Windows Vision - Anyone else see it this way?

[GameX2]

Hi there. :)


I've been wondering about something I would like to discuss a bit, with Linux/Ubuntu users. First things first, this is nothing near from a Windows hate thread. ;) I'm just willing to share my thoughts about Windows, and I'll be interested to know if there are others users that are in the same boat than me.

I've used Windows all my life; starting with Windows 95. Being perfectly honnest, that was a huge mistake - perhaps the biggest mistake I did (or my parents did) of all my life. Not because it's Windows - because I was basically put in front of a computer (Windows 95) at 5 years old. Biggest mistake ever. #-o

I then used Windows 98, then jumped to Windows XP. I still have 3 computers running on XP - sure, I could upgrade to Windows 7, but perhaps it'll be better to wait and get a newer PC instead. I now have my very first laptop, running on Windows 7. It wasn't long until I install Ubuntu on it, and use it way more than Windows.

Now, why was it a mistake to show me Windows 95 at five years old?
I'm now 18, and I seriously realise it now, I really admit, I'm basically.. a PC addict. ;( Sad, but true. Since 5 years old, I don't have much more things to do rather than being on a PC.. Gaming, not so much. But wasting time on the internet, basically, that's it (*Cought* Forums as well *Cought). Recently, I left a lot of forums, simply because they were no more useful to me (Unless THIS forum!), and I was just wasting time.

I discovered Ubuntu along with Linux in october. Right now, I pretty much managed to switch to Linux. I'm not really a gamer - as for PhotoShop, I can still run it in a Windows XP VM, rather than dual-boot. I figured out that I now "ditch" Windows for this personnal reason. Not only because I find Ubuntu so much better (It's free, and I'm not "locked" !), but also because I've got something against Microsoft now.

Sure, some people will find this part ridiculous: imagine if Windows 95 never existed, or was a complete failure. Sometimes, I wonder if this would have changed my behaviour of using computer. If Windows 95 (Which was extraordinary, back then) would have failed, perhaps I would have tried a computer later? Maybe I would have been less addicted that I am right now? Who knows.

Of course, using Linux is still on a computer, no matter what. But that just feel a bit different. I've developped something against Microsoft that.. well, completely messed up a part of my life, honnestly. Linux did nothing. That's also the reason why I want to test Mac OS X, just test.


Maybe some people here find it ridiculous, but it's definitely true.
Are they others computers addict there? That switched to Linux simply because they were tired of using Windows?

Let me know if you're in a similar situation than me, I'm interested. ;)


Thanks!

[TBABill]

Can't say I'm addicted to it so much as appreciative of it. I switched because I had a hard drive fail and no backup of Windows to reinstall. Found Ubuntu, openSUSE and a few others and gave them a shot. From there my appreciation of Linux and open source apps just grew and now I use anything but Windows whenever I can.

I don't "hate" Windows. I use it at work and when I have to at home. But, I've been using it since I switched from DOS. Windows makes me tired. I have too many machines to keep Windows on all of them because I feel like tech support, constantly fixing something with it. I have Linux on several computers and my personal is now a Macbook Pro. I can relate to you on just not liking Windows. Sure, it can do so much and runs an immense amount of software and supports tons of hardware, but its weaknesses are what make me dislike it. Printer spool failures requiring restart, updates constantly needing a restart, 20 minute restarts, blue screens (not so many on Win 7), driver glitches after updates, program hangs, registry errors, slowing down over time...and the list just goes on and on. Admin of multiple systems just takes too much energy to keep Windows on all of them. And you need the patience of a saint to do a full reinstall of Windows, drivers and all necessary software and drivers. That's a good half-day experience right there.

So...not necessarily addicted to it, but I sure appreciate the positives Linux and OS X offer in simplicity, ease of use, speed of install and maintenance, etc. Plus the forum members on ubuntuforums are great!

[ammofreak]

PS...I concur with TBABill:)

[kimda]

I used to feel the same way, but now I use Windows if I need it for something (mostly for playing games). But I use Ubuntu as my main OS on my PC and laptop just because I like it better.

[aaaantoine]

Windows 95 was a major transitional OS, and I'm guessing due to your age at the time of its release that your perception of it is due primarily to nostalgia.

Windows 95 was the first Microsoft OS where DOS became a second class citizen. Up until then, you would boot into DOS, then (at least in my experience) you ran Windows manually. A lot of apps were built in DOS at the time, and ran poorly in Windows. A lot of new developers were learning to code for the Windows API for the first time, resulting in lots... and lots... of buggy software. Windows, itself, was unstable and frequently blue-screened.

It was during this era that I learned to save my work frequently.

