What makes you use windows?

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frup

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Topic # 8216 14-Jun-2006 00:37

i mean seriously what makes you use it?
the only advantages i can see are slightly beetter hardware support and programs such as games... nothing to do with microsoft actually.. hmm so if microsoft itsself isnt the main thing making you use it isnt something wrong?

why not a mac?
if so why?

how many of you have tried linux?
if you didnt like it why? which distro did you use?
googles jumped in now and has released google earth and picassa for linux! yay! looks like some good support is going that way

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Reply # 38440 14-Jun-2006 06:47

Hardware support is only a point for Windows if you are using specialised hardware. I tried Ununtu Linux on my previous desktop (AMD 2100XP+,3.5GB RAM) and it run well, recognising all hardware on the first install.

Of course I did not try with other "special" hardware I have here. For example Pocket PCs, Smartphones, Imation Disc Stakka, and other stuff.

Games are a point...

I did not use Mac (although we have one here) until I moved to New Zealand, simply because in Brazil they are really way more expensive than the hardware + software to run Windows. The Mac is really an option if you have the extra cash to spend, or your job relies on that (although some good publishing packages are now ported to Windows to, so what's the point?)

All in all, I am conformtable with Windows, I know my way around it and don't have to deal with some text configuration files to make a device work. Plug and play is the word.

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tonyhughes

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Reply # 38441 14-Jun-2006 08:13

frup: i mean seriously what makes you use it?
the only advantages i can see are slightly beetter hardware support and programs such as games... nothing to do with microsoft actually.. hmm so if microsoft itsself isnt the main thing making you use it isnt something wrong?

why not a mac?
if so why?

how many of you have tried linux?
if you didnt like it why? which distro did you use?
googles jumped in now and has released google earth and picassa for linux! yay! looks like some good support is going that way

I use both Windows and Linux (several flavours). You say 'nothing to do with MS', but hardware support is exactly that - manufacturers choosing to suppoprt the MS OS only. :-(

I keep going back to XP as my main OS, because although I love Linux, and the concept (and even the OS), I just have serious trouble getting some things to work. For a while now I have been buying hardware that is listed as Linux compatible, but thats no guarantee - my USB VoIP phone has Linux drivers on the net, but on 2 different machines and about 8 versions of Linux, old and new, I cant get the mic to function. Ditto with my webcam. Both are valuable tools to me, and if Im booted into Linux, I cant accept a Skype call, or have a videoconference with a family member.

I dearly want these things to work, but cant afford to just go out and buy new ones.

Perhaps my local LUG might help me out with the promise of free beer (yes, there is such a thing....).

Nice to see Google supporting Linux, Linux has native apps to rival the needs of most standard PC users these days, without a big learning curve, and of course the sheer amount of good quality open source software available is amazing.

Mac? I would love to buy a Mac next time round... but who knows.....

Mattnzl

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Reply # 38443 14-Jun-2006 08:27

Yep - games are the only reason for me on my home pc.
Work is a different story, all our apps are windows only (accounting stuff).

alasta

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Reply # 38445 14-Jun-2006 09:44

I use both Windows and Macintosh machines, although a complete switch to Windows at some stage over the next few months is a possibility. Whilst I believe that the Mac platform is inherently more secure and I strongly prefer its user interface, I am unsure of whether the added cost is justified. People often say that the Macintosh has lower maintenance costs, but a Windows machine used sensibly and maintained well is pretty reliable. The fact that my accounting software won't run on a Mac is also an issue.

I would rule out Linux, as I have very little patience when it comes to tinkering, so I prefer to use whatever operating system is pre-installed on whatever machine I buy.

tonyhughes

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Reply # 38453 14-Jun-2006 11:26

alasta: I would rule out Linux, as I have very little patience when it comes to tinkering, so I prefer to use whatever operating system is pre-installed on whatever machine I buy.

There are plenty of pre-installed Linux machines available in USA, i dont know about here yet though..

lokinz

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Reply # 38508 14-Jun-2006 16:16

I use Windows because it's there, it's easy and most of the time if I buy a new gadget, I can just plug it in and like magic she’s away. Also i like to download little tools to do all sorts of weird and wonderful things and most you find are for Windows. Besides windows is very very easy to use

In saying that, I have previously used Mac’s, and I do have one Linux box running as a server.

Gaming wise, I have an XBOX and PS2 for that.

