now. Currently, my Linux customers make up about 60% of my client base, but they only account for about 7% of my support calls. And from checking my support logs, I can see that resolution times on the Windows calls tend to be 50-90% longer than for Linux calls. In my experience, your statement just isn't valid.

For your customers maybe, not for alot of other people. I do not know what your line of work is but i can guess that most of the windows support calls that you get are about viruses, spware ect from the user who installs everything and anything under the sun. If linux had 92% of the market share then your figures will probably be reversed. - you statment is not valid in this case.

[qamelian]

For your customers maybe, not for alot of other people. I do on know what your line of work is but i can guess that most of the windows support calls that you get are about viruses, spware ect from the user who installs everything and anything under the sun. If linux had 92% of the market share then your figures will probably be reversed. - you statment is not valid in this case.

And your guess would be completely wrong. My customers are small to medium-sized businesses. Every workstation is locked down so end-users cannot install anything. Looking at my logs, spyware, viruses and other malware issues amount to just under 2% of all my calls. I've done support, development and administration on Windows systems for about 3 times as long as I've offered the same services on Linux, and I have always found that the Linux systems require far less babysitting than Windows. For the record, my clients also tell me that they have been able to reduce their IT budgets by up to 50% because of the savings they've made on support, software licenses and less frequent need to upgrade hardware. I haven't heard one yet say "Gee, I wish we were still using Windows".

[alaniane]

It depends on the experience they have had with Windows XP. Also, it seems that many people get drawn into a certain OS camp. If are just a computer user then choose the OS that is most convenient for you. IT professionals need to be familiar with more than one OS if they are going to choose the best solution for their customers. Each OS has its advantages and disadvantages despite what each OS camp will have you believe. I like Linux for the programming and scripting tools it gives me and I prefer the console to the GUI. However, I am currently writing apps on XP/2003 server platform for a client. For them, it would be a major expense to port the system over to Linux.

[Spam Banjo]

That's weird. I generally find screen redraw in Gnome to be as good or better than XP.

I think the redraw rate is a bit lower with Ubuntu to be honest, especially when re-sizing windows, but I assumed it was done intentionally. It always looks the same when I install on a new machine. Grey until I let go, then it re-draws.

I never saw it as a problem before though. I've been so impressed by the way Ubuntu uses my machine that it's never been an issue. I assumed it was another example of Ubuntu keeping it simple for the sake of more important processes.

[SunnyRabbiera]

To be honest I would probably would be still using XP right now if not for some very core factors.
The patching is annoying, installing a patch on top of a patch on top of a patch on top of a patch on top of a patch... gets redundant eh?
the security issues are a mess in general, if MS would get up off its butt and make the security fixes they have actually work there would be no need for third party software.
antivirus, anti addware, anti spyware, firewalls, patches, updates... its the baton run on XP.
But outside of this I still prefer XP over vista by a mile, despite its flaws I rather like and miss XP sometimes

[Spam Banjo]

you dont have to answer that, i just found it in Synaptic package manager

Did you have any luck with Beryl!?!?

I just found a watered down 3D desktop for Vista!

I already posted another thread about it here a few days ago. (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=542670)

[wolfen69]

i actually think xp is the best version of windows ever. i just dont use it.

[nowshining]

well in linux I can change the login background and login prompt easier than windows..even when I used a template to do so...

[BoyOfDestiny]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136865-c,vistalonghorn/article.html

From a Microsoft commissioned study

"According to research conducted by Wipro and GCR Custom Research, total cost of ownership for Windows XP is $4,407 annually, while Vista's cost is $3,802. "

:lolflag:

"Peculiarly, the study actually was based on XP usage and extrapolations based on Vista capabilities because there was not a substantial base of Vista clients in use yet when the study was done early in 2007."

I think this is the most fun I've ever had in posting here.
:popcorn:

[darksong]

And your guess would be completely wrong. My customers are small to medium-sized businesses. Every workstation is locked down so end-users cannot install anything. Looking at my logs, spyware, viruses and other malware issues amount to just under 2% of all my calls. I've done support, development and administration on Windows systems for about 3 times as long as I've offered the same services on Linux, and I have always found that the Linux systems require far less babysitting than Windows. For the record, my clients also tell me that they have been able to reduce their IT budgets by up to 50% because of the savings they've made on support, software licenses and less frequent need to upgrade hardware. I haven't heard one yet say "Gee, I wish we were still using Windows".

What do you tell them when the updates on the repos break their whole repo system, X server and basic packages and locks the system down so hard that it is impossible to re-install the required packages. Yes its happend to me on ubuntu by simply updating nvidia drivers and something like openoffice, both have broken and it leaves me with a non operational system where i cannot re-download packages as it breaks apt-get. You tell them to reinstall?

[HokeyFry]

i dont not like windows, i just prefer linux :)


also, im very reckless when it comes to computers and the internet, and linux gives me a lot of leeway on the sites i can visit (no viruses)

linux is also easier to customize, windows is not.



and *AHEM* linux is free

[hairshirt]

I don't hate Win XP or VISTA for that matter, but I do think they're both a pile of poxed shite as an OS. For me it's about freedom and about freedom of choice. I do, however, loath and despise Gates and all those interested in inserting their heads so far up Gate's backside to curry his favour. The BBC and many software and hardware manufacturers to mention a few!