As I'm sure you're aware, there were other major transitions since then. XP being the first consumer-class NT-based (instead of DOS-based) Windows OS. Vista being the first Windows with GPU accelerated desktop compositing. All had their share of bugs. But I remember Windows 95 being so bad that we temporarily rolled back to DOS 6.

To address your what-if: at the time, there were other GUI-based OSes floating around, such as OS/2 Warp. That, or something else, would have picked up the slack had Windows 95 failed. You'd still be an addict. :P

(Attached: my most vivid memory of 3.x Windows)

[GameX2]

Windows 95 was a major transitional OS, and I'm guessing due to your age at the time of its release that your perception of it is due primarily to nostalgia.

I don't quite remember using Windows 95, I just know that I used it; when I tested it in a VM like 2 months ago, I realised how basic it was, in the end. I was wondering about the differences between 95 ans 98 - 95 : absolutely no effect, when opening the Start menu, and all this stuff. The best: In Windows Explorer, when you open a folder, it always open in a new windows! :P

What I remember the most about Windows 98, is without a doubt my folder of games. XD When my dad was mad at me - when I did something wrong, he used to just empty the games folder on the Desktop (Or maybe just toss the shortcuts in the Recycle Bin), and I was panicked. :P


To address your what-if: at the time, there were other GUI-based OSes floating around, such as OS/2 Warp. That, or something else, would have picked up the slack had Windows 95 failed. You'd still be an addict. :P

I did thought about OS/2, although I never tried it (yet). As much as I know, it died, mostly because of 95 ? If I'm not wrong, 95 was a huge success that received a lot of publicity as well; perhaps this was the first time a few people were buying their first personal computer ?

I find it fun that you say that. ;) In fact, I realised that I would always prefer to blame it on Microsoft rather then blame my parents! I would find a reason to put the blame on Microsoft, even if this can sound.. illogical!

Life depend on many situations - I imagine beyond that "what-if" situation: at 5 years old, I got the bad habit of trying the computer at home first. Then when I arrived in very first year of school, I continued to use the computer, there. When all the kids were choosing their games, I can clearly remember: I was always the very first on the freakin' computer with those old games. XD
But man! I was almost running to get one of these 2 computers! Y'know when you stick you picture at the wall, on the computer, so you could say "I AM using the computer" (the game) ? :P

What if Windows 95 would have miserably failed, what if OS/2 (for example) would have been not a suitable OS for the taste of my parents, a good enough OS to make them buy a computer?

Let's suppose we never bought a computer in the Windows 95 era: OK, I would have discovered computers at school no matter what, but I would not have developped this addiction by using computer at home as well! If only I had two - or even one more year to purchase a computer, I would have made different friends, and I would have different tastes. What I find interesting, I did not made my very first friend next to the computer! It's because I was playing to another game I used to like, and poof. Maybe playing to more of these games rather than only a computer would have been more helpful?

Funny, these are like drugs - the more I used a computer, the more I became an addicted guy, and now I as fully aware of that, and I'm trying to change this habit. Slowly.


Sure, some parts of my story might seems ridiculous. But as I said, I still prefer to blame Windows. Still better to blame Microsoft than blame my parents for what I am right now.
Sometimes, I wish Microsoft never existed. ;/

[sffvba[e0rt]

I was addicted to computers using DOS... it isn't the OS, it is the fact that it is a freaking computer :p



404

[Xelort]

Well... i was just saying this a few minutes ago, and i guess it's ontopic here too:



I'm a 30 years old programmer. Started in the nineties with Microsoft tools, mostly Visual Studio 6, vb5 previuosly, some other BASIC flavors, and a lot of HTML + scripting and server side.
Switched to GNU/Linux in 2008/2009, but still with dual boot. Last year i completely removed Windows from my computer, i no longer take job offers regarding Microsoft technologies, and promote free software every time i got the chance.

Switching was A PAIN. Here, on Argentina, the programmers job market if full of C# and ASP.NET positions, and maybe some PHP or JAVA here and there. You can't just "choose", that simply, to take Microsoft out of your life: it's a lot of work, at least for a programmer (i don't think it should be for a casual user).

Microsoft is a disease, that's all i can say. No matter the cost, it should be removed from everybody's lifes as soon as possible. I loved Microsoft's tools for a long time, because i felt very productive as a programmer; but when i discovered the free software way of doing things, and the communities involved, i could no longer even pretend to take seriously any Microsoft product: they're like a bad joke.


http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=11881006#post11881006


I started with DOS 5. Win95 sucked, but not even 95 can be compared with WinME in terms of suckability.

The "addiction" you try to describe is not a trivial concept. Today, almost everything is made by or with computers. There's software + hardware everywhere. PCs, operating systems, programming languages, application software, servers, codes, protocols, and so on, are a huge part of the society we know, and it doesn't seems to be slowing down: there will be more and more of that.

