Agonizes of a GNU Windows User.

[KingBahamut]

"I do not consider Windows ready for the desktop. I found it difficult to use, buggy and lacking in security. I also found technical support lacking. While Windows captured a significant portion of the desktop market, the product is clearly not a good fit for consumers who do not understand the risks associated with logging on to the Internet. The costs of providing aftermarket products can run higher than the price paid for the hardware."

External Links
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/44050/index.html

Probably the best quotes from this article would be

1. Microsoft obsoletes the product that runs best on an older PC or laptop, which forces people to ditch a perfectly functional piece of equipment for a new product.

2. The software(Windows XP) didn't see my modem and so I had to contact customer service again. We're talking about a US Robotics 56K modem, which one would have to classify as fairly generic. I told myself, so XP doesn't see one of the most standard modems around.

3. I had a 50.6 kbps band rate and had Netscape's web accelerator running. I sat in my chair and watched as the first application downloaded. Once it finally was ready to install, it gave me an error message saying it required Java. Java? Required for Windows? OK.

4. Shortly after I disconnected from Netscape, I noticed several shortcuts on my desktop. I didn't remember installing any of those programs. As I started searching on Google for their names, I discovered I had inadvertently allowed some Spyware to come through Internet Explorer.

[Ubunted]

Excellent read, and something I can definitely relate to.

Whenever I install Windows, I have to spend upwards of four hours installing Windows Updates, antivirus, browser, office suite, configuring everything to maintain stability, a decent defrag program, and THEN I get to tweak the UI and such to make it as I like it.

Whenever I install Ubuntu, it takes me a grand total of about 30 minutes to apt-get install what I need, pull all my files from my USB key, do every update without rebooting and I'm done and free to tweak the UI.

My browser, IM client and office suite are already installed. In addition I don't have to update my AV, antispyware, firewall and OS separately every day, sometimes every few hours. Just boot it up and I'm good to go.

[matthew]

I've seen a few of these sorts of articles. Some are a lot more tongue-in-cheek than this one was (and a lot more provoking in their tone). This was interesting and pretty fair. I think his descriptions were accurate and explain exactly why I didn't install windows again when my dual-boot hard drive failed. Ubuntu was far easier and can do all I need it to do. Why go through the hassle?

[aysiu]

While it's true that Windows isn't "ready for the desktop," it kind of doesn't have to be. First of all, users rarely install Windows--they usually stick with what they have or get a new computer with Windows preinstalled. Secondly, when things go wrong in Windows (error messages, missing .dlls, viruses, spyware, etc.), people just take it (like a typical domestic abuse victim) because they think there's no alternative apart from shelling out more money for a Mac.

The typical Windows user has this mentality:

1. Something goes wrong during the use of Windows--"Ah, too bad. I'll have to get it fixed somehow."

2. Something goes wrong during the installation and configuration of Linux--"What the hell is wrong with this? How can people use this? I'm going back to Windows."

3. Considering moving to Mac--"It's too expensive and it doesn't do everything I need it to do. I just want Windows. Leave me alone."

I know this because I was once a typical Windows user, and I believed or thought all of these things at one point or another. I still kind of do. When the Flash in Firefox wasn't working on my wife's Powerbook, I didn't immediately think, Damn Apple and their bad multimedia support. I just thought, "Hm. I wonder what could be wrong." We had to tinker a little bit to get it to work--turns out the profile had somehow become corrupted. So we backed up the bookmarks, deleted the profile, and relaunched Firefox--Flash worked!

Flash, of course, worked perfectly fine on my Kubuntu, though. I do know if the situations were reversed (didn't work on Kubuntu, worked on Mac), both my wife and I would be thinking, "What's wrong with Linux? Why can't it do basic stuff?"

I think a lot of it is human nature--first impressions. If the first French person you meet is a jerk, you're naturally going to think (at least for a second, if not years) that all or most French people are jerks. It's only after you actually live in France for a while and get to know more French people that you realize there are jerks and nice people alike in France. Same with operating systems. If you spend a lot of time with Windows, you realize that there are good and bad versions (Windows ME came out after Windows 98, but Windows ME is arguably the worst operating system out there) and you also get a better sense of what's an installation problem and what's a use problem--what's a structural problem and what's an implementaiton problem.

