This is one of about three areas where Medea’s Guy and I have issues.
Okay, I have issues, he has big wide innocent eyes and the ongoing proclimation “What’d I do?”
My computer is my heart, my home, my widdle baby snookums, even though I’m never near it. He’s always near it. He’s moved it to his house next to his computer and he still uses mine all the time. (Next time he opens his mouth with a Mac vs PC arguement I’m going to shut it for him. So if Macs are so great why do you use my computer ALL THE TIME?!?") He cahngedmy background, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. He downloads stuff (God knows what) and puts it on my computer (He argues that his gaming programs won’t run on a Mac. See above on his Mac vs. PC arguements.)
I go ballistic. Okay, I go into convulsions like an OCD patient off thier medication staring at the average kindergarten playground in a food fight. While I struggle to keep my voice calm and level, knowing I’m being totally off the deep end words come out of my mouth “Why…did…you…do…that?” And Mr. Bright-Eyes goes “Huh? What’s wrong honey?” I restrain myself from leaping for the keyboard to mutter about my precious.
He thinks I’m nuts. I want him to leave my computer alone.
My husband’s and I’s relationship got much better after we got the second computer. It’s not a territorial issue for us, but a time one: we both like to spend a great deal of time on the computer, and it’s simpler now that one person’s use of the computer dosne’t mean that the other has to (horrors of horrors) find something else to do.
Plus, we each have our own desks wiht our own messes now, and it’s always easier to find your stuff on a messy desk if you are the only one making the piles.
Irronically, now that we have two computers the TV has become obsolete: except for the Buffy Phase and the occasional movie, it has gone virtually unused for the last year.
I have no problem shareing a computer with my wife. I have nothing to hide from her and she knows all my passwords if she wants to look around. My wife and I share the same online enjoyments for the most parts so hell, If she wants to look at my history to see where I’ve been so she can check it out too. Thats fine.
As far as a shared email account, I wouldn’t mind. Now my wife, that is another story. She keeps multiple emails, some of which I’m sure I don’t know about. But, thats the way she likes it, and I respect that, at least now that I’ve gotten used to it.
The SO and I already have separate computers, and we will keep them when we move in together.
He likes his res at 800x600, I can’t stand anything below 1024x768. And he has switched mine in the past. GRRRRRR. Then the icons aren’t where they’re supposed to be.
I also had to deal with a roommate sharing my computer. For some reason, the computer would run perfectly whenever I was using it, but would crash every 5 minutes when he was on it. It really made me wonder what he was doing. But it was also running WinME.
Okay, given that it appears most of the folks in this thread don’t follow the idea of individual accounts (which allows for personalized settings, such as screen resolution and icon placement), can I be boggled :eek: now?
Well, in my case, we both already have computers, so why bother? If we didn’t, then I probably would set up two accounts on my XP Pro machine.
Before, when I was having problems with my roommate, I was dealing with WinME. The system protection given by the Windows Login isn’t all that great; you could just cancel at the login box.
Once upon a time I had my own account on my parents’ computer so I could have my own background and stuff. If I changed the colors and the screen resolution it affected everybody, not just my personal account. My mom was always yelling at me for it. Plus it made the computer (which wasn’t exactly high-powered; I doubt I’ll ever be able to afford or particular care about purchasing a high-powered computer) really, really slow. This was on Win98, I believe. Anyway it kind of turned me off to the whole “separate accounts on the same computer” thing that people keep bringing up like it’s the magic cure for computer-sharing woes.
I used to share the computer back home with my parents. One computer, 3 people. My dad didn’t use it as much, since he didn’t know a lot about them and was afraid of screwing it up(more than it was). Mom and me were the most frequent users. No separate accounts, we each had our own floppies if we stored something outside the computer. Internet access was not a problem, because I was the only one with MSN messenger and AIM accounts, and never gave the passwords to my parents. The three of us have separate emails.
When I left for college, mom and dad each got their own IM accounts. During the winter vacation, the computer finally died and mom used my laptop sometimes in order to type her work. Now they have a new computer and share it.
PD. Dad also types a lot, but he uses a computerized typewriter (Olivetti), instead of the computer. Before 1995, all three of us had to share the Olivetti.
That’s a fault with the operating system, then. A well-designed OS will let you support any number of user accounts without having them impact each other.
I can’t see a reason to fault the principle just because Microsoft screwed up the implementation.
If you want to share a PC, it takes two things, First of all, one of them have to be a geek, and the other one non-geek, so the urge to tinkle with the machine will not end up in brawls
Secondly, you need an operating system that supports multiple users with their own preferences. You can choose NT/2000/XP if Windows is your cup of tea, or you can use Linux/BSD/Solaris.
But it’s not recommended. Just have two computers on a LAN.
My wife and I shared a computer for about two years and it was a huge pain in the ass. I love computer games and she is a huge Tetris freak (she can play for hours). Don’t even get me started about scheduling online time. Now I have my machine and she has hers, all is right with the world.
Now, if I can convince her to start playing some “real” games instead of lining up blocks all the time. I would love to play BG2 over the LAN with her.
Step 1) Power on PC.
Step 2) Go get a soda, water, go to the bathroom, whatever, while it comes up
Step 3) Use computer.
MS OSes up to (and possibly including, since I haven’t used it before) XP, designed their system so you have a good pause after you start it up but before you log in, and then another good pause after you log in and before you can actually do anything. Gets totally annoying.
I would love to play BG2 over the LAN with her.