But, the next machine i buy will probably be an Intel Mac.

frup

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Reply # 38509 14-Jun-2006 16:26

well apart from warcraft 3 im not that big on games... i have nintendo gamecube with 14 games and i dont even play it that much anymore. i dont have windows at all anymore... mainly because a genuine version unregistered itself and when i reinstalled on a seperate hdd i couldnt retrieve files because of the permissions etc. i downloaded a linux iso and was able to recover all my files with live CD's and now both computers run soley on linux. The only real problem i have with it is graphical software... im studying architecture and need to have access to programs such as sketch up, autocad, 3d studio max, photoshop etc. im using blender, qcad and gimp at home but seriously they are not up to industry standard yet. i can do the basics but thats all.
if i could program i would seriously love to help these programs but i only know PHP.. thats easy because they have such a great online library... i cant find any decent sources for stuff like python and c... hello world and the basic operators is all i ever manage to do lol.
i've been using linux so much that when i do boot in to windows at uni/work etc im actually begining to find it really difficult to use lol.

i once kept this computer running for 3 months straight... on windows it would crash in no longer than a week. its a shonky piece of crap i built my self and everything goes wrong.. except under linux (well stuff goes wrong but atleast i always know its my own fault). the stress relieve from not having to worry about viruses feels so good as well. im not one of those people who thinks linux is immune either... otherwise under the same principles firefox would never have issues i guess.. but atleast im sure it will be fixed... as soon as a virus appears i know that synaptic (in ubuntu) will alert me of needing an upgrade.. basically in built anti-virus for free.

one really great thing about windows is how easy it is to install programs.. i cant really understand why its so much more complicated in linux. even with a .bin or .deb or what ever (eg .rpm) you often have to open the terminal. im not too bothered by this but it still would hold alot of people back i believe.

i have been using MS since i was under 5.. some version of dos. then came 3.1 which was the only version of windows i have ever liked. basically because i was addicted to lemmings. i think i was about 7 or 8 then i already knew more about computers than my mum. my dad was in switzerland where i was born and he was a trained IT professional using some flavour of unix.. he had huge servers in his office at home at least 1m³ i liked the noise of these. i was also fascinated by his fax machine... i learnt how to use this quickly to copy all my scribbly drawings.

from the screenshots of vista i have seen it looks nice but thats about all i like about it. i am so against DRM its not funny.

freitasm

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Reply # 38514 14-Jun-2006 16:52

frup: from the screenshots of vista i have seen it looks nice but thats about all i like about it. i am so against DRM its not funny.

Everyone talks about DRM as if Microsoft was the inventor of this plague.

Any thoughts on the idea that because of the wide audience of this OS, it would be impractical to distribute legitimate content with the blessings of the recording industry without DRM?

I mean, can you get iTunes without DRM?

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alasta

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Reply # 38516 14-Jun-2006 17:01

lokinz: Besides windows is very very easy to use

Whilst Windows is a perfectly competent operating system, and I feel quite comfortable using it, I think there is a lot of room for improvement as far as the user interface is concerned.

My biggest gripe is the fragmentation between the desktop, start menu, quick launch menu, and system tray which makes it really awkward to keep program icons organised in an intuitive way. Having every available application in 'all programs' under the start menu makes sense, but I would prefer for the desktop and the root section of the start menu to be syncronised so that they both contain the most frequently used applications. The system tray, in my opinion, is a pain and should be dumped altogether.

My other gripe is that applications with multiple windows open sometimes display all sub-windows within one parent window (e.g. in Word), while sub-windows can sometimes exist independantly of each other (e.g. in Internet Explorer). This inconsistency is confusing, and is aggravated by the fact that there is often no obvious distinction between closing a sub-window and closing an application.

Windows is easy to use, but definitely not 'very very' easy to use.

alasta

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Reply # 38520 14-Jun-2006 17:04

freitasm: Everyone talks about DRM as if Microsoft was the inventor of this plague.

Any thoughts on the idea that because of the wide audience of this OS, it would be impractical to distribute legitimate content with the blessings of the recording industry without DRM?

I mean, can you get iTunes without DRM?

I agree entirely. DRM is the product of music publishers, not hardware or software vendors. I hate DRM, so I just buy CDs and rip them, which Windows and MacOS are both happy to do for me!

frup

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Reply # 38524 14-Jun-2006 17:41

yes i tunes is bad for DRM too.. but does vista not support it alot more?
the main problem with DRM is that there are so many different types... its like .mp3 .m4a and .wma ... all basically the same as far as the user is concerned. also DRM is bringing a dangerous philosophy about ownership... microsoft already confirmed this with the way you can only install XP and office etc around 5 times before they make it seriously complicated for you. this is stupid... im sure the combined intelligence of say all software companies creating a 3rd party software security could think of a far better less user imposing system... because of software theives innocent users are being harmed. if i "buy" and mp3 which i never will i would expect it to be mine and be able to use it on everything i own. possibly a nice tiny memory stick full of liscence keys that could be plugged in to an mp3 player, computer, cellphone could be a solution. i dont know. all my music is ripped from my own CD's something i should legally be allowed to do, i have supported the band and have bought the right to listen to this music.. i should be able to do it any way i wish.

personally i also hate recording companies. they a big corporate thugs who make money of others talents. if a CD costs at the most $4 to make and im paying $35 for it how come the bands only make a tiny little bit guess what its mr inbetween... sure alot goes into marketing and individual shop profits at places like ecm too but hey i would rather order the CD directly from the bands website with no middle man giving them around $18 per CD maybe. Recording companies have proved how unethical they are when they tried to spread viruses over p2p and put rootkits on CD's.