I also despise Gates for seeking to attempt pacifying his conscience with this AIDS thing. Get behind me Satan. I wish Gates a long life full of crippling pain. And Jobs as well for that matter.

That's all I have to say really.

[Henry Rayker]

What do you tell them when the updates on the repos break their whole repo system, X server and basic packages and locks the system down so hard that it is impossible to re-install the required packages. Yes its happend to me on ubuntu by simply updating nvidia drivers and something like openoffice, both have broken and it leaves me with a non operational system where i cannot re-download packages as it breaks apt-get. You tell them to reinstall?

The first and most simple resolution to this is don't install Ubuntu for your customers. I NEVER had a breakdown in Fedora due to suggested updates. I honestly think that, aside from the LTS updates (which, if anyone remembers Dapper's launch, they're not even immune) VERY little actual error checking seems to go into the Ubuntu release cycle.

[Spam Banjo]

For me it's about freedom and about freedom of choice.

You have to remember, for many people it's about "Turn on this box... put in user name... play song... watch video... play game... Wireless Internet...!"

These are the reasons I like XP. It really is as straight forward as Microsoft say it is... 9 times out of 10... and for this you can't fault them. Each one of the things I mentioned above gave me their own portion of agro to get the ball rolling with Ubuntu. Now I personally don't mind... and of cause prefer the flexibility of Ubuntu to any other OS. But many of my friends would not be willing to do any of this. They want to put a CD in the drive... click OK a few times and do what their PC allows them to do.

I like to do a little more... but then I'm an Web Apps Developer... so it's second nature to me get as much as I can out of a program. I like a challenge... but most people get scared when their comp won't do what they want!!

As for Vista... I hated it for the first few weeks... but now I love it. It's my favourite Windows release so far. Admittedly I had more teething problems with Vista than with XP.... but now it's set up it's awesome! It's very pleasant to use from a home user prospective, and seems to perform pretty well when I'm working too.

I know I just sounded for a second like an Micro$alesman... so I'll get back to the point I was heading towards... The thing I really hate about all the Windows releases is the same thing most people hate... MISCRO$OFT!!!!

They do more damage than good in the software development market, and have started a vicious trend of business' buying out smaller projects like Yodm3D (beryl style cube for windows) for a long term gain. They call the people who copy software Pirates... yet in the actual sense of the word... Microsoft are the only REAL software pirates.

Among other definitions, Pirate is defined on Dictionary.com as:

any plunderer, predator, etc.
a person who uses or reproduces the work or invention of another without authorization
to take or entice away for one's own use
One who preys on others; a plunderer
someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own


Obviously I scanned over the page for the most relevant

[suziequzie]

I only use XP at work, and even then they still have the old Windows 2000 desktop look, so I don't notice if it's any good or not. (That and the programs we use are just work related applications that suck.)

I use windows 2000 at home (as well as Kubuntu of course), because I don't like the idea of going into a store, plunking down around $150 and change to bring home a CD with an OS on it, and then having to call and ask permission/active it for it to run on my machine. And heaven forbid I should keep upgrading my machine and swapping out parts too many times... (it's my HOBBY machine, that's what I DO!) they'll think I'm trying to scam them and disallow me use of their OS.

Simple answer: They don't trust me, so I don't trust them. I don't hate the OS itself, I just strongly disagree with their tactics and practises.

[cogadh]

I actually don't mind XP at all. It was an amazing improvement over any previous Windows OS. I don't like the inherent insecurity of XP or the incredible ammount of crap that needs to run in the background just to boot it up, but it has done pretty well by me since I started using it. I do prefer Linux in general and Ubuntu in particular, but I still keep XP around, mostly for gaming.

[tomcat2007]

I don't hate XP, it's Microsoft that bothers me. I've been using and administering M$ OSes since MSDOS 2.11, it's what I know, it's been quite lucrative, and it's something I do well (although I don't care for Vista.)

Charging $300 just for a pretty program loader is outrageous, changing the interface and where settings are adjusted, even in the registry, with every major release just to charge thousands of dollars for a newly invented certification is outrageous. I believe in turning a profit but M$ transcends that concept, has addicted much of the world to buggy, insecure code, unnecessarily changed things, and has worked to stifle and squash innovative competitors.

When my shiny new laptop arrived with Vista I spent several hours playing with it growing more and more annoyed by the minute... then spent another hour loading XP, patching it, and downloading the appropriate drivers. Then I started thinking about the useless Vista OS that I had replaced... I couldn't sell it, it came preinstalled with a recovery partition. I created DVD backups of the recovery partition before the XP installation but you can't sell that either. If I'm not going to use the license, why shouldn't I be able to hawk it to someone who would?

