[clug] Why MS Windows isn't ready for the Desktop

[Alex Satrapa]

On 2 Aug 2004, at 14:30, Andrew Roudenko wrote:

> "Let's all just say it out loud, "I have used Windows XP, and I have 
> seen the blue
> screen of death.""
>
> I will say it out loud, I have run Win2k for a number of years on one 
> of my boxes and
> NEVER seen the blue screen of death.

I *have* used Windows XP, and I *have* seen the BSOD. Usually on 
hardware not completely supported by Windows XP. At least when Linux 
doesn't fully support some hardware, it will just run slow (eg: running 
"Generic IDE" on an nVidia nForce 2 chipset).

If you boot Windows XP without a mouse, you can't add one later. If you 
boot XFree86 without a mouse, as long as you've got it configured to 
use /dev/input/mice, you can plug in a USB mouse and use X without 
rebooting.

> Users with administrator priveleges are
> the ones who have granted themselves administrator priveleges.  No 
> different to a
> GNU/Linux user running as root all the time.

Windows XP will, by default, give a new user Administrative privileges. 
When you install Windows XP, it only gives you the one user. No 
warnings about "this is a bad thing to do". Debian and Mac OS X both 
warn the person running the installer that it's A Bad Thing to keep 
using the machine as an administrative user.

> To be honest this felt no less enlightening than reading MS propoganda.

Well, at least most MS propaganda isn't so painful to read (in fact, 
most MS propaganda will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside until 
you start to think about what they're saying). My favourite line from 
the whole article:

>> "If I, a self professed nerd, am happy with all those options then it 
>> should suffice for Joe Desktop User."

Compare this to the "Computer Geek" versus "Joe Desktop" in the real 
world:
  - CG probably prefers mutt, while JD has trouble wrapping their brain 
around Squirrel Mail
  - CG is probably on one side of the vi/emacs holy war,
    JD has trouble understanding the difference between Microsoft 
Notepad and Microsoft Word
  - CG loves twiddling options such as which font server to use. JD gets 
confused by the choice
    between Arial and Arial Round.
  - CG doesn't mind using two or three programs for some jobs - vi for 
editing Perl source,
    perldoc to check the formatting, and pod2html for producing the 
"online reference manual".
    JD gets confused by "Print Preview" mode in Microsoft Word.
  - CG loves the twists and turns in "nethack". JD can't understand how 
someone can have fun
    moving an '@' around the screen. And what's the 'd' following you 
around for?

IMHO the author should try to introduce one of their Joe Desktop 
relatives to KDE3 and watch the disaster unfold. "Where's the graphic 
equaliser?" "Why are the fonts so ugly?" "How do I video chat with my 
MSN buddies? Heck, how do I voice chat with my MSN buddies?"

I'm sure Mr Self Professed Computer Nerd will really have something to 
write about then.

Regards
Alex

Windows 98, n.: 32 bit extensions and graphical shell for a 16 bit hack 
on a 8 bit operating system originally written for a 4 bit 
microprocessor, by a 2 bit company that can't stand 1 bit of 
competition and has not a bit of respect for its customers.