My new box is running XP and I haven’t had a problem with it yet (and I’ve installed and played Black and White on it), while my wife’s Windows ME system that she got at around the same time has locked up several times recently, usually when she tries to run…Internet Explorer! These are hard lockups after a generic error message that require powercycling of the computer, the three-finger salute doesn’t even work.
I’m not saying that ME can’t run Internet Explorer consistently, I’m trying to talk her into reinstalling the OS as I’m sure it’s because something during the initial installation corrupted an important file somewhere, but it goes to show that any OS will sometimes have problems that may or may not be due to actual bugs in the OS.
Ooooh Ozhippy, that’d be piracy wouldn’t it? Surely nobody does that these days! :o
But seriously, with the way things are going, people are really going to have to watch out. We’ll end up with a bloody police state yet!
sick of people trying to restrict the net and what i do with my property…
looks like i’ve been smacked down…
SPOOFE, i just think that what i have on my computer is private unless i share it, and as such should remain private! living where i am, i’m not sure it is!
i dont see how that’s selfish… except maybe in using “i” too much in one sentance, but hey, that’s what you get for being semi-literate
I guess it was pretty badly phrased.
What I disagree with is the notion that you can do whatever you want with a product after you purchase it, which is not the case. In the case of Windows (or Office, or just about any other computer program you buy), there is the “Terms of Service”, which is similar to a contract. When you install and begin using a computer program, you have agreed to its Terms of Service. And, yes, you can do whatever you want with the program, as long as it doesn’t violate the ToS… however, some things, like making many copies of a program, or installing it on more than one computer (not saying that you’re advocating this, these are just random examples) often violate the ToS, and as such, technically render your ownership of the software null and void.
Realistically, you stand almost zero chance of being caught for ToS violations (unless you happen to be stupid and send a letter to the company saying “Haha, I violated your ToS! Now here’s my address…”), and I’ll admit that I’m not exactly innocent of such acts myself. But, technically, you can’t do “whatever you want to”.
Typically, I haven’t really made myself clear. I agree with what you have said. However, I guess I am idealogically (sp?) opposed to microsoft and the like having a monopoly. It seems… unhealthy somehow. Still, I use their products, and in the manner they intended.
i had to take a class in xp for work yesterday. to be honest, it doesn’t look like such an evil os (not like me – yech!), but it’s going to be a nightmare for me.
i am a dial-up support tech for ev1. i spend most of my day explaining dial-up networking to people who don’t understand the concepts of “right click” and “double click.” i’ve had customers who insist that there is no “make new connection” in their dial-up networking folder, only to find out that they never opened the folder in the first place.
now microsoft has come out with an os that looks nothing like what we’re used to. sure, it may be pretty, but how do i explain to a former aol user that they have to click on the “big blue e” when xp a) doesn’t install with icons on the desktop; and b) thanks to all the pretty colous, that blue e might be orange for all i know.
don’t even get me started on the new little aol-style msn explorer which now comes pre-installed, and in some cases, set as the default browser. my supervisor has already seen several cases where clicking an internet explorer icon actually opened the msn explorer. try explaining that to a customer… “yes, i know it’s just like aol and it’s what you’re used to, but it doesn’t work with our dial-up service! no, internet explorer… the big blue e. it’s green?”
Dont fret.
Xp has a handy trick to convert the whole thing back to the familiar interface.
and besides a few prettifications most everything is where it was (albeit with a requirment to hit the “switch to classic view” button).
You would have more problems with the differences between 98 and 2K to be honest.
actually, i haven’t had any probs with 2k, other than having to say “see where it says either ‘systems’ or ‘networking’”?
and yes, i know how to bring windows back to the nice normal interface. if i had xp at home (i have 98 & linux), i’d set it that way. but try explaining how to change the settings to a customer. seriously, it’s not that these people are stupid, it’s just that many of them are new to computers, or have only used the computer to get on aol, and they’re about as lost as i would be trying to rebuild a carbuerator… or even spelling it.