DRM is evil... just another step to a brave new world order.

as for microsoft i wish they could find a way to incorporate opensource ideas into their platform. imagine being able to download a basic net install of windows and pay for additional modules you wanted. it would be fantastic... imagine being able to fix bugs you found... microsoft would really become a great company then... surely they could release the source of bugged code for people to fix? this could then be submitted back to them and they could apply it (making sure the fix doesnt break other parts of the OS).

i think linux will grow from around 3-5% of market to 10% over the next 5 years. i think mac will decline.. i like them except in many ways they are more closed and have a worse attitude than MS.

freitasm

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Reply # 38531 14-Jun-2006 18:15

frup: yes i tunes is bad for DRM too.. but does vista not support it alot more?

As in more options for the user to choose from?

frup: also DRM is bringing a dangerous philosophy about ownership... microsoft already confirmed this with the way you can only install XP and office etc around 5 times before they make it seriously complicated for you.

This has nothing to do with DRM, but with piracy. AFAIK Microsoft does not make it complicated, and most of the times a quick phone call gives you a code to unlock the software.

frup: because of software theives innocent users are being harmed.

Correct. And that's why DRM was invented. Because of people thinking that copying the content of a CD or DVD and selling it is harmless.

frup: if i "buy" and mp3 which i never will i would expect it to be mine and be able to use it on everything i own. possibly a nice tiny memory stick full of liscence keys that could be plugged in to an mp3 player, computer, cellphone could be a solution. i dont know. all my music is ripped from my own CD's something i should legally be allowed to do, i have supported the band and have bought the right to listen to this music.. i should be able to do it any way i wish.

I agree. Just not distribute it. But since you allow for a USB flash memory device with licence keys, then you accept DRM?

frup: i think linux will grow from around 3-5% of market to 10% over the next 5 years. i think mac will decline.. i like them except in many ways they are more closed and have a worse attitude than MS.

I agree.

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frup

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Reply # 38537 14-Jun-2006 18:42

i dont like DRM in its current format. IF it can be made that you can burn an mp3 you download to CD many times (as CD's get scratched etc) and it can be played on ipods and zens and whatever and transfered from one computer you own to another then thats great... i know this is incredibly hard to do because people would try cheat.. thats why i thought of some sort of "key" maybe something like a unigue md5 code you could enter in or something or s list of liscences that could not be copied but put in any device.

i also think there is a reluctant culture in recording companies etc to embrace new technology. itunes has proved people are willing to buy mp3s (although this could be out of fear) maybe marketing stratagies have to change. but ideally a common internet database with some form of ID or something which you add you're devices to would be great. registration to this could be free and you could have a list of liscence key you had paid for and what devices you use. then everytime you add new media to your computer you would have to auto update this and then your computer would update your list of ipod etc and allow them to use the new song too. this means that unless you owned the device you couldnt copy the song on to it. if every computer came with a default account or something it would also prevent cheating... this would have to be neutral and store no details that could harm privacy.
since most computers you own would have the same IP address and most likely be configured to a network you could merge them to the same account... but somehow not allow friends to join to your DRM account.
i dont know im thinking about this on the spot

hopefully software companies and recording companies would be generous to lower their prices if this was adopted... i think they would be natrually inclined to raise them once they have control... another reason why this system would have to be neutral. < increase competition between companies

with secure DRM for everyone bands could sell their own music. no recording company yay!!! the cost of running this service would be massive though but im sure less than having many different ones. if 1% of the cost of a product went towards fees im sure it would cover it.

i still prefer open source though.

alasta

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Reply # 38541 14-Jun-2006 19:24

I think the issue here is that, whilst the motivations behind DRM are legitimate, it has the unintended consequence of locking people in to certain products or technologies. As I mentioned in my recent blog entry, the use of the iTunes Music Store commits you to using only the iPod as a portable playback device, while the use of PlaysForSure (protected WMA) music stores locks you into the Windows operating system and a small handful of portable devices.

If there were one consistent standard for DRM recognised by all mainstream software and hardware products, then I probably wouldn't have a problem with it. Unfortunately, I think it's unlikely that this will ever happen.

muppet

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Reply # 38546 14-Jun-2006 20:00

I use Windows because a main part of my work is network pictures, for which I have to use Visio. Yes, I could dick around getting it to work under Wine, but it's just easy to dual boot (which I do into Kubuntu)

The apps I use the most under Windows (with the exception of Visio and sometimes Office) are freeware things though:

Thunderbird for Email
Firefox for Web
Miranda for ICQ/MSN/Yahoo/AOL and Jabber.
Putty for most of my work
OpenVPN so that I can VPN to my server

I have a PS2 for the 3 hours a week I play games :)

My GF bought a MacBook recently and I must say I'm very impressed with it (the few times I've used it). I was mostly impressed I could open a Terminal window and ssh to my servers, that and the fact that portscanning the thing shows not a single port open by default.

Tim

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