What to do? Learn Linux was something I had tried and gave up on before, but I figured this was a good time to try again so I while seeking out Linspire (which was originally installed on one of my other machines) I came across Ubuntu, read some reviews of it, and tried out the live CD. The next day I installed it as a dual-boot, and I work primarily from Ubuntu, simply reading from the NTFS drive. A few days later I screwed up the install by not using Synaptic to install software and reOSed it with Gutsy (swearing an oath to the Linux gods to use Synaptic until I know what I'm doing). I'm extremely happy with it, just can't do all the things in Linux that I can do in Windows... yet.

The open source concept is something that appeals to me. All the software I wrote for MSDOS was given away freely w/o restrictions. This time, I'm sticking with it although I'm still paid quite well to fix broken Windows at work ;)

[Spam Banjo]

XP just got bloated I think. Vista is great providing you have the hardware. Nothing in comparison to Ubuntu of cause! lol

[potentia]

I don't hate XP. I replaced the horrible theme with OpusOS using StyleXP and it looks great. I liked Windows 2000 even more. Fast and stable, but grey and dull looking.

Whether you love or hate Windows you have to admit that it runs most of the software out there.

[Kappity]

I don't hate it. I'm quite familiar with it from many of our computers at work (those that aren't Unix), and it seems quite acceptable. Keeping it up to date and secure seems like more of a hassle than it needs to be, but it's not all that bad.

I could go into a long rant about why I like Mac OS X better, but I think that would be too off topic here.

Open source linux distros provides a lower-cost alternative to both of the above, seem more secure than Windows, and will probably do everything you need in a home computer. If not, well, you have choices. :)

[inversekinetix]

My XP:
Boots in 19 seconds (+ 3 to choose OS and enter password)
Uploading 5 torrents (50,000 zip files) at a combined speed of 12MB/s
4 System Tray Apps, AVG, Mirc, Graphics Driver, SysMon
Browse web, rip DVD, listen to music / play Oblivion or Bioshock (high settings)/ run emulator (saturn) or mame

absolutely no slowdow except when opening a folder containing 20,000 files which is being used by torrents, takes a few seconds to display the file list.

I have all uneccesary things turned off on my system, services etc.
Even though it looks pretty ****** (i reverted it to a custom w2k theme) it runs like a dream. Before gutsy came out i had it running for 2 weeks uploading at that speed and doing everything else, it didnt slow down at all.

My Xp box is sweet, no problems at all. Does everything I want.

My Gutsy box,

installed on same hardware (seperate HD)
installer died a few times, 4th time it worked.
everything worked out of the box apart from my gpu to run compizF
tried to install the recommended drivers, couldnt do it.
poked around realized i had to enable some other repositories, works, look great, good environment.
looked at synaptic, figuired it out, learned what dependencies are, spent a few hours trying to get xmame to work. no luck, asked for help on a linux channel, got treated like a retard and told to use windows. found some apt-get commands through google, xmame works great. can't find any straightforward help to get other aps i want to use working.


I know windows really well, i have no idea about linux. linux looks great, i want to get it working as well for me as ive gotten windows to. I have no idea where to start.

I think this is one thing that will put many people off linux and keep them on windows. windows works and is easy to use and everyone has been brainwashed into thinking windows. linux is daunting, not intuitive and has its share of biggots.

The reason i hate XP is not because of how it works (it works fine if you set it up properly) i hate it because it has made me too dumb to use another OS (mac excluded, thats a lifestyle not an OS) i think in windows, now i have to learn to think in command line, without help, grrrr.

[vincentvee]

don't hate XP, just after using this with comp/beryl installed, i know whats prettier, and that is important, also, whenever i use XP i can never find where **** is

[linuxjuicer]

XP is super vulnerable and easily penetrated. like angelina jolie :)

[cardinals_fan]

Scary. You are the thread necromancer, we all fear you. Raising the dead is a gift, use it wisely.

[bshosey]

I have been supporting windows from 3.1 to today vista. I hate ALL MS products! They are all bloated clumsy and no quality control. It takes longer to install drivers and updates than it does the OS. For an OS for the average person, it is to easy for the average person to break it. MS wants to impress me. Make the darn OS last longer than 6 months. How long has the fragmentation problem been arround!

Now before any one says windows is not bloated. Why is vista on DVD, and you still do not have an office packege.
Now I know there are different options on Vista that needs more space, but come on wake up!

If microsoft is so darn good and build stuff for the average user. Then why is it so simple for the average to get a virus and adware. I answer they only want the money. They do not care about the user they just care about the money!

I am forced to use windows at my job. It is like %$#@! to me!

What happend to the days where a company had to have quality products to grow and be respected!
Give me any Distro of GNU/Linux, BSD, or Solaris, they all blow Microshaft away!

I have been using ubuntu for over a year now. I do not miss windows at one bit.
I miss ubuntu when I am on my work computer. I take an extra laptop to work with ubuntu just to keep my sanity.

ubuntu has saved my computing life!
There is only one other company I hate more than MS and that is SCO!

[LaRoza]

XP is super vulnerable and easily penetrated.
Be respectful on the forum

Scary. You are the thread necromancer, we all fear you. Raising the dead is a gift, use it wisely.

Raising from the dead is evil.

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/8060/necromancingsv7.jpg