What's "ready" is what you're used to--long and short of it. My goal is to "get used to" Mac OS X, Windows XP, and Ubuntu and Mepis. If I can be proficient in all four OSes, I'll be a happy camper.

[tseliot]

[I]Probably the best quotes from this article would be

1. Microsoft obsoletes the product that runs best on an older PC or laptop, which forces people to ditch a perfectly functional piece of equipment for a new product.

Well, my Compaq laptop came with Winxp Home and it was kind of slow after few days (and I didn't install many programs). And once in a while Windows decided to restore the system to its previous working configuration (with no apparent reason) and it screwed my installation up (I could only see and move the mouse pointer on a wallpaper without any icons or menu)


2. The software(Windows XP) didn't see my modem and so I had to contact customer service again. We're talking about a US Robotics 56K modem, which one would have to classify as fairly generic. I told myself, so XP doesn't see one of the most standard modems around.
It had the same problem with some perpherals (mainly the Bluetooth adapter, my Epson scanner, etc.)


3. I had a 50.6 kbps band rate and had Netscape's web accelerator running. I sat in my chair and watched as the first application downloaded. Once it finally was ready to install, it gave me an error message saying it required Java. Java? Required for Windows? OK.
Same problem with Internet Explorer (and I'm not a windows newbie)


4. Shortly after I disconnected from Netscape, I noticed several shortcuts on my desktop. I didn't remember installing any of those programs. As I started searching on Google for their names, I discovered I had inadvertently allowed some Spyware to come through Internet Explorer.
I had some porn apps installed in my Windows menu and the homepage of Internet Explorer changed to an adult site. And no, I don't mess with adult sites. I had to install Norton Internet security (which slowed down the system and gave me several problems but did its work after all)

[Knome_fan]

I had some porn apps installed in my Windows menu and the homepage of Internet Explorer changed to an adult site. And no, I don't mess with adult sites. I had to install Norton Internet security (which slowed down the system and gave me several problems but did its work after all)

Remember what they say:
This is not a bug, it's a feature!

[tseliot]

Remember what they say:
This is not a bug, it's a feature!
Mmm, now I see their point: free porn and you don't even have to ask for it. Amazing! :-P

[mstlyevil]

The typical windows user does not put up with all the crap anymore. They just go to Bestbuy and hire the Geek Squad. (Tounge in cheek)

[mstlyevil]

If the first French person you meet is a jerk, you're naturally going to think (at least for a second, if not years) that all or most French people are jerks.


You mean there are nice French people?

[Takis]

I have to disagree. My Windows works perfectly well - and all I had to do was disable the NIC, uninstall everything but my games and it hasn't locked up for nearly two weeks!

[poofyhairguy]

What's "ready" is what you're used to--long and short of it. My goal is to "get used to" Mac OS X, Windows XP, and Ubuntu and Mepis. If I can be proficient in all four OSes, I'll be a happy camper.

Thats a good goal.

I think another problem is that Linux is its marketshare. Many people just can't grok that more popularity does not mean that something is better.

In my marketing class, I learned that bandwagon is one of the best techniques to use to sell people on products and ideas. If everyone has the same problem....it must be the cool problem to have!

[darkmatter]

Thanks for the link, KB. Very interesting read.

[Ubunted]

Funny... I post this on another tech forum that isn't Linux-centric and they go nuts calling the guy an "idiot" and "tool" for not just using Windows or not knowing things like antispyware etc.

Some people...

[xequence]

While it's true that Windows isn't "ready for the desktop," it kind of doesn't have to be. First of all, users rarely install Windows--they usually stick with what they have or get a new computer with Windows preinstalled. Secondly, when things go wrong in Windows (error messages, missing .dlls, viruses, spyware, etc.), people just take it (like a typical domestic abuse victim) because they think there's no alternative apart from shelling out more money for a Mac.


Exactly. I told my friend I didnt use windows or mac, he said what else is there, DOS?