[GameX2]

Interesting. ;)

Not going to say that I hate Microsoft that much.. But I clearly understand the people who still use Windows as well. Pretty much all of my friends are on Windows, and I understand, they don't need to switch, Windows does what they want. They haven't became tired of Windows as well. :P
Like to hear about the people who managed to completely jump to Linux! I wonder if I'll be capable, someday. I use PhotoShop for work, and I have to turn ON a VM of Windows XP all the time. Still better than dualboot.

Mostly when I turned 18, I realised the time I wasted.. It's obvious, just by looking at others people I'm talking to. Hey, I still haven't got a "real" job. I'm just starting my driving lessons, as well.

At least, my situation's getting better, I should say. It just take.. time. ;)

Edited the topic title to make it more specific.

[HermanAB]

I avoid Windows because nobody pays me to repair it all the time. I also quit repairing the Windows machines of friends and family. I just tell them that I don't use Windows and don't know all the tricks anymore - which is true. It also helps that I moved to the other side of the globe, but most people need not go that far to avoid Windows.

I actually have WinXP and Win2003 virtual machines that I sometimes use for programs that only work on Win. These virtual machines remain maintenance free - because I hardly use them - somewhat like a clock in a museum that doesn't require winding, since it isn't running...

[Zukaro]

I like Windows. Windows 7 that is. I started out using computers when I was pretty young also (Windows 95 too). I used to play Tonka games on there (I forget how old I was, but I think around 5 years old also :P). Anyways, what I remember VERY well about that computer was:
1) took forever to start up
2) always said stuff had preformed an illegal action and must be closed
3) one day I smashed it cuz we got a new computer (I was young when I smashed it :P (my parents were throwing it out anyways))

But anyways; Windows XP is really where I started using the computer a lot. When I was little I'd hangout with friends and play GameCube a TON (mostly played GameCube). I'd play Super Mario Sunshine for 12hours a day (that game is amazing). Anyways; when we got our new computer I eventually started using it more and more as I had beaten basically all my games and my parents didn't want to buy me new ones (and there were tons of free games online). I used to play Runescape (back before it was ruined) and I'd play that everyday for hours. Eventually I started playing World of Warcraft (I was about 10 by the time I was playing WoW I think); I actually learnt to type because of WoW (before I used to type by looking at the keys and pressing them one at a time, after playing WoW for a bit I ended up being a pretty quick typer).

Anyways; at the same time as doing this stuff I'd mess around with the computer a bit (mostly just see what was in the hidden directories). Eventually I started deleting programs manually cuz the uninstaller wouldn't work (I liked to try out a bunch of games but had to delete them afterwards as we didn't have that much storage space; also, I need my computers to be perfect cuz I'm just like that, so games I don't play anymore at all ever I don't want anymore :P). Anyways; I forget when I found out about Linux, but I haven't used it all that much yet (currently I'm on Ubuntu 12.04 right now however). Today (since about 2 days ago) I've started using Linux a bit more. I still get on Windows a lot as Steam works in Windows and is not yet on Linux (and I have a bunch of friends on Steam). Probably when Steam is working natively on Linux I'll use Linux a lot more; as for Skype I'm not really sure how well it works on Linux (it says it's still in beta).

I've actually lost track of where I am in my words (this happens a lot) so anyways; I like Windows 7, and I think it's good for gaming. I want to play games natively on Linux but it's gonna take way too long for every game I play to end up running natively on Linux (if it ever happens). Even if all my games ran nativly on Linux I'd probably still like Windows. Although switching to Ubuntu would be a lot easier if everything in Windows worked in Ubuntu. :P

I'm glad that I ended up using the computer as much as I do though.


Recently I tested out ArchLinux (due to the fact there's no UI); I actually like it a lot. :P But I need a UI so I use Ubuntu (which is also the first Linux distro I've ever used (10.10 was the first I used)). Also, I find Ubuntu to be perfect for me. Windows is also "perfect for me" but it's overpriced. I don't really have many stability issues with Windows however; but I did have a few recently (not really sure as to why but I had been getting BSoD's recently). Anyways, I reinstalled it and put on Ubuntu also (this is on my gaming PC). The reason I hadn't put Ubuntu on sooner is because this is my main PC, if it's not working I don't have a computer basically (I'd still be able to get online but all my files are on here and I wouldn't be able to play games either; and it's my computer, the main one I use so I need it :P).

Something like that, I'm completely lost in my jumble of words I don't know what I'm saying/missing. :P
As for age, I am now 18 (actually 17 but as of May 5th 18 ). But anyways, I've been using Windows since forever, but I am slowly switching over to Ubuntu. Probably when Steam gets on here running natively (I don't want to mess around with Wine right now) I'll fully switch (except for games of course). Although, lately more and more games have started showing up on Linux.